Paper Number
ECIS2026-1283
Paper Type
CRP
Abstract
As Generative AI (GenAI) increasingly finds its way into organizational innovation practices we see new patterns emerging. Drawing on a case study at a Fortune Global 500 technology company, we reveal the case of “GenAI scaffolding”. We find that GenAI offers temporary, adaptive support structures that enable practitioners to undertake complex tasks while progressively building new capabilities, much like physical scaffolding supports workers during construction. Through this scaffolding mechanism, AI does not merely assist, but it fundamentally reconfigures innovation practices. Using a practice lens, we show how GenAI scaffolding reconfigures the content, temporal patterns, and generative mechanisms of innovation work. These reconfigurations unfold through four interrelated processes: Rapid Structuring, Iterative Refinement, Parallel Exploration, Contextual Adaptation. They generate transformative effects such as cognitive offloading, progressive elaboration, and boundary expansion. We suggest scaffolding as a theoretical organizing concept for understanding how humans collaborate with GenAI and provide design implications for GenAI-enabled innovation.
Recommended Citation
Zheng, Jingyu; Richter, Alexander; and Hong, Yvonne, "From Blank Page To Blueprint: Generative AI Scaffolding In Innovation Work" (2026). ECIS 2026 Proceedings. 2.
https://aisel.aisnet.org/ecis2026/genai/genai/2
From Blank Page To Blueprint: Generative AI Scaffolding In Innovation Work
As Generative AI (GenAI) increasingly finds its way into organizational innovation practices we see new patterns emerging. Drawing on a case study at a Fortune Global 500 technology company, we reveal the case of “GenAI scaffolding”. We find that GenAI offers temporary, adaptive support structures that enable practitioners to undertake complex tasks while progressively building new capabilities, much like physical scaffolding supports workers during construction. Through this scaffolding mechanism, AI does not merely assist, but it fundamentally reconfigures innovation practices. Using a practice lens, we show how GenAI scaffolding reconfigures the content, temporal patterns, and generative mechanisms of innovation work. These reconfigurations unfold through four interrelated processes: Rapid Structuring, Iterative Refinement, Parallel Exploration, Contextual Adaptation. They generate transformative effects such as cognitive offloading, progressive elaboration, and boundary expansion. We suggest scaffolding as a theoretical organizing concept for understanding how humans collaborate with GenAI and provide design implications for GenAI-enabled innovation.
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