Reframing Through New Minds: How External Experts Unlock Problem Reframing Through Reasoning Logics

Abstract

This study examines how external experts assist organizations in reframing problems by applying different reasoning logics in the early stages of the innovation process. Recent research emphasizes the need to interpret the ambiguity of the innovation environment to reframe problems. External experts can contribute by offering unconventional perspectives that help shift how problems are understood. While studies have explored the role of external experts in problem solving (e.g., ideation and evaluation), few have investigated their involvement in problem reframing. To this end, we conducted an ethnographic study of four strategic innovation projects in which firms collaborated with external experts of varying expertise. We analyze how experts assist innovation teams in moving from hypothetical to renewed frames using five distinct reasoning logics. Early on, experts use (1) reverse deduction and (2) reverse induction to identify common patterns. Upon encountering new perspectives, they rely on (3) explanatory abduction to explore alternative interpretations. This opens a dialogic space for imagination and insights generation through (4) speculative innovative abduction, and (5) moral innovative abduction. We contribute to research on problem reframing in innovation by showing how external experts support reframing not only by introducing new knowledge, but also by reshaping existing knowledge to foster renewed understanding.