Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Managing in the whitespace.

M C Maletz1, N Nohria

  • 1Babson College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, USA. mmaletz@yahoo.com

Harvard Business Review
|February 24, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Companies can foster innovation by strategically leveraging "whitespace," undefined areas ripe for entrepreneurial activity. Effective management guides these initiatives, determining their optimal integration or termination for sustained value creation.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Cracking the code of change.

Harvard business review·2001
Same author

Networked incubators. Hothouses of the new economy.

Harvard business review·2001
Same author

What's your strategy for managing knowledge?

Harvard business review·1999
Same journal

The Case for Capitation.

Harvard business review·2016
Same journal

How to Pay for Health Care.

Harvard business review·2016
Same journal

How to Preempt Team Conflict.

Harvard business review·2016
Same journal

The Secrets of Great Teamwork.

Harvard business review·2016
Same journal

Leading the Team You Inherit.

Harvard business review·2016
Same journal

Wicked Problem Solvers.

Harvard business review·2016
See all related articles

Area of Science:

  • Organizational Behavior
  • Innovation Management
  • Entrepreneurship

Background:

  • Traditional business models often stifle innovation by enforcing rigid structures.
  • New value creation is frequently linked to entrepreneurial mindsets, but guidance on their application is lacking.
  • The concept of 'whitespace' represents undefined organizational territories where entrepreneurial activities can flourish.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the dynamics of entrepreneurial activity within organizational 'whitespace'.
  • To provide guidance on when and how to operate in whitespace for innovation.
  • To explore how senior management can effectively oversee and nurture whitespace initiatives.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative research involving ethnographers and organization specialists.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Shadowing entrepreneurial managers operating in whitespace.
  • Interviews with senior managers regarding oversight of whitespace activities.
  • Case studies from financial services, computer, and e-commerce industries.

    • Main Results:

    • Whitespace is a critical, yet often neglected, territory for organizational reinvention and renewal.
    • Effective whitespace managers lead subtly and resourcefully, while senior executives must adapt traditional management techniques.
    • Key decisions involve integrating whitespace projects into core operations, maintaining them, or terminating them.

    Conclusions:

    • Companies risk missing innovation opportunities if whitespace is left to chance.
    • Strategic engagement with whitespace is crucial for identifying and capitalizing on new frontiers.
    • Understanding when to operate in whitespace versus traditional 'blackspace' is vital for sustained value creation.