Social Media Roles in the Development of Technological Innovation

Social Media Roles in the Development of Technological Innovation

Fiori, Lorenzo (TU Delft Technology, Policy and Management)

van Wee, Bert (mentor)
Annema, Jan Anne (graduation committee)
van de Kaa, Geerten (graduation committee)

Delft University of Technology

Management of Technology (MoT)

2018-08-20

Purpose – The purpose of this thesis is to improve understanding of the roles that social media can
have in the process of developing technological innovation, for both successful and unsuccessful
development.
Design/methodology/approach – The theory advanced within the present thesis is the result of a
literature review of innovation system (IS) literature and social media literature. Also, the proposed
theory is illustrated and expanded through a case study which employs social media data and
interviews.
Findings – The effects of social media on the development of technological innovation can be grouped
in three categories: knowledge formation, customer relationship management (CRM), and marketing.
These effects can be positive or negative depending on the strategies and methodologies utilised.
Research limitations/implications – The validity of the advanced theory is limited to the illustrative
case study which has only focused on part of it.
Practical implications – The results of the study indicate that both private and public organisations
involved in the development of technological innovation should adopt different social media
strategies, methods, and tools at different point in time during this maturation process.
Originality/value – This thesis is the first to combine the full spectrum of potentials of social media
communication in the success and failure development of technological innovation.

Innovation Systems
Technological Innovation Systems
Functions
Motors of Innovation
Social Media
Social Networks
Solar Power Window

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:1a63d8b1-c833-4995-9893-e7089af238d1

Student theses

master thesis

© 2018 Lorenzo Fiori