Implementation of Innovation Management Systems in Large Companies of Different Typologies

Abstract

Purpose – While established companies try to renew themselves and upgrade to innovation organizations through the implementation of innovation management systems, academic literature is scarce regarding how they actually do it and if different approaches are required in different firm typologies. The purpose of this paper is to fill this research gap by presenting a 10- step innovation management system that is proposed by the InoSuit project, and compare the actual implementation processes of this roadmap in large and mature organizations of different typologies. Design/methodology/approach – This paper employs an inductive action research approach which uses qualitative methods of data collection to produce a form of grounded theory that does not test formal research hypotheses but guides subsequent interventions in the organizations. Authors of this paper, as mentors and researchers, spent at least half a day every week for eleven months between October, 2017 and September 2018 in the focal companies, and did several individual interviews and groups meetings in an iterative process of planning, acting and observing of the processes and consequences of establishing an appropriate innovation management system in two large organizations. Findings – The results demonstrate that while the IMS roadmap proposed by the InoSuit project is a useful starting point, how it is actually being implemented is driven by company typology where bureaucrats run this system in a slow, cautious and centralized manner where action steps are planned in advance, incremental ideas are selected, and innovation projects are funded and implemented internally. Dynamic movers, on the other hand, implement the system much faster and in a decentralized way where employees at every level are empowered to make decisions in an iterative manner. Radical ideas are welcomed as well as incremental ideas and external cooperation is searched for both in funding and implementing the innovation projects. Discussion – Implementing an IMS is a complex task with company specific requirements. It was observed that different approaches were required in different companies. The paper discusses the observed implementation methods, associated enablers and challenges in a comparative manner and suggests direction for future research.