Abstract:
Bootlegging -the unauthorised projects initiated by an employee and directed toward
innovation for the benefit of their organization -is an important aspect of innovation,
because it is considered to be a great source of bottom-up innovation within
organisations. Since it is clandestine and hidden from management and researchers, it
has remained one of the least researched aspects of the innovation process.
There are a handful of studies on the topic of bootlegging in the management
literature – mainly based on one or a small number of case studies. The research
suggests that bootlegging activity can lead to innovative new products and is seen in a
positive light by a large majority of authors. However, the existing literature lacks
empirical evidence and consensus among different authors on the various aspects of
bootlegging such as reasons for bootlegging, underground operation, disclosure stage
of bootlegging and its outcomes.
Since bootlegging is a clandestine process, after careful consideration of a variety
options, it was concluded that in-depth interviews with bootleggers is the most
appropriate approach for studying the topic. Network sampling was applied to
identify bootleggers and gain their trust. The researcher has utilised his network and
attended several professional and engineering conferences to identify and approach
bootleggers rather than contacting them through their managers and organisations.
Subsequently, 55 in-depth semi-structured interviews were undertaken. The
appropriate research methodology helped to shed light on these under-researched
aspects of innovation. Cont/d.
