Patterns and performance outcomes of innovation orientation

Extant research has identified a broad set of antecedents of innovativeness, with the assumption that maximizing as many of them as possible leads to sustained innovativeness. However, companies usually face resource constraints and therefore must strive to identify and combine the most important drivers of superior innovativeness effectively. This research addresses this practical challenge by identifying typical patterns of innovation orientation and their associated performance outcomes. Drawing on configuration and boundary theory, the authors develop a framework and hypotheses, then use data from marketing managers, R&D managers, and customers to identify four patterns: integrated innovators, internally driven preservers, proactive customer-oriented innovators, and top-down innovators. The empirical results reveal performance differences across these patterns. An integrated approach leads to the highest innovativeness scores, but proactive customer-oriented innovators and top-down innovators enjoy the greatest financial success.