Innovation and Institutions : An Institutional Perspective on the Innovative Efforts of Banks and Insurance Companies

Using institutional theory to explain innovation and merging academic and critical analysis with practical recommendations, this book provides a full and rich account of how new products are brought to market; considering both the successes and failures in equal measure.

This book takes the meeting point of two seemingly incongruous schools of theoretical thought to enlighten the debate surrounding product innovation. In doing so it:

• illustrates how institutional forces come to shape the interest, priorities and behaviour of organizational members in the development and implementation process of incremental product innovation
• investigates the failed innovative attempts of established organizations
• demonstrates the importance of organizational and intra-organizational forces for innovative success.

The insight it offers into the organization of product innovation processes in the financial services sector and the guidelines it sets up for their improvement makes Innovation and Institutions essential reading for those working in or studying the banking, finance and insurance sector who have an interest in innovation studies.

Patrick Vermeulen is Associate Professor of Organization Studies at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. Jorg Raab is Assistant Professor of Policy and Organization Studies at Tilburg University in the Netherlands.