Wiley: Creativity and Innovation Management: Table of Contents

Collective Engagement for Innovation: An Alternative to Ambidexterity in Established Firms?

Mette D. Storvestre — Tue, 02 Jun 2026 16:19:45 -0700

ABSTRACT

This study examines how established firms can overcome internal barriers to innovation by introducing collective engagement as an alternative to ambidexterity, which may be difficult to enact and insufficient under conditions of radical change. Drawing on 52 interviews and 32 months of observations in a Scandinavian renewable energy utility, supplemented by eight Nordic leader interviews, we adapt Barrick et al.'s (2015) collective engagement model to provide the first empirically grounded account of how management can facilitate employees' choice to engage in innovation. We conceptualise collective engagement as a multilevel dynamic capability that emerges when management orchestrates three levers: leveraging organisational resources, involving employees in strategic processes and monitoring engagement conditions. We extend Kahn's (1990) framework by introducing empowerment as a fourth condition for engagement. To better equip managers to translate innovation ambitions into tangible outcomes, we offer an actionable three-step pathway that mobilises the firm's full resource base and aligns employees with strategic priorities, something ambidextrous strategies alone has struggled to achieve. The study reframes innovation as a strategically enabled collective endeavour, advancing engagement, innovation and ambidexterity research and opening new avenues at their intersections.

Achieving Firm Ambidexterity Through Portfolio Management Meeting Conversations

Claus J. Varnes, John K. Christiansen — Wed, 27 May 2026 23:54:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

The ability to pursue exploration and exploitation simultaneously has been extensively examined within the ambidexterity framework in creativity and innovation research. However, whether and how firm portfolio management meetings enable ambidexterity has not yet been identified by analyzing managers' conversations during such sessions. Therefore, this study analyzed 84 conversational episodes from project portfolio management meetings (PPMMs) at a global chemical corporation. The findings indicate that firm ambiguity is generated through an exploratory, knowledge-generating approach in the conversations. Rather than attempting to diminish or eliminate ambiguity, managers participated in both exploratory and exploitative dialogues, thereby transforming ambiguity into a constructive element for new knowledge creation. Approximately a quarter of the episodes facilitated mutual exploration of challenges, potential, and opportunities, thereby establishing a strong foundation for collaborative meaning exploration and coordinated joint actions. The remaining dialogues centered on exploitative discussions aimed at refining and optimizing ongoing projects and activities within predefined frameworks and rules. The findings indicate that in situ observations of meeting practices serve as an effective method for acquiring a more profound understanding of PPMMs. Moreover, they offer valuable insights into how management meetings enhance a firm's capacity to operate ambidextrously by transitioning between various conversational modes. Therefore, it is imperative to recognize and cultivate these distinct conversational styles, as they are vital for managing an organization's innovation initiatives through an ambidextrous approach that encompasses both exploration and exploitation.

Enhancing Innovative Work Behavior Through AI: Cognitive Absorption and the Role of a Paradox Mindset

Joel Rivera Jiménez, Valentina Iacopino, Federico Rajola — Tue, 26 May 2026 22:25:25 -0700

ABSTRACT

Recent studies highlight AI's potential to enhance individual performance and creativity, but few have explored the relationship between using AI-based systems (AIBS) and innovative work behavior (IWB). The present study fills this gap by examining the relationship between the use of AI-supported decision-making and employees' innovativeness. Building upon the literature on innovation and human–AI interaction, we explore the relationship between AIBS usage and IWB. We also propose Cognitive Absorption as a valid measure to capture AIBS usage for survey data analysis. Finally, we investigate the role of Paradox Mindset in moderating such relationships. We test our hypotheses on a sample of 283 private bankers. The results indicate that AIBS usage is positively associated with IWB and that this relationship remains consistent regardless of how individuals approach and manage paradoxes.

Personality at the Centre: How Network Brokerage and Traits Shape Voice Behaviour in Online Communities

Léonie Sophia Lange, Tamara Engel, Alexander Kock — Tue, 12 May 2026 00:00:00 -0700

ABSTRACT

Changing the status quo and promoting innovation requires individuals to speak up and engage in voice behaviour. Yet, the interactions that foster or inhibit voice remain insufficiently understood, particularly with regard to personal agency, how an individual's personality interacts with their network position to influence voice. This study examines how Big Five personality traits moderate the relationship between an individual's brokerage position and their voice behaviour within an online community context. Using data from 500 users of a Q&A community on the Stack Exchange network, we analyse daily user interactions and posts to capture both network centrality and voice behaviour. The findings highlight the importance of jointly considering personality and network structure in predicting when individuals voice constructive ideas and concerns. The study contributes to voice and network research by demonstrating how personality-network alignment explains the expression of voice and by outlining implications for fostering voice.

Beyond Sufficiency: The Methodological Value of Necessary Condition Analysis for Creativity and Innovation Research

Rahma Chouchane, François L'Écuyer — Wed, 06 May 2026 23:19:40 -0700

ABSTRACT

Creativity and innovation research has long employed variance-based methodologies, which seek to identify the factors that, on average, engender these phenomena. However, these methodologies systematically overlook the minimum levels of antecedents below which creativity and innovation outcomes are empirically impossible. This methodological blind spot is of consequence because creativity and innovation processes frequently depend on threshold dynamics rather than additive effects. Our study introduces necessary condition analysis (NCA) as a methodological complement that captures bottleneck conditions invisible to traditional approaches. We present the methodological rationale underlying NCA, demonstrate its application through an empirical illustration of innovative employee behavior in a Canadian SME, and outline research opportunities for advancing necessity logic across innovation domains. Our findings reveal that NCA uncovers a distinct necessity structure in which some conditions function as prerequisites rather than net predictors. The empirical illustration further shows systematic divergences between sufficiency- and necessity-based results. Some antecedents display significant net effects in regression without constituting necessary conditions, whereas others impose binding thresholds despite weak or nonsignificant regression effects. This methodological contribution enables researchers to analytically distinguish between sufficiency (what increases innovation on average) and necessity (what enables innovation to occur at all). For practitioners, it offers an actionable framework that prioritizes the removal of innovation bottlenecks rather than merely strengthening facilitating factors.

Unmuting Aesthetic Excellence: Rethinking How We Read, Write, and Review

Patricia Wolf, Salvatore Tallarico — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

Creativity and Innovation Management, Volume 35, Issue 2, Page 467-473, June 2026.

Top Managerial Network Relations for Knowledge Transfer: Exploring Gender Differences

Sonja Sperber, Christian Linder — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

In the ongoing debate surrounding the gender gap in top managerial positions, various possible causes have been explored, with different networking patterns being one of them. However, we still lack detailed insights on how knowledge transfer via networks varies based on gender. Identifying and understanding these gender-based inequalities in information access is essential for the organization and the individual top executive (e.g., regarding impact on career advancement) likewise. Drawing upon network theories, the present study investigates the direct network ties for innovation-relevant knowledge among 28 top managers—comprising 13 women and 15 men—in companies situated in the United Kingdom. The results of this Social Network Analysis reveal significant disparities: Women tend to establish small(er) networks with strong(er) ties, whereas men hold large(r) networks with weak(er) ties. The filtering approach indicates a proclivity among women to filter ties ex ante the knowledge transfer while men filter knowledge ex post transfer. A framework highlighting the gender specifics is developed. Overall, the study underscores the necessity to reassess prior understandings of top executives' networking activities considering gender.

Investigating the Influence of Network Ties on Frugal Innovation Through Resource Bricolage: Insights From a Resource‐Constrained Environment

Chunyan Li, Mohsin Shafait, Weiming Li, Haibing Liu — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

In resource-constrained environments, frugal innovation has emerged as an essential entrepreneurial strategy. It allows firms to develop efficient, affordable and sustainable solutions to meet the needs of low-income consumer markets. This increasing demand necessitates a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that foster frugal innovation, particularly in emerging economies. Thus, this research aims to investigate the influence of network ties, resource bricolage, institutional support and organizational readiness to develop frugal innovation. For this purpose, a structured questionnaire was developed and data were collected through an online survey of 350 firms across Pakistan. The empirical testing was performed using partial least squares structural equation modelling for data analysis. The findings show that network ties have a positive influence on frugal innovation through significant mediation of resource bricolage. Institutional support and organizational readiness also positively moderate the relationship between resource bricolage and frugal innovation. These findings extend the frugal innovation literature by investigating the underlying mechanisms through which network ties and resource bricolage contribute to innovation outcomes under resource-constrained environments. The study also advances theoretical perspectives of social network theory and resource-based view. Moreover, the paper provides significant insights to entrepreneurs, practitioners and policymakers, which enable them to develop cost-effective products and services under resource-constrained markets to serve low-income consumer markets.

A Study on the Mechanism of the Impact of Failed Learning on Enterprise Innovation Performance From the Perspective of Social Information Processing

Shiyuan Zhou, Yichao Si — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the impact mechanism of different dimensions of failure learning on corporate innovation performance. Compared with the extensively researched field in the effects of organizational failure learning, this area remains largely underexplored. Drawing on dynamic capability theory and social information processing theory, we examined the relationships between single-loop/double-loop failure learning, organizational resilience (the bounce-back dimension and the bounce-forward dimension), the task-related top management team (TMT) faultline, and corporate innovation performance. Accordingly, regression analysis using the structural equation modelling (SEM) method was conducted on a sample of 483 middle and senior executives from various enterprises. The findings reveal that both single-loop failure learning and double-loop failure learning positively influence corporate innovation performance. The bounce-back dimension of organizational resilience partially mediates the relationship between single-loop failure learning and corporate innovation performance. Conversely, the bounce-forward dimension partially mediates the relationship between double-loop failure learning and corporate innovation performance. Notably, the task-related TMT faultline positively moderates only the relationship between double-loop failure learning and the bounce-forward dimension; its moderating effect on the relationship between single-loop failure learning and the bounce-back dimension is not significant. Our findings emphasize the role of organizational resilience bridging failure learning and innovation performance, and provide theoretical insights for the composition and adjustment of top management teams within enterprises.

Co‐Design Methods That Foster Collaboration Among Highly Distant Actors: Insights From the Earth Observation Ecosystem

Raphaëlle Barbier, Skander Ben Yahia, Pascal Le Masson, Benoit Weil — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

To address the social and environmental challenges (also called ‘grand challenges’) faced by our society, new forms of collaborative and innovative processes are needed to support profound transformations of socioeconomic ecosystems. In such contexts, actors are likely to be highly distant from each other, not only geographically but also cognitively (having heterogeneous knowledge and expertise), organisationally (being scattered across different organisations and possibly sectors) and institutionally (not sharing the same rules and norms). This paper defines these types of contexts as situations of ‘grand distance’ where collaborative innovation is hindered by too large a degree of cognitive, organisational and institutional distance. This paper thus aims to shed light on a specific class of co-design methods, called ‘resilient-fit co-design methods’, which help manage the distance between highly heterogeneous actors to foster collaborative innovation. An example of grand-distance situations can be seen in the field of Earth observation (EO), where data-based solution designers undertake dedicated co-design efforts to integrate data into multiple ecosystems with the specific aim of addressing contemporary socioenvironmental challenges. Based on an in-depth empirical investigation of two case studies in this field, this paper describes how resilient-fit co-design methods can be built in such contexts, revealing their similarities and specificities with respect to existing co-design methods. This paper also highlights several original forms of ecosystem dynamics, which are driven by external actors and oriented towards locally enhancing the resilience of ecosystems. As such, this research offers theoretical and practical contributions that enrich the pool of available co-design methods necessary for the transformation of socioeconomic ecosystems to address grand challenges.

Advancing Design Science for Multi‐Actor Innovation Processes: Structuring Ecosystem Model Innovation for Transformative Change

Britt Smulders, Rianne Valkenburg, Arjan Markus, A. Georges L. Romme — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

Addressing complex societal challenges, such as sustainability, requires more than merely descriptive or explanatory research. It demands methods that provide structured and actionable guidance for innovation processes, enabling diverse actors to jointly imagine and enact transformative change. This study responds to this need for methodological innovation by extending design science (DS) to support the design of innovation processes in transformation-oriented, multi-actor environments. Using ecosystem model innovation (EMI) as a generative setting, we develop an actionable five-step EMI process. The approach is grounded in a design logic that links design objects—structural ecosystem elements to be transformed—with process activities that enable transformation. Applied iteratively in an empirical setting, the extended DS approach translates this design logic into practical interventions for EMI, which are subsequently evaluated in terms of their effectiveness. This process yields design propositions that connect underlying theoretical mechanisms to concrete interventions and outcomes. Our study contributes to methodological innovation in the field of creativity and innovation management by advancing DS for innovation processes through four key insights: (i) integrating creation and theorizing to synthesize design logics, (ii) operationalizing and tracing design logic to formulate actionable design propositions, (iii) strategically engaging practitioners as co-creators throughout the design process, and (iv) using visualization as a core methodological tool.

Beyond the AI Hype: How Students' Psychological Distance From AI Affects Their AI‐Powered Learning Experience and Satisfaction

Imed Ben Nasr, Yousra Hallem, Ishraf Zaoui, Tatiana Khvatova — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

The disruptive use of artificial intelligence (AI) tools in education, such as ChatGPT, has raised questions about how this innovation affects students' learning and knowledge acquisition. This article focuses on understanding how psychological distance theory can help us gain insight into students' perceptions of AI and its impact on their learning experience. A quantitative study investigates the effects of AI psychological distance on their AI-powered learning experience and satisfaction. It also explores the moderating effect of guilt related to using ChatGPT on mmunications of the Association for Information this process. The results indicate that a proximal AI psychological distance leads to a better valuation of the functional, epistemic, social, emotional, conditional, and image aspects of the AI-powered learning experience. They also highlight the key role of the epistemic, conditional, and image values in shaping students' satisfaction. The feeling of guilt moderates these links as it reduces the influence of AI psychological distance closeness on the functional and emotional values of such a learning experience. This study underscores the need for further research to investigate the factors that affect this psychological distance and invites to engage in this critical study area.

Tinkering Towards Sustainability: Bundling Innovations to Electrify the Fossil‐Dependent Process Industry

Karin Wigger, Anna Yström, Alexander Gorgijevski, Viktor Werner — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

Sustainability transitions, such as electrifying the process industry, require a bundle of related innovations to make meaningful progress. Drawing on literature on innovation through tinkering, that is, adaptive, typically small-scale experimentation with various forms of innovation, and applying a micropolitical perspective, this qualitative study explores how actors within an ecosystem tinker to bundle innovations to provide the necessary directionality for such transitions. Based on a case study of electrifying the process industry in a petrochemical cluster in Northern Europe, the paper presents an emergent process model of three complementary modes of tinkering: tinkering to codevelop a common vision for the transition, tinkering to create new spaces for bundling transition-oriented innovations and tinkering to arrive at transition-oriented innovations. The combined use of these modes helps overcome collective inaction, enabling actors to essentially tinker their way towards sustainability. The findings show that tinkering, enacted through micropolitical manoeuvring, provides the flexibility, adaptability and experimentation needed for actors to advance their sustainability agendas while still moving in a unified direction.

Survey‐Based Research for Creativity and Innovation Management: Review and Recommendations

Marco Mismetti, Cristina Bettinelli, Paola Rovelli — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

Survey methodology remains a widely used data collection method in creativity and innovation management studies. However, evolving technological advancements and methodological challenges necessitate a reassessment of best practices to benefit the most from it. In this study, we conduct a comprehensive review of 311 articles that rely on survey-based research to identify critical aspects that influence data quality, including sampling strategies, response rates, construct validity and data integration. We synthesize existing recommendations and propose a structured framework that connects specific methodological challenges to best practices and examples from the literature. By distinguishing between survey research design (predata collection decisions) and survey data management (postdata collection activities), we provide guidance for scholars on ensuring methodological rigour, enhancing data reliability and improving the representativeness of findings. Finally, we offer practical examples tailored to the unique demands of creativity and innovation management research. By implementing the identified best practices, future studies can ensure the quality and impact of survey-based research in this and related fields.

Action Design Research for Actionable Knowledge Production: A Metareflexive Methodology for Digital Transformation and Innovation Studies

Siobhán Diglas, Kisito F. Nzembayie — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

The sociotechnical complexities and hidden dynamics shaping the evolution of digital transformation (DT) and innovation initiatives frequently elude traditional research approaches reliant on retrospective analysis, static and detached observation. The consequence is knowledge that meets the standards of academic rigor with scant attention to practical relevance. Addressing this methodological limitation, we explore the potential of action design research (ADR) as an engaged model of inquiry that yields richer insights by integrating artifact creation with real-time organizational interventions and problem-solving. Through a metareflexive methodological case study of a 21-month-long DT project within a multigenerational family agribusiness, we investigate how ADR can be applied to uncover hidden dynamics and produce knowledge that balances rigor and relevance. The study culminates in a conceptual framework illustrating how the iterative build–intervene–evaluate loops, supported by metalevel practices of insider–outsider researcher reflexivity and managing challenges of role duality, can be navigated to illuminate otherwise hidden but influential forces determining the trajectories of DT projects. Consequently, we contribute by demonstrating and advancing a framework for the rigorous application of ADR in unraveling the opaque and elusive sociotechnical mechanisms that underpin DT and innovation research.

The Effect of Different Technological Relevance on the Creativity of Key Inventors in Acquiring Firms

Zhi Kong, Tao Feng, Chengjun Wang, Xiaoming Sun — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

The previous research has overlooked the impact of technological linkages between key inventors in acquiring firms and target firms on individual creativity. Therefore, this study analyses 145 technological mergers and acquisitions (TMAs) conducted by Chinese high-tech listed companies. Using patent data, this research constructs inventor networks for acquiring firms during the 3 years prior to and 3–5 years after the mergers. It examines how different types of technological relatedness between acquiring and target firms influence individual creativity. The analysis employs two dimensions of network positions—network centrality and structural hole—as mediating variables. The results reveal that technological complementarity between key inventors in acquiring firms and target firms significantly enhances the creativity of key inventors. Furthermore, network centrality and structural hole mediate the relationship between technological complementarity and the creativity of key inventors. This study extends the application of social network theory in the context of TMAs, providing new insights into how different types of technological relatedness affect the creativity of key inventors in acquiring firms.

Boosting the Circular Transition in Manufacturing Firms: The Interplay Between Absorptive Capacity and Dynamic Capabilities

Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

A systemic transition toward a circular economy in manufacturing companies demands significant organizational and managerial changes. It requires companies to develop new knowledge and to adapt the organizational structure to seize circular innovation opportunities. While numerous studies have explored the roles of knowledge management and a firm's capacity to reconfigure resources in addressing circularity challenges, the integration of these aspects remains underexplored. This study employs a questionnaire-based survey conducted on 1551 manufacturing firms to investigate the interplay between absorptive capacity and dynamic capabilities in facilitating the company's circular transition. Using covariance based structural equation modeling, we explore the interaction between potential and realized absorptive capacity, environmental insight capability and resource building and reconfiguration in supporting the circular transition of manufacturing firms. Our results highlight that knowledge acquisition and assimilation, coupled with environmental insight sensitivity, positively influence the firm's ability to transform and exploit circular-based knowledge, fostering progress toward circular transition. Furthermore, the capacity to reconfigure resources acts as a mediator in the relationship between realized absorptive capacity and circularity transition. This study contributes to the academic debate on organizational management dynamics by establishing a link between the companies' learning mechanisms and their capacity to reconfigure organizational structure to implement the circular economy strategies. The findings offer insights for scholars, managers and policymakers involved in advancing the circular economy transition.

What Works Where? Scrutinizing How Personal Resources Spur Managers' Innovative Work Behaviour

Rrezon Lajçi, Norbert Bach, Gentrit Berisha, Andreas Kallmuenzer — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

Whereas innovative work behaviour (IWB) is regarded as a desired positive behaviour for all organizational members, existing research has predominantly focused on employees, while only sparingly scrutinizing the IWB among managerial levels. To address this gap, we draw on upper echelons and positive organizational behaviour perspectives to examine how hope, self-efficacy, resilience, optimism and organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) influence managers' IWB activities, namely, idea generation, promotion and realization. The relationships are tested using a sample of 201 managers from various managerial levels, sectors and company sizes. Regression-based and necessary condition analyses estimate the effects and necessity of personal resources on IWB activities. Study findings suggest that managers' personal resources are important for IWB, but the impact differs by intrapreneurial activity. Hope, self-efficacy and OBSE positively influence idea generation; self-efficacy and resilience foster idea promotion; and self-efficacy, OBSE, resilience and optimism foster idea realization. Supplementary analyses align with the upper echelons literature, revealing that managerial level matters; personal resources are unevenly distributed across managerial levels, partly explaining variations in managers' IWB. This study contributes to the growing research on managerial innovation. Our findings suggest that personal resources drive managerial IWB, with top managers scoring higher on both personal resources and IWB activities. Second, by disentangling IWB activities, our study demonstrates that idea generation, promotion and realization involve distinct challenges requiring different personal resources to be successfully mastered.

Agile Coach or Creativity Coach? How Scrum Masters and Agile Coaches Foster Creativity‐Conducive Spaces in Agile Software Teams

Mieszko Franciszek Olszewski — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

This study investigates how scrum masters and agile coaches foster creativity within agile software teams. Drawing on semistructured interviews with 28 professionals in these roles, the research identifies five clusters of explicit and implicit practices that support creative thinking. The findings conceptualize scrum masters and agile coaches as emergent creativity coaches, even when creativity is not an explicit focus of their role. By shaping a creativity-conducive fertile space—akin to ba in knowledge management and dissipative structures in complexity theory—they create conditions in which creative ideas can emerge organically. The study also highlights that the effectiveness of these practices depends on structural empowerment and offers practical guidance for organizations seeking to unlock creativity within agile teams.

Design Thinking, Serendipity, and Digital Innovation

Song Lin, Zhiyi Li, Yanan Lin, Jianxin Ge — Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

ABSTRACT

Drawing on the insights of dynamic capabilities theory, this paper studies the relationship between design thinking and digital innovation. Using data from 159 entrepreneurs, this paper finds that entrepreneurs' design thinking can promote their firm digital innovation. This effect is mediated by the serendipity encountered by entrepreneurs, and the mediating effect of serendipity is strengthened when environmental dynamism is higher. This paper contributes to the emerging literature at the intersection of design thinking and digital innovation by proposing a mediating role of serendipity.

Issue Information

Tue, 05 May 2026 03:28:57 -0700

Creativity and Innovation Management, Volume 35, Issue 2, Page 277-278, June 2026.

Value Co‐Creation and Value Capture in Digital Innovation Ecosystems: A Multiple Case Study in the Agrifood Sector

Thu, 30 Apr 2026 19:40:03 -0700

ABSTRACT

Innovation ecosystems (IEs) are interconnected networks of organizations that co-create and capture value by fostering innovation within a particular sector. Recently, IEs have been shaped by digital transformation, which influences the way ecosystem members can interact, collaborate, and conduct their businesses. The result is the establishment of digital IEs (DIEs) where the shared creation and capture of value revolve around digital technologies. This paper is aimed at investigating how digital technologies allow for the transition of IEs in DIEs by introducing new value co-creation and capture mechanisms. To this aim, a multiple case study has been performed in the agri-food sector, where multifold digital technologies characterize new DIEs. The manuscript defines three main configurations of DIEs: resource-based DIEs, connection-based DIEs, and the hybrid form of resource-connection DIEs. Each DIE configuration is characterized by specific value co-creation and capture mechanisms. The study contributes to both academic literature and practical understanding of IEs by shedding light on the pivotal role of digital technologies in transforming traditional IEs into DIEs.

Let's Talk! The Impact of a Scientist's Integrative Knowledge Network on Breakthrough Innovation

Siwei Zhu, Peter A. Koen, Heidi M. J. Bertels, John Skvoretz — Thu, 30 Apr 2026 19:33:31 -0700

ABSTRACT

Breakthrough innovation relies on integrating knowledge through networks, yet extant research often examines inventor and knowledge element networks in isolation, obscuring the individual-level mechanisms of recombination. We bridge this gap by conceptualizing the integrative knowledge network as an individual's cognitive blueprint for breakthrough innovation. Using data from top biochemical scientists at a leading US oil and gas firm, we find that the depth of the network has no significant direct effect on breakthroughs. Conversely, our analysis reveals an inverted U-shaped relationship between the breadth of the network and breakthrough innovation, which is significantly moderated by weak ties. Our study demonstrates that breakthrough innovation arises from combinatorial potentials that emerge as individuals actively seek knowledge from colleagues through integrative knowledge networks.

Institutional Antecedents of Creativity and Product Innovation in the Digital Cultural Industries

Irina Mihailova, Sílvio Luís de Vasconcellos — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 17:22:35 -0700

ABSTRACT

This study investigates the external sources of creativity that firms in the digital cultural sectors can utilize to develop innovative products to compete internationally. Drawing on organizational creativity and institutional theories, we aim to explore whether creativity can be nurtured outside firms' boundaries within the network of industry professionals and influenced by institutional factors. Adopting an inductive theory-building approach, we conduct a qualitative case study of Finnish digital firms in the digital cultural sectors to achieve the objective of the study. Our findings reveal that socio-cultural and regulatory forces such as startup funding, promotion of interaction within the industry ecosystem, and support for international expansion of Finnish firms nurture collective and collaborative creativity and country-of-origin perceptions among industry professionals by enabling their interaction, open knowledge sharing, and free flow of ideas. These processes enhance the creative capabilities of individuals in the industry, which drives them to develop innovative products within their own firms for international markets. This study advances the literature by demonstrating how socio-cultural and regulatory institutions that are external to organizations jointly contribute to local firms' creative capacity, supporting their national and international competitiveness.

The Double‐Edged Sword of the Effects of Innovative Work Behaviour on Job Performance and Employee Well‐Being: The Moderating Role of Innovation Climate

Mercedes Segarra‐Ciprés, Ana B. Escrig‐Tena, Vicent Roca‐Puig — Wed, 29 Apr 2026 15:54:49 -0700

ABSTRACT

Employees' innovative work behaviour (IWB) is recognised as a valuable personal resource for organisations due to its positive impact on job performance, but it may also place significant demands on employees. The implications of IWB for employee well-being (i.e., work engagement and work exhaustion) remain unclear, which impedes a comprehensive understanding of both its positive and negative effects. This study addresses that gap by analysing the relationship between IWB, job performance and employee well-being, while also examining the role of the climate for innovation as an organisational resource that can modify the effects of IWB on job performance and employee well-being. Matched data on 476 workers across 146 R&D departments from technology-based companies were analysed to examine the proposed relationships using multilevel structural equation modelling. The findings contribute to the ongoing debate about the double-edged nature of IWB, highlighting its benefits, namely, enhanced job performance and increased work engagement, alongside potential drawbacks, particularly a heightened risk of work exhaustion. While a climate for innovation can enhance the positive effects of IWB, especially engagement, it only marginally mitigates its adverse impact on well-being. These results underscore the importance of balancing demands for innovation with adequate organisational support, offering valuable insights for organisations seeking to foster performance without compromising employee well-being.

Standardised Innovation Management Systems: Modelling the Antecedents of Certification and Maintenance Benefits

Carlos J. F. Cândido, Marisa Isabel Silva Cesário, Liana Mendes de Saboya — Sun, 26 Apr 2026 21:54:11 -0700

ABSTRACT

The literature lacks a comprehensive model examining the performance impact of certifying and maintaining standardised innovation management systems (SIMS) or clarifying the advantages of standardisation. This study addresses that gap by analysing the key determinants of the benefits associated with SIMS certification and maintenance. Drawing on the literature and data collected from 103 Portuguese organisations holding certified SIMS, a partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM) is developed that encompasses two critical stages of the certification life cycle: initial certification and maintenance. The results reveal that SIMS maintenance significantly influences maintenance benefits, underscoring its pivotal role in sustaining organisational performance. Certification motivations strongly affect certification benefits but do not directly enhance maintenance benefits, exerting only a moderate indirect impact mediated by maintenance motivations. Maintenance motivations, critical success factors (CSFs), and certification benefits emerge as the principal predictors of maintenance benefits. Although certification barriers do not directly influence performance, they exert a persistent indirect negative effect, highlighting the importance of effectively managing maintenance CSFs. In addition, two subsets of organisations display contrasting relationships between barriers and benefits (one negative and the other positive) reflecting differences in strategic alignment with SIMS and in the perceived importance of resource availability. This study is the first to examine the antecedents of SIMS maintenance benefits and to propose an empirical model explaining their determinants; it is also the first to integrate two main stages of the SIMS certification life cycle within a single framework. The findings contribute to the SIMS, ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 literature, where such frameworks are currently lacking, and offer valuable theoretical and practical insights for optimising the certification and maintenance of management systems so as to enhance organisational performance. Notably, the study demonstrates that the impact of barriers on performance is nuanced and reveals the importance of nurturing maintenance motivations, given that initial certification motivations lose their direct effect over time. Overall, the study clarifies not only that standardisation is beneficial but also how these benefits can be effectively realised and sustained.

Innovation for Sufficiency: How Businesses Support a Disruptive Consumption Strategy

Indra da Silva Wagner, Bernd Ebersberger — Fri, 24 Apr 2026 04:31:20 -0700

ABSTRACT

Ecological constraints and changing societal values require businesses to reconsider innovation opportunities. Sufficiency constitutes an emerging sustainability strategy for businesses that focuses on the absolute reduction of inputs and consumption levels to restrict resource use. This particularly challenges aspects of value generation, strategic orientation, and consumer focus in the context of innovation management. Although sufficiency strategies and business models have been explored, the link to innovation is missing. We review the literature on sufficiency and innovation to create an Innovation for Sufficiency framework that contributes twofold. First, we propose sufficiency-oriented innovation varieties that guide businesses in engaging in sufficiency practices along themes of circularity, product lifecycles, service provision, consumer engagement, and communication. Second, the framework indicates how these innovations direct consumers' consumption behavior toward sufficiency. We identify sufficiency as a driver for innovation, leading to innovative services and innovations that prioritize communication with, participation of, and education of consumers. Specifically, the Innovation for Sufficiency framework positions businesses in close interaction with the demand side by introducing varieties for innovations leading to disruptive consumption strategies for long-term changes toward sufficiency. Our study stimulates the creativity of practitioners to engage in sufficiency through innovation and encourages researchers to focus on understanding the sufficiency concept from the perspectives of specific innovation drivers, strategies, or capabilities.

Researching Learning in Action: Action Learning Research for Creativity and Innovation Management

Paul Coughlan, David Coghlan — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:28:52 -0700

ABSTRACT

Creativity and innovation management involve action and learning: action to create and innovate and learning to understand so as to replicate and develop. This article explores action learning research as a methodology of relevance to creativity and innovation management scholars when inquiring and intervening with academic and practitioner co-researchers in dynamic contexts, enabling knowledge production in real time. It positions action learning research in relation to action learning and action-oriented inquiry and presents the philosophical foundations of action learning research: system alpha (identifying and characterising a problem in its setting); system beta (inquiring rigorously into the cycles of action, questioning and reflection undertaken to address the problem); and system gamma (articulating the resultant practical outcomes and actionable knowledge). The article concludes with actionable implementation guidelines for researchers and implications for research practice and researcher education.

Algorithms in the Realm of Fuzziness. How Generative Artificial Intelligence Is Changing the Front End of Innovation

Francesca Bellesia, Paola Bellis, Giulia Palombi — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 -0700

ABSTRACT

This study aims to explore how Generative Artificial Intelligence is reshaping human innovation practices at the front end of innovation. The front end of innovation encompasses opportunity identification and ideation activities and has always been considered a ‘human’ phase. For this reason, and due to its potential to generate novel content and propose innovative solutions, the use of Generative AI at the front end of innovation is likely to generate controversies. Building on theories of technology affordances and on 24 in-depth interviews with innovators from various industries, this study unveils four roles Generative AI assumes in the three phases of the front end of innovation: nudge, sparring partner, accelerator and collaboration enhancer. It also reveals three constraints innovators face when interacting with Generative AI: Generative AI creates biases, levels creativity and diminishes their experience as human innovators. This study provides an empirical examination of how Generative AI is enacted in practice and highlights how users' perceptions drive such enactment. This study further illustrates the multifaceted nature of human-AI interactions at the front end of innovation, highlighting not only the different Generative AI's uses in the different phases of the front end of innovation, but also their either supportive or constraining, relational or instrumental characteristics. The study further provides managerial insights on how to embed Generative AI at the early stages of innovation and how to manage emerging constraints.

Disentangling the Relationship Between Mindfulness and Creativity: The Role of Conceptual and Experimental Creative Methods

Aldijana Bunjak, Andrew C. Hafenbrack, Matej Černe, Guido Bortoluzzi — Fri, 13 Mar 2026 20:15:47 -0700

ABSTRACT

Prior research has indicated that mindfulness has the potential to enhance individuals' functioning in many ways. However, explorations of its relationship with creativity have elicited contrasting results that remain unresolved, and the underlying processes of this relationship remain unclear. In the present research, we examine whether and how conceptual and experimental creative problem-solving methods function as mechanisms linking mindfulness and creativity. We test our theoretical model in three studies: two survey-based studies (the first with online crowd-workers, the second with employees from Italian and Croatian small- and medium-sized enterprises) and an experiment conducted at a Slovenian university. The results indicate that conceptual creative methods mediate the positive relationship between mindfulness and creativity, such that higher mindfulness leads to greater use of conceptual methods, which in turn enhances creativity. Experimental creative methods do not mediate this relationship, indicating that mindfulness does not enhance creativity through increased use of experimental methods. We discuss the implications of these findings for theory and practice.

Applying Design Science in Creativity and Innovation Management Research: A Decision Guide for Deepening Research Practice

Anna Margolis, Simon L. Schmidt, Alexa Böckel, Fenna Blomsma — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 00:00:00 -0700

ABSTRACT

Creativity and innovation management research (CIMR) seeks to understand how creative and innovative solutions emerge. Recently, greater practitioner engagement, interdisciplinary integration, process orientation and context-sensitive impact measurement have been proposed as realms of further development. To address these opportunities, we introduce Design Science Research (DSR) as a complementary methodology for CIMR. DSR connects theory and practice through the iterative development of practice-oriented artifacts that are grounded in theory, thus enabling scholars to co-create actionable tools jointly with practitioners. We have adapted DSR to the unique characteristics of CIMR—such as interdisciplinarity, process orientation and pluralist ontological and epistemological positions—by developing the DeepDSR Guide. The DeepDSR Guide supports CIMR scholars in making consistent and reflexive methodological choices throughout DSR projects. We have iteratively developed and validated the DeepDSR Guide with feedback from 21 scholars following a DSR approach. Our study contributes methodologically by adapting DSR to fit the pluralist, creative nature of CIMR and expands the application of DSR in management research.

Modelling Hierarchical Configurations in Innovation Research With Two‐Step QCA: Methodological Recommendations and an Application to Workarounds

Luc Sandfort, Talea Hellweg, Katharina Radermacher, Martin R. Schneider — Thu, 05 Mar 2026 22:58:18 -0800

ABSTRACT

Creativity and innovation are often understood as the result of a complex interplay of hierarchical factors, such as national, regional and firm characteristics, or between organisational and individual factors. While recent applications of qualitative comparative analysis (QCA) have begun to model such configurational links, their hierarchical nature has received little empirical attention. As this paper demonstrates, theories that posit hierarchical configurations can and should be explored using the two-step variant of QCA. The paper outlines the potential of the method for the field of creativity and innovation and helps to navigate key modelling decisions. An illustrative study explores the occurrence of informal employee innovation behaviour—workarounds—based on the Ability-Motivation-Opportunity (AMO) framework. The results of the two-step QCA are superior in terms of reduced limited diversity and complexity to those of the conventional one-step QCA. Overall, the method has considerable potential for empirically capturing the complex, hierarchical interactions inherent in many innovation processes.

Examining the Path From Organizational Agility to Organizational Creativity

Maxime Mellard, Guy Parmentier, Florence Jeannot — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 23:20:54 -0800

ABSTRACT

This research addresses the gap in empirical evidence regarding how organizational agility relates to organizational creativity. In increasingly complex, turbulent, and uncertain environments, organizational agility is a critical capability for survival and growth, enabling rapid adaptation and development of innovative solutions. The authors propose a model in which organizational creative capabilities (OCCs) mediate the relationship between organizational agility and perceived output creativity, with organizational playfulness climate acting as a moderator. Preliminary investigations, including analyses of industry reports together with insights from professionals, were conducted to guide the choice of the empirical setting in the creative industries, particularly video games. The study then employed a quantitative approach, collecting data from 96 professionals via an online questionnaire. The results indicate that organizational agility is positively associated with perceived output creativity, both directly and indirectly, through the mediation of OCCs. The results also reveal that a playful organizational climate moderates the relationship between OCCs and perceived output creativity such that OCCs are not associated with creative production when the organizational climate is not playful. Overall, the findings suggest that organizational agility and organizational playfulness climate are crucial for fostering organizational creativity. The study contributes to the literature on organizational creativity and agility, providing empirical evidence of their interplay in a dynamic and competitive industry.

Boundary Conditions for Participative Leadership Promote Subordinates' Innovative Work Behaviors: A Time‐Lag Investigation Based on the Conservation of Resources Theory

Kyungmin Kim — Wed, 04 Mar 2026 23:11:43 -0800

ABSTRACT

This study examines the conditions necessary for supervisors' participative leadership to enhance innovative work behaviors among their subordinates effectively. By incorporating the concepts of resource gain and resource loss from Conservation of Resources Theory, we anticipated that the combination of two variables—psychological contract and psychological safety—would moderate the relationship between participative leadership and innovative work behaviors. Data were collected from 237 participants over two time points, with a three-month interval, to examine the time-lag effect of participative leadership on innovative work behaviors. Structural equation modeling was used for statistical analysis. The results indicated that a supervisor's participative leadership positively influences the innovative work behavior of subordinates. However, this positive effect occurs only within the group of individuals who possess a high level of perception regarding both their psychological contract and psychological safety. Participative leadership did not have a significant impact on groups where either one of these factors, or both, was low. The findings suggest that individuals' innovative work behaviors should be reconceptualized as strategies for managing personal resources, influenced by the interaction of multiple factors related to resource gain and resource loss.

Toward Sustainable Organizations: Routines to Embed Sustainability in Corporate Culture

Diletta Di Marco, Raffaella Cagliano — Thu, 26 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0800

ABSTRACT

This study examines how organizations embed sustainability in corporate culture through recursive routinization—the dynamic interplay between formal structures and everyday practices that reinforce sustainability as a cultural norm. Drawing on qualitative research involving 26 large Italian organizations in various industries, the study identifies four interrelated clusters of sustainability practices: governance structures; metrics, standards, and certifications; daily work practices; and experimental partnerships. Governance structures enable strategic alignment, metrics, standards, and certifications translate sustainability goals into measurable benchmarks, daily practices ensure consistent enactment, and partnerships foster innovation and adaptability. Together, these clusters form an integrated system that embeds sustainability through both formal routines and informal, adaptive practices. Grounded in organizational routine theory and cultural embedding frameworks, the study shows how both ostensive (formal) and performative (enacted) aspects of routines drive sustainability integration. It frames this process as dynamic and iterative, shaped by internal reflexivity and external inputs. Theoretically, the research contributes to understanding sustainability integration as a multidimensional, evolving process. Practically, it highlights the need for interconnected, reflexive systems of routines that balance stability with adaptability, ensuring sustainability remains an enduring, responsive element of organizational culture.

Fostering Digital Business Model Innovation: The Role of Government Venture Capital in High‐Tech SMEs

Jiaxin Liu, Hang Yin, Bowen Liu — Wed, 25 Feb 2026 00:00:00 -0800

ABSTRACT

The advancement of digital technology plays a critical role in shaping business model transformation among high-tech SMEs. Government venture capital (GVC) provides both financial and strategic resources for digital business model innovation (DBMI) and has attracted growing scholarly attention. Drawing on resource-based theory, this study develops a theoretical framework to examine how GVC influences DBMI in high-tech SMEs, with particular attention to the GVC certification hypothesis and resource mechanisms. We measure DBMI in Chinese listed high-tech SMEs using a text analysis approach. This involves constructing and expanding a DBMI lexicon with word vectors based on natural language processing, preprocessing annual report texts, and calculating DBMI levels based on keyword frequencies. Investment data on GVC participation are collected to form an unbalanced panel dataset, and a multiperiod difference-in-differences (DID) model is employed to estimate the direct, mediating, and heterogeneous effects of GVC on DBMI. In addition, a PSM-DID approach is applied to further test the robustness of the results. The empirical results indicate that GVC significantly enhances DBMI in high-tech SMEs. This effect is particularly pronounced in firms characterized by high ownership concentration, nonstate ownership, and CEO nonduality. Furthermore, GVC promotes DBMI by alleviating financing constraints and enhancing firms' intellectual capital. This study contributes to resource-based theory by elucidating the role of digital technology in business model innovation and highlighting the importance of GVC in fostering innovation and growth among high-tech SMEs. The findings offer important theoretical and practical implications for policymakers and business managers, helping high-tech SMEs leverage policy support to advance DBMI.

Entrepreneurial State as a Creative Destroyer: Comparison of Hong Kong and Singapore's Creative Industries

Bryan Cheang, Praharsh Mehrotra — Tue, 24 Feb 2026 15:24:55 -0800

ABSTRACT

This paper explores the limits of mission-directed entrepreneurial states by drawing on the theory of recombinant innovation and F.A. Hayek's insights on the spontaneous growth of knowledge in society. First, the use of discretionary policymaking curtails the range of knowledge generated in the process of social interaction, limiting the scope for ideas to be fortuitously recombined. Second, by privileging a single overarching mission, the state may foster a social culture that encourages compliance with authority, limiting the epistemic curiosity in individuals necessary for creative innovation. We make this argument through a comparative historical analysis of Singapore and Hong Kong, which adopted divergent approaches to development. Despite rapid growth in both, the former's technocratic governance came at the expense of its creative sectors, while the latter's reliance on spontaneous solutions enabled strong creative industries to develop despite little state support. By using creative performance as a proxy for innovation-led development, we exemplify the limits of top-down governance. Rather than fostering creative destruction, the entrepreneurial state may end up being a creative destroyer.