November 2011 Download this article as a PDF

Welcome to the second issue of the Technology Innovation Management Review (TIM Review). The TIM Review is the new name for the Open Source Business Resource (OSBR), which we have been publishing on a monthly basis since 2007 from the Technology Innovation Management program at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. In the final issue of the OSBR, I described how the journal began with an emphasis on the business of open source, but has evolved over the years to focus on the theories, strategies, and tools that help early-stage technology companies succeed (McPhee, 2011).

The editorial theme for this issue is Recent Research. The articles in this issue present research perspectives that are relevant to many of the topics that are a focus of this publication, including business ecosystems, open source business, innovation, and entrepreneurship.

Steven Muegge presents key results from his recently-completed PhD research into open source, community-developed platforms. Using the example of the Eclipse ecosystem, he offers a systems perspective on community-developed platforms and the institutions that structure the participation of individuals and companies. His article unites perspectives on platforms, business ecosystems, and communities and describes how a "system of systems" view can benefit both researchers and practitioners.

Stoyan Tanev, Mette Præst Knudsen, Tanja Bisgaard, and Merethe Stjerne Thomsen examine how national innovation policies reflect the emergence of three new innovation paradigms: user-driven innovation, open innovation, and value co-creation. By analyzing the practices and recommendations of multiple policy organizations in Denmark, the authors present a case study that provides insights to other developed countries that also face the challenges of adopting these new innovation paradigms.

Sandra Schillo uses the example of "entrepreneurial orientation" to examine the extent to which the academic literature can provide clear insights to managers. Entrepreneurial orientation examines the extent to which a firm is entrepreneurial and this topic has yielded a substantial body of literature that attemps to measure entrepreneurial orientation and its impact on performance. The article takes a critical view of this literature and shows that, while there are useful indicators for managers, greater specificity in future studies is required before managers can take reliable guidance from the literature in this area. 

Chris Justus presents the results of his recent research into the importance of relationships for young technology companies. His novel research methods enabled him to extract relationship and revenue data from historical records. The article focuses on the managerial implications of his findings, which include the importance of early funding, niche identification, and building relationships with large firms. 

In December, guest editor Peter Carbone presents an exciting line-up of authors offering their perpectives on the editorial theme of Intellectual Property Rights. We invite article submissions for January's issue on Open Source Business in 2012 and February's issue on the Entrepreneurship Theory. We also encourage you to suggest themes you would like to see covered in future issues.

We hope you enjoy the second issue of the TIM Review and will share your comments on articles online. Please also feel free to contact us directly with feedback or article submissions.

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Keywords: business ecosystems, entrepreneurship, innovation, open source, policy, research

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