Cisco: Integration of Innovation and Operation

This book picks Cisco as an example to propose a framework of ambidextrous integration of innovation and operation, which is the key to the success of global companies along their evolutions, especially for those technology companies. The authors try to find how the company combines active innovation and efficient operation for its sustainable development. On the basis of comprehensive analysis of the strategic leadership, change management, innovation system, M&As, IT-enabled value chains, collaboration, etc., in Cisco, as well as the interviews with Cisco staff, this book shows that management practices shape the balance of internal-external resources for explorative-exploitative innovations. IT strategies and implementation enable efficient operations when innovations are identified and justified in the leading company. Managerial insights for sustainable competitiveness can be gained from Cisco practices in this book. The companion of the book, Huawei: From Catching up to Lead, telling another growth path of technology company in China by similar framework.

Xiaoying Dong is an associate professor at Guanghua School of Management, Peking University, and an academic director at the Case Center. She serves as the vice chairman of China Information Economics Association, the member of the Information and Communication Expert Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the member of the National Standards Technical Committee of Knowledge Management. She has in-depth research on the case of technology companies, published over 50 papers in both Chinese and English, and published six monographs.

Yan Yu is an associate professor in School of Information at Renmin University of China and serves a co-director of Innovation Space of the school. She received her Ph.D. in Information Systems from City University of Hong Kong and received her master's and bachelor's degrees from Peking University, China. Her research interests include enterprise knowledge management, service innovation, and organizational capability. She has published over 50 papers on international journals and conferences. She is the corresponding author of this book.

Zhou Jiali is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Information Systems, Business Statistics and Operation Management at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He received his master’s degree in Guanghua School of Management at Peking University. He had work experience in China Post Group and was rewarded as “Individual Excellence in Scientific and Technologic Innovation”. He has published papers in the INFORMS annual conferences.