Diffusing New Ideas In‐House

Abstract

New ideas trigger the innovation process and the development of new products. This article is concerned with new ideas generated in-house and ways to ensure that these ideas have the maximum chance of being captured and diffused. Sandra Vandermerwe reports results of an exploratory study involving an international group of senior executives concerning their attempts to introduce new ideas and gain support for them within their firms. In particular, she was alert to reports of organizational resistance, when it was reported. She asked why this resistance occurred and what might be done to improve the receptivity to new ideas. The article examines the executives' responses and highlights an interesting feature of the findings: that new technological ideas may, by their very nature, be slow-movers. Firms are encouraged to put more conscious effort into internal diffusion activity as they do externally in the marketplace. This would require new skills and a new role for originating individuals.

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