Framing problems in radical innovation

•The paper explores radical innovation through the lens of the framing challenges it poses for existing incumbents.•It discusses barriers and enabling routines associated with search, selection, and implementation processes in reframing.•Barriers are particularly associated with a ‘not invented here’ mindset reinforced by established innovation routines.•Creating alternative or complementary new routines requires experimentation especially in complex evolving environments.•New routines include temporary groups, web-enabled routines, user communities, and interactive prototyping.

The challenge of managing radical innovation is partly about dealing with higher levels of uncertainty as organisations seek to extend their exploration into new technological and market spaces. Innovation management routines for dealing with this differ from those around incremental innovation — the well-established exploit/explore dilemma. But it can be argued that there is a second challenge associated with radical innovation under conditions of discontinuity — when new elements in the environment need to be brought into the organisation's frame for search, selection and implementation. Under these conditions existing routines fail and otherwise successful incumbents experience significant difficulties. This paper explores the challenge of such radical innovation through the lens of the ways in which innovation activity is framed and contributes to the theme of this Special Issue through discussing barriers and enabling routines associated with the search, selection, and implementation processes within organisations.