Randstad's business model of innovation: Results from an exploratory study in the temporary staffing industry

Official statistics suggest that European service corporations seem to be ignoring the importance of R&D and innovation activities. It is worthwhile to look at whether and how European service companies innovate in order to reap the associated benefits. In this article, we will introduce the Randstad model of corporate service innovation, showing how their particular innovation strategy, structure and decision–making processes help to develop learning capabilities that have fostered this company’s long–term competitive advantage. And what lessons are to be learned from the Randstad example that could assist the implementation of the model in other organizations.