Where to find innovative ideas: interdependence-building mechanisms and boundary-spanning exploration

Abstract

The primary issue in innovation is not lack of ideas. Organisations abound with them inside and out. The challenge is to understand how firms can systematically and consistently recognise and exploit new knowledge. This paper, in the context of boundary-spanning exploration, suggests a theoretical framework to describe how organisations recognise opportunities and exploit knowledge to foster innovation. Specifically, we suggest that successful internal and external boundary-spanning must overcome the intended or unintended indifference to internal or external ideas that result from the strong pull of local search. We propose that crossing organisational and technological boundaries to achieve explorative innovations requires different types of interdependence-building mechanisms. We also suggest that promoting both types of boundary-spanning can eventually lead to radical exploration.