Innovation in the UK Retail Sector - Nesta
Innovation in the UK Retail Sector - Nesta
Innovation in the UK Retail Sector - Nesta
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Appendix 1<br />
Research Methodology<br />
35000<br />
30000<br />
25000<br />
20000<br />
15000<br />
10000<br />
5000<br />
<strong>Innovation</strong><br />
Technological <strong>Innovation</strong><br />
Service <strong>Innovation</strong><br />
<strong>Retail</strong> <strong>Innovation</strong><br />
<strong>Innovation</strong> <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>UK</strong> <strong>Retail</strong> <strong>Sector</strong><br />
Apart from be<strong>in</strong>g difficult to measure only with traditional <strong>in</strong>put and output measures or may be<br />
because of that <strong>in</strong>novation <strong>in</strong> retail<strong>in</strong>g is also vastly under-researched <strong>in</strong> academic terms. For<br />
example, whilst <strong>the</strong> title keyword ‘<strong>in</strong>novation’ generated some 32,861 peer reviewed academic<br />
publications with<strong>in</strong> a lead<strong>in</strong>g journal aggregator, and ‘technological <strong>in</strong>novation’ 13,916, only 155<br />
featured ‘service <strong>in</strong>novation’ and a mere 12 explored ‘retail <strong>in</strong>novation’ 32<br />
Figure 1. Under-researched nature of <strong>in</strong>novation <strong>in</strong> retail<strong>in</strong>g<br />
The report draws on extensive<br />
secondary and primary research <strong>in</strong> order<br />
to establish a more coherent, sectorspecific<br />
characterization of <strong>in</strong>novation.<br />
It analyses for <strong>the</strong> first time <strong>the</strong> retailspecific<br />
responses to <strong>the</strong> most recent<br />
Community <strong>Innovation</strong> Survey. It br<strong>in</strong>gs<br />
toge<strong>the</strong>r a wide range of secondary<br />
material deal<strong>in</strong>g with <strong>in</strong>novation<br />
(exam<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g its relevance through a retail<br />
lens) and with Government activity and<br />
policy potentially appropriate to <strong>the</strong><br />
stimulation and support of retail<br />
<strong>in</strong>novation.<br />
<strong>Innovation</strong><br />
0<br />
2005<br />
27601<br />
2006<br />
31339<br />
2007<br />
32861<br />
The primary research draws upon<br />
selected <strong>in</strong>sights from a series of <strong>in</strong>depth<br />
<strong>in</strong>terviews and discussions<br />
Technological <strong>Innovation</strong> 11858 12920 13916<br />
conducted by one of <strong>the</strong> authors as part<br />
Service <strong>Innovation</strong> 127 136 155<br />
of his doctoral research. with over 50<br />
<strong>Retail</strong> <strong>Innovation</strong> 13 12 13<br />
senior retail executives and o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
<strong>in</strong>dustry experts from over 30 retail<br />
bus<strong>in</strong>esses, consult<strong>in</strong>g firms and <strong>in</strong>dustry associations with<strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>UK</strong> and elsewhere on how <strong>the</strong>y<br />
def<strong>in</strong>e, encourage and manage <strong>in</strong>novation 33 .<br />
The mixed purposive sample was selected <strong>in</strong> a way ensure adequate representation of both large-<br />
and medium-sized firms from 12 different retail sub-sectors, thus <strong>the</strong> sample <strong>in</strong>cluded retailers<br />
with a turnover of between £15bn and £15m from 12 different retail sectors 34 .<br />
Qualitative <strong>in</strong>terviews and <strong>the</strong> case study approach are established methodologies <strong>in</strong> management<br />
science for explor<strong>in</strong>g novel or complex social phenomena such as <strong>in</strong>novation and for<br />
understand<strong>in</strong>g behaviours, values and believes and <strong>the</strong>ir context (Calori, Johnson et al., 1992;<br />
Boiral, 2003; Adams, 2004; Bryman, 2004; Hristov and Reynolds, 2005). The degree of<br />
generalisability which is a consideration <strong>in</strong> qualitative research, because of its tendency to employ<br />
case studies or smaller samples has been m<strong>in</strong>imised to some extent through <strong>the</strong> use of a larger<br />
mixed purposive sample of <strong>in</strong>terviews and <strong>the</strong> triangulation of primary with secondary data.<br />
32 EBSCO’s Bus<strong>in</strong>ess Source Premier (01.08. 2007)<br />
33 Hristov (2007)<br />
34 Hristov (2007)<br />
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