Innovation Pathways in Bureaucratic Organizations: A Process Study of Technology Infusion at NASA

Abstract

This paper uses a longitudinal case study of the infusion of new infrared sensor technology at NASA to illustrate limitations of current conceptual models of the innovation process in large bureaucratic organizations. Based on in-depth interviews with key participants, supplemented by a review of project reports, contract archives, publications and press coverage, the paper constructs a detailed process history of the multi-decade "innovation pathway" taken by the new sensor as it was matured from initial demonstration of the relevant scientific phenomena (conceptualization) through implementation on an earth observation satellite (actualization). This case illustrates that maturity is not always a monotonically increasing attribute of the technology, as assumed in current practice; it also explains how informal mechanisms (e.g., personal relationships) can serve as important enablers of transitions among different phases of the formal technology development process. Implications of these findings are discussed and a strategy for a more targeted follow-on study is outlined.