Managing innovation: when less is more

Article Abstract:

An analysis of many highly successful and "visionary" companies reveals the existence of corporate cultures that emphasize adherence to company goals and cohesiveness within the group. While such cultures can improve effort, morale, and productivity, they also tend to thwart innovation - limiting not only the expression of "original" ideas, but even their production. Research in social psychology suggests that flexibility to changing circumstances and innovation is better served by a "culture" that not only tolerates, but welcomes dissent and minority views. Such dissent - even when wrong - stimulates better decision making and innovation. Thus, the proper harnessing of dissent may provide a mechanism for creating unity without uniformity and for igniting the "spark" of innovation. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Corporate culture, Dissenters

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The new task of R&D management: creating goal-directed communities for innovation

Article Abstract:

How do firms manage research and development units to optimize their innovation capabilities? First, the most innovative R&D units function more like a goal-directed community than as a typical bureaucratic department. One of the major benefits of a goal-directed community is that it preserves individual creativity within the context of collective action. Second, there are several management practices that facilitate the creation of a goal-directed community. These are: creating balanced autonomy between the management and the researchers; relying much more heavily on intrinsic rewards than extrinsic rewards; building cohesive teams that preserve individuality; and assuring a continuous supply of slack resources. (Reprinted by permission of the publisher.)

Technological innovations

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Communities of creation: managing distributed innovation in turbulent markets

Article Abstract:

This article examines the methods for managing industrial research and technological innovations in an increasingly complex market environment. Topics discussed include managing communities of creation, corporate governance, collaboration between firms, and overseeing intellectual property.

Management-Creativity, Markets (Economics), Intellectual property, Business creativity

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