Innovativeness and its link to interoperability: An investigation using a novel Business Narrative Modelling Language (BNML)

Abstract

We intend to use multiple case studies to develop a theoretical model concerning the contemporary phenomenon of organizational innovativeness and its link to interoperability. We are interested in particular in interoperability as pertaining to people and organizations able to operate in conjunction (together) to produce innovation. Interoperability can be defined as “the ability of a system or an organization to work seamless[ly] with other systems or organization[s] without any special effort” (Mertins et al., 2008, p.v) and Gasser and Palfrey (2007, p.ii) state that “One of the reasons why we tend to like interoperability is that we believe it leads to innovation”. However, they continue, “the relationship between interoperability and innovation, while it likely exists in most cases, is extremely hard to prove” (Gasser and Palfrey, 2007, p.ii). In so doing we are to test a business narrative modelling language (BNML) that we have developed. BNML is a research method that uses representations combining storylines, roles, ontologies, patterns, assets and value exchanges. We intend to apply our BNML as a main doctoral research effort to map out the creation of value and innovation in organizations. The need for BNML arose given a growing dissatisfaction with qualitative research approaches and also due to the need to bring entrepreneurs, especially those with little training in management theory, closer to the academic (as well as practitioner) discussion of innovation and strategy for value creation. Such studies, which may bring to the fore rich detailed descriptions for example of how collective mind is achieved, are lacking in the literature (Camarinha-Matos, 2008).