Innovation in Organizations
The success and milestones achieved by most organizations today are highly dependent on the nature of technological advancement in its possession. Technology and innovation, therefore, essentially seem to be the determinant of success in most organizations today, innovation would somehow break or make an organization. According to Timmerman., et al (2014), most organizations have realized the need to foster innovation among their employees since it turns out to be to their own benefit. The end goal of innovation in organizations is to keep up the pace with the ever-changing world ensuring effectiveness and efficiency which in turn would steer such organizations to achieve a competitive edge in the global world of business. Because of the end goal of competitive advantage, it is essentially recommendable that organizational stakeholders foster a culture of being creative in their employees both at an individual level and at a team level.
According to Sernack (2016), organizations that embrace opportunities for change through innovation in the volatile and highly uncertain business environments, are not only likely to survive the harsh business environments but also are tipped to compete favorably and flourish even at the verge of fluctuating and harsh business and economic times. Furthermore, such organizations would benefit from their pursuit of innovation as a systematic, strategic and a human-centered shift for engaging an innovative routine and culture in their underlying business lines.
Also notable is that innovation in organizations come in different dimensions. Fenwick (2003) identifies three dimensions of innovative learning; level, rhythm, and magnitude. Level dimension is more concerned with whether the innovation in mind is at an individual level, group or organization. Rhythm on the other hand is more of whether the innovation process is episodic or continuous and finally, magnitude level innovation encompasses innovation that is either adaptive or generative.
What then constitutes an innovation in an organizational point of view? Selwyn et al., (1967) in their journal article on the Innovative Organization define innovation as a procedure that pursues invention but distinct from an invention by time and location. In their definition, Selwyn and company identify that innovation that takes place inside an organization for instance in the research department is not likely to put in use by that same organization or at the same time the invention takes place but rather, at a later time, the organization or a different one altogether may implement the first use of that particular invention. In this context, therefore, the first user or implementer of the innovation becomes the inventor. Further, Selwyn et al., (1967) also assert that innovation does not necessarily need to occur in an organization but rather an individual initiative.
The Importance of Innovation in Today’s Competitive Business Environment
Importance of Innovation in today’s competitive business environment
Most successful organizations in business today have mastered the art of innovation and uses it to turn the tables as far as competitive advantage is concerned. Boston Consulting Group’s research on “Innovation in 2014” note in their findings that most organizations admit focusing on innovation as their topmost priorities in 2014 than it was in 2013. Further, the report indicates that gaining of competitive advantage in the business market and long-term advantage over competitors is the most driving factors to embrace innovation. Christian (2015) identifies that the organizations that embrace innovation as a culture in their daily operations are those that have a culture of risk taking, ready and willing to experiment, embrace personal initiative, ready to make decisions and execute, keen eye of identifying and taking opportunities that are readily available and finally take the initiative to innovate.
BCG lists Apple as one organization that tops in the world of innovation as a business culture. Christian further notes that culture of an organization directs and has the power to reward particular traits and behaviors in line with organizational values. Apple consistently maneuvers its ways in capturing a big base of customers due to the implementation of different approaches. First, Apple concentrated on the diversification of its business portfolio. It designs defined products to suit various customer needs and demands which sees it edge out its main rivals and competitors. A range of products under Apple that exist in the technological market including but not limited to; computers, iPad tablets, music artifacts such as iPod, mobile telephones and the famous App Store (Thomke & Feinberg, 2012).
Apple has also edged out its main rivals in the technological business due to its consistency. Every now and again, it makes radical innovations that bring something new and captivating out of a product that people are used to. Thomke & Feinberg note that an Apple II of 1978 would likely have the same but more advanced features with similar functionality compared to iPhone of today. This consistency in product design that suits customer requirements irrespective of the time span has made the operation of Apple products very easy for its customers.
Thirdly, as noted by Thomke & Feinberg, Apple uses clever and strategic moves in market timing. Market timing refers to the practice of buying and trading securities based on the market trends, economic trends, corporate information and other associated market factors. Apple employs this strategy in which it analyses and understands the customers’ needs in terms of usability of a certain product and their desire to have better products out of the existing one. In so doing, it has a better understanding of the market demands and develops products with features that satisfy such customer demands.
Dimension of Innovation in Organizational Point of View
Designing new business models is another approach used by Apple that has enabled it to stays put in the technological market. For example, Thomke & Feinberg assert that despite the move by Apple’s competitors to stay away from venturing in new business models but instead focus on direct sales, Apple took this opportunity to analyze risks in experimental designs of new business models by defying conventional business logic to embrace the establishment of retail stores as opposed to direct sales and distribution models.
McKinsey (2008) asserts that innovation changes with time, the use of a particular technology in a business environment is limited to space and time. Most organizations according to McKinsey (2008) consider innovative leadership as the main driver of growth and development in such organizations. In the case study of Apple company, innovation is driven by the type leadership styles practiced by the top management and the leadership legacy of the founders. For instance, Steve Jobs had immense contribution to the growth of Apple as a technology company. Despite considered an autocratic leader who was central to the company’s decision-making process as regards innovation, his leadership style is considered to have largely contributed to Apple’s innovative ideas and implementations.
Alongside Steve Jobs, there was Tim Cook who also contributed greatly to Apple’s success. Upon Steve Job’s return to Apple in 1997, he worked alongside Apple’s chief operation manager Tim Cook, who had worked initially at IBM and Compaq and is currently Apple’s CEO. Tim Cook was assigned to clean up Apple’s unpleasant manufacturing, distribution, and supply processes. Tim Cook is considered as a democratic leader who departs from Steve Job’s autocratic leadership style. He has displayed strong leadership characteristics by encouraging participatory leadership in which he involves corporation among elite Apple employees which have enhanced Apple’s growth and goodwill between the industry, customers and its employees who are also highly motivated and encouraged. Tim Cook encourages specialization in different sectors of Apple as opposed to Steve Jobs who was centered on doing almost everything through his autocracy.
Globalization according to MSG (no date) refers to the free entry of goods, services, and people across the world in a less controlled yet integrated manner. Globalization fosters innovation by organizations with the pursuit of efficiency and effectiveness in business operations. Gorodnichenko (2008) asserts that despite the fact that globalization can be counterproductive for innovation, it enables easy access to supplies and opening up of new markets that in turn fosters innovation. Kuepper (2018) agrees that globalization greatly benefits world economies by making markets more efficient, spreads the wealth, encouraging competition and minimizing conflicts.
Creating a Culture of Innovation
In an organization’s perspective, innovation is key to their growth and development. According to Lumen (no date), employees should be encouraged to be innovative because innovative employees increase productivity. Apple, for instance, has produced products through their innovation department that have changed the world of business tremendously. The iMac is considered one desktop innovation that has made it easy for business transaction in organizations that handle large data due to high performance processors which minimizes the costs of recurrent replacement of computers due to processor fails, high bandwidth connectivity that minimizes expenditure on data connectivity in organizational environment and ample storage for organization’s large data.
Secondly, business connectivity in organizations has remained easy and reliable due to technological advancement. In the case study for Apple, the App Store remains an invention that has really impacted business today. Employees at an organization have the ability to connect using various applications available at the Apple’s App Store. Apple At Work (no date) identifies that with the available applications on the App Store, employees will always stay connected, share ideas and do more constructively.
Thirdly Apple’s iPhone is widely known for their computer as operation interface. According to CNBC’s website, iPhone is considered a micro-computer that has to change the world of business in more admirable ways than ever. iPhone is used by businesses for advertisement of their businesses, entertainment of employees through music at a workplace and other logistical assistance.
It does not go without mention Apple’s computer Operating System which is described as an operating system that does it best when it comes to computer-based operating systems. Gruman (2017) describes Mac OS as a system that remains the leader in usability but reliable in malware detection and data detectors that actually work, thus making it easy and reliable for organization’s data storage and safety of data.
What organizations can do to manage innovation and change effectively
According to Chron (no date), an effective management of a change in an organization is critical to the organizational growth and development. To manage change and innovation in an organization, therefore, a series of steps need to be applied to ensure optimal operations. First, the organization needs to accept that a change has occurred and communicate effectively to the employees. It is important to set expectations that the employees are able to put up with rather than having changes that will slow down morale and ease of employee operations.
Apple: A Case Study of Innovation as a Business Culture
Secondly, it is necessary to source for input from your dynamic staff. Chron (no date) notes that employees rarely oppose ideas, but rather oppose those ideas they do not participate in formulating. Involving all employees in decision making inculcates the sense of belonging and makes them appreciate any change that is due to the organization.
Thirdly, it is vital that employees be provided with sufficient training in different areas in line with the appropriate invention. It is important to assess skill-set and knowledge of the employees to determine their preparedness to the foreseen change, if realized to be requiring weak in any area, then it would be necessary to train them in order to be competitive for the new change.
It is also sensible to accept and recognize that failure is bound to occur in line with a new change in an organizational setting. Managers should, therefore, be ready for any failure that is associated with the change that comes with the innovation and accepts because acceptance and appreciation of failure send a positive message across.
Change may come with challenges that would impact heavily the staff and more importantly the entire organization’s operations. Organizations should, therefore, be very vigilant in remaining open to an alert in analyzing the impact of the change to every single staff in the organization. A two-way feedback approach should, therefore, be implemented which in turn fosters an environment of trust, harmony, and belief.
Courtney (2016) suggests that it is important to an organization when introducing a change to stay clear in defining the intended change and aligning the change to the achievement of the organizational goals. Further, Courtney asserts that it is vital to differentiate between initializing a change in an organization and defining how that change will impact the objectives of the business preferably how it aligns the business in the right direction.
Courtney also identifies the need to identify and develop a communications’ strategy to lay the change information to the staff that would bring them on board as the change is effected either to an individual or a group in the organization. It is important to as the questions; How will the change be communicated? And How will feedback be managed?
Finally, Courtney suggests the need for organizations to come up with a support structure for employees who may be adversely affected by the innovation and change within the organization. Changing a system or way of doing things in an organization is likely to affect the employees emotionally and practically, therefore it is necessary to help the employees adjust to the new ways so as to build efficiency in administering the new system. It is also necessary that an organization undertakes an evaluation of the business and determine performance in regards to the change which will enable the organization to know the impact of the innovation and change in the organizational setting.
The completion of the module on the contemporary issues in business and management as part of my academic requirement has been instrumental in my participation in challenging and highly motivating research procedure. In my personal reflection, therefore, I will focus on my learning and interaction process with the module and the tutor, how it has developed my research and analytical skills and the plans for the future development of research skills that will steer me to be a better researcher.
The tutoring process entailed a lot of interaction between the tutor and myself which critically contributed to my clear understanding of the module. I had a chance of meeting with my tutor most often which came with technical and practical aid from my tutor in regards to my work. We focused on clarifications of our objectives and expectations from the research perspective with a clear concentration on an approach to the research and the identification of the research questions and objectives.
After completion of the introductory and information gathering topics, I received feedback on these topics and adjusted where necessary. I later concentrated in data analysis and presentation in line with the project. I focused attention later on fine-tuning the draft and produced the final draft of the research. I realized that my tutor’s pieces of advice on research process very critical in producing a research material that has depth and addresses a particular concern. The tutoring process also became very productive, informative, motivational because I have developed greatly my research skills, writing research reports and getting knowledge of doing similar studies sometime in the future.
The research questions answered were as a result of secondary data obtained through readings and application of a methodology process. The research question was answered by a careful analysis of the secondary data used and their sources and applying different methodological methods. I also took time during the tutoring process to discuss and address these issues with my tutor. Most of the secondary data used in the research included and not limited to online and published information, online journals, annual reports of companies, information on company profiles and websites.
Therefore, I have satisfactorily answered the research questions using the secondary data sources that are reliable using the relevant methodology and analytical tools and discussing the research findings adequately. In the discussion, analytical tools such as PESTEL and SWOT analyses have been referred.
I have also demonstrated understanding, put into practice my interpersonal skills and communication skills at various stages of this module and in formulating my research report and preparation for a presentation on the same. My listening skill was put to task at the time of tutoring which proved very important in the understanding of the important information given by my tutor during classes which I have put into practice during my researching activity. The use of my interpersonal skills has also been vital in different stages of the researching process enabling me to clearly understand the sources of data to use and analyze to produce a piece of relevant information. My communication skills have been very key in information search, formulating the report, analysis and giving recommendations.
The module and the research process has also been very important in my understanding of contemporary businesses and issues that affect businesses in the contemporary world. It has boosted my competence in matters business and professional development. I can say I have grown in different parameters, thanks to this module and the tutoring staff.
This module has been very beneficial in my research orientation in a number of ways; First, it has improved my interest in studying research related studies and I feel highly motivated to make plans for my future profession. In this, I give it up for my tutors who did all they could to ensure that I do not only understand the module and the research process but also being physically involved in ensuring this dream come true.
Secondly, I have grown and developed self-confidence in the manner in which I carry myself out, planning myself for tasks and ensuring that I complete my work on time. I have also developed the confidence to face challenging tasks, do research and present the thoughts in my own language. The ability to present my findings to my colleagues and tutors has also motivated me to remain focused on doing such a presentation to real business setting someday.
Last but not least, the module and the research process has really improved my time management skills since each had a time frame for completing each task. Since I managed to do these at the required time, I have come to grow in terms of time management doing my things at the right time and being punctual in reports of any task assigned to me or those that I have in my to-do list.
Reference List
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