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TIM-troduction: Hila Lifshitz

  

Let us introduce Hila of the NYU Stern School of Business, which is, umm, in, umm, New York! Hila, you recently joined the TIM Executive Committee as an At-Large Representative. Thanks for your service! So…

What are your research interests right now?

My research focuses on developing an in-depth empirical and theoretical understanding of the micro-foundations of scientific and technological innovation and knowledge creation processes in the digital age. I explore how the ability to innovate is being transformed, as well as the challenges and opportunities the transformation means for R&D organizations, professionals and their work. I investigate new forms of organizing for the production of scientific and technological innovation such as crowdsourcing, open source, Artificial Intelligence, hackathons, and Virtual and Augmented reality.

What do you think is your most exciting contribution to academia?

My in-depth longitudinal study at NASA, revealing how using open innovation methods, such as crowdsourcing, for strategic R&D problems can lead for a scientific breakthrough at a breakneck speed but also requires a deep and challenging transformation for R&D professionals. The study documents the challenging process that took place at NASA; there was fierce resistance to the open innovation model as it threatens the professional identity of scientists and engineers as "problem solvers" but there were also many R&D professionals who went through professional identity refocusing work to adopt the open model and redefined themselves as "solution seekers". In their words, they transitioned from "the lab is my world" to "the world is my lab". This study suggests a map for dismantling knowledge boundaries to advance scientific and technological innovation and exposes the rising challenges with the future of work.

Tell us something personal about yourself.

I love science fiction and fantasy, a Neil Gaiman and Issac Asimov fan, especially as bedtime stories (even for adults :-)

Thanks Hila!

If you (the reader) would like to be profiled for a TIM-troduction, or would like to nominate someone else, please contact us at: tim@aom.org.

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