Some of the most transformative innovations began as something else entirely.
The microwave oven originated from radar research. Viagra was initially tested as a heart medication. The Internet began as a military communication tool. These examples illustrate exaptation, a concept borrowed from evolutionary biology, which describes how traits (or technologies) initially developed for one purpose are repurposed for a different one. Interested to learn more? Join us for an exciting PDW on the "Hidden Value of Resources: Insights from Exaptation for Innovation, Strategy & Organizational Change" at this year's Academy of Management Annual Meeting.
Whether you're already studying innovation and curious about how it connects to organizational change, or just beginning to explore adjacent topics like recombination, serendipity, or generativity, this PDW offers a valuable opportunity to engage with emerging research, examine this growing area of inquiry, and connect with a vibrant scholarly community.
In this PDW, we bring together scholars from innovation, strategy, information systems, and organizational theory to take stock of the current research on exaptation and explore the concept's usefulness. After all, if past technological innovations can be applied to uses that were originally unimagined, the same can be true of organizational routines, cognitive schemas, identities, and more.
When: 15:30 - 18:00 CEST
Where: Copenhagen Business School: Kilen- Ks43
Program link: https://cdmcd.co/ZK8x4R
Join our team of panelists to explore these questions and more. Panelists include:
· Pierpaolo Andriani, Kedge Business School, France
· Gino Cattani, Stern School of Business, New York University
· Carolyn Fu, Harvard Business School
· Giovanni Gavetti, Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth
· Natalia Levina, Stern School of Business, New York University
· Shi-Ying Lim, National University of Singapore
· Mariano Mastrogiorgio, IE Business School
· Hagay Volvovsky, Coller School of Management at Tel Aviv University
· Ezra Zuckerman Sivan, MIT Sloan
This PDW will be divided into three parts. We will start with brief presentations on different approaches to studying exaptation in organizations. Then, we will split into four roundtables to discuss key issues in exaptation research: (1) organizational routines that promote or inhibit exaptation, (2) refining the concept of exaptation, (3) exploring its applicability across domains, (4) methodological approaches to studying exaptation, and (5) unpacking the evolution and future of the concept of exaptation. We will then conclude with a plenary discussion.
The session is open to all, and no prior knowledge of exaptation is needed. There are no papers to prepare. Just bring your curiosity and interest in exploring new directions together.
We hope to see you there.