What makes it so difficult? A systematic review on barriers to radical innovation

• Through a systematic literature review, this study develops a classification of radical innovation (RI) barriers.
• The study shows that RI barriers differ from those of incremental innovations, thus underlining the distinct nature of RI.
• The study reveals that innovation barriers do not differ between RIs with different degrees of novelty.
• The results show how RI barriers vary according to the characteristics of firms, markets, and along the innovation process.
• This article contributes by offering an integrative framework of RI barriers and insights for overcoming the barriers.

Radical innovation (RI) barriers are a complex phenomenon on which our understanding remains rather limited. Through a systematic analytical review on the extant research on RI barriers comprising a content analysis of 103 articles, this study develops a classification of barriers covering external barriers grouped by firms' influence potential, and internal barriers grouped by, for example, distinct RI competences. External barriers related to customer resistance and an undeveloped network and ecosystem, and the internal barrier relating to restrictive mindset have the widest influence. The results reveal that innovation barriers do not differ between radical innovations with different degrees of novelty, but that they vary according to the characteristics of firms, markets, and along the innovation process. This article contributes by generating an integrative framework of RI barriers, providing several propositions for further research, and developing implications for overcoming the barriers.