Victorious Lead User Innovation

Collaboration

WEEKLY  –  EVERY  THURSDAY  

Editor  in  Chief  

Simon  Ramsden  

Managing  Editor  

Jay  Gada  

Executive  Editor  

Shannie  Tu  

Creative  Director  

Flavia  Vintila  

Copy  Editor  

Emma  –Zhuo  Yi  

Fact  Checker  

Ivy  Huang  

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Network  is  a  word  concluded  wide  range,  thus  it  has  many  meaning  that  generally  used  in  piping  systems,  transportation  systems  and  communication  systems.  In  general,  it  means  the  system  that  composed  associated  individuals,  such  as  interpersonal  networks,  transportation  networks,  social  networks  and  communication  networks.  

Network  definitely  is  quite  significant  for  entrepreneurs  and  associated  with  success  or  not.  That  is  to  say,  entrepreneurs  will  succeed  easily  when  their  network  is  more  extensive,  complicate  and  diverse,  since  they  have  strong  networking  to  help  them  as  meeting  a  dilemma,  therefore,  the  opportunity  of  solving  problem  would  become  bigger.  On  the  contrast,  the  chance  of  success  is  smaller  for  entrepreneurs  while  the  network  is  less,  narrow  or  simplex.  There  are  a  story  which  is  related  about  the  network  construction  of  entrepreneurs  could  explain  this  concept.  The  content  shows  the  relationship  between  the  entrepreneurs  and  the  President  of  the  U.S.  when  they  visit  the  Oval  Office  of  the  White  House.  It  can  understand  the  relationship  between  them  is  limited  as  the  phone  rings  and  the  president  answers  the  call  immediately,  whereas  if  the  president  asked  the  secretary  to  tell  the  caller  “wait  a  minute”,  it  explains  there  are  good  relational  network  

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between  the  president  and  visitor.  Furthermore,  if  the  caller  is  looking  for  the  entrepreneur  at  that  time,  the  situation  illustrate  surely  he  has  very  good  relation  with  the  president.  

On  the  other  hand,  a  successful  entrepreneur  should  focuses  on  strengthening  the  network  more  than  just  consolidate  solid  relationship.  Strong  relationship  that  is  built  on  similar  background  or  value  might  not  enhance  the  knowledge  and  experiences  for  entrepreneurs,  like  their  families  and  friends.  The  important  one  is  weak  relationship  that  means  they  build  relationship  with  wider  people,  such  as  colleagues,  partners  or  others.  They  would  have  different  experiences,  knowledge  and  resources  to  entrepreneurs.  According  to  this,  entrepreneurs  could  find  something  or  someone  the  company  needs  from  the  kind  of  people  who  has  more  rich  experiences  and  different  resources.  To  sum  up,  great  network  is  beneficial  to  entrepreneurs  and  the  development  of  firms.  

 

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A  research  from  sociology  professor  in  the  University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill  named  Howard  Aldrich  indicated  that  the  network  and  entrepreneurial  exist  the  significant  link  in  relationship.  Creating  a  new  business  was  promote  or  restricted  under  the  relationship  of  entrepreneurs,  resources  and  opportunity,  moreover,  they  also  rely  on  social  relations  that  concludes  

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getting  information,  resources  and  social  support,  thus  the  activity  of  starting  a  new  business  exists  in  the  network  of  social  relationship.  Building  a  new  business  generally  presents  the  innovation  of  technology,  products  and  integration,  and  innovation  individuals  could  precede  coordination  to  resources  of  finance,  human  and  technology  through  the  structure  of  relational  network,  that  is  to  say,  entrepreneurs  is  a  person  as  same  as  an  efficient  constructer  on  relational  network.  Network  is  helpful  to  create  a  new  company;  meanwhile,  it  might  bring  some  conflicts  of  interest.  For  example,  shareholders  require  entrepreneurs  purchase  particular  vendor's  equipment  that  has  higher  price  or  major  

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clients  request  them  sell  part  of  the  stock  with  lower  price.  All  of  these  requirements  might  cause  profitable  for  the  interpersonal  relationship,  but  harmful  to  the  profits  of  new  business.  In  short,  network  is  a  key  point  for  innovation  individuals,  however,  they  should  have  a  balance  when  they  make  a  decision  which  involves  the  interests  of  the  company  and  interpersonal.  

 

Why  might  networks  be  necessary  for  innovative  individuals?  

And we continue …

 

learning  from  each  other.  The  phenomenon  could  be  happened  in  everywhere,  in  school,  work  place,  leisure  activities  even  family,  which  every  social  territory.    Through  Communities  of  practise,  it  can  stimulate  the  change  and  innovation.    Because  the  background  of  members  in  communities  are  diverse,  it  is  could  foster  the  different  idea  to  come  up.  In  the  group,  people  will  build  a  knowledge  database  to  achieve  the  purpose.  People  in  this  group  tend  to  be  encouraged  to  be  innovative.  By  means  of  sharing  knowledge,  members  will  exploit  the  potential  for  creativity  and  innovation  (Amin  &  Roberts,  2008).    For  example,  as  innovation  group,  the  entire  EBIN  students  are  divided  into  different  group  in  the  innovation  lecture,  which  come  from  different  background  and  everyone  has  passion  on  doing  the  work  well.  We  usually  come  up  with  how  to  present  our  context  in  novel  way,  every  time  we  are  brainstorming  and  develop  new  knowledge,  we  will  generate  a  new  way  to  present  it.    

This  is  like  a  sample  of  communities  of  practice,  it  brings  the  innovation,  but  this  innovation  is  like  incremental  innovation,  rather  than  with  radical  innovation.  Move  over,  Intel  and  Hewlett-­‐Packard  are  known  to  let  their  employees  spawn  powerful  albeit  informal  personal  networks  of  all  with  whom  they’ve  been  working.  They  believe  this  way  can  foster  their  employees  to  develop  the  creative  insight  and  benefit  their  company  (community-­‐intelligence,2003).    Although  the  communities  of  practice  could  encourage  the  incremental  innovation,  it  also  could  limit  the  knowledge  flows  across  whole  communities. The  radical  innovations  often  take  place  at  the  interstices  across  established  groups  and  work  activities  (Erasmus, 2005).  Besides,  the  communities  of  practice  might  be  inhibiting  this  notion.  The  will  have  implied  problems  in  communities  of  practice,  which  can  inhibit  the  development  of  innovation.  Because  the  members  who  involved  in  the  communities  are  Voluntary,  the  attribution  of  intelligence  property  right  is  a  problem  need  to    

deal  with.  Therefore,  lacking  of  professional  manager  to  conduct  and  monitor  the  process  of  innovation  might  become  another  problem  (Swan, Scarbrough & Robertson,2002).  

Table1  is  the  most  common  method  that  companies  adopt  to  establish  the  relationship  with  other  organizations.  By  means  of  these  ways,  there  are  number  of  positive  outcomes  when  companies  engaged  in  strategic  alliances.  

  John,  35  Q:  Hey  guys!  Just  a  quick  question,  can  you  give  me  a  short  list  of  benefits  and  problems  associated  with  using  Open  Source?  Cheers!  

A: