• First Name

    Alexander

  • Last Name

    Stern

  • Affiliation

     Copenhagen Business School

  • (Preliminary) PhD Title

    From Technology Gatekeeping to Orchestration – Overcoming Incumbent Search Constraints in an Open Innovation Context

  • PhD abstract

    This PhD project endeavours to explore how firms can bridge the boundaries between firm-external knowledge from domains distant from current business activity and constraining organizational characteristics at mature industrial incumbents. In particular, this study looks at how designated firm-level functions can orchestrate external knowledge sources and match them with internal capabilities. This issue, which addresses learning and adaptation ability, is particularly pertinent since the growing opening up of innovation poses considerable threat of discontinuous change, yet at the same time provides ample opportunity to identify new avenues for growth outside of the organization. A conceptualization of a technology orchestration function is proposed and tested using a multiple-case study design observing a sample of three cases from the German automotive industry.