We hypothesized and tested the role of looking beyond a firm’s focal industry on technology distinctness and both of their impacts on radicalness of innovations. We used patent filings from 1996 through 2009 (N=192,070) from the IT industry within the S&P 500 database. We also classified...

The “radicalness” of an innovation is often contingent upon access to distinct technologies which arise from sourcing innovation outside a firms' focal industry (exterior sourcing). We posit that exterior sourcing leads to technology distinctness and that the presence of technology...