Technique 6.2 Eight Characteristics of Highly Innovative Organisations
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As highly innovative organisations are distinguished from less innovative organisations by the practices of senior management, respond the following statements with "yes" or "maybe" or "no":
1 Senior management is committed, financially and emotionally, to innovation, and promotes innovation through champions and advocates for innovation
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Yes |
Maybe |
No |
2 Senior management obtains realistic and accurate assessments of the potential markets. Highly innovative organisations are close to the end users/customers
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Yes |
Maybe |
No |
3 Senior management ensures that innovative projects get the necessary support from all levels of the organisation
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Yes |
Maybe |
No |
4 Senior management ensures that structured methodology/systems are set in place for careful screening prior to actual implementation of the innovation
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Yes |
Maybe |
No |
5 Senior management ensures an organic organisational structure
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Yes |
Maybe |
No |
6 Senior management relies more on personalised, intrinsic rewards, ie internal feeling of accomplishment and self-esteem, and less on extrinsic benefits, ie pay increases, bonuses, shares and stock options
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Yes |
Maybe |
No |
7 Senior management promotes the integration of socio-technical systems, such as equal emphasis on the technical and social side of the organization, to promote a sense of sharing and togetherness
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Yes |
Maybe |
No |
8 Senior management maintains a cushion of resources that allows the organisation to adapt to internal and external pressures
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Yes |
Maybe |
No |
A clear majority of "yes" answers means that senior management is creating an innovative organisation.
NB Senior management's most important role is to create and encourage the climate for innovation within an organisation
Some typical organisational barriers that discourage innovation are
Self-imposed barriers
Unwanted assumptions
One-correct-answer thinking
Failure to challenge the obvious
Pressure to conform
Fear of looking foolish
Mechanistic organisational structure
Too narrow focus of efforts
(source: Pervaiz Ahmed, 1998)
This diagram below shows the difference between innovation, automation and stagnation
(source: Dennis Hall, 2006a)