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  • September 2021
  • Article
  • Management Science

Innovation in the 21st Century: Architectural Change, Purpose, and the Challenges of Our Time

By: Rebecca Henderson
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Abstract

Understanding the process of innovation has been a central concern of management researchers, but despite this progress, there remains much that we do not understand. Deepening our knowledge is critically important given the enormous environmental and social challenges we face as a society. Pursing incremental innovation will continue to be hugely important, but this paper argues that building a richer understanding of architectural or systemic innovation will also be crucial. This paper suggests that the study of organizational purpose may provide a particularly fruitful avenue for future research.

Keywords

Architectural Innovation; Systemic Innovation; Innovation and Invention; Mission and Purpose; Environmental Sustainability

Citation

Henderson, Rebecca. "Innovation in the 21st Century: Architectural Change, Purpose, and the Challenges of Our Time." Management Science 67, no. 9 (September 2021).
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About The Author

Rebecca M. Henderson

General Management
→More Publications

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More from the Author
  • Firms, Morality, and the Search for a Better World By: Rebecca Henderson
  • A Political Economy of Justice By: Danielle Allen, Yochai Benkler, Leah Downey, Rebecca Henderson and Joshua Simons
  • Crisis at the 11th Hour — Protagonist Video By: Rebecca Henderson and Trevor Fetter
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