From Ideation to Implementation: A Model of Team Innovation

Teams are an important resource that organizations rely on to create (i.e., ideation) and implement (i.e., implementation) innovative ideas. To advance distinct theorizing on ideation, implementation and their transit as crucial but different phases of innovation in teams, we collected qualitative data from 60 individuals working on innovation in teams and analyzed 235 situations critical for ideation and implementation. Our qualitative content analysis resulted in 1460 codes classified into 27 categories, which we analyzed with regard to their relative importance for ideation and implementation in teams. We integrated our results via an abductive approach using existing theory into a process model showing that ideation is driven by information processing and team climate, implementation is driven by action regulation and resources, and the transit phase is driven by a mindset change from deliberation to implementation. The interface between ideation and implementation reveals paradoxes that deserve explicit management.