DISMANTLING THE BOX — APPLYING PRINCIPLES FOR REDUCING PRECONCEPTIONS DURING IDEATION
Abstract
Many methods to facilitate “thinking outside the box” are described in the literature. However, less consideration has been given to reducing the limiting influence of preconceptions in order to increase the potential scope of innovative thinking. In other words, less consideration has been given to “dismantling the box”. Here, research is reported that involved application of principles for reducing preconceptions. These principles are drawn from research into diverse methods from a variety of disciplines, which are used to reduce the limiting influence of preconceptions. Prior to the reported field studies, and without knowledge of the field studies being carried out in the future, participants had ideated innovation proposals focused upon using technologies to achieve improvements to their internal operating efficiency. Subsequently, in all three field studies, participants ideated innovation proposals focused upon using technologies to introduce new offerings which could create new markets. Yet, the field studies involved no methods for facilitating “thinking outside the box” — rather application of principles for reducing preconceptions.
References
- 1978] Patterns of industrial innovation. Technology Review 80 (7), 40–47. ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2001] Demand heterogeneity and technology evolution: Implications for product and process innovation. Management Science 47 (5), 611–628. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2011] The effect of mindfulness training on athletes’ flow: An initial investigation. Sport Psychologist 25 (2), 177–189. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2010] Neural reuse: A fundamental organizational principle of the brain. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 33 (3), 245–313. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2008] The innovator’s dilemma: When new technologies cause great firms to fail; leading the revolution; blue ocean strategy: How to create uncontested market space and make the competition irrelevant. Academy of Management Review 33 (3), 790–794. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2008] Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces that Shape our Decisions. New York: HarperCollins. Google Scholar [
- 1999]
Dissonance, hypocrisy, and the self-concept , Cognitive Dissonance Progress on a Pivotal Theory in Social Psychology, eds. E Harmon-JonesJ Mills, Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, pp. 103–126. Crossref, Google Scholar [ - 1991] Overcoming denial and increasing the intention to use condoms through the induction of hypocrisy. American Journal of Public Health 81 (12), 1636–1638. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1988] Sequential belief revision in auditing. Account Review 64 (4), 623–641. Google Scholar [
- 1985]
Informational utility and selective exposure , Selective Exposure to Communication, eds. D ZillmannJ Bryant, Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Google Scholar [ - 2001] The Practice of Social Research, 9th edn. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Thomson. Google Scholar [
- 2000] The effects of information ordering on investor perceptions: An experiment utilizing presidents’ letters. Journal of Financial Strategic Decision 13 (3), 71–80. Google Scholar [
- 2009] Mindfulness and acceptance approaches in sport performance. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology 3 (4), 320–333. Crossref, Google Scholar [
- 2012] Mindfulness to enhance athletic performance: Theoretical considerations and possible impact mechanisms. Mindfulness 3 (3), 235–246. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1995] Selection of knowledge-based engineering design applications. Journal of Engineering Design 6 (1), 31–38. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2005] Networked creativity: A structured management framework for stimulating innovation. Technovation 25 (12), 1388–1399. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1990] Conflict: Resolution and Prevention. New York: MacMillan. Google Scholar [
- Böhler, TM (2012). Industrie 4.0 — Smarte Produkte und Fabriken revolutionieren die Industrie. Produktion Magazin, May 10. Google Scholar
- 2006] Innovative scanning experiences from an idea generation project at Volvo Cars. Technovation 26 (7), 775–783. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2003]
Adaptive resonance theory , The Handbook of Brain Theory and Neural Networks, ed. MA Arbib, 2nd edn., Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, pp. 87–90. Google Scholar [ - Chand, S and JF Davis (2010). What is Smart Manufacturing, Time Magazine Wrapper, July. Google Scholar
- 1976] A study of brainstorming. Manas 23 (1), 23–28. Google Scholar [
- Chowdhry, A (2013). TechShop Detroit Offers Tools For Michigan Inventors To Build Almost Anything. Forbes, March 18. Google Scholar
- 2006] Open Innovation: The New Imperative for Creating and Profiting from Technology. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Google Scholar [
- 2000] Meeting the Challenge of Disruptive Change. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Google Scholar [
- 2008] Influence: Science and Practice, 5th edn. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall. Google Scholar [
- A Dictionary of Psychology, 3rd edn. (Oxford University Press, 2012) Google Scholar ,
- 2012] Stereotypes, prejudice, and depression: The integrated perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science 7 (5), 427–449. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1993] Process Innovation Reengineering Work Through Information Technology. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Google Scholar [
- 2005] Avoiding accounting fixation: Determinants of cognitive adaptation to differences in accounting method. Contemporary Accounting Research 22 (2), 351–384. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1929]
The Copernican revolution in the quest for certainty: A study of the relation of knowledge and action (Gifford Lectures 1929) , John Dewey: The Later Works 1925-1953, Vol. 4, Carbondale, Illinois: Southern Illinois University Press, The Quest for Certainty (1984). Google Scholar [ - 1992] Fading frames: Data presentation and fading effects. Decision Sciences 23 (8), 1050–71. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1992] Using cognitive dissonance to encourage water conservation. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 22, 841–854. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1991] Productivity loss in idea-generating groups: Tracking down the blocking effect. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 61 (3), 392–403. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1931] Cosmic Religion and Other Opinions and Aphorisms. New York: Covici-Friede Inc. Google Scholar [
- 2008]
Nature, sources and effects of news framing , Handbook of Journalism Studies, eds. K Wahl-JorgensenT Hanitzsch, Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum. Google Scholar [ - A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance (Stanford University Press, 1957) Crossref, Google Scholar ,
- 1998] Clockspeed: Winning Industrial Control in the Age of Temporary Advantage. New York, NY: Perseus Books. Google Scholar [
- 2000] Gender, race, and perceived risk: The “white male” effect. Health, Risk, and Society 3 (2), 159–172. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2011] Selective exposure, decision uncertainty, and cognitive economy: A new theoretical perspective on confirmatory information search. Social and Personality Psychology Compass 5 (10), 751–762. Crossref, Google Scholar [
- 2003] Idea management for organizational innovation. International Journal of Innovation Management 7 (4), 417–442. Link, Google Scholar [
- 2012] The new do-it-yourself (DIY) paradigm: Financial and ethical rewards for businesses. Journal of Business Strategy 33 (1), 21–26. Crossref, Google Scholar [
- 2013] The innovation big picture: Including effectiveness dependencies, efficiency dependencies, and potential negative effects within the framing of new technologies. Technology in Society 35 (4), 306–314. Crossref, Google Scholar [
- Freedman, DH (2010). Lies, Damned Lies, and Medical Science. The Atlantic, October 4. Google Scholar
- 1995]
Stereotypes, base rates, and the fundamental contribution mistake: A content-based approach to fundamental accuracy , Stereotype Accuracy: Toward Appreciating Group Differences, eds. Y-T LeeLJ JussimCR McCauley, Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, pp. 141–156. Crossref, Google Scholar [ - 2006] The Conflict Resolution Toolbox: Models and Maps for Analyzing, Diagnosing, and Resolving Conflict. Chichester, UK: John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Google Scholar [
- 2004] A mindfulness-acceptance-commitment-based approach to athletic performance enhancement: Theoretical considerations. Behavior Therapy 35 (4), 707–723. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2007] The Psychology of Enhancing Human Performance: The Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) Approach. New York: Springer Publishing Company. Crossref, Google Scholar [
- 2012] Mindfulness and acceptance models in sport psychology: A decade of basic and applied scientific advancements. Canadian Psychology 53 (4), 309–318. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2008] When “Just Say No” is not enough: Affirmation versus negation training and the reduction of automatic stereotype activation. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 44 (2), 370–377. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2008] Harnessing cognitive dissonance to promote positive attitudes towards older workers in Australia. Journal of Applied Social Psychology 38 (3), 751–778. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1968] Creativity as a function of orientation and group participation. Psychological Reports 22 (2), 471–478. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2011] Performance enhancement with low stress and anxiety modulated by cognitive flexibility. Psychiatry Investigation 8 (3), 221–226. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2006] Expertise visualization: An implementation and study based on cognitive fit theory. Decision Support Systems 42 (8), 1539–1557. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1989] Deficit in cognitive shifting ability in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder. Biological Psychiatry 25 (7), 929–937. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1999] Breaking the frame: An analysis of strategic cognition and decision making under uncertainty. Strategic Management Journal 20 (7), 977–985. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2002] Further reflections on the elimination of framing bias in strategic decision making. Strategic Management Journal 23 (8), 1069–1076. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2010] Automatic thoughts and cognitive restructuring in cognitive behavioral group therapy for social anxiety disorder. Cognitive Therapy Research 34 (1), 1–12. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1990] Mapping Strategic Thought. Chichester: Wiley. Google Scholar [
- 2014] Digital ubiquity: How connections, sensors, and data are revolutionizing business. Harvard Business Review 92 (11), 90–99. Google Scholar [
- 2013] A review of TRIZ, and its benefits and challenges in practice. Technovation 33 (2–3), 30–37. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2005] Why most published research findings are false. PLoS Medicine 2 (8), e124. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- Isaac, M (2015). A prickly partnership for Uber and Google. The New York Times, February 8. Google Scholar
- 1971] Groupthink. Psychology Today 5 (6), 43–46. Google Scholar [
- 2008] Proactive involvement of consumers in innovation: Selecting appropriate techniques. International Journal of Innovation Management 12 (3), 511–541. Link, Google Scholar [
- Kahan, DM, E Peters, EC Dawson and P Slovic (2013). Motivated numeracy and enlightened self-government. Yale Law School. Public Law Working Paper No. 307. Google Scholar
- 2011] The big idea: Before you make that big decision. Harvard Business Review 89 (6), 51–60. Google Scholar [
- 1995] Debiasing the curse of knowledge in audit judgment. The Accounting Review 70 (2), 249–273. ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2005] Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make the Competition Irrelevant. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School Press. Google Scholar [
- 1999] Constraint relaxation and chunk decomposition in insight problem solving. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition 25, 1534–1555. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1999] Jaguar uses knowledge-based tools to reduce model development times. Assembly Automation 19 (2), 114–117. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2004] The effects of ballot position on election outcomes. Journal of Politics 66 (1), 267–281. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2014] User motivation and knowledge sharing in idea crowdsourcing. International Journal of Innovation Management 18 (5) 1450031 (25 pages), DOI: 10.1142/S1363919614500315. Link, Google Scholar [
- 1999] Motivated reasoning with stereotypes: Activation, application, and inhibition. Psychological Inquiry 10 (1), 12–22. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- Passion and Reason: Making Sense of our Emotions (Oxford University Press, 1996), pp. 3. Google Scholar ,
- 1994] Generalization of dissonance reduction: Decreasing prejudice through induced compliance. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 67 (3), 395–413. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- Lohr, S (2011). The Internet Gets Physical. The New York Times, December 17. Google Scholar
- 2000] Knowledge-based engineering for SMEs: A methodology. Journal of Materials Processing Technology 107 (1–3), 384–389. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1959] Rigidity of behavior: A variational approach to the effect of Einstellung. Eugene, Oregon: University of Oregon Books. Google Scholar [
- 1987] Einstellung effects. Science 238 (4827), 598. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2000] Social cognition: Thinking categorically about others. Annual Review of Psychology 51, 93–120. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2004] Knowledge creation and idea generation: A critical quality perspective. Technovation 24 (9), 697–705. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2012] Innovation relies on the obscure: A key to overcoming the classic problem of functional fixedness. Psychological Science 23 (3), 215–218. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2001] How does innovative activity change as industries mature?. International Journal of Industrial Organization 19, 1141–1160. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- McFarland, M (2014). The case for almost never turning left while driving. The Washington Post, April 9. Google Scholar
- 1962] The associative basis of the creative process. Psychological Review 69, 220–232. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1957] Social Theory and Social Structure. Glencoe, IL: Free Press. Google Scholar [
- 1991] The effects of framing, problem variations, and providing rationale on choice. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin 17 (5), 517–522. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1996] A process orientated framework for assessing the business value of information technology. Advances in Information Systems 27 (1), 68–81. Google Scholar [
- 1991] Productivity loss in brainstorming groups: A meta-analytic integration. Basic and Applied Social Psychology 12 (1), 3–23. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2007] Strategic schemas, strategic flexibility, and firm performance: The moderating role of industry clockspeed. Strategic Management Journal 28 (3), 243–270. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2008] The good subject effect: Investigating participant demand characteristics. Journal of General Psychology 135 (2), 151–165. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1999] Social Constructionist Psychology. Buckingham: Open University Press. Google Scholar [
- 1962] On the social psychology of the psychological experiment: With particular reference to demand characteristics and their implications. American Psychologist 17 (11), 776–783. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1994] Elements of the Socratic method: III. Universal definition. Psychotherapy 31 (2), 286–293. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2001]
Framing as a strategic action in public deliberation , Framing Public Life: Perspectives on Media and Our Understanding of the Social World, eds. SD ReeseOH GandyAE Grant, Mahwah NJ: Erlbaum, pp. 35–65. Google Scholar [ - 1995] Performance and perceptions of brainstormers in an organizational setting. Basic and Applied Social Psychology 17 (1–2), 249–265. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2007] The effects of information overload on software project risk assessment. Decision Sciences 38 (3), 489–526. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1997] Attitudes and attitude change. Annual Review of Psychology 48, 609–647. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2014] How smart, connected products are transforming competition. Harvard Business Review 92 (11), 64–88. ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1980] Orienting of attention. Quarterly Journal Experimental Psychology 32, 3–25. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2005] Augmented reality in the automotive and aerospace industries. IEEE Computer Graphics and Application 25 (6), 48–56. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2001] Effects of information sequence and irrelevant distractor information when using a computer-based decision aid. Decision Sciences 32 (1), 145–164. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1974] Fluency, flexibility, and originality as a function of group size. The Journal of Creative Behavior 8 (2), 107–113. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2002] New approaches to IT investment. MIT Sloan Management Review 43 (2), 51–59. ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2013] Neural correlates of creative writing: An fMRI Study. Human Brain Mapping 34, 1088–1101. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1998]
Presuppositions of inference , Pragmatism, Reason, and Norms: A Realistic Assessment (American Philosophy Series , No. 10), eds. K Westphal, Bronx, NY: Fordham University Press. Google Scholar [ - 1977] Preference for insuring against probable small losses: Insurance implications. Journal of Risk Insurance 44 (2), 237–258. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2014] Creating more accurate acquisition valuations. MIT Sloan Management Review 56 (1), 63–71. ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2001]
Old enough to know better: Age stereotypes in New Zealand , Ageism in Work and Employment, eds. I GloverM Branine, Burlington, VT: Ashgate, pp. 219–236. Google Scholar [ - 1994] Why Groups are less effective than their members: On productivity losses in idea-generating groups. European Review of Social Psychology 5 (1), 271–303. Crossref, Google Scholar [
- 1958] Does group participation when using brainstorming facilitate or inhibit creative thinking?. Administrative Science Quarterly 3 (1), 23–47. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2001] Culture and International Conflict Resolution: A Critical Analysis of the Work of John Burton. Manchester, UK: Manchester University Press. Google Scholar [
- 1994] IT-enabled business transformation: From automation to business scope redefinition. MIT Sloan Management Review 35 (2), 73–87. ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1991] Cognitive Fit: A theory-based analysis of the graphs versus tables literature. Decision Sciences 22 (2), 219–240. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2008] Interpreting ambiguous stimuli: Separating perceptual and judgmental biases. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 44 (4), 1048–1056. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 2014] The Art of Thought. Tunbridge Wells, UK: Solis Press 1926. Google Scholar [
- 2010] R&D challenges and solutions for mobile cyber-physical applications and supporting Internet services. Journal of Internet Services and Applications 1 (1), 45–56. Crossref, Google Scholar [
- 2010] Competing frames for a public health issue and their effects on public opinion. Mass Communication and Society 13 (4), 435–457. Crossref, ISI, Google Scholar [
- 1999] Future-focused thinking: Combining scenario planning and decision analysis. Journal of Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis 8 (2), 311–321. Crossref, Google Scholar [
- 2004] Applications of RFID technology and smart parts in manufacturing. ASME 24th Computers and Information in Engineering Conference,
Salt Lake City, Utah, USA ,28 September–2 October , Vol. 4, pp. 123–129. Google Scholar [ - 1988] In the Age of Smart Machines. New York: The Basic Books. Google Scholar [
Remember to check out the Most Cited Articles! |
---|
Be inspired by these New Titles in Business and Management |