A new perspective of innovation toward a non-contact society - Amazon's initiative in pioneering growing seamless switching. (May 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Watanabe, Chihiro; Akhtar, Waleed; Tou, Yuji; Neittaanmäki, Pekka
• Is Part Of: Technology in society. Volume 69(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-05
• Subjects: Growing seamless switching -- Generative function -- Neo-luxury -- Advanced digital fashions -- Non-contact society -- Amazon; Technology -- Social aspects -- Periodicals; 303.483
• DOI: 10.1016/j.techsoc.2022.101953
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0160-791X

Abstract

Abstract: This paper elucidates the inside of the black box of Amazon's unique research and development (R&D) dynamism that made it the world's top R&D leader by transforming "routine or periodic alterations" into "significant improvement" during the R&D process. This dynamism also succeeded in transforming the COVID-19 pandemic period into a springboard for new innovation, leading to Amazon's notable growth notwithstanding the pandemic. An empirical analysis using a techno-economic approach focusing on Amazon's endeavor to develop a series of advanced digital fashions (ADFs) and online-based luxury brands (neo-luxury) before and during the COVID-19 pandemic was conducted. Amazon became a global apparel leader based on learning orchestration externality through developing a series of ADFs that emerged co-evolution with neo-luxury corresponding to the cultural shift to a new age of meaning. The focal driver of design-driven innovation is meaning, and meaning-seeking innovation emerges as a self-propagating generative function. Amazon has been advancing Amazon Web Services (AWS) as an innovative, advanced composite cloud infrastructure. This infrastructure incorporates a generative function and develops a cloud-based fashion platform by integrating all stakeholders in one place. Given the common key function, the self-propagating generative function, AWS, and neo-luxury resonate and induce co-evolution between them. This co-evolution emerges as growing seamless switching. Thus, a new perspective of innovation toward a non-contact society can be explored. This paper aims to reveal a theoretical and empirical demonstration of this dynamism, which gives rise to insights for pioneering a new frontier beyond current business models toward a non-contact society after the COVID-19 pandemic ends. Highlights: A new perspective of innovation toward a non-contact society was envisioned. Elucidation of the inside the black box of Amazon's unique R&D dynamism was attempted. Development trajectories of Amazon's advanced digital fashions and neo-luxury were analyzed. Meaning as a driving force of innovation that corresponds to luxury brands was highlighted. Amazon's initiative in pioneering growing seamless switching was postulated.