“With every pair of hands, I get a free brain”

2014 ◽  
Vol 30 (9) ◽  
pp. 25-28
Author(s):  
Peter Totterdill
Keyword(s):  
Coming Out ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Individual Potential ◽  
Workplace Innovation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Research Director ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Innovation And Entrepreneurship

Purpose – This paper aims to discuss the interview held with Professor John Bessant conducted by Professor Peter Totterdill. John Bessant has been active in research, teaching and consultancy in technology and innovation management for over 25 years. He currently holds the Chair in Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Exeter University where he is also Research Director. Design/methodology/approach – This wide-ranging and insightful interview looks at the challenges of implementing workplace innovation and the realities involved in the process. It covers questions concerning the importance of innovation to businesses coming out of recession and the relationship between employee involvement and innovation. Findings – Professor Bessant also discusses the challenge of releasing individual potential and how to harness random creativity. He looks at the “starter conditions” for workplace innovation as well as the factors that mitigate against sustaining it. Practical implications – Key to sustaining workplace innovation, he argues, are a number of elements including momentum, self-belief and confidence, appropriate resource, leadership and empowerment. In addition, the implementation of workplace innovation does not occur as one big hit but a series of small steps which evolve and develop. Originality/value – New technology via intranets and social media also help to mobilise a lot more participation. Technology now provides the potential to reach every employee and their involvement can be instantaneous. This can create a notion of shared creativity, the Facebook process of “good idea, I like that, why don’t you try that?”

scholarly journals Attention to ideas! Exploring idea survival in internal crowdsourcing

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fausto Di Vincenzo ◽  
Daniele Mascia ◽  
Jennie Björk ◽  
Mats Magnusson
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Attention Allocation ◽  
Multinational Company ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Elapsed Time ◽  
Systematic Biases ◽  
Creativity And Innovation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThis paper analyzes how the distribution and structure of employees' attention influence idea survival in an organizational internal crowdsourcing session.Design/methodology/approachData from an online internal crowdsourcing session carried out within a multinational company with headquarters in Sweden were used to explore how idea attention influenced idea survival.FindingsOur findings indicate that the positive relationship between attention allocation and idea survival is mediated by idea appreciation, i.e. positive comments and suggestions that employees provide in response to ideas. In addition, we find that competition for attention negatively moderates the relationship between idea attention and positive comments. Finally, our results indicate that ideas are more likely to survive if they are submitted earlier in the crowdsourcing process and when the elapsed time since previously posted ideas in the session is longer.Practical implicationsThis study provides organizers of internal crowdsourcing sessions with new insights about factors influencing idea survival and about potential systematic biases in idea selection due to timing and competition between ideas.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the literature highlighting the relevance of attention-based theory in the context of crowd-based creativity and innovation management.

Digitalization and strategic flexibility – a recipe for business growth

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marko Juhani Matalamäki ◽  
Sanna Joensuu-Salo
Keyword(s):  
Firm Growth ◽  
New Technology ◽  
Strategic Flexibility ◽  
Growth Strategies ◽  
Business Growth ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Insight Into

PurposeThis paper examines how digitalization can affect three aspects of firm growth. The specific objectives are as follows: (1) to increase understanding of how digitalization affects pre-factors for growth, (2) to examine how digitalization transforms the growth process, especially growth strategies and (3) to examine how digitalization is apparent in the outcome of growth.Design/methodology/approachWe explore six Finnish growth companies in order to understand the relationship between digitalization and growth. We used qualitative data collection and the Digimat measurement test for analyzing patterns, themes and best practices to generate a deeper understanding of the impact of digital technologies on business growth and growth strategies in these companies.FindingsWe propose that business growth includes three aspects of growth: pre-factors of growth, growth as a process and growth as an outcome. Digitalization may affect all of these aspects and strategic flexibility can affect business growth. Digitalization and strategic flexibility are intertwined; strategic flexibility enables the application of new technology, and digitalization enables flexibility.Practical implicationsBuilding on the results of the case studies, this research identifies relationships between digitalization, business growth and strategic flexibility.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the growing literature on digitalization, providing new insight into its relation to business growth.

The economics of the entrepreneur and the banker historical roots and contributions to the management of innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 230-250
Author(s):  
Sophie Boutillier
Keyword(s):  
Social Relations ◽  
Innovation Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Management Of Innovation ◽  
Business Creation ◽  
To Come ◽  
Main Basis ◽  
Risk Taker ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the nature of the relationship between the entrepreneur and the banker, which is central to any analysis of business creation and innovation management. The author’s main purpose is to understand how this relationship has been studied by the pioneer economists of the entrepreneur and to highlight their contribution to the understanding of today’s reality. Design/methodology/approach To do so, the author proposes a sketch of an entrepreneur and banker economics based on the study of six economists (Cantillon, Smith, Bentham, Say, Schumpeter and Baumol) known for their works on entrepreneur theory. In their works, they explained how the (often difficult) relationship between the entrepreneur and the banker is built in a context of multi-uncertainty. They define the entrepreneur in different ways (a risk-taker, a prudent man, a projector, etc.), and put forward different behaviors facing uncertainty through social relations. The relationship between the entrepreneur and the banker can be read according to the grid of analysis of strong or weak ties (Granovetter, 1973). Findings This analysis demonstrates the importance of trust between the two protagonists. This contribution remains fundamental to study the behavior of financers and entrepreneurs today in the context of business eco-systems, clusters, science parks ‒ in other words, the main places of emergence of innovation. Research limitations/implications This research leads to the proposal of the main basis of an economics of the entrepreneur and the banker; it can be further developed with the addition of other contributions of historical economists. Practical implications This research shows the importance of thinking about the ways to build trust within the relation between entrepreneurs and their funders (bankers, venture capital, crowdfunding). Social implications The analysis of social ties (weak or strong) plays a major role in this relation. Originality/value The originality of the article is to come back to the works of pioneer economists and to show their contributions to the understanding of today’s reality.

Dave Snowden on KM and big data/analytics: interview with David J. Pauleen

2017 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 12-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J. Pauleen
Keyword(s):  
Big Data ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Big Data Analytics ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
A Company ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Scientific Officer

Purpose Dave Snowden has been an important voice in knowledge management over the years. As the founder and chief scientific officer of Cognitive Edge, a company focused on the development of the theory and practice of social complexity, he offers informative views on the relationship between big data/analytics and KM. Design/methodology/approach A face-to-face interview was held with Dave Snowden in May 2015 in Auckland, New Zealand. Findings According to Snowden, analytics in the form of algorithms are imperfect and can only to a small extent capture the reasoning and analytical capabilities of people. For this reason, while big data/analytics can be useful, they are limited and must be used in conjunction with human knowledge and reasoning. Practical implications Snowden offers his views on big data/analytics and how they can be used effectively in real world situations in combination with human reasoning and input, for example in fields from resource management to individual health care. Originality/value Snowden is an innovative thinker. He combines knowledge and experience from many fields and offers original views and understanding of big data/analytics, knowledge and management.

Overconfidence of vocational education students when entering higher education

2015 ◽  
Vol 57 (4) ◽  
pp. 429-447 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark P. Bowden ◽  
Subhash Abhayawansa ◽  
John Bahtsevanoglou
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Self Efficacy ◽  
Further Education ◽  
Small Sample ◽  
First Year ◽  
Education Students ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – There is evidence that students who attend Technical and Further Education (TAFE) prior to entering higher education underperform in their first year of study. The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of self-efficacy in understanding the performance of students who completed TAFE in the previous year in a first year subject of microeconomics in a dual sector university in Melbourne, Australia. Design/methodology/approach – The study utilises data collected by surveys of 151 students. Findings – A student’s self-efficacy is positively associated with their marks in a first year subject of microeconomics. However, the relationship between final marks and self-efficacy is negative for those students who attended TAFE in the previous year suggesting that they suffer from the problem of overconfidence. When holding self-efficacy constant, using econometric techniques, TAFE attendance is found to be positively related to final marks. Research limitations/implications – The findings are exploratory (based on a small sample) and lead to a need to conduct cross institutional studies. Practical implications – The research points to the need for early interventions so that TAFE students perform well in their first year of higher education. It also points to potential issues in the development of Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL) programs. Originality/value – To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper to examine the inter-related impact of attendance at TAFE in the previous year and self-efficacy on the subsequent academic performance of TAFE students.

The impact of project methodologies on project success in different project environments

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 364-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Joslin ◽  
Ralf Müller
Keyword(s):  
Project Success ◽  
Research Model ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Industrial Sectors ◽  
Project Environment ◽  
Project Governance ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Matching Techniques ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to qualitatively validate the constructs of a theoretically derived research model while gaining insights to steer the direction of a greater study on methodologies, their elements, and their impact on project success. In doing so, to investigate whether different project environments, notably project governance, impacts the relationship between methodologies and project success. Design/methodology/approach – A deductive approach was applied to validate a theoretically derived research model. In total, 19 interviews across 11 industrial sectors and four countries were used to collect data. Pattern-matching techniques were utilized in the analysis to deductively validate the research model. Findings – There is a positive relationship between project methodology elements and the characteristics of project success; however, environmental factors, notably project governance, influence the use and effectiveness of a project methodology and its elements with a resulting impact on the characteristics of project success. Research limitations/implications – Project governance plays a major role in the moderating effect of a project methodology’s effectiveness. Contingency theory is applicable to a project’s methodology’s selection and its customization according to the project environment. Practical implications – Understand the impact of project methodologies and their elements on the characteristics of project success while being moderated by the project environment, for example, the risk of suboptimal project performance due to the effectiveness of methodology elements being negatively impacted by the project environment. Originality/value – The impact of a project methodology (collection of heterogeneous-related elements) on the characteristics of project success is identified while being moderated by the project environment, notably project governance.

A model of idiosyncratic deal-making and attitudinal outcomes

2016 ◽  
Vol 31 (3) ◽  
pp. 642-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Violet T. Ho ◽  
Amanuel G. Tekleab
Keyword(s):  
Turnover Intention ◽  
Affective Commitment ◽  
Strong Relationship ◽  
Public University ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Member Exchange ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Industry Experience ◽  
Deal Making ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to disentangle the relationship between the request of idiosyncratic deals (i-deals) and the receipt of such deals, and investigate the moderating roles of human capital (gender and industry experience) and social capital (leader-member exchange (LMX)) in this relationship. Attitudinal outcomes of i-deals receipt are also examined. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 244 alumni of a Midwestern public university. Findings – The positive relationship between i-deals request and receipt was stronger at higher than at lower levels of LMX. Receiving i-deals was related positively to job satisfaction and affective commitment, and negatively to turnover intention. Research limitations/implications – The authors provide a nuanced perspective of i-deals by separating employees’ request from their receipt of i-deals, and identifying contingent factors that determine whether i-deal requests are successful. Practical implications – For employees, cultivating a strong relationship with one’s supervisor can yield benefits that extend to i-deals negotiation. Providing i-deals to deserving workers can boost employees’ work attitudes. Originality/value – Previous studies have operationalized the i-deals construct as requesting and receiving the deal, thereby excluding the possibility that employees may have requested but did not receive the i-deal. This is one of the first studies to disentangle these two concepts, thereby providing a more balanced and representative view of i-deal-making in organizations.

The optimism-pessimism ratio as predictor of employee creativity: the promise of duality

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 423-442 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arménio Rego ◽  
Miguel Pina e Cunha ◽  
Dálcio Reis Júnior ◽  
Cátia Anastácio ◽  
Moriel Savagnago
Keyword(s):  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Future Studies ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
The Status ◽  
Single Moment ◽  
Quasi Experimental ◽  
Creativity And Innovation ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study if the employees’ optimism-pessimism ratio predicts their creativity. Design/methodology/approach In total, 134 employees reported their optimism and pessimism, and the respective supervisors described the employees’ creativity. Findings The relationship between the optimism-pessimism ratio and creativity is curvilinear (inverted U-shaped); beyond a certain level of the optimism-pessimism ratio, the positive relationship between the ratio and creativity weakens, suggesting that the possible positive effects of (high) optimism may be weakened by a very low level of pessimism. Research limitations/implications Being cross-sectional, the study examines neither the causal links between the optimism-pessimism ratio and creativity nor other plausible causal links. The study was carried out at a single moment and did not capture the dynamics that occur over the course of time involving changes in optimism/pessimism and creativity. Future studies may adopt longitudinal or quasi-experimental designs. Practical implications Managers and organizations must consider that, even though positivity promotes creativity, some level of negativity may help positivity to produce creativity. Originality/value This study suggests that scholars who want to study the antecedents of creativity (and innovation) must be cautious in focusing only on the positive or the negative sides of individuals’ characteristics, and rather they must explore the interplay between both poles. Individuals may experience both positive and negative states/traits (Smith et al., 2016), and this both/and approach may impel them to think divergently, to challenge the status quo and to propose “out the box” and useful ideas.

Interactive effects of leader justice and support for safety on safety performance

2014 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 296-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin R. Kaufman and ◽  
Konstantin P. Cigularov ◽  
Peter Chen ◽  
Krista Hoffmeister ◽  
Alyssa M. Gibbons ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Justice ◽  
Safety Performance ◽  
Interactive Effects ◽  
Safety Practices ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Fair Treatment ◽  
Leader Support ◽  
Safety Interventions ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the main and interactive effects of general and safety-specific leader justice (SSLJ) (i.e. fair treatment) and leader support for safety (LSS) on safety performance. Design/methodology/approach – Two independent samples of construction workers rate their leaders with regards to fair treatment and support for safety and report their own safety performance in a survey. Findings – In both studies, LSS significantly moderated relationships of both general and SSLJ with safety performance. In Study 1, the strength of relationship between general leader justice and safety performance increases while LSS is increased. Similar pattern was found for the relationship between SSLJ and safety performance in Study 2. Practical implications – Safety interventions targeting leadership should consider training for leader safety practices that are perceived as supportive and fair. Originality/value – The research is unique in its examination of leader justice in a safety-specific context and its interactive effects with LSS on safety performance. The present research helps to extend the reach of organizational justice theory's nomological network to include safety.

scholarly journals “Happy slaves”? The adaptation problem and identity politics in the writings of Amartya Sen

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (12) ◽  
pp. 1178-1193
Author(s):  
Tony Burns
Keyword(s):  
Identity Politics ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Conceptual Analysis ◽  
Practical Implication ◽  
Methodological Approach ◽  
Mary Wollstonecraft ◽  
Amartya Sen ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between Amartya Sen’s notion of adaptation and his views on identity politics by focussing on the issue of slavery and, more specifically, on the example of the happy or contented slave. Design/methodology/approach The paper is text based. The methodological approach adopted is that of conceptual analysis, as is typical for work of this kind. Findings The paper concludes that the example of the happy or contented slave is indeed a fruitful one for those interested in exploring the relationship between Sen’s views on “the adaptation problem” and his views on identity politics, especially in relation to the subjection of women. Here Sen’s debt to the ideas of Mary Wollstonecraft and John Stuart Mill is particularly important. Research limitations/implications One implication of the argument of the paper is that there is a need to consider more carefully the differences that exist between the views of Wollstonecraft and Mill, so far as the example of the happy or contented slave is concerned. Practical implications One practical implication of the paper is that, hopefully, it establishes the continued relevance of the ideas of thinkers such as Wollstonecraft and Mill today, not least because of the influence that they have had on theoreticians such as Amartya Sen. Social implications The paper addresses issues which are of considerable social and political significance, especially for women in underdeveloped societies today. Originality/value The example of the happy or contented slave has not received much discussion in the literature on Sen, although Sen himself has suggested that the distinction between happiness and contentment is an important one, which does merit further discussion.

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