Not invented here, often abbreviated NIH, is the tendency of a group, organization or individual to avoid using or trusting products, research or ideas that originated outside the group, preferring in-house alternatives even when the external option may be superior. The attitude has been studied particularly in corporate research and development and software engineering settings, where it can lead organizations to redevelop existing technology rather than license, adopt or collaborate on it, sometimes at real cost to efficiency and innovation. Explanations for the phenomenon include organizational pride, distrust of outside expertise, and a desire to protect the perceived value of a group's own past work and expertise.
Facts
Core ClaimA 1982 study by Ralph Katz and Thomas J. Allen found that the research performance of R&D project groups tends to decline after about five years, attributing the decline to the groups becoming increasingly insular and communicating less with information sources outside the group, providing empirical evidence for the not invented here syndrome. 2 Classification
Type of PhenomenonSocial or Interpersonal Phenomenon 1 Connections
In Branch
Source Wikipedia: Not invented here
Open Questions
Source Wikipedia: Not invented here
Sources
1. MIT Sloan Management Review: Beating Not Invented Here Syndrome
opening section, definition
NIH syndrome is a bias against ideas perceived as coming from outsiders.
lead section, phenomenon-kind classification
As a social phenomenon, this tendency can manifest itself as an unwillingness to adopt an idea or product because it originates from another culture, a form of tribalism.
View the Source2. Wikipedia: Not invented here
Wikimedia FoundationScientific study section
A 1982 study by Ralph Katz and Thomas J. Allen provides empirical evidence for the "not invented here" syndrome, showing that the performance of R&D project groups declines after about five years, which they attribute to the groups becoming increasingly insular and communicating less with key information sources outside the group.
In Branch: Cognitive Psychology, Categories
Wikipedia article 'Not invented here' is filed under Category:Cognitive biases.
View the Source Open Questions (1 open question)
In what year was the not invented here phenomenon first identified or named in management or organizational research?
The surveyed Wikipedia article documents a 1982 empirical study (Katz and Allen) providing evidence for the syndrome, but states no year for when the phenomenon or term was first named or described.
What would resolve this A citation to the earliest source naming or describing the not invented here syndrome, distinct from the 1982 Katz and Allen study already cited as empirical evidence.
history of psychologyWikipedia: Not invented here
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