Dismantling Knowledge Boundaries at NASA: The Critical Role of Professional Identity in Open Innovation

Hila Lifshitz‐Assaf · 2017 · Administrative Science Quarterly

Summary. A study of NASA's adoption of open innovation reveals that R&D professionals traditionally protect knowledge within disciplinary boundaries. When NASA opened innovation to outside contributors, it achieved scientific breakthroughs with limited resources, but professionals who resisted identity change rejected external solutions. Only those who refocused their professional identity truly dismantled boundaries and integrated outside knowledge. Professional identity transformation proved essential for open innovation to succeed.

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Lifshitz‐Assaf, H.. (2017). Dismantling Knowledge Boundaries at NASA: The Critical Role of Professional Identity in Open Innovation. Administrative Science Quarterly. https://doi.org/10.1177/0001839217747876

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  title   = {Dismantling Knowledge Boundaries at NASA: The Critical Role of Professional Identity in Open Innovation},
  author  = {Hila Lifshitz‐Assaf},
  journal = {Administrative Science Quarterly},
  year    = {2017},
  doi     = {10.1177/0001839217747876},
  url     = {https://doi.org/10.1177/0001839217747876}
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Details

DOI: 10.1177/0001839217747876
Countries: United States
Regions: North America
Categories: innovation-theory, innovation-networks, general-innovation
Added: 2026-04-28