The dialectics of serendipity in Management

Reference: Pina e Cunha, M., Rego, A., Clegg, S., & Lindsay, G. (2015). The dialectics of serendipity. European Management Journal, 33(1), 9-18.

Abstract: Serendipity in organizations has often been perceived as a mysterious occurrence. We approach the process of serendipity via reconsideration of Honda’s entry into the US market using an alternate templates analysis, showing that serendipity can be conceptually interpreted as the synthesis of preparation and openness to novelty, articulated through generative doubt. In this sense, it can be thought of as a dialectical process that thrives through the creative synthesis of the existing and the new. It is a practical accomplishment rather than an organizational form of mystery.

I enjoyed reading this, here's my favourite part: "We asked “how do organizations turn luck into serendipity”, and responded that they do so via the dialectical interplay of preparation, openness, and doubt. Serendipity can thus be defined as unexpected observations framed as opportunities, made actionable by a frame of reference that is kept dynamic via the cultivation of doubt..."

Meta-analysis in design research: role of examples

Reference: Sio, U. N., Kotovsky, K., & Cagan, J. (2015). Fixation or inspiration? A meta-analytic review of the role of examples on design processes. Design Studies,39, 70-99.

Some papers make it straight to my reading list (and this blog) due to their title, venue, and authors. This is a clear example. I'm looking forward to reading this paper for several reasons:
1. Jon Cagan's excellent track record and diverse research interests
2. By itself, interesting to see meta-analyses in the field of design research
3. May be quite useful to see their findings and interpretations of the (I assume) non-obvious influences that precedents play in design processes.

I hope to see some insights here on disciplinary differences, as I know that examples play a hugely different role across design areas, from robotics to architecture, graphic design, games, mechanical design, etc.