If you are reading this blog, you’re probably already aware of the fact that open innovation (OI) has not yet reached its prime across all industries. In fact, many business leaders still haven’t heard of it yet, or want nothing to do with it. So why is it that some companies swear by it, and have reached a point where OI is completely embedded in their internal organizations and processes, while others are afraid to play? I have a theory about this, which boils down to two key points: market leadership culture and reward systems. Companies with a culture of market leadership have traditionally relied on strong internal innovation competencies in order to develop and maintain market share for their products. These leaders have recently realized (sometimes the hard way) that achieving and holding on to market share is no longer reliant upon the old first-to-patent …