The role of IT in innovation at the individual and group level – a literature review

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to review and integrate cross-disciplinary research on the role of information technology (IT) on innovation published in the past 10 years. Design/methodology/approach The study follows the recommendations for systematic integrative literature review. The authors focus on the manuscripts published in the period between 2009 and 2018 in the top 8 Information Systems journals. Further, the authors specifically focus on the studies conducted at the individual and/or group level of analysis. Findings First, the authors find that there has been relatively little research published focusing on the role of IT in innovation at the individual and/or group level of analysis. Among the published studies the authors find equivocal insights on the role of IT in innovation. While IT can support innovation, it can also cause technostress and become an impeding element by institutionalizing established organizational practices. Originality/value Despite the importance of the topic, there has been little research on the role of IT in supporting innovation published in the small-and medium-size enterprise development journals. Through cross-disciplinary integration, the authors’ provide a foundation for future research on the topic.