Skip to content

Professor James Fleck

Staff photo

Professor of Innovation Dynamics

Professor James Fleck is a member of The Open University's Centre for Innovation, Knowledge and Enterprise.

You can email Professor James Fleck directly; but for media enquiries please contact a member of The Open University's Media Relations team.

Staff profile

See below for Professor James Fleck's:

Biography

Professor Fleck joined The Open University Business School in January 2005. He has first degrees in arts and mathematics from the University of Edinburgh and postgraduate education in the structure and organisation of science and technology from the University of Manchester. He also has industrial experience as an engineer, in the North Sea oil-related sector; and as a computer programmer.

He has carried out research on technology development and innovation, including artificial intelligence (AI), industrial robotics, company-wide information systems, strategic innovations in financial services, multi-media, the design process, and most recently e-learning, holding major grants in all these areas. His early work on AI is still recognised both by the practitioners involved as well as professional historians and sociologists of science. His work on Robotics was recognised by the award of British Association for the Advancement of Science Joseph Lister Lecturer for the Social Sciences for 1995/96 and formed the basis for a major £10m Department of Trade & Industry (DTI) manufacturing innovation initiative. His theoretical work on evolutionary innovation ('innofusion') was, and is, a key part of the influential Edinburgh 'social shaping of technology' approach and has been widely cited. He has written many papers on these topics and presented numerous international invited papers, including at MIT (2003) and the Nobel Foundation at the Swedish Academy of Sciences in Stockholm, November (2002). Most recently, he received an "Excellence in Innovation" Award from Indira College of Engineering and Management in Mumbai, in January 2009. He also presented the opening Keynote Lecture at an International Congress on Distance Education, in Rio de Janeiro, May 2009. Major books include: Expertise and Innovation: Information Technology Strategies in the Financial Services Sector (Oxford University Press, 1994, with Fincham et al.); and Exploring Expertise (Macmillan, 1998, with Faulkner and Williams, eds.). Professor Fleck was Director of the University of Edinburgh Management School from 1996 to 1999 and while at the School initiated the development of the Global Innovation MBA (GIMBA), a major e-learning proposal. He was also head of the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group at the University of Edinburgh Management School and held the Chair of The Organisation of Industry and Commerce there (the foundation Chair in the School). He has been a member of AMBA, AACSB and EQUIS panels (and chair of the latter) for the accreditation of business schools both internationally and nationally. He is currently a board member of EFMD, the European Foundation for Management Development and the parent body for the EQUIS accreditation, and is a member of the American-based AACSB Pre-Accreditation Committee.

He has provided consultancy and advice for companies, local government, research institutes, and national governments (including the US Office of Technology Assessment, the UK ESRC, the UK Ministry of Defence and the EU) and has participated in national and international programmes and meetings, including as a member of the Academic Panel for the UK DTI Innovation Review; and as a member of the ESRC commissioning panel for the £20M AIM (Advanced Institute of Management) initiative.

Research interests

Innovation; management of innovation; innovation in education; organisation for innovation; innovation processes; technology development; management of technology; technology policy; design; design processes; recent history of technology (Artifical Intelligence, Robotics, management education, e-learning).

Research student supervision

Publications

Book
Fincham, Robin, Fleck, James, Scarbrough, Harry, Tierney, M., Williams, R., Procter, R. (eds)  (1995)  'Expertise and Innovation: information technology strategies in the financial services sector', Oxford University Press, pp. 346.
Book Chapter
Fleck, J, Howells, J  (2005)  'Technology, the technology complex and the paradox of technological determinism', Bettley, A, Mayle, D and Tantoush, T (eds) Operational Management: a strategic approach, Sage Publications Ltd.
Fleck, J  (2004)  'The structure of technological evolutions: linear models, configurations, and systems of development', The Science-Industry Nexus: History, policy, implications, Sagamore Beach, USA, Science History Publications, pp. 229-255.
Fleck, J  (2003)  'Managing knowledge in the design of smart products: Persona, the electronic contraceptive', Innovation Management in the Knowledge Economy, issue 7, London, UK, Imperial College Press, pp. 235-260. Abstract
Fleck, J  (2000)  'The artefact-activity couple: the co-evolution of artefacts, knowledge and organization in technological innovation', Ziman, J (ed.) Technological Innovation as an Evolutionary process, Cambridge University Press.
Fleck, J  (1999)  'Learning by trying: the implementation of configurational technology', Mackenzie, D and Wajcman, J (eds) The Social Shaping of Technology, 2nd edition, Open University Press, pp. 244-257.
Fleck, J  (1998)  'Information flow and the nature of expertise', Faulkner, W, Fleck, J and Williams, R (eds) Exploring Expertise, London, Macmillan.
Faulkner, W, Fleck, J, Williams, R  (1998)  'Issues and perspectives', Williams, R, Faulkner, W and Fleck, J (eds) Exploring Expertise: issues and perspectives, London, Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 01/01/27.
Fleck, J  (1998)  'Expertise, knowledge, tradeability and power', Williams, R, Faulkner, W and Fleck, J (eds) Exploring Expertise: issues and perspectives, Palgrave Macmillan.
Fleck, J  (1995)  'Configurations and standardization', Esser, J, Fleischmann, G and Heimer T (eds) Soziale und Okonomische Konflicte in Standardisierungsprozessen, Frankfurt, Campus Verlag, pp. 38-65.
Fleck, J  (1994)  'Continuous evolution: corporate configurations of information technology', Mansell, R (ed.) Management of Information and Communication Technologies: emerging patterns of control, ASLIB, pp. 178-206.
Fleck, J  (1993)  'Innofusion: feedback in the innovation process', Stowell, SA, West, D and Howell, JG (eds) Systems Science: addressing global issues, Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers, pp. 169-174.
Fleck, J  (1990)  'Robotics: organization and management', Dorf, RC (ed.) Concise International Encyclopedia of Robotics, New York, John Wiley & Sons Inc, pp. 617-625.
Fleck, J  (1989)  'The development of information-integration: beyond CIM?', Proceedings of the Second IISA Annual Workshop on Computer Integrated Manufacturing - Future Trends and Impacts, Laxenburg, Austria, IISA, pp. 721-745.
Fleck, J  (1987)  'Development and establishment in Artificial Intelligence', Bloomfield, B (ed.) The Question of Artificial Intelligence, Routledge, pp. 106-164.
Fleck, J  (1987)  'The social aspects of robotics', Singh, MG (ed.) Systems and Control Encyclopedia: theory, technology, applications, Oxford, Pergamon Press, pp. 4093-4097.
Fleck, J  (1984)  'Artificial intelligence and industrial robots: an automatic end for thought?', Mendelsohn, E and Nowotny, H (eds) Nineteen Eighty-Four: science between utopia and dystopia (Sociology of the Sciences Yearbook), Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 189-231.
Fleck, J  (1983)  'Robotics in manufacturing organisations', Winch, G (ed.) Information Technology in Manufacturing Processes: case studies in technological change, London, Rossendale, pp. 44-56.
Fleck, J  (1982)  'Development and establishment in artificial intelligence', Elias, N, Martins, H and Whitley, R (eds) Scientific Establishments and Hierarchies (Sociology of the Sciences), Kluwer Academic Publishers, pp. 169-217.
Conference Paper
Howells, J, Fleck, J  (1997)  'Defining technology and the paradox of technological determinism', British Academy of Management Annual Conference, London.
Howells, J, Fleck, J  (1997)  'Technology, the technology complex and the tacit dimension applied to debates in technology management', 5th International Association for the Management of Technology Conference, Göteborg, Sweden.
Fleck, J  (1997)  'Contingent knowledge and technology development', Proceedings of Competing through Knowledge Conference, Bristol.
Fleck, J, Molina, A, Nicolls, D  (1997)  'Designing smart products', Proceedings of the Design Council Research Workshop, London.
Fleck, J  (1996)  'Models of innovation', XIII Congreso de Estudios Vascos: Estudios Vascos en el Sistema Educativo, Donostia Eusko Ikanskuntza.
Molina, A, Fleck, J  (1995)  'An approach to innovation and technology development', International PICT Conference on the Social and Economic Implications of Information and Communications technologies, London.
Fleck, J  (1993)  'The generation of knowledge in artificial intelligence', Proceedings of the European Conference on Computer Science, Communications and Society: a technical challenge, Neuchatel, Switzerland, pp. 241-250.
Fleck, J  (1991)  'Innovation during implementation: configurations and CAPM', New Technologies and the Firm, ESRC/DTI Research Initiative meeting, Technology Study Group Conference, University of Stirling.
Drayson, P, Fleck, J, Foster, K  (1986)  'The implementation of robotics in a food manufacturing company', Conference on U.K., Research in Advanced Manufacturing, I. Mech. E., London.
Fleck, J, White, B  (1986)  'National policies and patterns of robot diffusion: United Kingdom,Japan, Sweden and the United States', United Nations Seminar on Industrial Robotics '86, Brno, Czechoslovakia.
Fleck, J, White, B, Dickson, K  (1985)  'A regional study of robot diffusion and supply', Proceedings of the 8th British Robot Association Annual Conference, Birmingham.
Fleck, J, White, B  (1984)  'National policies and patterns of robot diffusion', Proceedings of the 14th International Symposium on Industrial Robots, Göteborg, Sweden.
Fleck, J  (1984)  'The employment effect of robots', Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Human Factors in Manufacturing, London.
Fleck, J  (1984)  'The introduction of the industrial robot in Britain', Proceedings of the Conference on Factories in 2001 AD, Heathrow.
Fleck, J  (1983)  'The introduction of robots - managerial and organisational problems', Proceedings of the PEMEC 83 Conference, Birmingham.
Fleck, J  (1983)  'The effective utilisation of robots: the management of expertise and knowhow', Proceedings of the 6th British Robot Association Annual Conference, Birmingham.
Fleck, J  (1983)  'The adoption of robots', Proceedings of the 13th International Symposium on Industrial Robots, Chicago.
Fleck, J  (1983)  'The diffusion of robots in British manufacturing industry', Symposium on Production Management, European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management, Brussels.
Fleck, J, Zermeno-Gonzalez, R  (1982)  'The development and diffusion of industrial robots', Proceedings of the 12th International Symposium on Industrial Robots, Paris.
Fleck, J, Scarbrough, H  (1982)  'Labour-management relations and the introduction of industrial robots in the car industry', Proceedings of the International Conference on Robots in the Automotive Industry, Birmingham.
Edited Book
Faulkner, W., Williams, R., Fleck, James (eds)  (1998)  'Exploring Expertise', London, Palgrave Macmillan.
Journal Article
Fleck, J  (2010)  'Technology and business schools', e-mentor, vol. 2, issue 34, pp. 85-90. Abstract
Fleck, J  (2009)  'New Management Thinking', Strategy Magazine, issue 19, pp. 20-22.
Fleck, J  (2008)  'Technology and the Business School World', Journal of Management Development (June 2008).
Fleck, J  (2008)  'Technology and the Business School World', Journal of Management Development (June 2008).
Fleck, J  (2008)  'Technology and the business school world', Journal of Management Development, vol. 27, issue 4, pp. 415-424. Abstract
Fleck, J, Howells, J  (2001)  'Technology, the technology complex and the paradox of technological determinism', Technology Analysis and Strategic Management, vol. 13, issue 4, Routledge, pp. 523-531. Abstract
Fleck, J  (1997)  'Contingent knowledge and technology development', Technology Analysis and Strategic Management, vol. 9, issue 4, Routledge, pp. 383-397.
Fleck, J  (1996)  'Informal information flow and the nature of expertise in financial services', International Journal of Technology Management, vol. 11, issue 01/02/10, pp. 104-128.
Fleck, J  (1994)  'Learning by trying: the implementation of configurational technology', Research Policy, vol. 23, issue 6, Elsevier, pp. 637-652.
Fleck, J  (1994)  'Knowing engineers: response to Diane Forsythe's "Engineering Knowledge: the construction of knowledge in Artificial Intelligence', Social Studies of Science, vol. 24, issue 1, pp. 105-113.
Fleck, J  (1993)  'Configurations: crystallising contingency', International Journal of Human Factors in Manufacturing, vol. 3, issue 1, Ergoweb, Inc., pp. 15-36.
Fleck, J  (1992)  'Selectionism dominant: an essay review', Science, Technology and Human Values, vol. 17, issue 2, Sage Publications, pp. 237-253.
Fleck, J, Williams, R, Webster, J  (1990)  'Dynamics of Information technology Implementation: a reassessment of paradigms and trajectories of development', Futures, vol. 22, issue 6, Elsevier, pp. 618-640.
Fleck, J, White, B  (1987)  'National policies and patterns of robot diffusion: United Kingdom, Japan, Sweden and the United States', Robotics, vol. 3, issue 1, pp. 01/07/22.
Fleck, J  (1984)  'The adoption of robots in industry', Physics in Technology, vol. 15, issue 1, pp. 04/11/10.
Fleck, J  (1984)  'The introduction of the industrial robot in Britain', Robotica, vol. 2, pp. 169-175.
Fleck, J  (1983)  'The systematic use of robots', Data Processing, vol. 25, issue 2, pp. 19-23.
Miscellaneous
Fleck, J, Swan, J, Scarbrough, H  (1996)  'Oakland Furniture: The Implementation of an integrated IT system (MRP2). A learning package using role-play and cognitive mapping techniques', ESRC Innovation Teaching Materials Initiative.
Fleck, J  (1991)  'Information-Integration and Industry', National PICT Policy Research Paper, no. 16.
Fleck, J  (1983)  'The Adoption of Robots', Society of Manaufacturing Engineers, Dearborn, Michigan, Technical Paper, MS83-303.
Web Article
Fleck, J  (2007)  'What makes an inventor tick?', issue 02/11/10, Blog for the BBC's The Money Programme.