Document Type : Original research
Authors
1
PhD Student in Business Policy Management, Department of Business Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
2
Prof, Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management and Economics, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran.
Abstract
This study was conducted with the aim of explaining the application of biological metaphors in designing innovation strategies for high-technology companies and developing a conceptual framework. The research is classified as applied–developmental and was pursued through a descriptive approach. The research stages consist of qualitative and quantitative sections, both relying on the same research population; the statistical population includes senior managers and experts in the field of innovation in Iran’s high-technology companies. These individuals were identified through science and technology parks, specialized associations, and the list of knowledge-based companies provided by the Vice-Presidency for Science, Technology, and Knowledge-Based Economy, and participants were selected using purposive sampling. After achieving theoretical saturation, 17 experts participated in the interview process. The research was conducted in two qualitative and quantitative phases. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic analysis and MAXQDA software, and the quantitative section was examined using the fuzzy Delphi method. Data analysis led to the identification of 42 sub-themes and 7 main themes. In the results section, the use of biological metaphors was recognized as a powerful approach for reinterpreting, redesigning, and guiding innovation strategies, and this approach enhances the understanding of evolutionary dynamics, gradual adaptation, and networked interactions in innovation. Accordingly, innovation at the individual and team level is linked to the origin and mutation of ideas, at the organizational level it is defined through selection, adaptation, and survival processes, and at the macro and network level it continues through symbiosis, co-evolution, and interactions based on mutual interdependence. The developed conceptual framework has the capacity to strengthen the theoretical foundations of innovation and can serve as a practical tool for managers of high-technology companies to enhance the resilience, dynamism, and sustainability of the innovation system.
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