For this paper, they are 4 main points to address , the writer must pay close attention and give clear responses to all the questions ask, using examples and personal experiences where require. APA 6th edition must also be use for the entire paper. the response to the 4 points must be clearly shown in the paper.
Innovation and Change
Modern businesses operate in a challenging environment with rapid economic, political, and technological changes. Organizations must be able to manage innovation to thrive and also adapt quickly to unexpected shifts in markets. Respond to the following questions by drawing on all you have learned in your reading and research this week.
• What are the hallmarks of strategic innovation?
• How important are organizational features in encouraging or stifling innovation? You should present evidence for your views drawn from research and practical experience.
• How useful is linkage analysis in helping managers to visualize change processes and overcome barriers to organizational improvement?
• How would you apply this kind of analysis to problems in a traditionally organized company wishing to promote innovation and become customer-focused?
Resources
Articles
• Phillips, W., Noke, H., Bessant, J., & Lamming, R. (2006). Beyond the steady state: Managing discontinuous product and process innovation. International Journal of Innovation Management, 10(2). Retrieved from Business Source Premier database.
This article argues that in a world of rapid change and technological revolution companies must deal proactively with the challenge of discontinuity.
• Kontoghiorghes, C., Awbre, S. M., & Feurig, P. L. (2005). Examining the relationship between learning organization characteristics and change adaptation, innovation, and organizational performance. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 16(2). Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global database.
This article suggests that the structural, cultural, and information systems of a learning organization determines its success with adaptation to change, quick product or service introduction, and bottom-line organizational performance.
Organizational change that produces results: The linkage approach. Academy of Management Executive, 18(3) by Goodman, P. S., & Rousseau, D. M. Copyright 2004 by ACADEMY OF MANAGEMENT (NY). Reprinted by permission of THE ACADEMY via the Copyright Clearance Center.
Goodman and Rousseau show how linkage analysis can help managers visualize the complex process of change and how this affects the organization’s performance.
Web Sites
• Bordia, R., Kronenberg, E., & Neely, D. (2005). Innovation’s OrgDNA. Retrieved from http://www.booz.com/media/uploads/Innovations_OrgDNA.pdf
This document deals with the influence of organizational DNA on innovation performance.
Zoghi, C., Mohr, R. D., & Meyer, P. B. (2007). Workplace Organization and Innovation. Retrieved from http://www.bls.gov/osmr/pdf/ec070040.pdf
This U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics working paper tests whether particular organizational structures are correlated with the likelihood of adopting process and product innovations.
SAMPLE ANSWER
What are the hallmarks of strategic innovation?
It is the desire of every organization to be in-charge of the changes that happed within and without it. However, only a small minority are able to manage this process. Most businesses will spend their energies responding to changes in the environment –trying to fit. However the modern business will anticipate change and thus innovate. To others, it will seem as if the organization is the one orchestrating change.
For a business, strategic innovation constitutes a process that has as its hallmarks. Strategic innovation entails an innovation process that is managed to attain sustainability. Strategic innovation encompasses the aspired future as can be attain within the realm of possibility (Zoghi, Mohr & Meyer, 2007). Within the process, a coming together is achieved between all stakeholders – alignment. It takes a top-down look to best appreciate the dynamic environment that the innovation has to operate (Zoghi, Mohr & Meyer, 2007).
The innovation becomes strategic if it is also able to consider the feedback from consumers – bottom-up look. It employs the latest technologies and is designed to take advantage of all competencies within the organization (Zoghi, Mohr & Meyer, 2007). While it points to the businesses readiness by its ability to adopt, it will achieve strategic innovation if it implemented in a disciplined and effective manner. Thus the hallmarks of strategic innovation point to development and institutionalization of the cultural mindset of the process thus making it ultimately sustainable (Zoghi, Mohr & Meyer, 2007).
How important are organizational features in encouraging or stifling innovation? You should present evidence for your views drawn from research and practical experience.
The reason innovation thrives or is stifled has a lot to do the organization – how it is designed as much as how it is managed. More often than not, innovation entails going against the grain and trying out new things. When the new things do not work, someone has to bear the cost of the trial. It is in allocating the cost that the challenges arise (Bordia, Kronenberg & Neely, 2005).
In an organization that does not support innovations – allocate adequate resources to R&D, innovators will find it hard to operate. Even when they recommend simple suggestions that could work, they will find it hard to find similar minds that can help carry the idea forward. On the other hand, an organization that encourages innovation will avail an enabling environment all over – Google. How useful is linkage analysis in helping managers to visualize change processes and overcome barriers to organizational improvement?
It is important that any manager be able to plot, appraise and prevail over barriers that impede organizational growth. Ideally, it is expected that organizations should benefit from changes that it undertakes within its operational cycles. When the reverse is the case as is most common and then this becomes a paradox (Phillips, Noke, Bessant & Lamming, 2006).
This is the case since unlike the expected improvement or benefit; change has a tendency to upset the organization. It more often than not leaves the organizations worse off than before. Even when change is self propelled, the business will be changing a functioning operation and short-term reduction will be natural. How would you apply this kind of analysis to problems in a traditionally organized company wishing to promote innovation and become customer-focused?
Linkage analysis is viewed as different from traditional problem solving strategies since it is broader in approach and solution too. For innovation to thrive, the innovator needs to be able to understand the bigger picture (Goodman & Rousseau, 2004). An innovation is useful if it is able to seamlessly fit into the present without having to demand changes to the present.
When front-line staffs understand the whole picture, they are able to comfortable and comprehensively address consumer concerns while capturing actionable feedback which when shared is incorporated into the organization rapidly. Finally, linkage analysis enriches both the customer experience and encourages innovation.
References
Phillips, W., Noke, H., Bessant, J., & Lamming, R. (2006) Beyond the Steady State: Managing Discontinuous Product and Process Innovation, International Journal of InnovationManagement, Vol. 10, No. 2. Retrieved from Business Source Premier database.
Kontoghiorghes, C., Awbre, S. M., & Feurig, P. L. (2005) Examining the relationship between learning organization characteristics and change adaptation, innovation, and organizational performance, Human Resource Development Quarterly, Vol. 16, No. 2
Goodman, P. S., & Rousseau, D. M. (2004) Organizational Change that Produces Results: The linkage approach. Academy of Management Executive, Vol. 18, No. 3
