Gore Tex Question Answer 2022

Running head: GORE TEX CASE STUDY
Gore Tex Case Study
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1GORE TEX CASE STUDY
Gore Tex is an American company, having more than 10,000 employees over the 45
locations that their centres are located (Gore.com 2019). It mainly focuses on business-to-
business transaction and thus, most of the people have no idea about what the company does.
The main product of the Gore Tex Company is the PTFE or polytetrafluroethylene,
commonly known as Teflon. They also invented ePTFE later that they used in making a
breathable, stretchable and water-resistant material that made modern active wear, hiking
materials and raincoats. This material was one of kind as it allows vapour to evaporate from
the inside while stopping water to enter inside. The organization heads believe that given the
proper environment, there is no limit to innovation (Sawyer 2015). The innovation in such
organizations can be explained through Cyclic Innovation Model. Due to high innovation
requirements, the organization is extremely dependant on technology which poses some
threat to the organization. Moreover, the success strategy for Gore Tex is also unique which
needs to be considered while understanding the organization.
Q1. Use the Cyclic Innovation Model (Fig 1.9, pg 30) figure to illustrate the
innovation process in this case and provide a brief description?(400)
In a highly innovative organization like Gore Tex, the innovation process cannot be
linear. The main concern of Gore Tex has been to create an organizational environment that
will foster innovation (Lin et al. 2016). In organizations like this, the innovation process is
cyclical, where one process leads to another and completes a circle and the innovation is
continuous. This method is known as Cyclic Innovation Model. There are four phases of
Cyclic Innovation Model: 1. Natural and Life Sciences Cycle, 2. Integrated Engineering
Cycle, 3. Differentiated Services Cycle and 4. Social and Behavioural Sciences Cycle. At the
centre of these cycles lies Entrepreneurship. Moreover, these cycles are formed based on the
four main activities that makes an organization. These are: Scientific Exploration,
Technological Research, Product Creation and Market transition.

2GORE TEX CASE STUDY
1. Natural and Life Sciences Circle: in most organizations that are dependent upon
continuous research and innovation, they improve or modify their existing products so
that more efficient and cost-effective products can be made. In case of Gore Tex, the
ePTFE was an accidental discovery from PTFE that changed their future. The patent
for ePTFE expired in 1960s. By then, the scientists in Gore Tex had already invented
improved versions of the material so that similar products can be made. This stage
evolves to the next stage, Integrated Engineering Cycle through technological
research.
2. Integrated engineering Cycle: innovation based organization not only creates new
technologies or ideas, they also create new uses of the existing material (Davenport
2015). Gore Tex has made numerous products that use the same material. Other than
fabrics, they have made wiring insulators, medical equipment, electronic products and
industrial products and so on. They are still inventing products that use their PTFE as
their basic material. The main idea is to understand the applicability of the invented
material that cannot be done without an integrated engineering plan. Through the
activity of Product Creation, this stage leads on to the next stage Differentiated
Services Cycle.
3. Differentiated Service Circle: this phase is constituted by adapting the technology or
product so that it meets the demands of the customer. In case of Gore Tex, the
material that they make, ePTFE, is supplied directly to the manufacturers as per their
need, thus reducing the cost and time taken in this part. The main activity that they
engage in this stage is acquiring patents and licences for their innovations and
products that they make. Being an organization focused on B2B transactions, they do
not need to integrate their products according to market to that extent. This stage leads
on to Social and Behavioural Sciences Cycle through Market Transition.