Marketing

Ideation

World Wide Web

Process (computing)

Engineering

Public relations

Funnel

Work in process

Operating system

Computer science

Social innovation

Business

Cognitive science

Mechanical engineering

Psychology

Innovation process

Open innovation

Social media

Political science

Knowledge management

Stakeholder

Commercialization

California Management Review

Despite the exponential rise of social media use in external stakeholder engagement, academic research and managerial practice have paid little attention to how it can be used for open innovation across the entire innovation funnel, spanning ideation, R&amp;D, and commercialization. As a result, there is little understanding of how companies can organize for and implement social media for open innovation. Utilizing a multiple case study design, this article examines its application across the entire innovation process. It proposes a range of organizational and technological adaptations that managers can implement to ensure they realize the innovative benefits of social media application.

Social Media: A Tool for Open Innovation