Jamband as a Metaphor for Organizing New Models of Innovation

Steve Diasio, Ph.D.Thinker, professor of innovation & management, traveler and rhetorician.www.stevediasio.comTwitter: @SteveDiasio Youtube: FingerPuppet ManagementTV

Not

It is the east, and Juliet is the sun-William Shakespeare

Role of Metaphors

(Lakoff and Johnson, 1980)

Innovation is ComplexInnovation paradigms

“innovation is the central issue in economic prosperity” (Porter, 1980)

Research AgendaOpen Models of Decision-Support

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Typologies & Framework

Metaphors for Innovation

Metaphors for Innovation

Organization Science “Jazz Improvisation and Organizing 1998; Weick 1998; Hatch 1998: 1999; Zack 2000; Kamoche and Cunha 2001

What is a Jamband?• Improvisation,

experimentation, to speed up the pace of innovation (Pasmore 1998).

• Draws from a wide-spectrum of musical traditions.

• Combines several genres in various forms (Budnick 2003).

• Not bound by constraints of a single genre in music creation.

• Influencing change, sense of community, collaboration and sharing (Tuedio & Spector 2010).

Toolbox of Genres

Toolbox of Genres

Toolbox of Genres

Research in One Slide

• Case study of IBM Innovation Jams (rare or unique case)• Part of a larger EU research project focusing on innovation• 10 yr longitudinal study (2001-2011)

Method

• 3 Primary (8 internal innovation jam reports, 145 trade publications, 70 hrs participant observations & 100+ pages of field notes)

• 2 Secondary (interviews and jam forum data)

Data Collection

• Constructed a historical perspective, ordered data chronologically

• Grounded theory and 3 stages of coding (Strauss & Corbin 1998) across innovation jams

• Codes followed: 1st order 2nd order & theoretical dimensions 3 themes emerged- Sense of Community, Collaborative Feedback, Knowledge Sharing and Expertise Integration

Data Analysis

Emergent Themes

Jamband

• Performance is unique with shared relationship band & audience.

• Authenticity building shared values, commitment & identities.

• Audience influence on songs, sets, naming, recording, live feedback through dance.

• Provided access of IP for tapers, community building outside shows.

• Movement from small to large venues.

• Developed own sound systems.

• Social rules for the community that were enforced.

• Provided an immersive experience through colors, lights, that facilitated engagement across time, space, and culture.

Engagement with Inn. Jams

• Top-down bottom-up environment.• Meaningful dialogue- passionate

people.

• Personal & tangible commitment, clear signals.

• Before, during, after feedback.• Jam scorecard.

• Tapping into different ethos of the organizational levels.

• Development of unique platforms (global and mini jam).

• Social media & data mining tools to manage the conversation.

• Virtual worlds.• Themeclouds/ real-time

conversations.

Sense of Community

Collaborative Feedback

Knowledge Sharing and

Expertise Integration

Theoretical Dimensions

Implications for Managers of Innovation

X

Sense of Community

Collaborative Feedback

Knowledge Sharing and

Expertise Integration

Managers of Innovationpersonal and tangible commitment- that is authentic and builds shared values and identities.

to bring meaningful dialogue to the forefront and to cultivate passionate people who want to solve challenging problems.

providing an immersive experience of the innovation process that facilitated engagement across time, space, and culture.

Thank You!Email: stevdiasio@googlemail.com

Website: www.stevediasio.com

Twitter: @SteveDiasio

Youtube: FingerPuppet ManagementTV

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