Not all that jazz! Jamband as a metaphor for organizing new models of innovation

Abstract

This study aims to understand, using a longitudinal framework the relationship between themes within the “jamband” music genre and innovation jams as a model for organizational innovation. It suggests the conventional metaphor for innovation-jazz, which has dominated our way of conceptualizing models of innovation, limits our understanding of contemporary and emerging forms of innovation. The study situates the jazz and jamband metaphors within the management literature and provides a comparative view between the music genres to enrich our understanding about organizational innovation. Three emergent themes evolved from this study that provides insight into organizing emerging models of innovation that are evocative of the jamband music genre. Using the themes of sense of community, collaborative feedback and knowledge sharing and expertise integration, this research explores how IBM Innovation Jams evolve from a concept, tool and service. The study concludes with a discussion on the implications of the findings for theorizing about new models of organizing innovation.