The usage of boundary objects for the construction of organisational innovation processes

Holzer, Jacqueline; Wolf, Patricia; Kocher, Pierre Yves

doi:10.1504/ijisd.2011.043075

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…Throughout the various projects, the MOM supported collaboration in two ways: generativity and convergence (Caccamo, 2020). On the one hand, the MOM helped integrate individual perspectives into a working whole (Bechky, 2003; Holzer et al, 2011). On the other hand, the MOM helped individuals maintain their alignment throughout their discussions, as the BOs would provide a standard anchor for further development (Seidel & O'Mahony, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this way, BOs help synthesize the different meanings that individuals with different backgrounds might give to the same sign or information in a given context (Weick et al, 2005). To converge on shared meaning, semantic BOs support the negotiation among diverse individuals (Fox, 2011; Holzer et al, 2011). The implementation of a solution requires the application of different knowledge areas.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Through thick and thin: The moment of meaning as a boundary object

2022

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During the front end of innovation, teams embody abstract meanings into product concepts. The literature on Innovation of Meaning suggests that focusing on a single product‐user interaction supports this process. This Moment of Meaning facilitates the development of shared meaning and knowledge. We explore how the Moment of Meaning acts as a Boundary Object to support the innovation process. We study six Innovation of Meaning projects in different companies to explore how the Moment of Meaning supports the transition from abstract meaning to a concrete solution. Attending company meetings and workshops, we collected extensive qualitative data on the usage of the Moment of Meaning. We identify four uses of the Moment of Meaning. Depending on its degree of abstraction and perspective, it represents a Metaphor, a Product Vision, a Core Feature or an Experience Concept. Our study sheds light on the reification of meanings in early stages of innovation. Also, we highlight the potential evolution of Boundary Objects over time. To managers, we provide actionable knowledge on how a simple boundary object could ease the transition from an innovation strategy to a concrete product concept.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Through thick and thin: The moment of meaning as a boundary object

2022

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“…Thereby, we see links to previous research in the field of boundary objects to overcome political boundaries. Earlier it was shown that boundary objects can facilitate a process of joint negotiation (Carlile, 2004;Holzer, Wolf, & Kocher, 2011;Star & Griesemer, 1999), but also that they can hinder knowledge exchange, e.g. by reinforce existing power structures or occupational hierarchies (Oswick & Robertson, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A long way home: How an intra-organizational innovation network overcomes its political boundaries

Rau¹,

Neyer²,

Schipanski³

et al. 2016

mrev

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A long way home: How an intra-organizational innovation network overcomes its political boundaries ** This article focuses on the still understudied link among political boundaries and innovation practices and its inherent boundary-crossing mechanisms in intraorganizational innovation networks. Our single case study at the sports company adidas derives two particular combinations of boundaries and boundary-crossing mechanisms to overcome political boundaries in intra-organizational innovation networks. These are the 'open-closed (minded) boundaries' and 'everybody-is-an-innovator boundaries'. They have been addressed with distinct innovation practices that comprise the boundary-crossing mechanisms 'reframe interests' and 'negotiate interests'. We find that these boundary-crossing mechanisms to be crucial in the process of managing the intra-organizational innovation network. Our findings have implications for the organizational anchoring of innovation practices given its importance as enabler or barrier to overcome political boundaries in intra-organizational innovation networks.

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“…Hence, the configurations include BOs which allow bridging both semantic and pragmatic knowledge boundaries. Holzer and colleagues (Holzer, 2012;Holzer et al, 2011) see knowledge integration as an iterative act, which requires to bridge both semantic and pragmatic boundaries, repeatedly. Such an iterative process would be difficult to grasp when the focus of a study lies predominantly on a singlesemantic or pragmatic -BO.…”

Section: Artefacts Asmentioning

confidence: 99%

Artefacts as boundary objects for concept development: a configurational approach

Zasa,

Buganza

2023

EJIM

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PurposeThis study aims to investigate how configurations of boundary objects (BOs) support innovation teams in developing innovative product concepts. Specifically, it explores the effectiveness of different artefact configurations in facilitating collaboration and bridging knowledge boundaries during the concept development process.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on data from ten undergraduate innovation teams working with an industry partner in a creative industry. Six categories of BOs are identified, which serve as tools for collaboration. The study applies fsQCA (fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis) to analyse the configurations employed by the teams to bridge knowledge boundaries and support the development of innovative product concepts.FindingsThe findings of the study reveal two distinct groups of configurations: product envisioning and product design. The configurations within the “product envisioning” group support the activities of visioning and pivoting, enabling teams to innovate the product concept by altering the product vision. On the other hand, the configurations within the “product design” group facilitate experimenting, modelling and prototyping, allowing teams to design the attributes of the innovative product concept while maintaining the product vision.Originality/valueThis research contributes to the field of innovation by providing insights into the role of BOs and their configurations in supporting innovation teams during concept development. The results suggest that configurations of “product envisioning” support bridging semantic knowledge boundaries, while configurations within “product design” bridge pragmatic knowledge boundaries. This understanding contributes to the broader field of knowledge integration and innovation in design contexts.

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The usage of boundary objects for the construction of organisational innovation processes

Cited by 7 publications

References 27 publications

Through thick and thin: The moment of meaning as a boundary object

Through thick and thin: The moment of meaning as a boundary object

A long way home: How an intra-organizational innovation network overcomes its political boundaries

Artefacts as boundary objects for concept development: a configurational approach

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