Towards a New Framework of Idea Management as Actor Networks

Management of innovation idea development in front-end innovation of R&D organizations has shown to be a challenging task. This paper presents the preliminary results of a PhD project concerning idea management in front-end innovation of R&D organizations. Through theoretical and empirical investigations of managing activities in front-end idea development, an indicative analysis in the perspective of actor network theory is performed. The analysis show how managers and employees navigate in a complex environment of organizational structures, technical features and design, creativity and social interaction. The analysis inputs an initial conceptualization of a new theoretical framework of idea management. The theoretical framework suggests a dynamic network structure comprised of the dimensions of space, content, and process.