Innovation Explosion : Using Intellect and Software to Revolutionize Growth Strategies (Hardcover)

by James Brian Quinn (Author), Karen A. Zien (Author), Jordan J. Baruch (Creator)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
It has been estimated that by the year 2000 85 percent of all U.S. jobs and 80 percent of all European jobs will be in knowledge-, software-, or technology-based fields. Here, Quinn (management, Dartmouth Coll.) is joined by former Carter Assistant Secretary of Commerce Jordan J. Baruch and innovation consultant Karen A. Zien in a far-reaching treatise on maximizing the power of intellect and innovation. They explain the five levels of knowledge (cognitive, advanced skills, system understanding, motivated creativity, and synthesis and trained intuition) and how knowledge-building and scientific-technological advances interrelate to provide the critical ingredients for economic growth and competitive advantage. Filled with numerous practical examples from real firms, this book nicely supplements Taichi Sakaiya's The Knowledge Value Revolution (Kodansha, 1991) and Michael Dertouzos's hip What Will Be (LJ 5/1/97). Highly recommended for all larger academic libraries.?Dale F. Farris, Groves, Tex.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Now from James Brian Quinn, internationally renowned author of the award-winning Intelligent Enterprise (Free Press), comes a trailblazing work on how both entrepreneurs and nations can develop, harness, and utilize intellect, science, and technology to maximize innovation and growth. With coauthors Jordan J. Baruch and Karen Anne Zien, Quinn reveals in practical terms how successful firms can intertwine intellectual capital and modern software capabilities to cut innovation cycle times by 90%, costs by 75%, and risks by 60% or more, and thereby revolutionize all aspects of innovation management, corporate strategy, national policy, and even economics.

Innovation Explosion speaks directly to managers, entrepreneurs, government policymakers, and academics. The authors introduce and develop truly novel concepts that go well beyond earlier books on how to manage innovation. Its most notable concepts include:

• the "software paradigm" for shortening innovation cycles, improving payoffs, leveraging resources, and decreasing risks well beyond any other approach available at this time
• dynamic innovation organizations that move beyond teams toward independent collaborations of much greater power
• uniquely structured knowledge systems able to create "autocatalytic" or "negative entropy" effects, yielding massive "technological multiplier" benefits for corporations and economies
• "core-competency-with-strategic-outsourcing" strategies that allow greater concentration, leveraging, and flexibility than any other strategies presented to date
• critical methodologies for executives to use in measuring intellectual assets and innovation, and developing them farther than previously thought possible
• practical changes in national policies, which are needed to support private innovation and which, if implemented, will greatly expand marketing growth and national wealth
• international implications of the software revolution, now enabling worldwide economic development on a scale never before seen.

Innovation Explosion breaks entirely new ground in both theory and management practice.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 448 pages
• Publisher: Free Press; 1st ptg edition (November 7, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0684833948
• ISBN-13: 978-0684833941
• Product Dimensions: 9.6 x 6.5 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,885,701 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The culmination of Brian Quinn's work on managing innovation, May 29, 1998

By	Chris Gagnon ([e-mail]) (Basking Ridge, New Jersey) - See all my reviews

Quinn has long been among the absolute finest academics at helping real world managers understand the best practices in the world for managing & generating innovation. In earlier works he brought to our attention such groundbreaking concepts as the role of chaos in innovative organizations, the implications of our shift to a services based economy, and the rise of intellect or human capital as the critcal resource for competition among companies. His newest book may be his most useful to date. With his usual meticulously fact based research Quinn not only lays out the emerging tools, techniques and approaches the world's leading companies are using, he also provides breathtaking evidence of the real world performance gains that are available. The sections on software paradigms, "beyond teams" organizational approaches, and knowledge systems deserve especially careful reading, in my opinion. As usual, the biggest problem with Quinn's work is the sheer density of important new ideas makes consuming this book and putting it to work a significant investement. As a private investor, I will suggest to the executives that I work with that they make the time.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent guide for the 21st century, August 24, 1998

By	"yasar" (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews

Quinn's work is an excellent guide / explorer for the 21st century. I highly recommend this groundbreaking work to everybody who is interested in changing nature of tomorrow's organizations.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars an excellent guide, August 24, 1998

By	"yasar" (Istanbul, Turkey) - See all my reviews

Quinn's work is an excellent guide to explore the world of 21st century. I recommend this groundbreakink work to everybody who is interested in tomorrow's organizations.