Resource Constrained Innovation and Inclusive Growth: A Research and Practice Agenda
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Imperial College Business School
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
People |
ORCID iD |
| Gerard George (Principal Investigator / Fellow) |
Publications
Alexy O
(2013)
Cui Bono? The Selective Revealing of Knowledge and Its Implications for Innovative Activity
in Academy of Management Review
Alexy O
(2012)
Category Divergence, Straddling, and Currency: Open Innovation and the Legitimation of Illegitimate Categories
in Journal of Management Studies
Alnuaimi T
(2012)
Not with my own: long-term effects of cross-country collaboration on subsidiary innovation in emerging economies versus advanced economies
in Journal of Economic Geography
Alnuaimi T
(2012)
Innovating in the periphery: The impact of local and foreign inventor mobility on the value of Indian patents
in Research Policy
Bock A
(2011)
The Effects of Culture and Structure on Strategic Flexibility during Business Model Innovation
in Journal of Management Studies
George G
(2012)
Innovation for Inclusive Growth: Towards a Theoretical Framework and a Research Agenda
in Journal of Management Studies
George G
(2014)
Big Data and Management
in Academy of Management Journal
George G
(2012)
New solutions in service design and delivery are necessary to combat disease burden.
in The international journal of tuberculosis and lung disease : the official journal of the International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
George G
(2011)
The Business Model in Practice and its Implications for Entrepreneurship Research
in Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice
Haas M
(2015)
Which Problems to Solve? Online Knowledge Sharing and Attention Allocation in Organizations
in Academy of Management Journal
| Description | I co-developed a theoretical framework and research agenda for inclusive innovation by critically evaluating extant theories and methodological issues as well as empirical regularities. We identified areas of future theory and research development and elaborated a synthesised view of inclusive innovation. We developed a multi-dimensional framework providing new directions for further research, testing PPPs across different countries and sectors. Further research will examine the performance of health PPPs, offering grounded empirical evidence on whether and how PPP arrangements may succeed in achieving benefits. We analysed 500 interviews of those in serviced and non-serviced slums in India to understand infrastructure provision and poverty alleviation. Our approach establishes the centrality of the water and sanitation components of infrastructure in bringing about positive socio-economic change, and how gender sensitive and integrated infrastructure provision can reap educational and health benefits. Published in Energy Policy, World Development (under review). Several working papers are in development, including work on India and China as sources of innovation, knowledge sharing in online communities within firms, and the delivery of healthcare services in India, all due in late 2014. |
| Exploitation Route | My findings are already being put to use, for example in my work on the Energy for Development partnership a survey revealed a noticeable transformation in activities around the trading centre and the lives of the villagers, which generated useful data so the research team could replicate in East Africa. The project is now a beacon in Africa having many local and international visitors from Japan, Germany, UK, Zambia, the World Bank and other funding agencies. My pilot project with UNAIDS and the Global Fund for pregnant mothers in India and Sub-Saharan Africa examines the HIV protection of new born babies via an injection given to mothers within hours of birth. A report was submitted to UNAIDS on redesign of service delivery issues. A working paper is under development. And using the insights drawn from my work with the World Intellectual Property Organization we are exploring the infrastructure and institutional costs of participating in international open collaborative networks, to pilot and promote the development of collaborative innovation technologies as a platforms for open collaborative innovation and engagement across boundaries, and development of the role of public data to support and encourage collaboration for innovation, e.g. use of public data in stimulating provisions of new services from which IP may be developed. |
| Sectors | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Energy,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice,Other |
| URL | http://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/g.george |
| Description | My fellowship proposal outlined a 'research and practice' agenda, bringing innovation for inclusive growth to the forefront of management studies. I explored two thematic areas: The Organisation of Innovation including business models, processes and open innovation: 12 published and 3 working papers, looking at innovation in developed world contexts and how processes could be improved to enhance firm performance and entrepreneurial outcomes. Inclusive Innovation or Innovation under extreme resource constraints: 9 published and 6 working papers tackling how innovation occurs in contexts with limited institutional structures and resources. With the funding provided by ESRC through this Fellowship as its basis, The Rajiv Gandhi Centre was able to establish a valuable research programme and continues to forge ahead with its world-class investigation into the nature of the innovation landscape for UK and Indian firms. With my fellowship at its heart as Director of the RGC I was able to attract leverage funding to study the role of energy in the socio-economic development of emerging economies, the integration of low-cost innovation into core markets and the effect of limited resources on organisational growth, ensuring clear impact on industry practice in the development of Indian and UK business, as well as tangible improvements to infrastructure in Africa. Now the RGC has an established reputation for high quality insight, the Centre's impact will continue to build on the ESRC-funded foundations and is in the hands of a new generation of researchers since I took up Deanship at Singapore Management University. Inclusive Innovation - I co-developed a theoretical framework and research agenda for inclusive innovation by critically evaluating extant theories and methodological issues as well as empirical regularities. We identified areas of future theory and research development and elaborated a synthesised view of inclusive innovation. Published in JMS, 2012 (56 citations in 2 years). Resource Constraints in Africa Our fieldwork research and report explored performance effects of resource assembly in Africa, finding that social capital, primarily kinship or family ties, helped entrepreneurs raise resources, but at a cost. Using small firm data in Uganda, we showed that shared identity among the entrepreneur's social network moderates this relationship, and, developed training programmes for Ugandan SME's. Research is ongoing and is now being extended to Kenya which will be reported on at a future date. A paper from this project has already been published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology. Entrepreneurship within Communities - We explored social structure, affordable loss and entrepreneurship in Africa, using data from 1061 households in rural Kenya, find the disintegration of social structure negatively impacts the decision to engage in entrepreneurship. Preliminary results indicate that energy provision has created over 20 new micro-enterprises, with the final survey due in late 2014. This paper is under revision in the Strategic Management Journal. Business Models - I published my last book 'Models of Opportunity' in 2012, and by linking research on business models and organisational design to the reality of building entrepreneurial firms it offers actionable advice for practitioners. The book has sold over 3,000 copies, and continues to influence the content of Imperial's Executive Education programmes, used with companies such as: Vodafone, Unilever, BT, and the London Stock Exchange among others. Health - A case study (published in Asia Pacific Journal of Management) examined GVK Emergency Management and Research Institute, an Indian public-private partnership (PPP), bringing emergency medical response to remote and urban settings. We showed how the organization established itself through institutional entrepreneurship and findings were disseminated to practitioners and scholars in China and India. In the Western context, we conducted a literature review of public-private partnerships, analysing over 1400 publications from multiple disciplines over a 20-year period, establishing that despite its significance, there is limited conceptualization and in-depth empirical investigation. We developed a multi-dimensional framework providing new directions for further research, testing PPPs across different countries and sectors. Further research will examine the performance of health PPPs, offering grounded empirical evidence on whether and how PPP arrangements may succeed in achieving benefits. Energy - We analysed 500 interviews of those in serviced and non-serviced slums in India to understand infrastructure provision and poverty alleviation. Our approach establishes the centrality of the water and sanitation components of infrastructure in bringing about positive socio-economic change, and how gender sensitive and integrated infrastructure provision can reap educational and health benefits, Published in Energy Policy, World Development (under review). Several working papers are in development, including work on India and China as sources of innovation, knowledge sharing in online communities within firms, and the delivery of healthcare services in India. The ESRC fellowship has helped to cement my reputation as a leading scholar, which led to my appointment as the first non-US Editor in Chief of the Academy of Management Journal (AMJ) in January 2014. Since assuming this role, I have implemented a number of improved processes that have resulted in noticeably higher article submissions than in previous years. As Editor I am able to determine trends and areas of focus for the management community as well as demonstrate my commitment to the championing of high quality research with real-world impact among fellow researchers. Since leaving Imperial College London, I have secured a position as Visiting Professor (to be confirmed later this year), which enables me to continue the work begun with my ESRC-funded projects and develop my new links with the College to support the exploitation of the work we did there as well as the careers of my postdoctoral research assistants. Finally, I will be collecting my Fellowship from the City & Guilds Institute in April 2015, further demonstrating how the ESRC funding has elevated my profile as a world-leading researcher. ********************************************************* I have given a keynote speech and acted as panel moderator on the 'Research with Impact' Dean's Conference at AACSB, Miami, February 2nd 2016. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2011 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Energy,Environment,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice,Other |
| Impact Types | Cultural,Societal,Economic |
| Description | Energy for Development |
| Organisation | University of Southampton |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The ambitious Energy for Development (E4D) project is considering a co-operative society with the Ministry of Energy, to manage the trading centre microgrid. A location for the deployment site was decided, and a strategy was developed with local government officials and banks. |
| Collaborator Contribution | TBC |
| Impact | In September 2013, we celebrated the Kitonyoni project's first year in operation and a survey revealed a noticeable transformation in activities around the trading centre and the lives of the villagers, which generated useful data so the research team could replicate in East Africa. The project is now a beacon in Africa, having many local and international visitors from Japan, Germany, UK, Zambia, the World Bank and other funding agencies. |
| Start Year | 2011 |
| Description | HIV Treatment Improvement |
| Organisation | Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) |
| Country | Global |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | A pilot project with UNAIDS and the Global Fund for pregnant mothers in India and Sub-Saharan Africa examined the HIV protection of new-born babies via an injection given to mothers within hours of birth. |
| Collaborator Contribution | TBC |
| Impact | A report was submitted to UNAIDS on redesign of service delivery issues. A working paper is under development. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | World Intellectual Property Organization |
| Organisation | World Intellectual Property Organization |
| Country | Switzerland |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | This report was based on an extensive literature review and analysis of different forms of openness and appropriability regimes. |
| Collaborator Contribution | TBC |
| Impact | Using its insights we developed collaborative innovation and IP infrastructures: to explore the infrastructure and institutional costs of participating in international open collaborative networks, to pilot and promote the development of collaborative innovation technologies as a platform for open collaborative innovation and engagement across boundaries, and development of the role of public data to support and encourage collaboration for innovation, e.g. use of public data in stimulating provisions of new services from which IP may be developed. |
| Start Year | 2012 |
| Description | Energy |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | We analysed 500 interviews of those in serviced and non-serviced slums in India to understand infrastructure provision and poverty alleviation. Our approach establishes the centrality of the water and sanitation components of infrastructure in bringing about positive socio-economic change, and how gender sensitive and integrated infrastructure provision can reap educational and health benefits. Several working papers are in development, including work on India and China as sources of innovation, knowledge sharing in online communities within firms, and the delivery of healthcare services in India, all due in late 2014. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |
| Description | Entrepreneurship within Communities |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Using data collected from 673 households in a comprehensive effort in two regions in rural Kenya, we found the disintegration of social structure negatively impacts the decision to engage in entrepreneurship, the effect being moderated by income loss, gender of the household head and access to community resources. We discussed the implications for theories of entrepreneurship in extreme poverty, especially the role of social structure, affordable loss and effectuation. Our results clearly show that occupational change intentions to entrepreneurship are driven by income seeking and risk tolerance whereas these attitudes do not predict other occupational changes from current occupation. Preliminary results indicate provision of energy has created 20 new micro-enterprises, with the final survey scheduled to take place in November 2014. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2014 |
| Description | Resource Constraints in Africa |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Participants in your research and patient groups |
| Results and Impact | We conducted fieldwork research and a subsequent report exploring performance effects of resource assembly in Africa, examining the relationship between structural social capital, resource assembly and firm performance of entrepreneurs in Africa. We found that social capital primarily composed of kinship or family ties helped the entrepreneur to raise resources, but it does so at a cost. Using data drawn from small firms in Kampala, Uganda, we explored how shared identity among the entrepreneur's social network moderates this relationship. Using this knowledge we have designed and developed training programmes for SME's in Uganda, which has now been extended to Kenya. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2013 |