Affiliation:
1. Newcastle Business School Northumbria University Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 8ST UK
2. School of Liberal Arts & Humanities Woxsen University Kamkole, Sadasivpet, Sangareddy District Hyderabad Telangana 502 345 India
Abstract
By referring to the smart city industry, this research studies how commercial firms gain legitimacy when their products aim to address grand challenges. Despite the reputation of giant technology companies and the overall legitimacy they enjoy in technology markets, exploiting opportunities in social contexts connected to grand challenges requires a societal‐oriented approach. Firms that engaged in smart cities initially approached cities with a business‐as‐usual approach, to be met with sharp criticism from local communities and pressure groups. In response, firms had to redraw their strategies to include communities in the process to stay close to local reality. This paper theorizes the process and highlights an Integrative Smart Technology Model (ISTM) to narrate how firms strategically include communities in the planning process and gain legitimacy for the technologies.
Subject
Management of Technology and Innovation,Strategy and Management,General Business, Management and Accounting,Business and International Management