This essay explains how firms can manage innovation and discusses organisational characteristics that facilitate innovation.
Table of Contents
1. Innovation Management
2. Manageability of Innovation
2.1 Technology Push Model
2.2 Market Pull Model
2.3 Cyclic Innovation Model (CIM)
3. Organisational Characteristics Facilitating Innovation
3.1 Cross-functional Cooperation and Coordination
3.2 Risk Acceptance
3.3 Receptivity and Open Innovation
Objectives and Key Themes
This coursework aims to explain the fundamental manageability of the innovation process within firms and discusses the essential organisational characteristics that facilitate successful innovative outcomes. The central research focus lies on how companies can transition from linear models to more integrated, cyclic frameworks to stay competitive in technologically advancing markets.
- The evolution of innovation models from technology push and market pull to the Cyclic Innovation Model (CIM).
- The critical role of organisational structure, specifically the shift from mechanistic to organic models.
- The integration of cross-functional cooperation to improve information flow and reduce departmental friction.
- The impact of risk management and acceptance on the ability to seize new business opportunities.
- The strategic significance of receptivity and dynamic capabilities in an open innovation environment.
Excerpt from the Book
The Cyclic Innovation Model (CIM)
Both models are used as strategic tools, however it is controversially discussed whether the opportunity for new products solely arises from developments in technology or customer needs (Ortt & van der Duin, 2008). Instead, a conceptual framework is required (Brem & Voigt, 2008). The Cyclic Innovation Model (CIM) illustrates the cyclic nature of open innovation and combines hard and soft sciences (Figure 2). The four principal nodes, technological research, product creation, market transition and scientific exploitation, are closely intertwined and their synergy leads to successful innovation (Trott, Hartmann, Scholten, van der Duin, & Ortt, 2015). New ideas can start at every point of the cycle (Trott, Berkhout, & Hartmann, 2010). Furthermore, the framework highlights the “cross-disciplinary view of change processes” (Trott, 2017, p. 33). The entrepreneur, in the centre of the model, seizes opportunities evolving of these processes to drive innovation (Trott et al., 2010). The establishment of a dynamic network environment, linking social and behavioural science to engineering and market goals to natural and life sciences, can contribute to an effective innovation management (Berkhout, Hartmann, van der Duin, & Ortt, 2006). That the CIM facilitates innovation management can even be discovered in low technology industries like the packaging industry (Ford, Trott, Simms & Hartmann, 2014).
Summary of Chapters
1. Innovation Management: This introductory chapter defines innovation as a multi-stage management process and emphasizes the necessity of managing innovation due to accelerating technological and market changes.
2. Manageability of Innovation: This chapter analyzes historical and contemporary models of innovation, contrasting linear approaches like technology push and market pull with the integrated Cyclic Innovation Model (CIM).
3. Organisational Characteristics Facilitating Innovation: This chapter discusses how internal corporate structures, risk-taking behaviors, and receptivity to external knowledge act as key catalysts for successful innovation processes.
Keywords
Innovation Management, Cyclic Innovation Model, Technology Push, Market Pull, Organisational Structure, Cross-functional Cooperation, Risk Acceptance, Open Innovation, Dynamic Capabilities, Receptivity, Market Responsiveness, Strategic Management
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this coursework?
The coursework focuses on how firms can effectively manage innovation processes and identifies the specific organizational characteristics that foster innovative success.
What are the primary themes discussed in the paper?
Key themes include innovation models (technology push, market pull, and CIM), organizational structures, the role of risk management, and the concept of open innovation.
What is the central research question?
The paper seeks to explain the manageability of innovation and explores which organizational characteristics are required to facilitate and support sustainable innovation.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The research is based on a synthesis of existing literature, reviewing academic management models and real-world industrial case studies to analyze innovation drivers.
What topics are covered in the main section?
The main section covers the evolution of innovation models, the structural differences between organic and mechanistic organizations, and the necessity of balancing risk with opportunity.
Which keywords define this work?
The work is defined by terms such as Innovation Management, Cyclic Innovation Model, Open Innovation, and Organizational Structure.
How does the Cyclic Innovation Model (CIM) differ from linear models?
Unlike linear models, the CIM emphasizes a cross-disciplinary, cyclic interaction between technology and market needs, suggesting that innovation can begin at any stage of the cycle.
What is the impact of organizational structure on innovation?
The paper suggests that organic structures, which prioritize open communication and reduced hierarchy, are significantly better at encouraging information flow and accelerating innovation compared to rigid, mechanistic structures.
- Quote paper
- Vivien Barth (Author), 2019, Innovation Management. An explanation of the manageability of innovation and a discussion about the organisational characteristics that facilitate innovation, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/491421
