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. 
Contents

• Theoretical foundations of organizational search and corporate foresight
• Research field of external search
• Impact of forward-looking external search on the value of corporate foresight

Target Groups

• Researchers and students of innovation management, technology management, foresight, and future research 
• Practitioners interested in innovation, research and development, corporate foresight, and strategy development 

The Author Sara 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.