A UDIENCIA DE LA REVISTA

The logic linking the data to the propositions detailed in subsection 3.2.2 above is informed by the various existing data analysis techniques presented by Yin (2014). At this research design stage, the following data analysis techniques described by Yin (2014) have been identified as being best suited to case study investigation and have been chosen for use in this study:

 Pattern matching, which attempts to find patterns in the data of each case that match the research questions and theoretical propositions posed prior to data collection (Yin 2014).

 Cross-case analysis, which is similar to pattern matching except that the patterns are matched across cases and not in a single case. Matching patterns across cases allows the study to provide analytical generalisations, as described by Yin (2014).  Considering plausible rival explanations for the patterns that emerge from the data is

an analytical strategy used to strengthen the trustworthiness and credibility of the reported patterns.

 Logic model analysis, which provides the following benefits:

o It stipulates and operationalises a complex chain of actions (cause and effect).

o It matches empirically observed actions to theoretically predicted actions.

o Interventions produce activities with their own immediate outcome; these immediate outcomes produce intermediate outcomes, which in turn produce final outcomes (opening the black box, explaining how a sequence of interventions produces the final outcome).

o Rival explanations and rival chains of actions can be investigated.

o The logic model can be graphically representation to describe the complex chain of actions observed.

This holistic multi-case study used pattern matching, cross-case analysis and logic model data analysis techniques. The data collection and interview questions were informed by these techniques. To develop the semi-structured questionnaire linking the resulting data to the research questions and theoretical propositions posed in subsections 3.2.1 and 3.2.2, this study developed a case study research protocol, as recommended by Yin (2014), which is a stand-alone document that can be used by any researcher to replicate the same case study. This document prepares and instructs the researcher for data

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collection in the field and is divided into four sections, namely: overview of the case study, data collection procedure, data collection questions and a guide for the case study report. The case study research protocol uses the research questions and theoretical propositions posed in this chapter to develop the questions posed in the semi-structured questionnaire in order to ensure the link between the data and the propositions. The case study research protocol document can be found in Appendix 2.

Finally, the consistency matrix shown in Table 10 below, provides a one-page summary of the logic that links the data to the proposition posed in subsection 3.2.2. Fitting the information into a single table helps check the alignment between the research questions, theoretical propositions, data sources, type of data and methods of analysis.

Main research question: How do successful innovation leaders in existing South African companies use the means at

their disposal to learn from within their company’s social context to execute successful innovation projects?

Source of data: Semi-structured

interviews with local innovation leaders based on the case study protocol guidelines Type of data: Interviews Documents Field notes Analysis methods: -Pattern matching -Cross-case analysis

-Examining plausible rival explanations -The development of a model

Question one: How do the innovation leaders’ technology learning engagements with their social context contribute to innovation projects?

Research sub-purpose one: To determine how innovation leaders’ used technology as a means in their local social

context to create successful innovation initiatives, thereby determining the contribution of the technology means to the

model for innovation leadership in South African companies.

Theoretical proposition one: Innovation leaders used the means of technology in the local social context to help develop

innovative solutions.

Rival explanations to proposition one: Alternatively, the innovation leaders did not use the means of technology in the

local social context to develop innovative solutions.

Question two: How do the innovation leaders’ market requirements learning engagements with their social context contribute to innovation projects?

Research sub-purpose two: To determine how innovation leaders’ established market requirements as a means in their

local social context to create successful innovation initiatives, thereby determining the contribution of the market requirements means to the model for innovation leadership in South African companies.

Theoretical proposition two: Innovation leaders used the means of market requirements in the local social context to help

develop innovative solutions.

Rival explanations to proposition two: Alternatively, the innovation leaders did not use the means of market

requirements in the local social context to develop innovative solutions.

Question three: How do the innovation leaders’ external resource network learning engagements with their social context

contribute to innovation projects?

Research sub-purpose three: To determine how innovation leaders’ used their external resource network as a means in their local social context to create successful innovation initiatives, thereby determining the contribution of the external resource network means to the model for innovation leadership in South African companies.

Theoretical proposition three: Innovation leaders used the means of resource network innovation in the local social context to help develop innovative solutions.

Rival explanations to proposition three: Alternatively, the innovation leaders did not use the means of resource network

innovation in the local social context to develop innovative solutions.

Question four: How do the innovation leaders’ external experiments with technology, market requirements and resource networks from their social context integrate with innovation projects?

Research sub-purpose four: To determine how innovation leaders’ integrated external technology, market requirements and external resource networks means in their local social context through a process of experimentation, thereby developing an understanding of how experimentation contributes to the model for innovation leadership in South African companies.

Theoretical proposition four: Innovation leaders used experimentation to integrate technology, market requirements and

resource networks learning in the local social context to develop innovative solutions.

Rival explanations to proposition four: Alternatively, the innovation leaders did not use experimentation to integrate

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Question five: How do disciplined internal experiments orchestrated by the innovation leaders contribute to new solutions? Research sub-purpose five: To determine whether innovation leaders’ used disciplined unbiased cause-and-effect experiments in their social context, thereby confirming or disputing whether internal disciplined cause-and-effect experiments contribute to the model for innovation leadership in South African companies.

Theoretical proposition five: Innovation leaders used internal disciplined cause-and-effect experimentation in the local social context to seek the truth about assumptions made with respect to the innovative solutions.

Rival explanations to proposition five: Alternatively, innovation leaders did not use internal disciplined experimentation in

the local social context to determine the truth about assumptions made about the new innovative solution.

Question six: How do organisational structures used by innovation leaders move innovation activities forward?

Research sub-purpose six: To determine whether innovation leaders’ used explorative organisational structures allowing

them and their assigned personnel and resources to explore new ideas in their social context, thereby confirming or disputing whether ambidextrous organisational structures contribute to the model for innovation leadership in South African companies.

Theoretical proposition six: The innovation leaders’ understanding of problems from the local social context are assimilated into the organisational structure to explore innovative solutions.

Rival explanations to proposition six: Alternatively, innovation leaders do not use an exploratory organisational structure

in the local social context to develop innovation initiatives.

Question seven: How does the innovation leaders’ planning, informed by organisational learning, guide the innovation process?

Research sub-purpose seven: To determine whether organisational learning linked to internal and external engagements

of the innovation leader is an appropriate planning strategy for innovation initiatives in their social context, thereby confirming or disputing whether planning using a combination of internal and external learning contributes to the model for innovation leadership in South African companies.

Theoretical proposition seven: The planning implemented by innovation leaders for innovation initiatives in the local social context includes the pursuit of organisational learning, which stems from the innovation leaders’ understanding of

solvable problems from the local social context.

Rival explanations to proposition seven: Alternatively, innovation planning is based on the planning strategies used by

the ongoing operations of the organisation.

Question eight: How do the innovation leaders’ selection and management of innovation team members provide a suitable

mix of competencies to drive innovation?

Research sub-purpose eight: To determine whether the selection and management of innovation team members used by

the innovation leader follow Govindarajan and Trimble’s (2010) model of team composition in their social context, thereby confirming or disputing the applicability of their model of team composition to the model for innovation leadership in South African companies.

Theoretical proposition eight: The innovation leaders’ composition of an innovation team in the local social context is made up of internal staff and external members to drive innovation forward.

Rival explanations to proposition eight: Alternatively, the mix of internal staff and external members in the local social context used by the innovation leader has no effect on the performance of the innovation initiative.

Question nine: How do the innovation leaders maintain a positive working relationship between ongoing operations and

innovation initiatives?

Research sub-purpose nine: To determine whether the positive working relationship between ongoing operations and

innovation initiatives is maintained by innovation leaders who practised the principles of the conceptual framework in their

social context, thereby confirming or disputing whether the innovation leaders’ effective execution of the underpinning principles of the conceptual framework gains support from the ongoing operations of South African companies, and determining the contribution of the positive working relationship to the model for innovation leadership in South African companies.

Theoretical proposition nine: The principles underpinning the activities of innovation leaders – technology, market requirements, resource networks, integration of internal and external learning through experimentation, organisational structure, planning and the selection and management of the innovation team in the local social context – provide a compelling business case for innovation initiatives, enabling innovation leaders to manage open and constructive relationships between ongoing operations and the innovation initiative.

Rival explanations to proposition nine: Alternatively, the innovation leaders did not use these principles – technology,

market requirements, resource networks, integration of internal and external experimental learning, organisational structure, planning and the selection and management of the innovation team in the local social context – to report to senior management on the status of innovation projects.

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