Title: Attention as a means to develop innovation capabilities

Authors: Sofia Börjesson; Anne Elerud-Tryde

Addresses: Department of Technology Management and Economics, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden ' Department of Technology Management and Economics, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Göteborg, Sweden

Abstract: In this article, we explore how an innovation jam - an information technology (IT)-based tool to generate new ideas from employees in response to a call for ideas on a predefined theme - was used in two Swedish industrial firms, Volvo Cars and Volvo Group. Based on two qualitative retrospective case studies, we explore the notion of attention, and highlight the inherent ability of an innovation jam to promote attention. We discuss how attention can be used strategically to support the development of firm capabilities for innovation but point also to the risks involved. The paper contributes to emerging research on how firms develop the capabilities for innovation and highlights how attention can be used strategically.

Keywords: innovation; innovation capability; attention; innovation jam.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2020.107962

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2020 Vol.22 No.3, pp.342 - 358

Received: 27 May 2018
Accepted: 20 Nov 2018
Published online: 01 Jul 2020 *

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