Forward-looking External Search as a Driver for Innovation

In this empirical analysis Sara Polier investigates forward-looking external search strategies and their impact on the value contribution of corporate foresight. Based on a mixed method approach combining a quantitative and qualitative analysis of large, R&D-intensive firms, the findings reveal a general positive influence of different search strategies with respect to the scope (i.e. breadth, depth, and distance) and direction of search (i.e. market, science, and intermediary-driven) on the role of foresight as a driver for innovation. This relationship is found to be mediated by a firm's exploratory learning capability, which appears to facilitate the effective transfer of external future-related knowledge into valuable outputs. ContentsTheoretical foundations of organizational search and corporate foresightResearch field of external searchImpact of forward-looking external search on the value of corporate foresightTarget GroupsResearchers and students of innovation management, technology management, foresight, and future research Practitioners interested in innovation, research and development, corporate foresight, and strategy development The AuthorSara Polier does research on external and forward-looking search at the Institute of Technology and Innovation Management at Hamburg University of Technology, where she investigates the impact of search strategies in the context of corporate foresight.