Qualitative experiment as a participating method in innovation research

Abstract

"The term "innovation" has become commonplace. We are surrounded by "innovations", in our daily life. Who develops innovations? Even more importantly, how are they developed? Research approaches for finding answers to these questions regarding social innovations in an organizational context is the focus of this article. Under the assumption that social innovations are a result of learning, action, and social processes in organizations, practitioners are seen as developers of social innovations. To provide insight into the developmental process of innovation, I will compare the grounded theory methodology that Tom Kehrbaum utilizes for innovation research to the qualitative-heuristic methodology by Gerhard Kleining. Both methodologies are chosen because they enable researchers to analyze social processes, which lead to the solution of a problem. The main focus of this discussion lies in the quali-tative-heuristic methodology and its use of the qualitative experiment. The reason for this emphasis is anchored in the interactive approach of the researchers with the field, which is well-suited for examining the process of improving strategies for searching and finding solutions for problems." (author's abstract)