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Strategic Foresight in multinational enterprises – a case study on the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories

Author

Listed:
  • Rohrbeck, Rene
  • Arnold, Heinrich M.
  • Heuer, Jörg

Abstract

Strategic Foresight activities enable companies to use weak signals to identify opportunities and threats. Research on Strategic Foresight proposes different methods, discusses their implementation and gives recommendations on how to link Strategic Foresight with other functions in an organization. Based on a literature review, we define a generic framework for the management of Strategic Foresight activities on the strategic, tactical and operational level and identify and discuss actors, methods and systems of Strategic Foresight. Building on an in-depth case study of the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories we shed light on the implementation of Strategic Foresight activities. In the discussion we focus on the interaction of methods from Consumer Foresight and Technology Intelligence. Taking an example project, we explore how Strategic Foresight is used on the operational level of innovation management. We conclude that Strategic Foresight can successfully contribute to coping with uncertainty and complexity and can feed the front-end of innovation from the market (customer needs) and technology (realization opportunities) perspective.

Suggested Citation

  • Rohrbeck, Rene & Arnold, Heinrich M. & Heuer, Jörg, 2007. "Strategic Foresight in multinational enterprises – a case study on the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories," MPRA Paper 5700, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    • Handle: RePEc:pra:mprapa:5700
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Kerstin Cuhls, 2003. "From forecasting to foresight processes-new participative foresight activities in Germany," Journal of Forecasting, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 22(2-3), pages 93-111.
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    4. Rohrbeck, Rene, 2007. "Technology Scouting – a case study on the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories," MPRA Paper 5699, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    5. Maltz, Elliot & Souder, William E. & Kumar, Ajith, 2001. "Influencing R&D/marketing integration and the use of market information by R&D managers: intended and unintended effects of managerial actions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 69-82, April.
    6. Richard Makadok & Jay B. Barney, 2001. "Strategic Factor Market Intelligence: An Application of Information Economics to Strategy Formulation and Competitor Intelligence," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 47(12), pages 1621-1638, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Abiodun Adegbile & David Sarpong & Dirk Meissner, 2017. "Strategic Foresight for Innovation Management: A Review and Research Agenda," International Journal of Innovation and Technology Management (IJITM), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 14(04), pages 1-34, August.
    2. Gershman, Mikhail & Bredikhin, Sergey & Vishnevskiy, Konstantin, 2016. "The role of corporate foresight and technology roadmapping in companies' innovation development: The case of Russian state-owned enterprises," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 110(C), pages 187-195.
    3. Jissink, Tymen & Schweitzer, Fiona & Rohrbeck, René, 2019. "Forward-looking search during innovation projects: Under which conditions it impacts innovativeness," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 84, pages 71-85.
    4. Bradford Ashton, 2020. "Intelligent Technology Scanning: Aims, Content, and Practice," Foresight and STI Governance (Foresight-Russia till No. 3/2015), National Research University Higher School of Economics, vol. 14(3), pages 15-29.
    5. Block, Carolin & Wustmans, Michael & Laibach, Natalie & Bröring, Stefanie, 2021. "Semantic bridging of patents and scientific publications – The case of an emerging sustainability-oriented technology," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 167(C).
    6. Ayda Amniattalab & Reza Ansari, 2016. "The Effect Of Strategic Foresight On Competitive Advantage With The Mediating Role Of Organisational Ambidexterity," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(03), pages 1-18, April.
    7. Rohrbeck, René & Kum, Menes Etingue, 2018. "Corporate foresight and its impact on firm performance: A longitudinal analysis," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 129(C), pages 105-116.
    8. Rohrbeck, Rene, 2007. "Veille stratégique en entreprise multinationale - Une étude de cas auprès de la Deutsche Telekom AG," MPRA Paper 5701, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Arran BROWN & Brian BARNARD, 2019. "Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Strategic Foresight: How Entrepreneurs Engage the Future as Opportunity," Expert Journal of Business and Management, Sprint Investify, vol. 7(1), pages 11-30.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    strategic foresight; consumer foresight; technology foresight; technology intelligence; market foresight; trend analysis; future studies; future analysis; telecommunication industry;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • M0 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - General
    • M19 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - Other
    • M10 - Business Administration and Business Economics; Marketing; Accounting; Personnel Economics - - Business Administration - - - General

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