2. Types of Innovation-Decisions
1. Optional innovation-decisions: choices are made
by an independent individual
2. Collective innovation-decisions: … by consensus
among the members of a system
3. Authority innovation-decision: … by a few powerful
individuals in a system
4. Contingent innovation-decisions: … only after a
prior innovation-decision
4. The Role of Champions
1. The presence of an innovation champion:
contributes to the success of an innovation in an
organization
2. The role: something like that of an opinion leader in
a community
3. The characteristics: innovation-minded, good at
people skills rather than power
5. The Innovation Process in an Org
Decision
Initiation Implementation
Agenda Redefining/
Matching Clarifying Routinizing
Setting Restructuring
6. The Innovation Process in an Org
1. Agenda-Setting: Organizational problems create a
perceived need for innovation. Sometimes the need
sets off the innovation, and sometimes knowledge
of an innovation creates a need for it.
2. Matching: Fitting an organizational problem with an
innovation.
7. The Innovation Process in an Org
3. Redefining/Restructuring: The innovation is re-
invented to fit the org, and organizational structures
are altered. Both the innovation and the org usually
change in the innovation process.
4. Clarifying: The relationship between the org and
the innovation is defined more clearly. The framing
of an innovation has important consequences.
8. The Innovation Process in an Org
5. Routinizing: The innovation becomes an ongoing
element in the org’s activities, which means
sustainability. Sustainability of the innovation is
related to (a) its degree of re-invention, (b) the fit
between the intervention and the org, and (c) the
involvement of a local champion.
9. Discussion Questions
1. Assuming you are writing an article about
diffusion of innovations in the organization,
could you describe its outline with a brief
introduction, research questions, methodology,
and so forth? (Actually the answer to this question
can be used for the fundamental of task 4.1.)
10. Discussion Questions
2. Could you provide several examples for each
type of innovation-decisions in the organization?
(Several examples for optional, collective, authority,
and contingent innovation-decisions respectively)
11. Discussion Questions
3. Do you happen to have any idea against or
different from the generalizations in this chapter,
not necessarily from the scientific standpoint
but from your intuition or specific experience?
If you do, please share your thought. (G1. Larger orgs
are more innovative. G3. The innovation champion contributes to the success
of an innovation in an org. G4. A performance gap can trigger the innovation
process in an org. G5. Both the innovation and the org usually change during
the innovation process.)
