Question 1

The focus of innovation for sustainability is different to that of innovation for competitiveness, except for:
A)networks of stakeholders, rather than firms.
B)social and political imperatives, not only markets.
C)conservation, rather than change
D)evolution of technological regimes, not management of technology.

Accepted Answer

C

Question 2

Lead users have a number of important defining characteristics.Which of the following is not typical of a lead user?
A)Technologically more advanced than competitors.
B)Recognize future market requirements early.
C)Perceived to be innovative by their peers.
D)Positioned to benefit more from innovations.

Accepted Answer

While lead users are often more innovative and recognize future market requirements early, they are not necessarily always more technologically advanced than their competitors.

Question 3

Innovation in socio-technical systems has a number of distinctive characteristics which make it impossible to manage.Which of the following is not a characteristic of innovation in such systems?
A)Users' needs are less important than technology trends.
B)Interfaces and interactions are difficult to anticipate.
C)Adoption and diffusion is lengthy and uncertain.
D)Technology and markets co-evolve.

Accepted Answer

Users' needs are actually a crucial aspect in socio-technical innovation, as it is the ultimate goal of the innovation to address and fulfill users' needs. Ignoring users' needs can lead to failure of the innovation. Therefore, this is not a characteristic of innovation in socio-technical systems.

Question 4

Which characteristics are not positively associated with the rapid diffusion and widespread adoption of an innovation?
A)Observability.
B)Complexity.
C)Trialability.
D)Compatibility.

Accepted Answer

Complexity is not positively associated with the rapid diffusion and widespread adoption of an innovation. Highly complex innovations may be slower to diffuse because they are more difficult to understand and use. Other characteristics, such as observability, trialability, and compatibility, are positively associated with rapid diffusion and widespread adoption.

Question 5

Bundling component innovations into new integrated systems or services has many advantages, but also some drawbacks.Which of the following is not an advantage of integrated system or service innovations?
A)Allows better management of interfaces.
B)Can help to optimize overall performance.
C)Likely to appeal to sophisticated customers.
D)Higher added-value of developers.

Accepted Answer

Integrated system or service innovations primarily focus on improving performance, managing interfaces, and increasing the added value for developers. The appeal to sophisticated customers is not inherently an advantage of these innovations, as their appeal can vary widely depending on the market and the specific needs of the customers.

Question 6

The concept of an innovation network is used widely, but can be difficult to define or operationalize.Which of the following traits would you not expect an innovation network to have?
A)Evolve over time, path-dependent.
B)Include many actors and stakeholders.
C)Involve complex interactions and relations.
D)Optimal organization for innovation.

Accepted Answer

An innovation network may not necessarily have an optimal organization for innovation. The structure and organization of an innovation network can vary depending on the context and the actors involved. Some innovation networks may have a less optimal organization but can still be effective in fostering innovation through other means such as collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Question 7

The most effective relationship between developers and users depends on a number of factors, including the diversity of potential applications and users.Which of the following statements is not true?
A)When there are few applications and few users, negotiation is desirable.
B)When there are few applications, but many potential users, careful segmentation is necessary.
C)When there are many applications, but few users, customization is possible.
D)When there are many applications and many users, multiple offerings must be developed.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The most effective relationship between developers and...

Question 8

The most common model of the process of the diffusion of innovation is the epidemic or 'Scurve' model.This is useful, but is based on a number of unrealistic assumptions.Which of the these is not an assumption of the basic epidemic model?
A)The population consists of two different groups, adopters and imitators.
B)The population is homogeneous.
C)The population has perfect knowledge of the innovation.
D)Information is spread by contact and observation.

Accepted Answer

The basic epidemic or 'S-curve' model of the diffusion of innovation assumes that the population is homogeneous (B), has perfect knowledge of the innovation (C), and that information is spread by contact and observation (D). It does not assume that the population consists of two different groups, adopters and imitators (A); this distinction is more nuanced and not a fundamental assumption of the basic model.

Question 9

Innovation can contribute to sustainability in a number of ways.Which of the following is not an example of a positive contribution?
A)Faster replacement of obsolete products.
B)Development of more efficient processes.
C)Creation of new systems and services.
D)Generation of more technological alternatives.

Accepted Answer

Faster replacement of obsolete products can actually contribute to unsustainability by encouraging the use of more resources and generating more waste. It is better to prioritize durability and longevity in product design.

Question 10

To be effective, scenario planning must satisfy a number of conditions.Which of the following is not essential?
A)Compelling problems.
B)Inclusive participation.
C)Normative goals.
D)Plausible outcomes.

Accepted Answer

While normative goals can be helpful in providing direction and justification for scenario planning, they are not considered essential for the process to be effective. Compelling problems, inclusive participation, and plausible outcomes, on the other hand, are recognized as crucial elements of successful scenario planning.

Question 11

The likelihood of the development and adoption of alternative technologies depends on the perceptions of potential users.Which of the following is generally not true?
A)Buyers' perceptions of differences between alternative technologies influence adoption.
B)The perceived cost of switching between alternative technologies influences adoption.
C)The perceived rate of technological change influences the adoption.
D)Buyers' perceptions of the total benefits influence adoption.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The likelihood of the development and adoption...

Question 12

The design of a Delphi study for forecasting the future should follow all but which of the following guidelines?
A)Identify a broad community of experts.
B)Consist of a number of iterations.
C)Feature interviews and workshops.
D)Include questions of timing and probability.

Accepted Answer

Delphi studies typically rely on rounds of questionnaires to gather expert opinions and achieve a consensus forecast, rather than conducting interviews and workshops.

Question 13

Observability and trialability are normally positively associated with diffusion and adoption, but in what circumstances might these limit diffusion and adoption?
A)Promote imitation.
B)Improve proto-typing.
C)Reveal shortcomings.
D)Provide feedback.

Accepted Answer

If observability and trialability reveal significant shortcomings or negative consequences of the innovation, it may limit diffusion and adoption. This is because potential adopters may be discouraged from trying or adopting the innovation if they perceive it to be ineffective or undesirable.

Question 14

Identifying novel niches is more difficult than conventional marketing or new product development because:
A)Novel niches demand more radical innovation.
B)Segmentation provides limited insights.
C)Novel niches require new knowledge.
D)Consumer markets are different to business markets.

Accepted Answer

The answer of Identifying novel niches is more difficult than...

Quiz 8: Building the Case

The focus of innovation for sustainability is different to that of innovation for competitiveness, except for:

Lead users have a number of important defining characteristics.Which of the following is not typical of a lead user?

Innovation in socio-technical systems has a number of distinctive characteristics which make it impossible to manage.Which of the following is not a characteristic of innovation in such systems?

Which characteristics are not positively associated with the rapid diffusion and widespread adoption of an innovation?

Bundling component innovations into new integrated systems or services has many advantages, but also some drawbacks.Which of the following is not an advantage of integrated system or service innovations?

The concept of an innovation network is used widely, but can be difficult to define or operationalize.Which of the following traits would you not expect an innovation network to have?

The most effective relationship between developers and users depends on a number of factors, including the diversity of potential applications and users.Which of the following statements is not true?

The most common model of the process of the diffusion of innovation is the epidemic or 'Scurve' model.This is useful, but is based on a number of unrealistic assumptions.Which of the these is not an assumption of the basic epidemic model?

Innovation can contribute to sustainability in a number of ways.Which of the following is not an example of a positive contribution?

To be effective, scenario planning must satisfy a number of conditions.Which of the following is not essential?

The likelihood of the development and adoption of alternative technologies depends on the perceptions of potential users.Which of the following is generally not true?

The design of a Delphi study for forecasting the future should follow all but which of the following guidelines?

Observability and trialability are normally positively associated with diffusion and adoption, but in what circumstances might these limit diffusion and adoption?

Identifying novel niches is more difficult than conventional marketing or new product development because: