Harnessing Innovation Using "The Global Brain".

Here's a how-to book on using the wisdom of crowds or "the global brain" to harness creativity and innovation. I haven't read it but the amount of academic research has florished the last two yeas so this new book probably has some new ideas for business development managers.

"Want to Create Innovative Products? Tap into the 'Global Brain'" [reg req]

Published: November 29, 2007 in India Knowledge@Wharton

In their quest to harness new sources of creativity, companies are reaching beyond their R&D labs to tap individuals and organizations outside their corporate boundaries. In their book titled, The Global Brain: Your Roadmap for Innovating Faster and Smarter in a Networked World (Wharton School Publishing, 2007), Satish Nambisan, a professor of technology management and strategy at the Lally School of Management at the Rensselaer Institute of Technology, and Mohanbir Sawhney, a professor of technology at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management, explore the rise and implications of this network-centric approach to managing innovation. Nambisan spoke with India Knowledge@Wharton recently about how companies can work with outsiders to enhance their own efforts to create new products and services."

India Knowledge@Wharton: What do you mean by the "global brain?"

Nambisan: The "global brain" refers to the creative potential that lies outside corporate boundaries, including networks of independent inventors, scientists, academic researchers and different types of intermediaries who facilitate those transactions between inventors and companies and scientists and companies. This pool of talent is what we broadly refer to as the global brain. This is in contrast to, for example, your internal R&D and other in-house innovation capabilities. You could call that "the local brain."

We believe the ability to communicate and collaborate with people both inside and outside the company is a key business differentiator.

Give us a call, 973.433.4007, to learn how the wisdom of crowds can help your business become more profitable.