Attention as a means to develop innovation capabilities

Journal article, 2020

In this article, we explore how an innovation jam – an information technology (IT)-based tool to generate new ideas from employees in response to a call for ideas on a predefined theme – was used in two Swedish industrial firms, Volvo Cars and Volvo Group. Based on two qualitative retrospective case studies, we explore the notion of attention, and highlight the inherent ability of an innovation jam to promote attention. We discuss how attention can be used strategically to support the development of firm capabilities for innovation but point also to the risks involved. The paper contributes to emerging research on how firms develop the capabilities for innovation and highlights how attention can be used strategically.