Beyond Adaptation: How Governments Shape the Future Through Strategic Innovation Under Uncertainty

Marin Jovanovic, Leonardo Santiago, Vinit Parida, Nina Steenhard, Anne-Marie Vangstedd

Publikation: Bidrag til bog/antologi/rapportKonferenceabstrakt i proceedingsForskningpeer review

Abstract

Digital transformation compels organizations to continuously reinvent themselves, moving beyond adaptation to proactively shape
markets through strategic innovation. While private firms have leveraged strategic innovations to influence market trajectories,
governments have traditionally been more risk-averse, favoring incremental changes. However, the COVID-19 pandemic
demonstrated that governments can engage in shaping-oriented strategic innovations even under high uncertainty and resource
scarcity. This study examines Denmark's proactive response to the COVID-19 pandemic as an in-depth case study of the governmentled strategic innovation implementation process. The novel PCR testing solution shaped Denmark’s response, rapidly scaling its PCR testing capacity from approximately 3,000 daily tests in March 2020 to over 200,000 by March 2021, while securing supply chain inflow.
This study proposes a process-based framework identifying four key phases of this strategic innovation implementation process:
1) Radical Variation - generating novel ideas that challenge existing testing methodologies, mobilizing the steering committee, and synthesizing an alternate model;
2) Idealized Selection - mobilizing stakeholder commitment, developing scalable solutions and associated infrastructure, and synthesizing new capabilities;
3) Replication - scaling infrastructure, coordinating plan execution, and implementing quality assurance processes; and
4) Adaptation - identifying problems, branching out from the original process into an adjusted one, and coordinating adaptation.

Our study contributes to the literature by extending the concept of shaping-oriented strategic innovation to the public sector, demonstrating how governments - traditionally seen as reactive and constrained by bureaucracy - can proactively engage in strategic innovation to shape their environments. Second, we provide an evolutionary process perspective that encompasses the stages of radical variation idealized selection, replication, and adaptation. Third, we highlight the role of external and internal actors in the sensemaking process. Fourth, we offer evidence of how ongoing strategic actions are coordinated using flexible structures like board-like steering committees, as well as the role of digital resources in both scaling services and assisting coordination. We contribute to the existing literature on strategic innovation and offer practical implications for governments seeking to proactively shape future environments.
OriginalsprogEngelsk
TitelBook of Abstracts : 11th International Conference on Business Servitization, November 7-8 2024
RedaktørerEmanuel Gomes, Leid Zejnilovic, Ferran Vendrell-Herrero
Antal sider10
UdgivelsesstedBarcelona
ForlagOmniaScience
Publikationsdato2024
Sider289-298
ISBN (Elektronisk)9788412813043
DOI
StatusUdgivet - 2024
Begivenhed8th International Conference on Business Servitization. ICBS 2019 - University of Deusto, San Sebastian, Spanien
Varighed: 21 nov. 201922 nov. 2019
Konferencens nummer: 8
https://www.servitization.org/p/servitization-2019.html

Konference

Konference8th International Conference on Business Servitization. ICBS 2019
Nummer8
LokationUniversity of Deusto
Land/OmrådeSpanien
BySan Sebastian
Periode21/11/201922/11/2019
Internetadresse

Citationsformater