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Towards a contextual theory of innovation

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Abstract

A contextual theoretical strategy should be pursued to overcome past deficiencies in the study of organizational innovation. The strategy is likely to lead to greater success in efforts to promote innovation. The heart of this strategy is to define the types of innovation processes at work and the contexts in which they operate. There are at least three innovation processes at work which operate in contexts defined by organizational and environmental characteristics and by the type of innovation under consideration.

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Elkin, S.L. Towards a contextual theory of innovation. Policy Sci 15, 367–387 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00146008

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