Matters of intuition and timing in sustaining an innovation system : the role of pattern-seeking and anticipatory learning

This paper presents an aspect of ongoing research into the management of innovation as a business system, recognizing that people are an important element of the total system that includes decision and knowledge subsystems. The word ?intuition? is often used in connection with innovators and their decisions, and this is discussed in the paper. The nature of decision-making is seen to be dependent on matters of timing and whether the decisions are operational or strategic in nature. Some Australian case study material is drawn on to characterise the life cycle of an innovation and decisions relating to value extraction. Ideas for characterising the process of innovation in terms of exploration, exploitation and bridging activities, each supported by physical, information, decision and knowledge subsystems are illustrated.