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Innovation theater in corporate venturing units : Cultural design as a (de)legitimizing mechanism

Brattström, Anna LU and Faems, Dries (2024) In Journal of Product Innovation Management
Abstract

This paper builds theory on theatrical cultural design in corporate venturing units, such as manifested in playful esthetics (foosball tables and beanbags), startup lingo, or youthful behavior (building with Lego bricks and informal dressing). We develop a set of propositions, illuminating how theatrical cultural design can (de)legitimize corporate venturing units, highlighting three different functions: attention-direction function, social categorization function, and escapist function. In addition, we explain how such changes in legitimization can influence the resilience of corporate venturing units. Our framework contributes to an emergent debate on innovation theater by pointing to the possibility of innovation theater as a... (More)

This paper builds theory on theatrical cultural design in corporate venturing units, such as manifested in playful esthetics (foosball tables and beanbags), startup lingo, or youthful behavior (building with Lego bricks and informal dressing). We develop a set of propositions, illuminating how theatrical cultural design can (de)legitimize corporate venturing units, highlighting three different functions: attention-direction function, social categorization function, and escapist function. In addition, we explain how such changes in legitimization can influence the resilience of corporate venturing units. Our framework contributes to an emergent debate on innovation theater by pointing to the possibility of innovation theater as a constructive process in contemporary innovation management practices.

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Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
epub
subject
keywords
corporate venturing, innovation theater, legitimacy
in
Journal of Product Innovation Management
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:85189622983
ISSN
0737-6782
DOI
10.1111/jpim.12736
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2024 The Authors. Journal of Product Innovation Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of Product Development & Management Association.
id
2b0caf76-07cd-4f2e-a745-689fd11b4271
date added to LUP
2024-04-25 12:55:42
date last changed
2024-04-26 13:09:30
@article{2b0caf76-07cd-4f2e-a745-689fd11b4271,
  abstract     = {{<p>This paper builds theory on theatrical cultural design in corporate venturing units, such as manifested in playful esthetics (foosball tables and beanbags), startup lingo, or youthful behavior (building with Lego bricks and informal dressing). We develop a set of propositions, illuminating how theatrical cultural design can (de)legitimize corporate venturing units, highlighting three different functions: attention-direction function, social categorization function, and escapist function. In addition, we explain how such changes in legitimization can influence the resilience of corporate venturing units. Our framework contributes to an emergent debate on innovation theater by pointing to the possibility of innovation theater as a constructive process in contemporary innovation management practices.</p>}},
  author       = {{Brattström, Anna and Faems, Dries}},
  issn         = {{0737-6782}},
  keywords     = {{corporate venturing; innovation theater; legitimacy}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of Product Innovation Management}},
  title        = {{Innovation theater in corporate venturing units : Cultural design as a (de)legitimizing mechanism}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jpim.12736}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/jpim.12736}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}