What really happens to an idea after it sparks – and how are ideas turned into innovations within public and private sector organisations? In this episode, we speak with Business Administration researcher Jana Huck whose work challenges the conventional focus on simply generating and selecting ideas. Instead, she uncovers the often-overlooked activities that truly shape an idea’s journey. Drawing on studies at individual, group, and organisational levels, she reveals how ideas evolve not through a linear process, but through dynamic, intertwined activities. In our conversation, Jana argues that the results of her research can help organisations to manage idea development more consciously and holistically.

Jana Huck’s doctoral thesis can be downloaded from DiVA: Idea Development for Innovation: A Multi-Level Exploration of the Activities and Processes Propelling Ideas Towards Innovation