Innovative ways companies are using design thinking

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 40-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeanne Liedtka
Keyword(s):  
Design Thinking ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Design Management ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Fortune 100 ◽  
Problem Solving Process ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – Researchers at the University of Virginia's Darden Business School and the Design Management Institute report on field research into how widely design thinking is being adopted in leading companies and how effectively is it being adapted in a variety of industries. Design/methodology/approach – They interviewed boundary spanners – leaders who operated at the intersection of design and business – in a number of Fortune 100 organizations and focused on ten organizations where design thinking was having an impact on practice. Findings – They found that design thinking was, in fact, also a problem solving process, not just an innovation process. Research limitations/implications – Examples are anecdotal. Practical implications – Learning from design tools – such as, ethnographic interviewing, customer journey mapping and job-to-be-done analysis – encouraged team members to stay involved with the problem long enough to reframe the opportunity. Originality/value – The highest payoff from adopting a design-thinking approach was not necessarily in identifying a solution, but rather in innovating how people worked together to envision and implement the new possibilities they discovered.

How rewards fuel or fail innovation

2019 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 8-12
Author(s):  
Susan Kuczmarski ◽  
Thomas Kuczmarski
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Field Research ◽  
High Tech ◽  
Collaborative Culture ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Self Confidence ◽  
Solution Generation ◽  
Self Worth

Purpose The purpose of our research is to explore how rewards serve to fuel a collaborative culture, energize and motivate team members and nurture innovation. Design/methodology/approach In total, 30 in-depth, qualitative interviews were conducted with executives – high-tech, low-tech and no-tech. Findings The following findings emerged from the field research: rewards can be both financial, such as bonuses and incentives, and non-financial, such as extra vacations or other gifts. Huge internal personal benefits accrue from setting up a reward structure, including increased pride, peer recognition, higher self-confidence, greater job satisfaction and enhanced self-accomplishment. When we recognize others, it can impact an individual's self-worth on a profound level. It is described as feedback that sinks into the core. Originality/value Three milestones have been outlined throughout the innovation process where opportunities for recognition can exist: upon recognizing insights for identifying a problem, after understanding and overcoming difficulties encountered during creative solution generation and when recognizing and activating the benefits accrued from pinpointing solutions to the problem.

Corporate acceleration process: a systems psychodynamics perspective

2020 ◽  
Vol 33 (6) ◽  
pp. 1163-1180
Author(s):  
Piotr Wójcik ◽  
Krzysztof Obłój ◽  
Aleksandra Wąsowska ◽  
Szymon Wierciński
Keyword(s):  
Open Innovation ◽  
Negative Emotions ◽  
Acceleration Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Third Phase ◽  
Multiple Case ◽  
Social Defenses ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the emotional dynamics of the corporate acceleration process, using the systems psychodynamics perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe study applies inductive multiple case study of embedded 10 cases of corporate acceleration, covering both incumbent and startup perspectives, occurring in the context of a corporate accelerator.FindingsWe find that (1) the process of corporate acceleration involves three phases, each of them is dominated by a different emotional state (hope, anxiety and acceptance), triggering different behavioral responses; (2) as a means to deal with negative emotions, entrepreneurs and corporate acceleration program's team members develop different mechanisms of dealing with contradictories in subsequent acceleration phases (defense and copying mechanisms), which are reflected in their behaviors. Coping mechanisms with goal reformulation (i.e. refocus from the officially declared “open innovation” goals toward mainly symbolic ones) is an effective strategy to manage negative emotions in third phase of the acceleration.Research limitations/implicationsOur sample is limited to two relatively similar accelerators established by telecom companies, and therefore, our theoretical and practical conclusions cannot be generalized.Practical implicationsWe supplement the studies of corporate accelerators that imply how to design them better and improve decision-making rules with recommendation that in order to improve their effectiveness in terms of learning and innovations, their managers need not only to learn how to manage structural and procedural differences but also how to overcome social defenses triggered by corporate–startups cooperation.Originality/valueBy documenting a multidimensional impact of acceleration process, and especially shedding light on psychodynamic aspects behind such liaisons, this paper contributes to richer understanding of corporate–startup relationships, typically examined through a rationalistic lens of strategy literature. The study contributes to interorganizational research and open innovation literature, by showing that corporate acceleration process is marked by phases based on the type of emotions intertwined with the nature and dynamism of its life cycle. It indicates how these emotions are managed depending on their type.

scholarly journals Innovation and cross-functional teams

2018 ◽  
Vol 24 (1/2) ◽  
pp. 84-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Marasquini Stipp ◽  
Márcio Lopes Pimenta ◽  
Daniel Jugend
Keyword(s):  
Single Case ◽  
Field Research ◽  
Incremental Innovation ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
The Public ◽  
Tax Management ◽  
Functional Teams ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose The aim of this paper is to characterize how innovation may happen through cross-functional teams (CFT) in an organization of the public sector. Design/methodology/approach A case study helped to characterize several behavior patterns, team structures and respective links with generating innovation in internal processes and public answering contexts. Findings The results highlight that formal-temporary teams present a higher capacity to generate incremental innovation in products, whereas permanent-informal teams have a higher capacity to generate innovation in the internal processes and public answering contexts. Research limitations/implications The limitations of this research relate to the fact that this is a single case study, and although it is an important case to examine innovation and CFTs, by its very nature, it is not possible to extend and generalize the obtained data to other organizations. The evaluation of its propositions was merely qualitative, and future research is needed to validate its characteristics. Practical implications Several settings of CFTs are presented, as well as their ability to generate different types of innovation, such as the computerization of documents, petitions and papers, which decreases the time to answer the taxpayer. Moreover, CFTs can help to create products, such as computer programs that can be used not only locally but also in several public organizations related to tax management. Originality/value The field research provides the perceptions of the respondents regarding CFT characteristics that can lead to specific types of innovation, as well as the types of products or services that can be generated by these processes.

Muslim women contribution to economic activities: a viewpoint

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvonne Ridley
Keyword(s):  
Adam Smith ◽  
Muslim Women ◽  
Economic Activities ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Economic Role ◽  
Women In Business ◽  
Keynote Speech ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to highlight the role of Muslim women in economic activities. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is a historical account on the important role played by Muslim women in business and governance during the Islamic formative years. Findings – While women in the West still struggle with the rights to equal position and pay till today, Islamic teaching provides Muslim women with the rights to earn and spend as they wished as well as selected to lead economic activities based on their personal merit and wisdom. Practical implications – The paper highlights that Islamic Sharia does not discriminate Muslim women economically nor socially as often portrayed in the Western media. Islam outlines the specific rights and obligations of men and women to ensure development of a healthy society. Social implications – Society should appreciate that Islamic Sharia work out favourably for women. They are trusted to lead based on their own merit and wisdom and not for their beauty. Originality/value – This is a keynote speech delivered at the Islamic Perspective of Accounting, Finance, Economics and Management (IPAFEM) 2015 conference: 7th-9th April, Adam Smith Business School, The University of Glasgow – on the economic role played by early Muslim women.

Teachers' learning in extraordinary times: shifting to a digitally facilitated approach to lesson study

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
James Calleja ◽  
Patrick Camilleri
Keyword(s):  
Technology Use ◽  
Lesson Study ◽  
Group Discussion ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Self Reflection ◽  
Opportunities For Learning ◽  
Study Process ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe research reported in this paper brings forth the experiences of three teachers working in different schools. These teachers learned about lesson study through a course offered at the University of Malta while, at the same time, leading a lesson study with colleagues at their school. With the COVID-19 outbreak, these teachers had, out of necessity, to adopt and accommodate for their lesson study to an exclusive online approach. This paper, hence, focuses on teachers' learning as they shifted their lesson study online.Design/methodology/approachThis paper presents a case study that delves into the experiences and perceptual insights that these teachers manifested in shifting to an exclusive online lesson study situation. Data collection is derived from a focus group discussion, teacher reflective entries and detailed reports documenting the lesson study process and experiences. Employing technological frames as the theoretical lens, a description-analysis-interpretation approach was employed to analyse and interpret reflections and grounded experiential perceptions that the respondents disclosed during their lesson study journey.FindingsNotwithstanding their initial discerned sense of loss and unpreparedness of being constrained to migrate lesson study to exclusive online means, teachers eventually recognised that digitally mediated collaborative practices enhanced self-reflection about the lesson study process. Therefore, the extraordinary situation that the teachers in this study experienced not only disrupted their modus operandi but also allowed them to discern new opportunities for learning about digital technology use in lesson study.Practical implicationsDisruption, brought about by unforeseen circumstances, takes teachers and professional development facilitators out of their comfort zones, invariably helping them grow out of their limitations and rethink lesson study practices.Originality/valueIntentionally driven disruptions prompt teachers to resolve their dissatisfactory situations by thinking out of the box, eventually helping them to improve their professional practices.

Post-occupancy evaluation of outdoor spaces on the campus of the Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Brazil

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ana Clara Carvalho Tourinho ◽  
Sabrina Andrade Barbosa ◽  
Özgür Göçer ◽  
Klaus Chaves Alberto
Keyword(s):  
Critical Role ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
University Campuses ◽  
Post Occupancy Evaluation ◽  
Outdoor Spaces ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeUsing the campus of a Brazilian university as case study, this research aims to identify which aspects of the outdoor spaces are the most significant in attracting people.Design/methodology/approachThis research relies on the application of different post-occupancy evaluation (POE) methods, including user tracking, behavioural mapping and questionnaires, on one plateau of the campus.FindingsThree group of aspects (socialization, proximity and infrastructure) were identified as key elements in explaining the impact of the campus physical characteristics on users’ behaviour. The results indicate that having characteristics of at least one group of aspects in those spaces can guarantee their vitality and, if there is presence of attributes of more than one group, liveliness can be increased.Research limitations/implicationsFurther studies should be conducted on an entire campus to identify other spatial elements in the three groups.Practical implicationsThis research contributes to the planning of future campuses and to solutions to the existed ones, indicating the most relevant spatial characteristics to be considered. Additionally, the combination of different methods may be useful to future research.Originality/valueMost of the investigations on the university campuses focus on the buildings, and little research has investigated the outdoor spaces, although they play a critical role in learning and academic life, where people establish social, cultural and personal relationships. In addition, studies using several POE allowed a consistent and complete diagnostic about the aspects of the campus, giving recommendations for future projects.

A collaborative application of design thinking and Taguchi approach in restaurant service design for food wellbeing

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Rejikumar ◽  
Asokan-Ajitha Aswathy ◽  
Ajay Jose ◽  
Mathew Sonia
Keyword(s):  
Food Industry ◽  
Design Thinking ◽  
Service Design ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Taguchi Approach ◽  
Simple Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Wellbeing Index ◽  
Food Movement ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeInnovative restaurant service designs impart food wellbeing to diners. This research comprehends customer aspirations and concerns in a restaurant-dining experience to develop a service design that enhances the dining experience using the design thinking approach and evaluates its efficiency using the Taguchi method of robust design.Design/methodology/approachThe sequential incidence technique defines diners' needs, which, followed by brainstorming sessions, helped create multiple service designs with important attributes. Prototype narration, as a scenario, acted as the stimulus for evaluators to respond to the WHO-5 wellbeing index scale. Scenario-based Taguchi experiment with nine foodservice attributes in two levels and the wellbeing score as the response variable helped identify levels of critical factors that develop better FWB.FindingsThe study identified the best combination of factors and their preferred levels to maximize FWB in a restaurant. Food serving hygiene, followed by information about cuisine specification, and food movement in the restaurant, were important to FWB. The experiment revealed that hygiene perceptions are critical to FWB, and service designs have a significant role in it. Consumers prefer detailed information about the ingredients and recipe of the food they eat; being confident that there will be no unacceptable ingredients added to the food inspires their FWB.Research limitations/implicationsTheoretically, this study contributes to the growing body of literature on design thinking and transformative service research, especially in the food industry.Practical implicationsThis paper details a simple method to identify and evaluate important factors that optimize FWB in a restaurant. The proposed methodology will help service designers and technology experts devise settings that consider customer priorities and contribute to their experience.Originality/valueThis study helps to understand the application of design thinking and the Taguchi approach for creating robust service designs that optimize FWB.

Validation of organizational innovation as a creative learning process

2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (3) ◽  
pp. 643-650 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nishant Kumar ◽  
Ali Yakhlef ◽  
Fredrik Nordin
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Innovation ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Organizational Legitimacy ◽  
Management Innovation ◽  
Business Organizations ◽  
Validation Process ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Creative Learning ◽  
Successful Innovation ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose Previous studies on innovation tend to view innovation as consisting of a creative phase of novel and useful ideas, and a non-creative, or at least a less creative phase, as this considered to be the mere implementation and validation of the initially created ideas. In contrast, this paper aims to stress on the significance of the process of validating a new idea as being a creative, learning, exploratory process that shapes the degree of novelty of the innovation as a whole. Design/methodology/approach In driving this argument, this study deductively builds on a theoretical pre-understanding derived from extant literature related to management innovation and organizational legitimacy, and inductively draws on information gleaned from three in-depth case studies. Findings The study shows that the validation phase in the innovation process is a creative process, rather than just being a set of activities that relate to the mere execution of the created ideas. Viewing the validation process as an exploratory search for new knowledge, this study establishes a relationship between the form of knowledge mobilized, vertically within an organization or horizontally from outside, and the form of legitimation required. Validation based on internally generated knowledge is effective in terms of achieving pragmatic (efficiency-driven) objectives. Inter-organizational knowledge inflows are associated with cognitive legitimacy – a form of legitimacy that leads to changes in the stakeholders’ beliefs about a the product. In contradistinction, horizontal, socio–cultural inflows of knowledge are likely to improve on the product itself, thereby generating more traction for validation. Research limitations/implications This research is based on data collected from three firms only. Practical implications The idea developed here can provide business organizations a better understanding of the validation process of management innovations. This study suggests that successful innovation often requires managers to be prepared to seek knowledge beyond the confines of their own organizations. Originality/value This study contributes in three ways: it submits that there is a dynamic interplay between the moments of creation and validation, which is largely shaped by the novelty of the mobilized knowledge, depending on whether it is internal top–down or external horizontal; relatedly, the effectiveness of validation is shaped by the novelty of the knowledge garnered to justify the initial ideas; and the present paper has extended Suchman’s (1995) framework by linking the effectiveness of the various forms of legitimacy to the source of knowledge mobilized in the validation process.

Nine emerging student needs

2017 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 181-189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Hines ◽  
Alexandra Whittington
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Student Life ◽  
Student Needs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
World Cafe ◽  
The Future ◽  
The University ◽  
Practical Implications

Purpose A research project exploring emerging student needs explored six aspects of student life: living, learning, working, playing, connecting and participating. Design/methodology/approach A modified version of the University of Houston’s “Framework Foresight” method was used to explore the future of six aspects of future student life. The resulting scenarios were analyzed for their implications, including the use of the World Café technique, and ultimately led to the identification of nine emerging student needs. Findings Nine specific emerging needs of future students could be used strategically by institutions of higher education to guide and inform planning and to generate innovative ideas for university offerings. Specific examples of offerings that would meet the projected future needs are recommended. Research limitations/implications In terms of research limitations, the paper is focused on the needs of students and does not purport to be an exhaustive analysis of all of the issues influencing higher education. It views the future of higher education through the lens of students and their emerging needs. Practical implications The paper is intended for educators, researchers and administrators to provide insight on how the needs of students, their key customers, are evolving. Originality/value This piece explores student life in its totality as way to more accurately identify student needs in the future.

Technology brokering and innovation: linking strategy, practice, and people

2005 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Hargadon
Keyword(s):  
Design Methodology ◽  
Innovation Process ◽  
Innovation Strategy ◽  
Growth Opportunities ◽  
Main Method ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Corporate Leaders ◽  
Continuous Innovation ◽  
New Ideas ◽  
Practical Implications

PurposeThe author has spent the last ten years studying the innovation process in modern organizations and found that the most successful firms pursue an innovation strategy termed technology brokering.Design/methodology/approachHow are the objectives achieved? Include the main method(s) used for the research. What is the approach to the topic and what is the theoretical or subject scope of the paper?FindingsRather than chasing wholly new ideas, these successful firms focus on recombining old ideas in new ways. The results have sparked many technological revolutions and produced a steady stream of growth opportunities for existing businesses.Research limitations/implicationsNeeds cases showing that technology brokering, and the complementary work practices and people, can successfully execute such a strategy.Practical implicationsBy transforming traditional R&D organizations through a strategy of technology brokering firms can build competencies for continuous innovation..Originality/valueTo pursue a strategy of recombinant innovation, corporate leaders must put themselves in position to be the first to see how existing technologies in one market could be used to create breakthrough innovations in another.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document