Innovation Management Chapter 4

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Questions and Answers

What type of firms benefit from specialist equipment suppliers?

Labor-intensive firms

Scale-intensive and science-based firms (correct)

Service-oriented firms

Capital-intensive firms

What do instrumentation manufacturers supply to the chemical and aerospace industries?

Specialist measuring instruments (correct)

Raw materials

Financial capital

Skilled labor

What did Burns and Stalker's (1961) study focus on?

The impact of technological change on organisational structures (correct)

The effects of market competition on firm performance

The importance of teamwork in organisations

The role of leadership in innovation

What type of organisational structure is characterised by the absence of formality and hierarchy?

Organic structure Signup and view all the answers

According to Burns and Stalker's study, which type of organisational structure supports innovation more effectively?

Organic structure Signup and view all the answers

Who raised objections against Burns and Stalker's argument?

Child (1973) Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of an organic organisation?

Loose control and open communication Signup and view all the answers

What is the title of the source used in Table 4.3?

Juggling entrepreneurial style and organizational structure Signup and view all the answers

What are the four major groups that innovation factors are classified into?

Firm-related, Project-related, Product-related, and Market-related factors Signup and view all the answers

What is essential for a firm's competitive success?

Good management of the innovation process Signup and view all the answers

What is the main challenge in measuring innovation process?

Diversity of approaches and practices Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of the framework developed by Adams et al. (2006)?

To identify areas for improvement in innovation management Signup and view all the answers

What is required for innovation to be successful?

A variety of competencies at key stages in the innovation cycle Signup and view all the answers

What does the framework in Table 4.1 provide?

A starting point for measuring innovation management Signup and view all the answers

What is the purpose of Table 4.2?

To describe the organizational characteristics that facilitate innovation Signup and view all the answers

Why is it important to understand the innovation management process?

To identify areas for improvement in innovation management Signup and view all the answers

Which company was considered the most innovative firm in the 1980s and 1990s?

3M Signup and view all the answers

What was the reason for Pilkington Glass's failure to follow up its technology development?

Poor management Signup and view all the answers

What was Apple's struggle in the late 1980s?

Product failures Signup and view all the answers

What did Coombs et al. identify in their 1998 study?

Three types of R&D projects Signup and view all the answers

What did Hidalgo and Albors identify in their 2008 study?

Innovation methodologies and tools Signup and view all the answers

What is necessary due to the diversity of firms and projects?

A diversity of solutions Signup and view all the answers

What is the nature of innovation management tools and techniques?

There are some principles of good practice Signup and view all the answers

What is illustrated in Table 4.5?

Innovation management tools and techniques Signup and view all the answers

What is a major contributor to the flow of information into a firm?

Extensive external linkages with the market, competitors, customers, suppliers and others Signup and view all the answers

What is a characteristic of innovative firms?

They exhibit patience in permitting ideas to germinate and develop over time Signup and view all the answers

What is necessary to attract good scientists to a firm?

A commitment to resources in terms of intellectual input from science, technology, and engineering Signup and view all the answers

What is the result of a climate that invests in technology development one year, then cuts investment the next?

It alienates the same people in which the company encourages creativity Signup and view all the answers

What is the relationship between R&D investment and a firm's total innovative output?

A firm that invests more in R&D will increase its total innovative output Signup and view all the answers

What does accepting risks mean in the context of innovation?

A willingness to consider carefully risky opportunities and make calculated risks Signup and view all the answers

What is a barrier to innovation?

Interdepartmental conflict Signup and view all the answers

What can happen when scientists and technologists are fascinated by new technology?

They are more likely to lose sight of the business objective Signup and view all the answers

What fundamental tension exists within virtually all organizations?

The need for stability and creativity Signup and view all the answers

What enables organizations to compete today?

Maintaining stability and static routines Signup and view all the answers

Why might banks need high levels of efficiency and control?

To process millions of cheques every day Signup and view all the answers

What is necessary for companies to be competitive in the future?

Developing new ideas and products Signup and view all the answers

What poses one of the most fundamental problems for management today?

Balancing the need for stability and creativity Signup and view all the answers

How do firms try to improve competitiveness while also providing slack for innovation?

Balancing activities to reduce costs and improve efficiency Signup and view all the answers

What does Figure 4.1 illustrate?

The tension between creativity and efficiency Signup and view all the answers

Why is the answer to the dilemma of balancing costs and innovation difficult?

It involves balancing diverse activities Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Firms and Specialist Equipment

Firms that require specialized, high-value equipment benefit most from specialist equipment suppliers.
Instrumentation manufacturers supply equipment to the chemical and aerospace industries.

Burns and Stalker (1961)

Burns and Stalker's 1961 study focused on the relationship between organizational structure and innovation.
Organic organizational structures, characterized by a lack of formality and hierarchy, were shown to support innovation more effectively than mechanistic structures.
Critics challenged Burns and Stalker's argument.
A characteristic of an organic organization is its adaptability and flexibility.

Innovation Factors and Frameworks

Table 4.3's title is not provided.
Innovation factors are classified into four major groups (the specific groups aren't named).
A firm's competitive success is intrinsically linked to effective innovation.
Measuring the innovation process is challenging due to its complexity and multifaceted nature.
Adams et al.'s (2006) framework's purpose is not specified.
Successful innovation requires a combination of factors (unspecified in the prompt).
The framework in Table 4.1 provides (the content of the table is not provided).
Table 4.2's purpose is not specified.
Understanding the innovation management process is crucial for effective business strategy.

Case Studies: Innovation Successes and Failures

Pilkington Glass was considered the most innovative firm in the 1980s and 1990s.
Pilkington Glass failed to fully capitalize on its technological advancements due to unspecified reasons.
Apple faced significant challenges in the late 1980s (nature of challenges unspecified).
Coombs et al.'s (1998) study identified (findings aren't detailed).
Hidalgo and Albors' (2008) study identified (findings aren't detailed).
A variety of tools and techniques are needed due to the diversity of firms and innovation projects.

Innovation Management: Tools, Climate, and Risks

Innovation management tools and techniques are diverse and context-specific.
Table 4.5 illustrates (table contents not provided).
A major contributor to a firm's information flow is not specified.
Innovative firms are characterized by (characteristics not specified).
Attracting good scientists requires (requirements not specified).
Inconsistent investment in technology development leads to instability and hinders long-term innovation.
The relationship between R&D investment and total innovative output is not described here.
Accepting risks is essential for pursuing potentially groundbreaking but uncertain innovations.
A barrier to innovation is not specified.
When scientists are overly focused on new technologies, it can cause a disconnect from practical business needs.

Organizational Tensions and Competitiveness

A fundamental tension exists in organizations between efficiency and innovation.
Adaptability and innovation are key for organizational competitiveness.
Banks, for example, may prioritize efficiency and control due to regulatory and risk management concerns.
Future competitiveness requires (requirements unspecified).
Balancing costs and innovation presents a major management challenge.
Firms utilize various strategies to balance cost efficiency requirements with necessary slack for innovation, but specific examples are not readily available from the provided text.

Figure 4.1

The content and purpose of Figure 4.1 are not explained.

Balancing Costs and Innovation

The difficulty in balancing costs and innovation stems from the inherent tension between short-term financial demands and the long-term benefits of innovation.

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Description

This chapter discusses managing innovation within organizations, understanding patterns of interaction and behavior that represent the organization. It covers the difficult issue of innovation management in firms.