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The Gatekeeper's Gambit - The Politics and Practice of New Ideas in Corporate Innovation

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Date

2023

Authors

Supervisor

Connor, Andrew
Hunting, Amabel

Item type

Thesis

Degree name

Master of Creative Technologies

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Auckland University of Technology

Abstract

This research explores the role of “Innovation Gatekeepers” within corporate entities, and how these individuals impact the way in which new ideas are explored and funded. Drawing on the authors experience in corporate innovation and new product development, the study seeks to understand how these individuals, strategically positioned within organisational hierarchies, influence the trajectory of ideas, funding, and ultimately the products and services which are released to the public. Private enterprises fund three-quarters of the worlds’ research and development (R&D) but there is a lack of transparency on the process they use and how that money is spent. Currently what is known of innovation within corporates is either not publicly available or delivered through biased marketing-led material. The literature in the field that exists is focused on best practice methodology and tends to avoid the examination of the practical realities of the innovation process in these environments. This research seeks to examine the unknown elements of this process, who is involved in innovation decision making, and how are these decisions made. To gain an insider’s perspective of innovation processes within these corporations a grounded theory methodology was applied. Semi-structured interviews with corporate innovation team members elicited a rich contextual view of this environment that was interpreted through a constructivist lens. This research identified individuals who act as ‘Innovation Gatekeepers’. These gatekeepers, either consciously or subconsciously, apply a force that control the process of innovation. This force is realised through tangible tools, such as controlling the flow of information or access to resources, and intangible factors, such as personal drivers, motivations, and market forces. The significant investment corporates make in R&D illustrates their desire to be innovative. This research has made visible the agency of specific individuals that have a disproportionate level of influence over the innovation process and its outcomes. This overwhelms other potential mitigating factors, such as increasing budgets or organisational priorities. Given that these individuals are inherent in an organisation and can’t be removed, corporates need to find a way to identify Innovation Gatekeepers and work to either harness or reduce their influence if they hope to be truly innovative.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10292/17248

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