Meta-Organizations: A Practical Tool for Open Innovation

Two key major managerial challenges for open innovation are how to apply the open innovation model while (a) controlling for opportunistic behaviors, and (b) simultaneously gaining appropriate levels of absorptive capacity—the ability to identify, learn and use scientific, technological and other external knowledge. We discuss one solution to this challenge using examples from the Canadian energy industry. Our focus is on their successful use of strategic bridging meta-organizations such as the Petroleum Technology Alliance of Canada as industry intermediaries. These meta-organizations are created by industry players to explore multiple markets, technology domains, and connect innovation seekers. Providers in closed community, open community, extended enterprise, and managed ecosystem configurations are also included. We discuss the suitability of different open innovation application approaches for differing industry needs and the evolution of meta-organizations in the Canadian energy industry's recent history.