The What, Who, When, Where, and How of Idea Assessment.

In contemporary innovation management literature there is limitedcomprehensive understanding regarding how different domains andfactors affect and bias early assessment of new product/service ideas.This paper aims at reviewing domains that previous research hasidentified affecting the evaluation of an idea and compiles them into aconceptual framework, and to test this framework among leading expertsand practitioners in the field of idea management. Empirical findings fromtwo workshops indicate that the identified domains in the framework areindeed relevant, but that additional aspect are highlighted and recognized by practitioners. We note that a proactive and deliberate approach to idea assessment needs to be carefully designed, attending to all factors in the presented framework in a comprehensive manner, while taking the organization's specific innovation needs and demands into account.