The politics of innovation

Previous studies of technical innovation in organizations have tended to neglect how power and political processes shape the development of new technologies. Our study of new product development at a successful computer graphics company suggests that corporate ideology and politics often determine the success or failure of new product ideas. Four stages of product development are identified along with the political activities and influence tactics used at each stage. W. Gibb Dyer, Jr. is associate professor of organizational behavior at Brigham Young University. He is on the editorial board ofThe Family Business Review. Robert A. Page, Jr. currently is enrolled in the doctoral program at the Graduate School of Management, University of California, Irvine. His research interests include organizational theory, ethics, innovation, organizational culture, and group norms.