Beyond  Funnel and  Fireworks':  Water Ribbed Balloon as a New Metaphorical Approach to Innovation-in-Practice

Product innovation success has very much to do with the development of models or metaphors that are able to guide actors. One can observe two traditions in this regard: rational and non-rational models. Apparently in the former the model، such as “development funnel”، is regarded as a mechanism and rigid applicable، picturing innovation as an orderly، goal-oriented، value-neutral، and systematic process. The latter account offers a few non-rational models that depict product innovation as chaotic، messy، and stressful which involves jagged lines of activity، much like “fireworks”. This paper draws on the work of Donald Schön to develop a more socio-politically informed yet pragmatic approach to innovation in organisation i. e. ‘ribbed water balloon’. This model outlines product innovation as a non-rational and socio-technical practice، one that not only reveals politics، uncertainty، unsteadiness، setbacks، and reversals with which actors grapple but also considers rituals، norms and organization’s behavioral world in its understanding.