1
. Organizational change is defined as the adoption of a new idea or behavior by an organization
The forces driving innovation ;
In
today's organizations, innovation (the
introduction of new ideas, products
processes, or technologies) and broader
change are driven by a combination of external
and internal forces
.
2
. Managers implement innovation strategies to adapt products (what the organization offers) and technologies (how it's produced or delivered)
. A common framework identifies three key strategies, often drawn from organizational innovation theory (e
.g
., as in Richard Daft's management models)
.
- Incremental Innovation Strategy
- Modular Innovation Strategy
- Architectural (or Radical) Innovation Strategy
3
. Creativity: This is the generation of
original ideas and novel solutions to
problems
. Its value lies in providing the
raw material for innovation
--without
creativity, organizations stagnate
. It
encourages divergent thinking, leading to
breakthroughs like new product features
or process efficiencies
. Managers value it
by creating environments that reward risk
-
taking and diverse perspectives, boosting
overall adaptability
◦ Idea Incubators: These are dedicated
spaces or programs (physical or virtual)
that shelter promising ideas from
bureaucratic hurdles, providing resources
like funding, mentoring, and time for
development
. Their value is in reducing
failure risk for early
-stage concepts
Horizontal Linkages: These refer to cross
-
functional collaborations across
departments (e
.g
., R&D with marketing or
operations)
. Their value is in breaking
silos, integrating diverse expertise, and
accelerating idea flow, which prevents
narrow thinking and ensures innovations
are practical and market
-aligned
. This
linkage enhances speed and quality, as
seen in agile teams at companies like
Spotify
.
◦ Open Innovation: This strategy involves
sourcing ideas from external ecosystems
(e
.g
., customers, suppliers, universities, or
crowdsourcing platforms) rather than
relying solely on internal R&D
. Its value Its value is
in expanding the idea pool, reducing
costs, and tapping global talent, making
innovation faster and more diverse,
Procter & Gamble's "Connect + Develop"
model exemplifies this, crowdsourcing
50% of its innovations externally
Idea Champions: These are passionate
individuals (often middle managers or
employees) who advocate for specific
ideas, navigating organizational politics
and securing resources
. Their value is in
overcoming resistance, building
momentum, and bridging the gap between
conception and implementation
.
Champions like Steve Jobs at Apple
turned visionary ideas into industry
standards through relentless promotion
New
-Venture Teams: These are small, autonomous cross
-functional teams tasked with developing and launching new products or ventures, often operating like startups within the organization
. Their value is in providing focused energy, rapid prototyping, and accountability, which speeds up innovation cycles and reduces large
-scale risks
. Examples include 3M's teams that birthed Post
-it Notes
.
4
. Changes in people (skills, attitudes, behaviors) and culture (shared values, norms, and beliefs) are foundational to any organizational change process because they directly influence how change is adopted and sustained
. While structural or technological changes (e
.g
., new software) are tangible, people and culture determine their effectiveness—without buy
-in, even the best plans fail
.
5
. Organization Development (OD): OD is a
planned, systematic, and ongoing process of
diagnosing, intervening in, and evaluating
organizational systems to improve
effectiveness, health, and adaptability
. It
focuses on behavioral science principles to
enhance culture, processes, and human
dynamics, often using action research (data
collection, feedback, and joint problem
-
solving)
. Key goals include improving
interpersonal relationships, problem
-solving
adaptability to change, and alignment between
strategy and execution
. OD interventions might
include team
-building workshops, leadership
coaching, or process consultations
. It's
practitioner
-led (e
.g
., by OD consultants) and
emphasizes employee involvement for
sustainable results