The innovation process as a complex structure with multilevel rules

<Para ID="Par1">Increasingly, innovation is conceived in a context of conventions or rules and complexity. However, there is a need for a theoretical basis that describes the innovation process based on complexity. In this essay, we propose a multilevel micro-meso-macro framework that aims to meet this need and further the discussion on complexity. In this framework, the rule is adopted as an analytical concept and used to establish a bridge between the several theories employed. Two gaps are identified in the innovation process: the first is related to the simplicity with which complexity is generally treated, and the second refers to a lack of focus on the rules embedded in the theories used in innovation. The goal of this theoretical essay is to propose a multilevel micro-meso-macro framework, based on the rules and principles of complexity, which can be used to analyze the innovation process. As a result, we propose a new framework in which the innovation rules and the interactions between those rules are detailed and based on principles of complexity. Copyright Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014