Literature Review of Idea Management: Focuses and Gaps

Abstract

Purpose: on the basis of idea management literature reviewidentify topical literature focuses, content, existing research gaps and make suggestions on future researches in this field.

Design/methodology/approach: research is based on theoretical research methods, which include literature review and descriptive statistics. This detailed literature review has considered 68 of scholarly empirical publications, conference proceedings, books and popular market reports published over the last 33 years, i.e., from January 1982 to February 2015, in all research fields.

Findings: the results of the research revealed that the amount literature sources created from 2002 till March 2015 has steadly grown, but it is still relatively low. Results probe that idea management mainly described in innovation as well in information technology literature. Idea management is topical and perspective to research, the authors have developed a large range of possible future research ways that shows that this topic is inexhaustible. There is a perspective to create literature review with the focus on the terms of idea management and idea management systems because research results reflect that there is no united view on these terms.

Research limitations: data collection of 7 databases with time focus from January 1982 to February 2015. Future researches must include wider data collection as well as to continue to research dynamics and content of the literature about this topic in future periods.

Originality/value: the paper gives overview about the idea management literature (reflecting the most often used research methods, literature, and theories) and identifies literature and researchgaps.This paper emphasis potential research objectives.It is hoped that this article will stimulate scholarly dialog and researches about idea management.

Paper type: Literature review