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Toward a conceptual framework explaining the strategic factors responsible for mobile product innovation success in an emerging African market
Author(s) -
Ngugi Benjamin K.,
Elliot Esi Abbam,
Blankson Charles
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
thunderbird international business review
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.553
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1520-6874
pISSN - 1096-4762
DOI - 10.1002/tie.22179
Subject(s) - business , product innovation , product (mathematics) , industrial organization , conceptual framework , marketing , emerging markets , control reconfiguration , conceptual model , knowledge management , sociology , computer science , social science , geometry , mathematics , finance , embedded system , database
This study investigates and then develops a conceptual framework explaining the strategic factors responsible for mobile product innovations success in an emerging market. Our methodology is based on a qualitative case study research design approach using grounded theory concerning Safaricom's organization and product innovations in East African markets and Kenya in particular. We find that Safaricom's innovation success stems from a combination of four winning strategic factors: continuous innovation, reconfiguration and repositioning of failed innovations, elevation of key successful innovation into strategic assets, and combination of strategic assets into a prime business ecosystem. We integrate these strategies to form the Mobile Technology Innovation Cycle as a contribution to product innovation theory and practice.