ABSTRACT
Intel has led the invention and innovation of microprocessor technology for over 40 years (Annual Report, 2013). Intel is well known for its sophisticated strategy process and practice work, in particular its ability to allow the top management team to ‘let chaos reign, and then rein in chaos – repeatedly’ among the middle line managers to allow them to engage in innovation processes effectively (Burgelman and Grove, 2007). The essence of this message is the need to get right in a timely way the moment for the top manager to step back and let the middle line managers take risks, experiment and innovate to come up with new ideas to enhance existing products and develop new products. These are some of the ‘chaotic’ activities of middle managers. The top management then need to understand the right moment and the right way to step forward and lead the completion of new product development and commercialization of these new product innovations – creating some order from the chaos.
