Organizations, firms and institutions in the generation of innovation

The purpose of this paper is to develop the innovation system analysis by bringing together the “institutional ” and “organizational ” dimensions of the process of innovation at the firm level. The objective is to start elaborating a “systemic” theory of innovation in firms. The paper summons up the contributions and limits of “organizational ” and “institutional” approaches to innovation. This preliminary investigation leads to a series of relevant questions. In a second section, an attempt is made to overcome the dichotomy and make progress towards a more exhaustive and better-articulated representation of the innovation process considered at the firm level. © 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved