The New Innovators: How Canadians Are Shaping the Knowledge-Based Economy

Robert W. Sexty is a professor of commerce and business administration
at the Memorial University of Newfoundland and the author of Canadian
Business: Issues and Stakeholders.

Books consisting of case studies usually have two weaknesses:
organization and content. This book has used an effective conceptual
framework for organizing the case studies, even though the content may
be problematic.

Fourteen Canadian, knowledge-based companies are described, ranging
from such well-known ones as Quadra Logic, Corel, Newbridge Networks,
and Mitel to the less familiar Xillix Technologies and Techware Systems.
The case studies are organized according to the “S” curve, which
describes a four-stage innovative process of product development, market
introduction, rapid growth, and market maturity. Company performance is
plotted against effort (or time), leading to the categorization of
companies as start-up firms, growth firms, and mature firms. Each case
study is examined according to its “history and milestones” and
“setbacks and mistakes.”

Concluding chapters relate the cases to the description of
technological innovation introduced in the first chapter and summarize
the patterns, lessons, and principles that emerge. This analysis could
have been more rigorous and did not fully utilize the material from the
case studies.

The book is an easy-to-read primer that will help people understand
Canada’s knowledge-based economy. Despite the effective organization
of materials, however, the book fails to reveal many new understandings
of knowledge-based industries.