Research
The influences of decision-maker roles and time pressure on idea evaluation and selection: An experimental analysis
To access a broad range of external expertise and know-how, organizations employ idea contests and crowdsourcing as innovation strategies. This leads to the generation of a large number of ideas that must be carefully evaluated and selected, involving diverse criteria and multiple perspectives amid uncertainties about potential outcomes. Although crowdsourcing and generative AI technologies (GenAI) facilitate idea generation, the subsequent tasks of idea evaluation and selection are yet hardly outsourced. Incorrectly evaluating ideas can be extremely costly for companies, if subsequently a poor idea is implemented while a better one is dismissed. Not surprisingly, literature on idea evaluation and selection is increasing.
The role of the decision-maker is gaining scholarly attention. The decision-maker's role in idea evaluation and selection typically activates specific cognitive tendencies. While some researchers show that managers' roles affect how they view ideas, others find that roles with decision-making authority, compared to non-evaluative roles, tend to undervalue creative ideas due to their focus on economic factors and social acceptance. Despite this handful of studies, attention on the impact of decision-making roles on idea evaluation and selection is scarce. So, despite the recognition of these biases, it remains an open question how specific decision-making roles and tasks, such as managers with and without budget oversight and responsibility, impact their evaluation and ultimate selection of ideas.
In this project, we investigate how decision-making roles, differentiated by the level of responsibility for outcomes, influence idea evaluation and selection. In particular, we aim to identify whether managers in different roles focus on different attributes when evaluating innovative ideas and whether they differ in identifying ideas that are successful after launch.
We utilize an experimental design engaging innovation managers in the evaluation and selection of crowd-generated ideas. With these findings, we contribute to current research on idea evaluation and selection.
Collaboration Partner
