At the Early Stage of the Ideation Process: Measurement, Antecedents and Outcomes of Individual Exploratory Behaviours

ABSTRACT The exploration of opportunities is a major precondition for idea generation. Despite its relevance, theoretical approaches to innovation have paid scant attention to its conceptualization, measurement, antecedents and outcomes. To fill this void, this paper adopts a behavioural approach to delve into the micro‐foundations of this early stage of the innovation process by introducing and operationalizing the construct of individual exploratory behaviours (IEBs), which are the actions undertaken by individuals to boost idea generation through opportunity search. After reviewing earlier research on the exploratory stage of the ideation process, we propose and validate IEBs as an original multidimensional construct encompassing three behavioural components ( questioning the status quo , sensing the environment and experimenting ). Results from structural equation modelling corroborate IEBs' positive relationship with idea generation and radical innovation as outcomes and with risk‐taking and self‐confidence as antecedents. Our research adds to the literature by focusing the attention on the critical role of the beginning of the innovation process and analysing its different components according to a behavioural perspective, which is an aspect that has been neglected in favour of its cognitive/psychological dimension. In so doing, this research provides a formalization of the unstructured process of opportunity exploration and preliminary evidence of the relationship between IEBs and organizational innovative performance. The findings offer insights for both educational and organizational settings that can adopt IEBs in their assessment and development processes to boost individuals' ability to promote innovation at the organizational level.