Title: Innovation and entrepreneurship in Malaysian mobile-phone-applications industry: implications for technology intelligence

Authors: Adham Khairul Akmaliah, Said Mohd Fuaad, Seppo Hanninen, Steven T. Walsh

Addresses: Faculty of Economics and Business, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, 43600 UKM, Bangi, Selangor, Malaysia; UKM-Graduate School of Business, Malaysia. ' Faculty of Economics and Management, Universiti Putra Malaysia, 43400 Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia. ' Department of Industrial Engineering and Management, Helsinki University of Technology, 02015 TKK, Finland. ' The Anderson School of Management, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131-0001, USA

Abstract: The integration of technology intelligence within an innovation process can significantly contribute to the recognition, development, and exploitation of new business opportunities. In this study, we examined the innovation and entrepreneurship process within small firms in the Malaysian mobile-phone applications industry. The Malaysian mobile-phone industry presents huge opportunities to new businesses, yet its development is hindered by the highly monopolistic telecommunication industry structure and by Malaysia|s largely underdeveloped supportive business contexts. It was found that product ideas originated from founders| own perceptive ability and/or interactions with industry experts, and they involved rigorous technology intelligence efforts.

Keywords: innovation; entrepreneurship; mobile phones; cell phones; applications; Malaysia; technology intelligence; business support; monopoly; telecommunications industry.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTIP.2009.023266

International Journal of Technology Intelligence and Planning, 2009 Vol.5 No.1, pp.36 - 54

Published online: 16 Feb 2009 *

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