HENRA MAYER THE WAY WE MANAGE INNOVATION: A SOUTH AFRICAN PERSPECTIVE
T
he importance of innovation for organisational sustainability is not new. The conversation on Organisational Innovation Management (OIM) now focuses on how to successfully address innovation imperatives and which approaches to adopt to make innovation work.
Whether you believe innovation should be cultivated by means of an open, less rigid management approach that allows innovation to grow like a garden (that is, allow it to grow naturally and provide the fertile environment) or you believe innovation should be managed like a machine (providing mechanisms to ensure outcomes and actions) – the truth probably lies somewhere in between. It is this truth, in the South African context that we do not know enough about.
In the light of this, Innocentrix in collaboration
with Digital Bridges conducted a poll on South African organisational innovation management approaches. This article reflects a summary of our findings.
Definitions of Organisational Innovation Management (OIM) are plentiful. In an attempt to provide a context for the results portrayed here, we cite the definitions provided by Wong & Chin (2007) in terms of organisational innovation as well as organisational innovation management (OIM). Please see footnote below for definitions1
. We recognise that successful innovation
management involves more than the development of managerial approaches towards innovation and that new ideas only become innovation once they are successfully implemented and add value to the market. But exactly how are South African organisations achieving this in the way they manage innovation?
86 Management Today | September 2012
Yeess No
No Purpose and Content
The intention of the innovation poll was to get an impression of the type of innovation management practises adopted in South Africa. We investigated innovation management approaches and structures, innovation measurement and methods of demonstrating innovation value, type of innovation focus and important elements for innovation success in the organisational environment. We also posed general questions around innovation enablers and challenges and solicited responses on the distinguishing factors between successful and unsuccessful organisations.
The results are not presented here as formal academic research, nor is it viewed as conclusive or elaborative on the topic. It does, however, provide useful insights and a better understanding of domestic innovation management practises, as reflected by the opinions of senior innovation leaders in some of South Africa’s most respected organisations.
Do you view your organisation as innovative?
Figure 1: Opinions of an innovative organisation in SA The Innovation Journal
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