Short answer

When designing a corporate accelerator, clearly define its primary objectives and choose a configuration that directly supports those goals.

Field: Innovation & Design
Source: Journal of Applied Business Research (JABR) (2016)
Method: Case Study
Sample: 13 case studies
Evidence: Moderate effect

Established companies utilize corporate accelerator programs with diverse strategic goals and operational structures to engage with startups. This innovation & design research insight is drawn from a 2016 study published in Journal of Applied Business Research (JABR). Using Case study with 13 case studies, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing a corporate accelerator, clearly define its primary objectives and choose a configuration that directly supports those goals.

Study

Innovation & DesignHigh ImpactModerate effect

Corporate accelerators can be categorized by their primary objectives and design configurations.

Established companies utilize corporate accelerator programs with diverse strategic goals and operational structures to engage with startups.

Journal of Applied Business Research (JABR) · 2016

Key Findings

01Corporate accelerators are a growing global phenomenon across various industries.
02There is a lack of standardized understanding regarding the objectives and approaches of these programs.
03A typology of corporate accelerators can be developed based on their design configurations and strategic aims.

Application

Design takeaway

When designing a corporate accelerator, clearly define its primary objectives and choose a configuration that directly supports those goals.

How to apply

Before launching or redesigning a corporate accelerator, analyze existing programs to identify common typologies and select the one that best fits your organization's strategic priorities.

Project actions

01When researching corporate accelerators, look for patterns in their stated goals and operational structures.
02Consider how different types of accelerators might serve different innovation strategies.

Method & Evidence

AimWhat are the different typologies of corporate accelerators based on their objectives and design configurations?

MethodCase Study

ProcedureResearchers conducted in-depth case studies of 13 corporate accelerator programs to empirically derive and discuss a typology.

Sample13 case studies

ContextCorporate innovation and startup engagement

Variables

IVDesign configurations of corporate accelerators (e.g., duration, funding model, mentorship structure)

DVObjectives of corporate accelerators (e.g., technology acquisition, market entry, internal innovation)

CVIndustry sector, company size, geographic location

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Empirical derivation of a typology.
+Focus on a growing and relevant phenomenon in corporate innovation.

Limitations

The specific context of the case studies might not be directly transferable to all industries or company sizes.

Reliability & validity

The validity of the typology relies on the depth and quality of the case study data. Reliability would be enhanced by a larger, more diverse sample of accelerators and potentially by triangulation of data sources.

Think critically

How might the 'success' metrics for a corporate accelerator differ depending on its primary typology, and how could these metrics be designed to accurately reflect the intended outcomes?

Design Principles

"Strategic alignment of program design with intended outcomes is crucial for effective corporate-startup engagement."

Understanding the different types of corporate accelerators allows organizations to strategically align their startup engagement efforts with specific business objectives, such as fostering internal innovation, acquiring new technologies, or accessing new markets. This strategic alignment can lead to more effective resource allocation and a higher likelihood of successful outcomes for both the corporation and the participating startups.

What This Means for Your Design

Companies create special programs to work with new startups, and these programs can be grouped by what they are trying to achieve and how they are set up.

How to use in your project

1.Use the concept of typologies to categorize and analyze existing corporate accelerator programs within your design project.
2.Justify your design choices for a corporate accelerator by referencing the findings on different configurations and their objectives.

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Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research identifies that corporate accelerators can be classified into distinct typologies based on their underlying objectives and design configurations. Understanding these typologies is essential for designing effective startup engagement programs that align with specific corporate innovation strategies, whether focused on technology acquisition, market expansion, or fostering internal entrepreneurship.

Source

Journal of Applied Business Research (JABR)

Corporate Accelerators As Recent Form Of Startup Engagement: The What, The Why, And The How

journal · 2016

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about corporate accelerators can be categorized by their primary objectives and design configurations?: When designing a corporate accelerator, clearly define its primary objectives and choose a configuration that directly supports those goals. Evidence: Journal of Applied Business Research (JABR) (2016).
Why does "Corporate accelerators can be categorized by their primary objectives and design configurations." matter for design?: Understanding the different types of corporate accelerators allows organizations to strategically align their startup engagement efforts with specific business objectives, such as fostering internal innovation, acquiring new technologies, or accessing new markets. This strategic alignment can lead to more effective resource allocation and a higher likelihood of successful outcomes for both the corporation and the participating startups.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing a corporate accelerator, clearly define its primary objectives and choose a configuration that directly supports those goals.
What were the main findings?: Corporate accelerators are a growing global phenomenon across various industries.. There is a lack of standardized understanding regarding the objectives and approaches of these programs.. A typology of corporate accelerators can be developed based on their design configurations and strategic aims.
What research method was used?: Case Study with 13 case studies.
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2016 journal from Journal of Applied Business Research (JABR).
What should I do differently in my next project?: Before launching or redesigning a corporate accelerator, analyze existing programs to identify common typologies and select the one that best fits your organization's strategic priorities.
What are the limitations?: The typology is derived from a limited number of case studies and may not encompass all possible variations of corporate accelerators.