Systemic representation of idea management

Abstract

This paper presents the proposal for a framework to represent Idea Management (IM) in a systemic way, aligned with organizational structure. It considers Knowledge Management as a supportive element, in accordance with the practices of Open Innovation. Organizational capacity to stimulate innovation depends on the collection of ideas and their management. The systematic collection of external ideas has become popular due to the need of organizations to exchange internal and external inputs. However, collection alone cannot generate results. IM can act as an integrating mechanism between internal and external knowledge so that ideas generated are improved and evolve. For this research, an integrative review of the literature on ideas management was conducted following the parameters of Torraco (2005). For the construction of the proposed framework, based on Regoniel (2015), the important elements were selected, that is, elements described in the literature were identified and analysed to discover how they are related. Subsequently, the proposed framework was structured into three levels, with strategy as a central element. The first level refers to the supportive elements: Processes, People, Technology and Knowledge Management (KM). The second refers to the stages of IM - Preparation, Generation, Collection and Storage, Treatment (filtering and categorization), Enrichment, Evaluation, Selection, Refinement and Feedback and Follow-up. The third level refers to the results. In terms of practical implications, the research contributes to the clarification of the IM in Small and Medium-sized organizations. Ongoing research including verification with experts and field research could serve as guidance for implementation of IM in organizations.