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Combining Foresight and Innovation: Developing a Conceptual Model

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Practice-Based Innovation: Insights, Applications and Policy Implications

Abstract

Foresight and innovation are activities closely linked with each other, the former providing inputs for the latter. However, there have been few attempts to build conceptual and theoretical bridges between these two activities. In this chapter, we present a conceptual model depicting the connections between foresight and innovation activities and learning. Into this broad model we have combined, in a novel way, much-used and well-known concepts and ideas, such as exploration and exploitation, absorptive capacity, three modes of foresight activities, information quality attributes, and information brokerage.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    Harmaakorpi et al. (2006) and Knoben and Oerlemans (2006) have used the term ‘proximity’ instead of ‘distance’, but here we prefer using the latter term in order to emphasise the challenges of crossing distances.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Lahti School of Innovation, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Lahti, Finland

    Tuomo Uotila, Martti Mäkimattila, Vesa Harmaakorpi (Dean, Faculty of Technology Management; Professor) & Helinä Melkas

Authors
  1. Tuomo Uotila
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  2. Martti Mäkimattila
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  3. Vesa Harmaakorpi
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  4. Helinä Melkas
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Correspondence to Tuomo Uotila .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Lahti School of Innovation, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Saimaankatu 11, Lahti, 15140, Finland

    Helinä Melkas

  2. Lahti School of Innovation, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Saimaankatu 11, Lahti, 15140, Finland

    Vesa Harmaakorpi

Appendix 1: Definitions of Information Quality Dimensions (Wang and Strong 1996)

Appendix 1: Definitions of Information Quality Dimensions (Wang and Strong 1996)

Believability: The extent to which information is accepted or regarded as true, real and credible.

Value-added: The extent to which information is beneficial and provides advantages through its use.

Relevancy: The extent to which information is applicable and helpful for the task at hand.

Accuracy: The extent to which information is correct, reliable, and certified as being free of error.

Interpretability: The extent to which information is in an appropriate language and units and the information definitions are clear.

Ease of understanding: The extent to which information is clear, unambiguous, and easily comprehended.

Accessibility: The extent to which information is available or easily and quickly retrievable.

Objectivity: The extent to which information is unbiased (unprejudiced) and impartial.

Timeliness: The extent to which the age of the information is appropriate for the task at hand.

Completeness: The extent to which information is of sufficient breadth, depth, and scope for the task at hand.

Traceability: The extent to which information is well documented, verifiable, and easily attributed to a source.

Reputation: The extent to which information is trusted or highly regarded in terms of its source or content.

Consistent representation: The extent to which information is always presented in the same format and is compatible with previous information.

Cost-effectiveness: The extent to which the cost of collecting appropriate information is reasonable.

Ease of operation: The extent to which information is easily managed and manipulated (i.e., updated, moved, aggregated, reproduced, customised).

Variety of information and information sources: The extent to which information is available from several differing information sources.

Concise representation: The extent to which information is compactly represented without being overwhelming (i.e., brief in presentation, yet complete and to the point).

Access security: The extent to which access to information can be restricted and, hence, kept secure.

Appropriate amount of information: The extent to which the quantity or volume of available information is appropriate.

Flexibility: The extent to which information is expandable, adaptable, and easily applied to other needs.

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Uotila, T., Mäkimattila, M., Harmaakorpi, V., Melkas, H. (2012). Combining Foresight and Innovation: Developing a Conceptual Model. In: Melkas, H., Harmaakorpi, V. (eds) Practice-Based Innovation: Insights, Applications and Policy Implications. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-21723-4_3

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