Process-based ideology of participative experimentation to foster identity-challenging innovations: The case of Gmail and AdSense

Abstract

Prior research has examined how organizational identity can enable and constrain innovations. A complementary literature has examined organizational ideology as the basis for actions driving identity-enhancing innovations. We examine how organizational ideology can serve as the basis for identity-challenging innovations through an in-depth study of the emergence of two innovations at Google—Gmail and AdSense. Findings from this study highlight a process-based ideology of participative experimentation. We explicate the constituent elements of this process-based ideology, and discuss its implications for research on innovation and identity.