This article is an explorative research study, where the research ques
tion was: To which extent can external information, internal competenc
e, and the use of information technology (IT) be used to explain varia
tions in perceived innovation success? The context we chose was Norweg
ian firms operating in Russia. Our findings corroborate the emphasis o
n internal competence and innovation. Further, we found that the use o
f information technology is important for perceived innovation success
. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Ltd.