Innovation Cultural Models: Review and Proposal for Next Steps

Abstract

An abundance of literature suggests a strong link between organization, culture, and innovation. These three concepts cannot be understood separately. Since the eighties, when culture began to be valued as a crucial factor by managers and scholars, several innovation cultural models have been developed to help understand this link. The aim of this paper is to review the most commonly used and applied theoretical models, analyze them, and propose several new elements that must be integrated into future models. Through an intensive review of the literature published between 1970 and 2016, we find seven main models, which we examine to explore their internal mechanisms. Then we analyze them as a group to identify gaps that need to be filled. As a result, our next steps proposals integrate concepts such as plurality, dynamism, and complexity to broaden the definition of organization, culture and innovation. New and far-better innovation cultural models are still to come.

An abundance of literature suggests a strong link between organization, culture, and innovation. These three concepts cannot be understood separately. Since the eighties, when culture began to be valued as a crucial factor by managers and scholars, several innovation cultural models have been developed to help understand this link. The aim of this paper is to review the most commonly used and applied theoretical models, analyze them, and propose several new elements that must be integrated into future models. Through an intensive review of the literature published between 1970 and 2016, we find seven main models, which we examine to explore their internal mechanisms. Then we analyze them as a group to identify gaps that need to be filled. As a result, our next steps proposals integrate concepts such as plurality, dynamism, and complexity to broaden the definition of organization, culture and innovation. New and far-better innovation cultural models are still to come.