1. Organisation and Innovation

It is widely known that innovation, both as a process and as an outcome, brings competitive advantage to organisations, regions and nations in this era of globalisation and increased speed in competition.

Organisations in emerging economies often face a range of obstacles, especially the lack of capabilities or limited resources that hinder them when innovating. Swan and Scarbrough (2005:914) stated that “innovation is actually more likely to occur at the interstices of collaborating groups and organisations”.

Establishing and maintaining relationships and networks with other actors inside and outside the organisation allows for collective learning as well as for gaining capabilities that in turn may enhance innovation performance. In the last decade, network analysis has gained a lot of attention, in particular the impact of networks on innovation processes and outcomes. The key (academic) research question for this research area is:

What are the relations between network and innovation at the individual/ team/project/organisational levels and how are these levels intertwined?

This research group predominantly uses quantitative methodologies to study the relationships between networks and innovation at different levels of analysis.

Study Leader(s)

2. The diffusion of innovations

Innovations are more likely to be adopted if they are perceived as beneficial, compatible with existing values, easy to use, testable, and observable and if social norms support their use and individuals feel capable of adopting them. Therefore, while developing suitable technical solutions for problems is vital, their diffusion within populations may not occur without considering the interaction of technical systems within social systems. Strategies to promote innovation adoption must address both aspects.

The built environment significantly contributes to anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions due to the energy and materials used during construction, operation, and end-of-life phases. Using building materials like timber and developing designs and methods that reduce carbon emissions throughout these phases can improve sustainability. However, adopting these approaches requires addressing their interaction with social systems, not just focusing on technical solutions.

• How do perceptions of benefit, compatibility, ease of use, testability, and observability influence the adoption of innovations within different social systems?
• What role do social norms and individual perceived capabilities play in the adoption of new technologies and practices?
• How can strategies be developed to enhance the interaction between technical innovations and social systems to promote widespread adoption?
• How do different social systems impact the adoption of sustainable building practices and materials?
• What are the barriers to the adoption of sustainable building methods, and how can they be overcome by addressing both technical and social factors?
• How should we train future thought leaders to promote the adoption of sustainability practices in the built environment?

By answering these questions, we can better understand the multifaceted relationship between innovation, sustainability, and social systems to effectively promote and implement sustainable practices.

Study Leader(s)