APQC Reveals How Best-Practice Companies Integrate Innovation into Their Corporate Cultures
HOUSTON--(Business Wire)--To strengthen a business culture of innovation, successful
organizations hire employees for more than functional capabilities and
encourage them to collaborate beyond their peer groups to generate new
ideas and solve problems. These are just a few of the findings from an
innovation study released by APQC, a recognized leader in benchmarking
and best practices.
APQC's study, "Successfully Embedding Innovation: Strategies and
Tactics," reveals how some of the country's top organizations achieve
success in innovation, ingrain it into their organizational cultures,
and make it part of each employee's job. An executive summary of the
findings and full report are available at www.apqc.org/innoreport.
Organizations named as best practice partners included Air
Products and Chemicals Inc.; the cardiovascular division of Boston
Scientific; Computer Sciences Corporation; Ethicon Endo-Surgery; and
Hewlett-Packard's imaging and printing group. To be selected, these
companies had to demonstrate superior performance in at least one of
the innovation study's focus areas.
"It takes time and focused effort for enterprises to shift their
paradigms and integrate innovation into their business strategies and
culture," said Marisa Brown, innovation senior program manager, APQC.
"Our study examines top performers in innovation to determine what
they do when employees want to cling to the ways things have always
been done and how leaders convince employees that innovation
represents something more than extra work."
Other study findings include:
-- Clearly articulated strategies and road maps provide
transparency and direction for innovation.
-- Establishing innovation specialty groups - in addition to
centralized ownership - helps to broaden engagement.
-- Encouraging risk-taking is essential for innovation to thrive.
-- Designating physical and/or virtual spaces dedicated to
innovation can encourage creative thinking.
-- Visible participation and active involvement by leadership at
all levels are essential if innovation is to "stick."
"These best-practice partners understand the criticality of
innovation and do not just give it lip service," said Dr. Kevin
Desouza, assistant professor at the University of Washington who
served as the study's subject matter expert. "These organizations have
embedded innovation into their mission statements, rewards and
performance systems, resource allocation programs, and even into how
they engage with their customers and business partners."
For additional free innovation benchmarking and best practices
visit www.apqc.org/innovationhome or call 800-776-9676.
MPD Ventures Company
Paige Dawson, 214-744-6188
paige@mpdventures.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
