LEARNING BY DOING AND THE LOCUS OF INNOVATIVE CAPABILITY IN

BIOTECHNOLOGY RESEARCH. Amit Jain. Organization Science (2013) .

24(6):1683-1700.
IN!O"#$ION
Research questi!
%rom t&e a'ai(a)(e (earning mo*e(+ in ,ro*-ction. it i+ ,o++i)(e to *etermine t&e
ca,acit/ o0 inno'ation )-i(*+ on t&e conce,t o0 1(earning )/ *oing23 It i+ ,o++i)(e to
c&aracterize t&e ca,acit/ o0 inno'ation in a (earning c-r'e3
"e# theretica$ %ers%ecti&es
&i+ re+earc& contri)-te+ to t&e t&eoretica( mo*e(+ in organization+ re+earc& in
,artic-(ar t&e re+earc& 0oc-+e* on (earning c-r'e+ to inc(-*e non-ro-tine acti'itie+ in
com,anie+ +-c& a+ t&o+e (in4e* to inno'ation.
U!a''resse' %u(($e) c!tr&ers#) r %ara'*
5imite* e'i*ence e6i+t regar*ing t&e +t-*/ o0 (earning c-r'e+ 0or com,anie+ in non
ro-tine acti'itie+. &ere i+ no e'i*ence (in4ing (earning c-r'e+ to inno'ation acti'itie+.
In t&e area o0 inno'ation t&ere are no +t-*ie+ ,ro'i*ing e'i*ence 0or t&e conce,t o0
7(earning )/ *oing7.
89:O"S
O&era$$ 'esi+!
"e,en*ent ;aria)(e+: Inno'ati'e <ro*-cti'it/: o-t,-t ,ro*-ce* ,er -nit o0 time=
$itation+ ,er #5!: ,ro*-cti'it/ mea+-re an* *oe+ not ta4e into con+i*eration t&e
>-a(it/ o0 a ,atent *e'e(o,e*
In*e,en*ent ;aria)(e+: In*i'i*-a( 96,erience: e6,erience 'ector an* t&e acti'it/
'ector re,re+enting t&e inno'ation in,-t re>-irement+= eam 96,erience. An
inno'ating team i+ *e?ne* a+ t&e +et o0 +cienti+t+ (in'entor+) t&at @or4 toget&er to
*e'e(o, a ,atent= %irm 96,erience. $orre+,on*ing to ,rior (earning c-r'e +t-*ie+.
e6,erience i+ acc-m-(ate* eac& time a gi'en ta+4 i+ com,(ete*.
$ontro( 'aria)(e+: %irm Sie. eam Size. In*-+tr/ ,atenting. tec&no(ogica( +co,e. $(aim+.
ec&no(ogica( <rogre++.
$orre(ationa( Ana(i+/+
Data a!' %rce'ures
"ata: <atent *ata 0rom t&e #.S. an* $ana*ian )iotec&no(og/ in*-+tr/ 0rom 1A70 to
2007 to em,irica((/ mo*e( t&e tec&no(ogica( e6,erience o0 more t&an 20.000
+cienti+t+. t&e e6,erience o0 t&e team+ in @&ic& t&e+e +cienti+t+ co((a)orate*. an* t&e
c-m-(ati'e e6,erience o0 t&e more t&an 600 ?rm+ in @&ic& t&e+e in*i'i*-a(+ @or4e*.
<roce*-re+:
1. 5earning $-r'e: Inno'ati'e <ro*-cti'it/ (In'er+e o0 #5!) @it& In*i'i*-a( 96,erience
an* eam 96,erience.
2. 5earning $-r'e: Inno'ati'e <ro*-cti'it/ ($itation-Beig&te* In'er+e o0 #5!) @it&
In*i'i*-a( Cno@(e*ge an* eam 96,erience
3. 5e'eraging t&e 96,erience o0 Ot&er+
:D<O:9S9S. :9I! :9O!9I$A5 !9ASONINE. AN" !9S#5S
List , h#%) their u!'er$#i!+ theretica$ reas!i!+s
<re'io-+ re+earc& +-gge+t+ t&at a (earning c-r'e tec&no(og/ e6i+t+ 0or eac& *omain.
@&ere inno'ation
occ-r+. &ere0ore a &ig&er c-m-(ati'e e6,erience in eac& *omain *etermine+ an
increa+e in t&e ,ro*-ction o0 genera( inno'ation.
:/,ot&e+i+ 1 (:1). &e inno'ati'e ,ro*-ction increa+e+ a+ t&e in*i'i*-a( e6,erience
eac& *omain.
!e+-(t: :1 i+ acce,te*
Accor*ing to t&e a-t&or+. t&ere i+ e'i*ence in t&e (iterat-re t&at contin-o-+
interaction+ )et@een +cienti+t+. t&e ro-tine @or4 o0 t&e team an* team ,ro*-cti'it/
inF-ence t&e inno'ation ,roce++
:/,ot&e+i+ 2 (:2). Inno'ati'e ,ro*-cti'it/ increa+e+ @it& acc-m-(ate* team
e6,erience.
!e+-(t: :2 i+ acce,te*
B&erea+ a ?rm i+ com,o+e* o0 team+. ,roce*-re+. ,re'io-+ e6,erience an* ot&er
inno'ati'e acti'itie+ /o- mig&t a++-me t&at t&e inno'ati'e ,ro*-cti'it/ i+ re(ate* to
t&e e6,erience o0 t&e ?rm in t&e+e acti'itie+.
:/,ot&e+i+ 3 (:3). Inno'ati'e ,ro*-cti'it/ increa+e+ @it& acc-m-(ate* ?rm
e6,erience.
!e+-(t: :3 not acce,te*
Accor*ing to t&e a-t&or+. t&e e'i*ence in*icate+ t&at in*i'i*-a( e6,erience i+ aGecte*
)/ t&e e6,erience o0 t&e team 0or ,roce++ ac>-i+ition o0 4no@(e*ge *omain+.
:/,ot&e+i+ 4A (:4A). &e e6tent to @&ic& in*i'i*-a( e6,erience increa+e+ ,ro*-cti'it/
in inno'ation increa+e+ @it& team e6,erience. !e+-(t: :4A i+ acce,te*
Since t&e a++imi(ation o0 e6terna( 4no@(e*ge at t&e ?rm (e'e( *e,en*+ on t&eir ,rior
4no@(e*ge. t&i+ i+ main(/ gi'en )/ t&e ,re'io-+ e6,erience o0 t&e team+ an* in*i'i*-a(
e6,erience.
:/,ot&e+i+ 4H (:4H). &e e6tent to @&ic& in*i'i*-a( e6,erience increa+e+ inno'ati'e
,ro*-cti'it/ increa+e+ @it& ?rm e6,erience. !e+-(t: :4H i+ acce,te*
:/,ot&e+i+ 4$ (:4$). &e e6tent to @&ic& team e6,erience increa+e+ inno'ati'e
,ro*-cti'it/ increa+e+ @it& ?rm e6,erience. !e+-(t: :4$ i+ acce,te*
-h# !e has chse! a s%eci.c set , e*%$a!atr# &aria/$es &er thers
&e a-t&or+ +tate t&at t&e (iterat-re &a+ +&o@n t&at 4no@(e*ge in com,anie+ i+
e+ta)(i+&e* ,rimari(/ in in*i'i*-a(+ in re+,on+e to *iGerent (e'e(+ o0 organization to
acco-nt 0or it+ acti'itie+ in t&i+ regar* to e'a(-ate a ,o++i)(e (earning c-r'e in
inno'ation i+ nece++ar/ to e'a(-ate ,eo,(e an* ,roce++e+ an* &o@ t&e+e ,re'io-+
e6,erience o0 e+ta)(i+&ing (e'e(+ o0 in*i'i*-a(. team an* ?rm an* -(timate(/ *etermine
@&ic& o0 t&e+e (e'e(+ aGect t&e o'era(( inno'ati'e ,ro*-cti'it/.
"IS$#SSION
H0 'es this stu'# ,u!'a1e!ta$$# cha!+e) cha$$e!+e) r a'&a!ce sch$ars2
u!'ersta!'i!+3
1 &i+ ,a,er contri)-te+ to t&e organization re+earc& )/ e6,an*ing t&e +co,e o0
re+earc& to inc(-*e t&e (earning c-r'e o0 inno'ation acti'itie+.
2 &i+ @or4 i+ t&e ?r+t to *emon+trate t&at inno'ati'e ca,acit/ (4no@(e*ge o0 a
com,an/ -+e* to inno'ate). i+ acc-m-(ate* )/ 7(earning )/ *oing7 an* t&ro-g& a
(earning c-r'e.
3 &i+ @or4 i+ t&e ?r+t to *emon+trate t&at t&e a)i(it/ o0 inno'ation e6i+t in t&ree (oci:
t&e in*i'i*-a(. t&e team an* t&e com,an/.
-h# is the i!si+ht i!teresti!+ a!' i1%rta!t i! ther# a!' %ractice3
&i+ re+earc& ,ro'i*e+ e'i*ence 0or t&e *emon+tration o0 t@o 0actor+ t&at inF-ence
t&e tran+mi++ion o0 4no@(e*ge an* (earning in com,anie+. %ir+t. t&e e>-i,ment
re>-ire+ 4no@(e*ge o0 t&eir area (*omain) to )etter a++imi(ate e6terna( 4no@(e*ge an*
im,ro'e ,ro*-cti'it/ @it& it+ inno'ati'e t&i+. Secon*. t&e team i+ t&e coor*ination -nit
an* @&ere i+ a++imi(ate* )etter e6,erience inno'ation.
Future research a!' $i1itati!s
1 &e *ata are )ia+e* )/ t&e *etermination o0 t&e +cienti?c e6,erience.
2 8-(ti ta+4 o0 +cienti+t+ on *iGerent ,roIect+ i+ a no o)+er'a)(e eGect t&at can
,otentia((/ )ia+ t&e re+-(t+.
3 Set o0 +cienti+t+ @&o a,,ear+ in a ,atent nee* not nece++ari(/ re,re+ent a(( +o-rce+
0or t&e creation o0 a ,atent. &ere +-,,ort +taG a+ re+earc& a++i+tant+. tec&nician+ an*
a*mini+trati'e a++i+tant+ t&at are not o)+er'a)(e in t&e *ata.