Eradicating Malaria: Innovation diffusion in the face of grand challenges

• Main Authors: JIANG, Han, LIANG, Hao, YANG, Dongning
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Institutional Knowledge at Singapore Management University 2022
• Subjects: Organizational Innovation; Innovation Diffusion; Grand Challenge; Malaria; Africa; Finance; Finance and Financial Management
• Online Access: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/7155; https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/context/lkcsb_research/article/8154/viewcontent/SSRN_id4166057.pdf
• Institution: Singapore Management University

What is the role of organizational innovation—beyond technological innovation—in an era of grand challenges concerning health, poverty, and economic development around the world? How is organizational innovation developed and diffused to influence resource allocation in the field? We conduct a qualitative case study by analyzing a Chinese pharmaceutical firm’s efforts to combat malaria in Africa over 10 years. Through documentation and extensive interviews, we study the role of innovation diffusion and resource allocation to address grand challenges in emerging markets with significant institutional voids. Our conceptual model delineates the different stages of innovation diffusion to show how organizations can draw from various stakeholder resources grounded in cooperation and capability-building to sustain the effects of innovative solutions.