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This paper aims to study the definition and formation of Skunk Works and how it may present itself as a viable theoretical alternative to other mainstream concepts of collective/corporate entrepreneurships, while dissecting some of the prevalent misconceptions of the extant literature regarding the application of Skunk Works.

This is a literature-based conceptual study that compares and differentiates various forms of group entrepreneurships as discussed in the academic debate.

This study shows how Skunk Works differs from other forms of collective/corporate entrepreneurship through its seven dimensions (isolation, customer needs, focus, planning, trusted project manager, cross-functional teams and leveraging overlaps) while challenging the dominant extant contenders of collective/corporate entrepreneurship.

Skunk Works remains a sustainable form of entrepreneurship, and it is still viable to consider it as a practical construct for smaller as well as larger organisations as a means of solving complicated innovative tasks requiring a multidisciplinary team with expert competence in a relatively quicker period of time.

Organisations may take greater initiatives towards assembling entrepreneurial teams in the Skunk Work tradition.

As a means of understanding collective/corporate entrepreneurship, this study dissects some of the original fundamental cornerstones of Skunk Works entrepreneurship in an effort to present it as a viable alternative construct to the dominant construct of entrepreneurial orientation as well as other extant constructs.

Luck remains an elusive theoretical concept in the business literature yet a fascinating practical phenomenon in business reality. In addition to effective strategic maneuvering and well‐run internal management, luck often plays a non‐trivial role as a determinant of competitive advantage and firm performance. Understanding the various types of luck and the contextual conditions under which luck strikes is therefore expected to help a firm gain competitive advantage. This paper advances a typology of different scenarios of luck – pure luck, prepared luck, useful weeds, and skunk work – and expounds the strategic implications of these scenarios for the firm’s search for competitive advantage. Taking a proactive approach, it untangles the typical environmental sources of luck as well as the intra‐firm mechanisms and processes through which a firm could better induce, recognize, and exploit lucky incidents of innovations from useful weeds or skunk works.

In any business process a firm begins with a concept or model of how it hopes to accomplish its goals to provide value to customers and participate in market successfully. This model forms the basis of how the business is structured and organized, how it operates in the marketplace and its scope and limitations. In this article, we present the proposition that innovation, typically an unstructured initiative or task, requires its own model, and has a number of defined attributes. A successful innovation capability is based on defining these attributes and aligning them to the strategic goals of the organization and the intent or purpose of the innovation effort.

This paper seeks to describe a “bubble strategy” to public sector change, based on the principles that a change initiative must be defensible and supportive of an alternative, entrepreneurial culture.

The research is developed through an action research case in Salford City Council, through which theory from technology innovation, change management and other sources is explored.

The paper finds that the managers developed a dynamic process wherein their ability to defend the new change initiative was primary. This required “under‐the‐radar” tactics that allowed different elements of the change initiative to grow before they were assessed or adopted by the wider organisation.

The paper speculates on the ways in which the characteristics of the “bubble” could be adopted elsewhere. However, as an action research case, restrictions on the generalisability of the evidence are noted.

The “bubble” strategy is set out in its constituent parts and is thereby available for adoption elsewhere.

The strategy employed in the case is not documented elsewhere. The paper utilizes technology innovation theory and related literature like “skunk works”, outside their intended private sector context.

Briefly reviews previous literature by the author before presenting an original 12 step system integration protocol designed to ensure the success of companies or countries in their efforts to develop and market new products. Looks at the issues from different strategic levels such as corporate, international, military and economic. Presents 31 case studies, including the success of Japan in microchips to the failure of Xerox to sell its invention of the Alto personal computer 3 years before Apple: from the success in DNA and Superconductor research to the success of Sunbeam in inventing and marketing food processors: and from the daring invention and production of atomic energy for survival to the successes of sewing machine inventor Howe in co‐operating on patents to compete in markets. Includes 306 questions and answers in order to qualify concepts introduced.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a review of past experience in managing risk and technical innovation in NASA space programs with lessons learned for new unmanned space missions.

The paper examines past performance of space missions and abstracts the lessons learned for the efficient development of cost‐effective space missions.

The paper finds that large organizations build and internalize a culture at odds with risk taking and the rapid deployment of innovative solutions. Actualized management goals are often at odds with the issues that determine or insure the long‐term survival of an organization. A key issue is the management of knowledge within that system: the extrinsic knowledge of the technologies as well as the intrinsic knowledge associated with the perception and acceptance of risk.

Innovation can be seen as being dangerous to the organization. That perception must be managed. The NASA culture that is applicable to human spaceflight may not serve the community or the organization as well when applied to unmanned missions.

The paper provides a simplified and brief perspective on the issues inherent in managing a change in culture in an organization that has a highly public mission.

While the NASA “faster, better, cheaper” program has been considered elsewhere, this paper focuses on the lessons that are applicable to the management of space missions and the development of new, cost‐effective programs. These lessons retain their value, as the new administrator Michael D. Griffin attempts to manage the transition of NASA from an organization that has been in maintenance mode to one that must embrace innovation and stay within a highly constrained funding profile.

Strategic innovation competence is critical to business success in the world today. How to develop this competence is an even more critical issue facing businesses today. This paper aims to investigate this issue.

This paper explains how companies can solve these dilemmas as it explores relevant innovation theory and practice with several short case studies. Principles underlying the development of an innovation competence and an explanation of how companies can put these principles into practice to overcome the most common innovation challenges are also discussed.

The paper shows how ongoing, systematic innovation has become the only sustainable source of competitive advantage

This paper discusses how companies can put the principles of innovation and change into their business and make it work for them.

In 1999, the governor of Illinois mandated strategic planning in all state agencies, the creation of an Office of Strategic Planning (OSP) and the formation of an academic advisory council to guide it. This article discusses how agencies responded, while focusing on the behavior of the various actors involved: agency staff, top management officials and the organizations themselves. It covers key interim agency results, and general outcome indicators for the eight state strategic issues. The State is now at the crossroads. It has a newly elected governor from a different political party and the OSP and academic advisory council no longer exist. Will a new movement of strategic planning and performance metrics make a real difference to the citizens of Illinois?

Encyclopædia Britannica was the leading provider of encyclopedias in the English language, but after sales declined rapidly in the early 1990s the company was forced to file for bankruptcy. Many different organizational and market factors contributed to this crisis, such as the diffusion of the PC, the invention of Encarta, the technical challenges of moving text to electronic formats, and the difficulties of inventing a new format while also operating the leading seller of books. Looking back, what could the company have done differently?

To illustrate important themes on a leading firm's response to technical opportunities and threats; teach students about technological waves, technological disruption, and different concepts of obsolescence; and examine strategic concepts such as attacker's advantages and skunk works.

The purpose of this paper is to illuminate the challenges of ad hoc teams in the corporate setting.

Review of the literature about teams, agile methodologies, scrums, etc. was carried out.

While ad hoc teams can create value, their proliferation has had unintended consequences.

The literature review is, by its nature, selective not comprehensive.

Based on the recommendations cited, corporations will be able to make better decisions about when to initiate special teams.

By doing so, companies will eliminate the frustrations employees feel in certain types of teams and improve their quality of life.

Although the subject of ad hoc teams has been extensively covered, this viewpoint takes a fresh look at the overall consequences of their proliferation.