There are several institutions awarding rewards for innovation. Previous week Economist announced year 2006 Innovation awards:
Economist Innovation Awards 2006
- Bioscience: Marvin Caruthers, professor of chemistry and biochemistry at the University of Colorado at Boulder, for the development of automated DNA synthesis—in essence, the ability to “print out” arbitrary strands of genetic material.
- Computing and communications: Janus Friis and Niklas Zennström of Skype, for the development of internet file-sharing and telephony using peer-to-peer technology.
- Energy and the environment: Johannes Poulsen, former chief executive, Vestas Wind Systems, for the commercialisation of wind energy.
- Social and economic innovation: Hernando de Soto, founder and president of the Institute for Liberty and Democracy, for the promotion of property rights and economic development.
- Business-process innovation: Sam Pitroda, chief executive of WorldTel, for pioneering India’s communications revolution.
- Consumer products: Nicolas Hayek, chairman of Swatch, for revitalising the Swiss watch industry.
- "no boundaries": Pierre Omidyar, founder and chairman of eBay, for the development of electronic marketplace technology and his promotion of access to markets as a tool for social change.
For more info see: http://www.economist.com/science/tq/displaystory.cfm?story_id=8157758
- Minna
Submitted by mitakala on Mon, 2006-11-20 10:00.
In the November 2006 cover story of Harvard Business Review Rosabeth Moss Kanter addresses challenges for innovation management. She introduces classical innovation traps to be avoided. She introduces "Innovation Lessons" related to startegy, processes, structure and skills.
In Strategy Lessons she reminds that small or incremental innovations can lead to big profits. And that innovations occur also in marketing, production, finance and distribution, not only in new product development. Application of “innovation pyramid” – selected portfolio for innovation initiatives, where– ideas and influence can flow up and down the pyramid, can be helpful.
In Process Lessons she states that tight controls strangle innovation. The planning, budgeting and reviews applied to exiting businesses will squeezed the life out of an innovation effort. Also emergent and flexible rewarding practices are required to enhance innovation.
In Structure Lessons she emphasizes importance of interpersonal connections between innovation efforts and current business activities. New combinations for innovations – cross channel, cross unit etc. is needed. Creating innovation friendly culture for all employees (not only ivory tower “innovators”), and stakeholders enhances possibilities for open innovation.
In Skill Lessons great relationship and communication skills are brought up to support technological innovations. Sustainable innovation teams and innovation connectors – people who know how to find partners internally and externally are important and this can be upported by organizational culture that encourages collaboration.
Source: Rosabeth Moss Kanter (2006) Innovation: Classic Traps, HBR, Nov 2006.
Submitted by mitakala on Fri, 2006-11-10 07:14.
Since we've heard some interest in these studies, here's a pointer to readily accessible downloadable materials.
The Global CEO Study 2006 follows on from a 2004 study, where there was a shift from cost containment to revenue growth. The Global Innovation Outlook follows on from GIO 1.0, and gives greater depth on how societal issues can be advanced with leadership from the business community.
If you like these sorts of ideas, you may also like to read Irving Wladawsky-Berger's blog.
Submitted by daviding on Sun, 2006-10-29 08:09.
I have enabled the blog function on rendez.org, so that students can post assignments on their own page.
Each assignment handed in for credit can be posted as a separate blog entry. If you check off the Groups ... Audience ... Stadia-2006 ... box, your classmates will see the entry as new (i.e. top of the list) when they log on.
In addition, comments can be attached to each entry. As a group, we need to decide how public comments should be.
Submitted by daviding on Fri, 2006-10-27 06:54.
This first meeting was held at IBM, hosted by Kari Koivisto.
Submitted by daviding on Thu, 2006-10-26 17:18.
Services businesses are conventionally considered different from product-oriented business, but in what ways?
Is the logic of service-oriented businesses different?
- Stephen L. Vargo and Robert F. Lusch, “Evolving a Services Dominant Logic”, Journal of Marketing, Volume 68, Number 1, (January 2004), pp. 1-17.
- A good summary of the shift from goods-centered model of exchange to a services-oriented model of exchange. Six attributes (on Table 2) and eight foundational premises are proposed.
- (supplemental) Ruth N. Bolton (editor), “Invited Commentaries on ‘Evolving to a New Dominant Logic for Marketing’“, Journal of Marketing, Volume 68, Number 1, (January 2004), pp. 18-27.
- Some different perspectives on various sections of Vargo & Lusch (2004). Note that many of these commentaries are written by leading thinkers in marketing, and thus, they’re pre-sold on the ideas! (Can you figure out which ones they are?)
- (supplemental) Stephen L. Vargo and Robert F. Lusch, " The Four Service Marketing Myths: Remnants of a Goods-Based, Manufacturing Model”, Journal of Service Research, Volume 6, Number 4, (May 2004) 324-335.
- Some of this material is covered in Vargo & Lusch (2004a), but note that they speak here to four characteristics (including perishability) whereas they had previously mentioned three. The focus is in making the transition from a manufacturing orientation to a services orientation.
Although the conventional wisdom has been to focus on four characteristics of services (IHIP), ownership considerations may be more clarifying.
- Christopher Lovelock and Evert Gummesson, “Whither Services Marketing? In Search of a New Paradigm and Fresh Perspectives”, Journal of Service Research, Volume 7, Number 1, August 2004, pp. 20-41.
- In addition to the four characteristics (intangibility, heterogeneity, inseparability and perishability) that differentiate services from goods, these researchers suggest that the pattern of ownership is different.
These references are suggested as part of the Stadia 2006 International Service Business Management Sessions. Please respond with comments to suggest additional readings or express opinions on those above.
Submitted by daviding on Thu, 2006-09-14 00:35.
This curriculum is founded on two principles:
- business is shifting from a product-oriented, industrial economy to a services economy; and
- globalization, thanks to information and communications technologies and (relatively) open national borders, has the advanced economies of the later 20th century challenged by workers in emerging and developing countries.
Since most advanced economies have become service economies, it’s probable that the students of this class will end up managing services businesses. They need to think somewhat differently.
- Uday Karmarkar, “Will You Survive the Services Revolution?”, June 2004. (See the article at HBR)
- Abstract: We are in the middle of a fundamental change, which is that services are being industrialized. Three factors in particular are combining with outsourcing and offshoring to drive that transformation: The first is increasing global competition, where just as with manufactured goods in the recent past, foreign companies are offering more services in the United States, taking market share from U.S. companies. The second is automation: New hardware and software systems that take care of backroom and front-office tasks such as counter operations, security, billing, and order taking are allowing firms to dispense with clerical, accounting, and other staff positions. The third is self-service. Why use a travel agent when you can book your own flight, hotel, and rental car online?
- (We should include some references describing what a services economy really is. Services businesses include: financial services, health services, educational services, logistic and transportation services, hospitality services, and KIBS (knowledge intensive business services), including consultancy).
The “world is flat” has become conventional business wisdom. You should take a quick read, if you haven’t already!
- Thomas L. Friedman, The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005
These references are suggested as part of the Stadia 2006 International Service Business Management Sessions. Please respond with comments to suggest additional readings or express opinions on those above.
Submitted by daviding on Thu, 2006-09-14 00:21.
Minna created these guideline slides.
Lets start discussion concerning them and see if we have anything to add to them.
Submitted by Olli on Tue, 2006-09-12 07:59.
In the preparation of the original proposal in May 2006, Minna pointed out that Tekes projects traditionally have snappy names by which they're recognized. The theme (or slogan) had been decided as "Innovation - Renewal - Redirection", but something even shorter was needed.
After running through some alternatives, we decided on the name Rendez. With all of the other things going on, the official pronunciation was left ambiguous. (Or maybe we just forget what we decided!)
Submitted by daviding on Fri, 2006-09-08 03:19.
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