Published in:
California Management Review, 54 (2012) 3, Seite 116-139
Language:
English
DOI:
10.1525/cmr.2012.54.3.116
ISSN:
0008-1256;
2162-8564
Origination:
Footnote:
Description:
Existing academic and popular literature suggests that unsolicited ideas, the non-contractual and voluntary submission of innovation-related information from external sources to the firm, offer the promise of a bountiful and low-cost tool to sustain and extend firms' R&D efforts. Yet, in practice, many organizations find it difficult to deal with unsolicited ideas because of high quantity, low quality, and the need to transfer IP ownership. This article identifies a range of practices that allow organizations to meet these challenges and therefore realize some of the potential of unsolicited ideas for R&D.