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Measuring exaptation and its impact on innovation, search, and problem solving

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Andriani, Pierpaolo, Ali, Ayfer and Mastrogiorgio, Mariano (2017) Measuring exaptation and its impact on innovation, search, and problem solving. Organization Science, 28 (2). pp. 320-338. doi:10.1287/orsc.2017.1116

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2017.1116

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Abstract

Exaptation, the emergence of latent functionality in existing artifacts, is an underexplored mechanism of novelty generation in innovation. In this paper, we measure the frequency of exaptation in the pharmaceutical industry. We find that about 42% of new functions derived from existing drugs have an exaptive nature. We think that this constitutes the first measure of exaptation in any industry. We also link exaptation with radical innovation and find that most radical innovations in our sample are exaptive. Also, nearly all radical innovations occur in market areas very distant from the drug’s original market. We propose that exaptive innovation constitutes a different search mechanism and problem-solving approach from deliberate innovation and discuss the role of context and serendipity in innovation.

Item Type: Journal Article
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor
Divisions: Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School > Strategy & International Business
Faculty of Social Sciences > Warwick Business School
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): Pharmaceutical industry, Problem solving, Serendipity
Journal or Publication Title: Organization Science
Publisher: Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (I N F O R M S)
ISSN: 1047-7039
Official Date: 22 March 2017
Dates:
DateEvent
22 March 2017Published
18 January 2017Accepted
Volume: 28
Number: 2
Page Range: pp. 320-338
DOI: 10.1287/orsc.2017.1116
Status: Peer Reviewed
Publication Status: Published
Access rights to Published version: Restricted or Subscription Access
RIOXX Funder/Project Grant:
Project/Grant IDRIOXX Funder NameFunder ID
ECO2016-80106-R[MINECO] Ministerio de Economía y Competitividadhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003329
G.0932.08Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoekhttp://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100003130

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