Search Pathways to Innovation

Abstract

Organizational search processes is an important source of firm level heterogeneity in evolutionary - behavioural theory. Combining insights from established and recent evolutionary-behavioural theory we propose that R&D and managerial perceptions constitute two distinct search pathways to innovation. R&D is in this context a measure of institutionalized routine based search, while managerial perception of problems captures situational and cognitive search. Using a new survey of industrial enterprises we find that these search pathways are related to product, process, organizational and market innovation at the firm level, although in a diverse way.