– Disseminates knowledge on entrepreneurship, innovation and small business
ESBRI helped to bring an international dialogue about entrepreneurship scholarship to the forefront among academics, public policy makers and entrepreneurs."
Research seminars history
[2004-10-05]Skunk Works: A Sign of Failure, A Sign of Hope?
Researcher
Docent Terrence Brown, Kungliga tekniska högskolan
About the research seminar
Organizing for innovation has become a key business objective. Of many organizational innovations to emerge, one of the most well known is the skunk works. This term originates from the smells emanating from a Lockheed plastic factory that was in constant, fervent operation. The name came to refer to operations that are separate from the core organization whose job is to create radical innovations.
Even though skunk works are often seen as business at its most innovative, they can also be seen as a signal of management dysfunction. Under what factors can skunk works be beneficial? Under what conditions can they harm actually harm an organization? Do they produce desired innovations that produce beneficial economic outcomes, or just more inventions? How can skunk works be made to contribute to sustainable success of an organization? How can this radical type of research be managed as to reduce the its malignant effects on an organization?
These questions and more will be discussed at Terrence Brown's seminar.
