Chapter 5: Mapping innovation diversity
Mónica Edwards-Schachter https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9063-0916
Category:
Chapter
Published:
12 Oct 2021
Page Range:
79–105
Collection:
Sociology, Social Policy and Education 2021
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4337/9781789902303.00015
Keywords:
nature of innovation; innovation types; X-innovations; hybrid innovations; Innovation Studies (IS); multidisciplinary
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A central problem in the young discipline of innovation studies is the very definition of its object of study. The term has become a complex semantics involving a myriad of labels and definitions such as technological, green, social, inclusive, open, user-centered, free, among others. What do we currently understand by innovation? How many types of innovation exist today? Which are the so-called hidden and dark innovations? This chapter scrutinizes the literature to provide a comprehensive overview of the meaning and the evolving nature of the term, identifying more than one hundred innovation forms from 1950 to 2019. It analyzes relationships between established, new incumbents, and future trends and explores underpinning mechanisms and theoretical cornerstones that may explain this huge variety.

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Cover Handbook on Alternative Theories of Innovation
Handbook on Alternative Theories of Innovation
Edited by
Benoît Godin
,
Gérald Gaglio
, and
Dominique Vinck https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7835-7008
Handbook
Published:
12 Oct 2021
Print ISBN:
9781789902297
eISBN:
9781789902303
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4337/9781789902303
Pages:
432
Collection:
Sociology, Social Policy and Education 2021
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