Institute For Global Innovation Management

Thought Leadership Seminar Series

This seminar series is a regularly scheduled event open to the university community and to the public.

Recent Events

On June 11, 2008, Professor Maria Elmquist of Chalmers University in Sweden presented Enabling innovation: Exploring the prerequisites for innovative concepts in R&D. Professor Elmquist discussed the prerequisites for innovative concepts to impact new product development processes in large firms. Her research sheds light on the practices of early phase new product development and the interface between innovative activities and planned development projects.

On April 29, 2008, Professors Ko De Ruyter from Maastricht University and Andy Rohm from Northeastern University presented Socialization 2.0: Innovative Online Recommendation Agents in a Complex Service Industry. They discussed the challenges faced by companies when consumers are required to become more facile and knowledgeable in using and evaluating online service offerings. Some companies have employed virtual agents to interact with and train young consumers. This presentation was jointly sponsored by the Institute for Global Innovation Management and the Marketing Group Research Seminar Series at Northeastern University.

On Thursday January 24, 2008, Henrik Glimstedt from the Institute for International Business (IIB) of the Stockholm School of Economics presented How Swedish Multinationals Compete Globally - Strategic Orientations, Technological and Organizational Choices and Implications for Global High-Tech Labor Markets. This presentation was jointly sponsored by The Institute for Global Innovation Management and The International Business and Strategy Group at Northeastern University.

On November 29, 2007, Professors Harry Lane and Bert Spector presented A Dynamic Capabilities Perspective on the Transfer of Innovations: Theory Building from the Field. They looked at barriers to innovation and considered how organizational change and the alignment of transfer type and change process can be used to mitigate such barriers. Managing the organizational context, referred to as "white space," surrounding innovation can also be a key success factor.

On September 27, 2007, Gail Ellement was the first speaker for the 2007 - 2008 Thought Leadership Seminar Series. Gail Ellement is co-founder of UK-based IT consulting firm First Catalyst. She presented her company's formula forimproving procurement services efficiencies, particularly in the procurement of marketing services. Later, she spoke about gender issues and the cross-cultural challenges of managing a complex IT project in Korea.

IGIM funded research leads to a best-selling case study
Ivey Publishing recognizes Brand in the Hand, Mobile Marketing at Adidas, by IGIM scholars David Wesley, Fareena Sultan, and Andy Rohm, as one of the top 10 bestselling business cases in 2007. Ivey Publishing is the second largest case distributor in the world with over 2,200 case studies. The “Brand in the Hand” case considers the penetration of mobile devices such as cell phones, the growth of global mobile marketing practices, and several mobile marketing communications campaigns launched by adidas in 2004. A forthcoming case titled “The 2006 World Cup: Mobile Marketing at adidas” will look at the mobile marketing strategy of adidas in the context of the 2006 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament.

The PDMA recognizes two IGIM scholars for their outstanding contribution to innovation management research
Paper on new product performance selected to appear in a special issue of the Journal of Product Innovation Management.

A paper presented by two IGIM scholars, Professors Gloria Barczak and Fareena Sultan, has been selected among the top papers from the European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management (EIASM) 2006 International Product Development and Management Conference. Among the many papers submitted, “Determinants of IT Usage and New Product Performance” was one of only twenty papers chosen by an international committee of innovation scholars and one of eight papers to appear in a forthcoming special issue of the Journal of Product Innovation Management, to be published in November 2007. The paper examines factors that impact IT usage and explores the relationship between IT usage and new product performance. Congratulations to Professors Barczak and Sultan for their outstanding work!

Northeastern University ranked as one of the top centers in the world in innovation management research

In rankings published by the Journal of Product Innovation Management, Northeastern University was recognized as the third most productive center in the world in innovation management research. In addition, IGIM researchers Edward McDonough III, Gloria Barczak, and Marc Meyer ranked 7th, 19th, and 22nd respectively among the world’s “top innovation management scholars." The ranking reflects the work of 1,179 scholars. (Journal of Product Innovation Management, May 2007 - Vol. 24 Issue 3 Pp. 191-281)

Professor Rosanna Garcia presents reseach on product innovations in the global wine industry

Professor Rosanna Garcia presented "Co-opetition for the diffusion of resistant innovations: A case study in the global wine industry using an agent-based model," at the 25th International Conference of the System Dynamics Society, Boston, MA, July 2007. Professor Garcia's field-based research in the United States, Australia, and New Zealand looks at differences in consumer behavior in different markets and considers how industry alliances can be used to overcome consumer resistance to product innovations.

IGIM researcher is awarded an NSF grant for collaborative research on the implications of automotive greenhouse gas

Professor Rosanna Garcia of Northeastern University's Institute for Global Innovation Management and collaborators Scott Hawker and Sandy Rothenberg of the Rochester Institute of Technology, Tim Lipman and Mark Delucchi of the University of California and Steve Skerlos, Greg Keoleian and Walter McManus of the University of Michigan have been awarded a major National Science Foundation grant for research on the analysis of carbon reduction policies on automobile design and market development. This project aims to understand how automotive markets will respond to various green house gas reductions policies. More information can be found at the project website.

Presentation on Mobile Marketing seeks to help Indian companies improve customer relationship activities

In February 2007, Professor Fareena Sultan presented "Brand in the Hand: Mobile Marketing" at an industry meeting hosted by the Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) in Calcutta, India. The presentation was attended by approximately 50 executives, and focused on how Indian companies can utilize mobile marketing for improving customer relations.

Ground-breaking new book on organizational change

Implementing Organizational Change: Theory and Practice, a newly published book by IGIM researcher Prof. Bert Spector, is the only text that provides a clear sequential framework to help students and practitioners understand, analyze and implement change.

Spector's sequential framework guides students in orchestrating intervention that is proven to maximize the likelihood of successful implementation. This framework consists of the following four steps in sequence:

(1) Shared Diagnosis: Collecting and analyzing data and vital preliminary stage in implementing change.

(2) Redesign: Systematic & strategic change of a organization’s design.

(3) HR Development: Developing required new skills and behaviors of the organization’s employees.

(4) Systems & Structure.

The framework is also a guide to orchestrating intervention that will maximize the likelihood of successful implementation and builds on one presented earlier in The Critical Path to Corporate Renewal (Boston; Harvard Business School Press, 1990).

Academy of Management Annual Meeting

On August 15, 2006, IGIM faculty presented Competing through Innovation in the Global Marketplace at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting in Atlanta, Georgia.

The symposium discussed emerging issues that today’s organizations must address to compete globally. The particular emphasis was on innovation strategies in global organizations and industries. The symposium offered a multi-disciplinary approach to the issue of global innovation by looking at a range of issues, including: organizational design and change, global strategic alliances, global marketing, and the outsourcing of knowledge and learning.

Presentations included:

Commercializing Innovation across Borders – A Change Perspective
Henry W Lane ; Northeastern University
Bert Spector ; Northeastern University
James F Nebus; University of North Carolina - Charlotte

Co-opetition for the Diffusion of Innovations
Rosanna Garcia; Northeastern University

Brand in the Hand: Reaching Out to the Elusive Customer
Fareena Sultan; Northeastern University
Andrew Rohm; Northeastern University

Strategies for Outsourcing Innovation
Ramaiya Balachandra; Northeastern University
Michael H. Zack; Northeastern University
Dov Biran; Northeastern University

NU Innovation Series: Global Innovation Management: Lessons learned from companies introducing new products to international markets.
On Thursday, February 9, 2006, alumni, business leaders, and members of the university community had an opportunity to learn about several research projects supported by the Institute for Global Innovation Management. After preliminary comments by Provost Ahmed Abdelal, Professor Harry Lane introduced faculty members from four IGIM supported projects.

Bert Spector presented preliminary results of NSF-supported research on the transfer of innovation across borders. Organizational change was defined as a key element in determining the outcomes of both incremental and discontinuous change.
Nicholas Athanassiou discussed the importance of social capital in Compaq's efforts to become a world leader in high performance computing. He defined three stages in the product development cycle, each of which involves different stakeholders, including customers, suppliers and partners.
Rosanna Garcia explained importance of co-opetition (cooperation among competing firms) in the diffusion of resistant innovations. The case of screw tops for fine wines was presented as one example of how co-opetition has led to greater consumer acceptance in Australia and New Zealand.
Lastly, Fareena Sultan and Andy Rohm outlined the role of mobile technology in the marketing strategies of companies such as adidas and Citibank. Infrastructure, privacy, and demographics were defined as important factors in the success of a global mobile marketing strategy.

Brand-in-the-Hand Marketing: Global E-Business Strategy Development
Through the support of the Institute for Global Innovation Management, Professors Fareena Sultan and Andrew Rohm of Northeastern University's marketing department are investigating the development and execution of global e-business strategy in order to uncover opportunities and challenges facing firms in their efforts to transform existing business strategies to incorporate the Internet. Early results from research with Adidas, Reebok, and others was published in the journal MIT Sloan Management Review. “The Coming Era of ‘Brand in the Hand’ Marketing” is about burgeoning marketing opportunities with hand-held mobile devices and how this new medium compares to older marketing vehicles.

Professors Rohm and Sultan, together with IGIM researcher David Wesley, also published a case study titled Brand in the Hand: Mobile Marketing at Adidas, comparing Adidas' mobile marketing efforts in Europe and North America. The case is available from Ivey Publishing, product number 9B05A024.

National Science Foundation awards grant to IGIM researchers: First ever NSF grant awarded to the College of Business Administration. This year, the National Science Foundation awarded a multi-year financial grant to IGIM researchers Bert Spector, Henry Lane, James Nebus, and David Wesley for their work on the global adoption of new technologies. Working in partnership with Charles River Laboratories, one of the premier biotech service firms in New England, the research team will look at that company's efforts to move innovation to its subsidiaries in France and Japan. For the complete story, see Exporting Innovation, The Northeastern Voice, September 14, 2004, page 5.

Past Events

IGIM Panel Discussion: The Business of Product Development: Integrating People, Process and Technology Across the Life Cycle
Product Development & Management Association (PDMA) International Conference, October 4-8th 2003, Marriott Hotel, Boston. The theme of the conference was: The Business of Product Development: Integrating People, Process and Technology Across the Life Cycle. IGIM organized a panel session on Global Innovation & New Product Development October 4 and hosted a reception that evening. Professor Gloria Barczak was Research Conference Chair of the Product Development & Management Association’s (PDMA) International Conference, October 4-8th 2003, Marriott Hotel, Boston.

Carnegie Bosch Institute's 6th International Conference, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh
On October 2, 2003 Post-doctoral fellow James Nebus presented “Learning by Networking: Knowledge Search and Sharing in the Multinational Enterprise.” Clicking this link will download a PowerPoint presentation.

Academy of Management Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington: Democracy in a Knowledge Economy
On August 4, 2003 Professors Ed McDonough, Frank Spital and Nick Athanassiou presented "Knowledge Access in the Process of Global New Product Innovation of an MNC" at the AoM annual meeting.

Academy of International Business Annual Meeting, Monterey, California: The Power of Ideas in International Business
On July 7, 2003 Professors Ed McDonough, Frank Spital and Nick Athanassiou presented "Social capital and knowledge access in the process of global new product innovation of an MNC" at AIB 2003.

The R&D Management Conference, Manchester,England: Implementing the theories of R&D management - advancing the state of the art
Professor Ed McDonough made a presentation on "Managing knowledge in the global innovation process" at this year's R&D Management Conference, July 7-9, 2003.

Workshop on Global Innovation Strategy
Joint IGIM-IIB Workshop on Global Innovation Strategy was held on June 12-14, 2003 in Stockholm, Sweden.
This workshop was jointly sponsored by the Institute for Global Innovation Management and the Institute of International Business of the Stockholm School of Economics and focused on how global companies use their multinational networks to gain competitive advantage by innovating new products and services.

International Conference on Organizational Learning and Knowledge
Professor Mike Zack presented a paper on "What is a Knowledge Based Organization" at the 5th International Conference on Organizational Learning and Knowledge, Lancaster University Management School, UK, May 30- June 2, 2003.

Thought Leadership Seminar Series (2006-2007 Academic Year) Seminars held during the 2006-2007 academic year included the following:

On May 10, 2007, Professors Fareena Sultan and Andy Rohm presented Media Multitasking by Youth Consumers. In the first study of its kind in the United States, professors Sultan and Rohm will conduct a longitudinal study using cellular telephones. They will build on previous research on mobile marketing at Citibank and adidas titled "Brand in the Hand" (The results of which were recently published in the Sloan Management Review and presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting). This time, professors Sultan and Rohm have partnered with Boston-based Enpocket, a company that has developed the industry-leading technology platform for delivering rich and relevant mobile marketing and advertising.

On March 22, 2007, Law School Professor Stacey Dogan presented her research on the kinds of "uses" of trademarks that can constitute TM infringement. Prof. Dogan began by discussing the background of current trademark practices and how they are intended to protect consumers and foster innovation. A discussion ensued on how trademarks can impact marketing practices, particularly in the context of global business. The presentation concluded with a discussion of keyword-based advertising by large Internet companies such as Google. Some trademark holders contend that this form of advertising constitutes TM infringement.

On January 31, 2007 Professor Mike Zack presented a new research project titled "The Effect of Knowledge on Productivity and Competitive Advantage: Working Smarter, Not Harder." Prof. Zack and Professor Chris Street of the University of Manitoba will be considering the Canadian wheat industry and the economic and strategic impact of knowledge on farm productivity.

Thought Leadership Seminar Series (2005-2006 Academic Year) Seminars held during the 2005-2006 academic year included the following:

On May 22, 2006 Professor Rod White from the Ivey Business School, the University of Western Ontario, spoke about his research on biological evolutionary processes in new venture creation and their effect on the thought processes of entrepreneurs. Based on evolutionary psychology as a theoretical perspective for exploring the relationship between a heritable biological characteristic and an important business behavior, the findings of this research were the subject of a paper titled Entrepreneurs and evolutionary biology: The Relationship between testosterone and new venture creation.

The first of this year's Thought Leadership Seminars was held on December 6, 2005. Dean Tjosvold, Henry Y. W. Fong Chair Professor and Head of Management at Lingnan University, Hong Kong presented Making Conflict Productive: Can Asian Values Contribute? The seminar examined how conflict is not only inevitable when people from diverse cultures work together but, when well-managed, can very much contribute to solving problems and strengthening relationships. Professor Fong's research has documented that discussing conflicts openly for mutual benefit is appropriate and useful for people from China as well as North America.

Thought Leadership Seminar Series (2004-2005 Academic Year) Seminars held during the 2004-2005 academic year included the following:

Does Culture Matter? The moderating effect of culture, on the relationships between individual characteristics and Innovation, Quality, and Efficiency.
Miriam Erez of the Faculty of Industrial Engineering & Management, Technion, Haifa, Israel.
Monday, October 25, 2004

Thought Leadership Seminar Series (2003-2004 Academic Year) Seminars held during the 2003-2004 academic year included the following:

Strategic Implications of Outsourcing: First Manufacturing and Now Innovation. Bart Higgins, former Senior Business Development Manager at Infosys has played an important role in outsourcing to India. January 15, 2004.

After Action Reviews: The US Army’s Approach to Learning and Organizational Innovation. Marilyn Darling, founder and President of the Signet Consulting Group, December 11, 2003

Using Agent-based Modeling Simulations in Management Research. Professor Rosanna Garcia, Northeastern University, November 12, 2003.

Thought Leadership Seminar Series (2002-2003 Academic Year) Seminars held during the 2002-2003 academic year included the following:

	Managing Complexity in the Global Innovation Process: A Networks and Social Capital Solution. Professors Ed McDonough, Frank Spital and Nick Athanassiou, Northeastern University, October 24, 2002.
	Knowledge Management. Professor Mike Zack, Northeastern University, November 21, 2002
	Intellectual Property Challenges for the Global Enterprise. Professor Stacey Dogan, Northeastern University, December 12, 2002.
	Organizational Innovation in Historical Perspective: German High-Tech Industries in the Late 19th and Late 20th Centuries. Professor Mark Lehrer, University of Rhode Island, January 14, 2003.
	Complexity Theory and its applications to organizational analysis and management. Dr. Kurt Richardson of the Institute for the Study of Coherence and Emergence, April 24, 2003
	International R&D Organizations and a “Four Layer Model.” Professor Max von Zedtwitz from IMD in Lausanne, Switzerland, May 22, 2003