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Eureka! Lessons Learned from an Evaluation of the Idea Contest at Deltares

2014; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 57; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

1930-0166

Nick Leung, Arjan van Rooij, Jurjen van Deen,

Open Source Software Innovations

Idea contests have been used for centuries by governments, learned societies, and enterprises solve specific problems or further the of science and technology more generally. Knowledge Ecology International (2008) collected some 200 examples, beginning with the Spanish (1567), Dutch (1627), and British (1714) Longitude prizes spur the of technology allow accurate determination of a ship's longitude at sea-an outgrowth of the need for these world powers remain competitive in their expansion of trade the Far East (see also Spencer 2012). more recent example is the Ansari X Prize, offered in 1996 and 2004, spur the of low cost spaceflight.Commercial firms have used contests as a mechanism collect ideas for new products from customers ( Piller and Walcher 2006 ). Contests can, and frequently are, also used seek solutions specific RD Wagner 2011 ).These external contests offer companies the benefit of casting a wide net, drawing in a diverse group of participants. Internal contests, which are open only individuals and groups within the organization, may in principle offer the same benefits but tap a smaller pool of potential participants. However, internal contests can have other benefits. First, since participation is limited, the parameters of the contest itself can be wider, allowing participants enter any they think is potentially valuable the organization. The objectives of this type of contest are often quite different from those of an open innovation contest; rather than seeking solutions a specific problem, they may include the broader objective of generating ideas for new business or incremental innovation. Such a contest is comparable in character the suggestion box directed internal company processes.Internal contests might also be engaged address a range of organizational challenges, including fostering unity and building employees' creativity and entrepreneurial skills. There is less literature on these types of contests. Schepers, Schnell, and Vroom (1999) describe how Siemens aims establish internal networks of competencies by organizing competitions. Bjelland and Chapman (2008) give an inside view of IBM's Innovation Jam, which functions as a way build unity in the organization: A Jam would give people a sense of participation and of being listened to (32). 1 However, these papers seem take for granted the entrepreneurial character of contest participants and do not focus attention on the potential of contests develop entrepreneurial skills. Dos Santos and Spann (2011) , on the other hand, specifically address the challenge of fostering corporate entrepreneurship first through idea management and later by organizing contests. Writing about the of entrepreneurship skills and inclinations at Qualcomm, they argue, A coherent collective entrepreneurship program attempts motivate and enable employees act as entrepreneurs, uses collective intelligence source and select . . . ideas, and promote their development ( Dos Santos and Spann 2011 , 444). competition called QVF was central Qualcomm's entrepreneurship program.Dutch research and technology organization (RTO) Deltares, created in 2008 from the merger of four smaller organizations, sought a way identify opportunities and build coherence in the company. …