Foundation Degree Essay: Idea Generation and Innovation in Enterprise

This essay, written for a Foundation Degree in Business and Management, explores the critical role of idea generation in innovation and enterprise. It begins by defining idea generation as the creation and communication of ideas, positioning it as the initial step in the innovation process. The essay examines the significance of ideas, arguing that they are essential for organizational improvements and staying relevant in the market. It then discusses various tools and techniques for generating ideas, including idea challenges, the SCAMPER technique, and brainstorm cards. The essay also emphasizes the importance of managing ideas effectively using idea management tools. Furthermore, it highlights crucial aspects to consider before generating ideas, such as problem definition, involving the right individuals, and setting constraints to ensure productive outcomes. By referencing academic sources, the essay justifies the importance of idea generation and supports its arguments, concluding with a clear stand on the topic.

Innovation and
Enterprise

Table of Contents
“Idea generation is described as the process of creating, developing and communicating abstract,
concrete or visual ideas. It’s the front end part of the idea management funnel and it focuses on
coming up with possible solutions to perceived or actual problems and opportunities.”................1
Essay................................................................................................................................................1
References........................................................................................................................................4

“Idea generation is described as the process of creating, developing and
communicating abstract, concrete or visual ideas. It’s the front end part of
the idea management funnel and it focuses on coming up with possible
solutions to perceived or actual problems and opportunities.”
Essay
Idea is considered as key towards innovation, in case if there is absence of idea then there
will be nothing that can be implemented. The reason behind this is that execution is taken as
essential asset to learning as well as necessity for new ideas for having central improvisations
(Brym, 2019). According to statement, idea is initial step that is involved within devising
improvisations. With reference to company, it might be said that generating as well as collecting
idea through employees is effectual way for uncovering tactics along with creative knowledge.
The capability and development of new ideas aids business entity within staying relevant and
implement affirmative alterations within organisation. Irrespective of firm’s objectives and goals,
primary intent for having new idea is to have improvements in the way operations are being
conducted. Economy is dependent on innovation through which growth along with development
can be derived in. Innovation leads to create new ventures and technologies that render wide
range of employment opportunities to folks. Thus, innovation is not only about idea but both
these terms bind each other.
Various tools and techniques are there that are being utilised by organisation to generate
ideas. They are illustrated in this section, idea challenge implies a form of innovation in which
issues or opportunity is raised for having creative elucidation. The rationale behind this is that it
will lead to participation within generation and ideation of ideas that involves pre defined themes
for peculiar time frame. Goals have to be clearly defined but there are some challenges, problem
and solution centric (Bourke, Roper and Love, 2020). The attainment of outcome with respect to
idea challenge needs to be ensured by making use of parameters like themes, time, channel, etc.
1

SCAMPER technique, implies a method that is utilised widely for creative thinking
along with problem solving. It is a holistic way associated with critical thinking for modification
of existent idea, procedures or concept. The rationale behind usage of this technique is to bring in
adjustments within prevailing concepts for finding out best solution (Gama, 2019). SCAMPER
illustrates 7 actions for replacing a section in procedure.
Brainstorm cards, is essential tool which is being formulated by Board of Innovation
that comes with wide range of new ideas in context of challenges that are worked on. This tool is
liable for rendering assistance for external factors such as societal trends, technology, etc. It
tends to assist generation of various ideas with minimised efforts.
2

The different tools have been illustrated above for generation of ideas but it is essential to
manage them. Generation of idea is considered as easy task but their gathering along with
management is haywire when adequate tool is not used. A firm makes use of various digital or
physical notebooks for doodling idea. This cannot be regarded as relevant when it have to be
shared. To deal with such issues organisations opt for Idea Management Tool that acts as
backbone for procedure of idea management. It implies a system in which idea is being
composed, conversed, prioritised and evolution is monitored.
Prior to engagement of individuals within usage of above specified tools for generating
ideas, some aspects must be considered by firm as they will furnish relevant assistance in having
effectual outcomes. Problem defining, more precisely firm is able to illustrate current problem
then probability of having sound ideas gets enhanced. Before initialisation, relevant or maximum
data associated with issue has to be furnished for reaching to its core (Knight and et. al., 2019).
Involving appropriate individuals, it is crucial for indulging right individuals for making
ideation process more productive as much as it is possible. Only those personnel must be
indulged who possess knowledge related with issue as well as have adequate interest within
brining change in organisation. Setting constraints, interaction of idea will have an affirmative
impact on creativity of team; therefore, it is crucial for making sure that goals which are being
formulated are ambitious and peculiar. But in case, these constraints are absent then personnel in
firm will come up with ideas which are not appropriate or may not be profitable for longer run
within the marketplace. Though, individuals are needed to make broad use of their imagination
for coming up with preferred results.
From above discussion, the statement illustrated is justified along with this; there is a
aforementioned stand that favors it adequately.
3

References
Books and Journals
Brym, R. J., 2019. The innovation of ideation and ideology: an analytical framework and
application to the cases of Sabbateanism and Zionism (Doctoral dissertation).
Gama, F., 2019. Managing collaborative ideation: the role of formal and informal appropriability
mechanisms. International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, 15(1), pp.97-
118.
Knight, J. and et. al., 2019. Design Thinking for Innovation. Stress Testing Human Factors in
Ideation Sessions. The Design Journal, 22(sup1), pp.1929-1939.
Bourke, J., Roper, S. and Love, J. H., 2020. Innovation in legal services: The practices that
influence ideation and codification activities. Journal of Business Research, 109, pp.132-
147.
4