Innovating in Circles A Qualitative Analysis on Cycles of IT Feature Recombinations for Performative and Creative Outcomes

Abstract

Innovations do not emerge in isolation but are at least to some extent recombinations of previously existing building blocks. In this paper, we will build on the recombination processes feature set broadening and deepening to show how individuals innovate with IT. In our understanding, the out-comes of innovative use can be performative (improving existing task performance) or creative (leading to new deliverables). We build on a longitudinal case of stresstracking initially designed to improve meditation, but ultimately increasing work productivity by using the meditation tool in an innovative way. Using a theoretically grounded analysis framework, we were able to derive eight propositions on the attainment of performative and creative outcome of innovative IT use. We postulate that innovation only occurs through repeating cycles of recombination processes. Particularly, we propose that it is instrumental to run through a phase that does not benefit any task-related outcomes to trigger true creative outcomes.