Innovation in Organization
The primary criterion for survival and growth of an individual or organization is fitness for future. Fitness for future is primary a function of the development of skills and capabilities related to improving performance and managing change. Innovation and creativity are the driving force behind change, adaptation and evolution. Human creativity is the source of the new possibilities and hope of dreams, action and accomplishment. It is also a source of uncertainty and insecurity.
A convenient definition of innovation from an organizational perspective is given by Luecke and Katz (2003), who wrote: Innovation is generally understood as the successful introduction of a new thing or method. Innovation is the embodiment, combination, or synthesis of knowledge in original, relevant, valued new products, processes, or services. Innovation typically involves creativity, but is not identical to it: innovation involves acting on the creative ideas to make some specific and tangible difference in the domain in which the innovation occurs (Amabile et al, 1996). For innovation to occur, something more than the generation of a creative idea or insight is required: the insight must be put into action to make a genuine difference, resulting for example in new or altered business processes within the organization, or changes in the products and services provided.
A further characterization of innovation is as an organizational or management process. For example, Davila et al (2006), write: Innovation, like many business functions, is a management process that requires specific tools, rules, and discipline. From this point of view, the emphasis is moved from the introduction of specific novel and useful ideas to the general organizational processes and procedures for generating, considering, and acting on such insights leading to significant organizational improvements in terms of improved or new business products, services, or internal processes.