Sustaining Organizational Innovation

Introduction

Globalization, rapid technological advancement, emergence of social technologies, focus on a service economy, change in workforce demographics, increase in retiring education and management professionals, and requirements for effective teamwork have affected not only our organizations and communities but societies as a whole. People are more mobile, strive to achieve work-life balance, and take responsibility for their own learning and professional development. The mediums and speed with which information is transmitted and responses generated have now transformed the workplace into a heterogeneous group with conflicting demands. Total Quality Management (TQM), mergers and acquisitions, and business process reengineering emerged as responses to the constantly evolving workplace and social landscape. Today, the challenges associated with change are not whether it will occur but whether the organization has the capabilities to diagnose the external and internal environments as well as plan, implement, and direct change initiatives. Nevertheless, change is ill-received, innovation is reluctantly accepted, and potentially impactful whole-scale initiatives are often unsustainable in the long-run.

Organizational change is a situation, while innovation is an attitude of change. In order to ensure sustainability of the initiatives, organizations should embrace a culture that encourages participation, promotes innovation, and aligns change efforts with specific business goals. A clear understanding and commitment toward innovation will perpetuate improved productivity, cost and resources savings, and a sustainable competitive advantage.