Feedback (Questions)
Encouraging innovation in the private sector
In my community we are considering an Innovation Center to encourage
diversification and innovation in local existing businesses, as well as
supporting inventors in their quest for commercialization of their ideas. We are
considering an organization which provides services and consultation, with the
key component being a new hire, an Innovation Specialist, to spearhead the
effort. Are you aware of any such activities around the country or hemisphere
that might serve as a model?
Blair Abee, Assistant Director
Small Business & Technology Development Center
Walker College of Business Appalachian State University
A business development service of The University of North Carolina System
operated in partnership with the US Small Business Administration
South Africa – Public Service
Innovation
Hi
We in South Africa will shortly be undertaking a 5 week (desktop) Innovation study to do the following:
- A description and analysis of approaches taken by other governments
- A comparative review of innovation support strategies
- A description and analysis of the management of innovation awards and explanation of how they are used to encourage innovation
- A list of appropriate Benchmark Innovation Institutions (In SA, and rest of Africa; Americas; Europe; Australasia)
- A description and analysis of Funding Models used by agencies supporting innovation
- A summary of the approaches used by other Agencies to measure their impact and effectiveness
- A description and analysis of the significant strategies used by other appropriate Institutions and approaches used by other agencies to mainstream and institutionalise innovation and to encourage innovative behaviour
- A summary of the major studies or research regarding the Innovation Process
- A summary of the major studies or research: Innovation Process in the delivery of public services, barriers to innovation in public service institutions, and approaches and efforts to remove these barriers.
The results of the study will be used by our Centre for Public Service Innovation to chart future directions, policies and training interventions to nurture, maintain and reward innovation in SA.
We were wondering if you could recommend a few key and specific books, authors, academics, websites and institutions to approach to help guide us. We have some idea at the moment as we have based some of our initial intervention on innovation through our country’s Centre on widely-known international best-practice.
Please do not feel obligated to provide a detailed list of key books, websites and institutions as some general guidance is all that is necessary at this stage. We also want to be sure that our list is as comprehensive as possible so that we remain focused and are following the right signposts. These will be used to make e-mail contact and to read and gain further insights of the relevant prevailing views out there. It would be appreciated if you can reply to this e-mail as soon as time permits as this study needs to be started shortly.
Kind regards,
Ian Assam
+2782 578 1891
Innovative Solar Technologies
Researching the internet for material for our “under
construction” webpage we call SolarProsperityCorridors.org,
we find work by the three scholars named above very interesting. We have
ordered the latest edition of Everett Rogers’s book, _Diffusion of
Innovations_, studied a work by Surry and read an abstract of a paper by
James P. Hawley at www.ucei.berkeley.edu/ucei/projects/pr424.html.
Where can we read the entire work by Hawley, and more
Surry? We are particularly interested in diffusion of innovative solar
technologies in the sunbelt, the community of Gaviotas, Colombia, and
“New Urbanism” plans as models. Our theory looks at
continent-spanning “corridors,” using various forms of
solar biomass, kinetic, microthermal and photovoltaic technologies where
the most sun is, near the equator, as the cutting edge for this diffusion.
Please send us more info about your publication. How could
we let the gents above and other folks in your field know what we are
doing? Please forward or publish all or any part of this note, as you
think appropriate.
Sincerely,
Newton Ellison, Associate
Solar Prosperity Corridor Consultants
P. O. Box 120023
San Antonio, Texas 78212-9223
Measuring Innovation
Hello:
I’m looking for information or research on innovation – specifically we’re
looking for examples of how we might measure innovation within our
environment, and specifically how we might measure the impact that
diversity
(of perspective, etc.) might have on innovation.
Thanks for your help.
Lakiba Pittman
Program Manager
Global Diversity & Inclusion
Agilent Technologies, Inc.
395 Page Mill Road – MSA304
Palo Alto, CA 94306
650 752 5219 phone
650 752 5900 fax
Response
Thanks for your question. I say something about
diversity on teams in my paper
“What Do We Know About Enhancing Creativity and Innovation? A
Review of
Literature” in The Innovation Journal (under Peer-Reviewed
Papers). In the same section there is a paper on evaluating
innovation.
Also, an official in Canadian Heritage in looking into the benefits for the
economy of a diverse population. You might like to be in touch with
her:
Brandi Epstein at brandi_epstein@pch.gc.ca
Eleanor Glor
Editor in Chief
The Innovation Journal
Normal Accidents
One aspect of public affairs can, I think, be better understood by
reference to complexity theory: the occurance of catastrophic, system
failures. The Trade Center bombing, Enron collapse, and 1997 financial
crises in Korea, Thailand and Indonesia come to mind as examples.
In each case, there are many explanations offered, and many possible
targets of blame. However, it may also be useful to think of these as
catastrophic system failures, and that such failures are inevitable in our
increasingly complex, technology dependent civilization. Although any one
of these failures might, with hindsight, been prevented (e.g. better
auditing might have prevented Enron, more determined anti-terrorism
measures by Clinton/Bush might have prevented 9/11 disaster), some number
of such catastrophic failures are inevitable.
There are two books that are relevant to thinking about this topic: Normal
Accidents by Charles Perrow, and The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can
Make a Big Difference by Malcolm Gladwell.
Perrow’s argument focuses on complex technology such as supertankers and
jet planes, pointing out why a certain number of sinkings/crashes are
inevitable no matter how careful we are, because the technology used is
too
complicated for operators and regulators to anticipate all the things that
can go wrong. The Gladwell argument applies both to technology and
socio/economic systems failure.
As we get more technology dependent, is the number of such system failures
increasing? Or are we just getting different types of system failures than
we did in the past (e.g. 14th century plague that wiped out much of
Europe’s population)? Are the consequences of catastrophic systems
failures
getting more or less severe? The fact that world population has been
increasing since the 18th century suggests that they are less severe. If
so, is this a trend that will continue?
Is anyone carrying out research along these lines?
Clay Wescott, Senior Public Administration Specialist
Asian Development Bank, PO Box 789, Manila, Philippines 0980
cwescott@adb.org, http://www.adb.org/Governance
phone: 632-632-5680, fax: 632-636-2356
Hi
My name is Kylee Stevens. I am currently working with several TCF (Textile, Clothing and
Footwear) companies in Australia. I am writing to your organisation in request of research
guidance.
The Australian Government has a 5 year “Innovation” incentive grant available to
the TCF Industry. In order to receive a grant, it is required for each company to evidence
and articulate their innovation. While the innovation is assesed at the ‘entity level’ I
am finding it increasingly difficult to prove innovation for the clothing sector. It
appears that many of the clothing organizations routinely innovate their products, based
on the introduction of new clothing trends (not always a functional trend innovation –
often visual). In emphasizing that the “innovative activity” is somewhat routine
to the government body in adjudication, is like showing a red flag to a bull.
I would like to ask if you point me in the right direction to further my investigations
for articles, papers or discussions on the following subjects:
* Low level (technical risk) Innovation
* Incremental Innovation
* Continuous Innovation
* Innovation in product design – (driven by visual change)
* Short (fast) cycle innovation – (product development)
* The unknown elements associated with “Test and Trial”
– (does a low level of risk = low level innovation)
I would be exceptionally grateful of any knowledge that may have in helping me unearth
‘low level’ innovation.
My return e-mail address: kylee.stevens@aimnet.com.au
Thank you.
Kind Regards
Kylee.
Looking for “Ingenieria recurrente”
Hi!!
Where can I find information about the technique named
“Ingenieria recurrente” for innovation management?
Thanks.
Searching for Correlation
Hello, I am a student of university of tehran. I study business management.
I need some articles about the relation between organization size and innovation
.You will make me very happy if help me .thanks a lot.
maryam nassiri
eman10002000@yahoo.com
Looking for Information on Creativity in Management
Dear Sir / Madam
I am writing to inquire about information on any kind of accessable abstracts or studies
on creativity in management. I am focusing in my search on statistical information and
figures related to this topic. Thank you for your cooperation.
Raja HiyariSocial
Development Training CenterAmman, Jordan
Response
The only statistical work I am aware of on creativity
is the research done by Theresa Amabile, which I reference in my article on creativity in
the peer reviewed section of The Innovation Journal at: http://www.innovation.cc/rev_arts.htm. Thanks for
inquiring.
Editor in Chief
Searching for accessable abstracts or studies on creativity in management
Dear Sir / Madam
I am writing to inquire information on any kind of accessable
abstracts or studies on creativity in management. I am focusing in my search on
statistical information and figures related to this topic.
Thank you for your cooperation.
Raja Hiyari
Social Development Training Center
Amman, Jordan
An Exchange on Enhancing Creativity and Innovation
Hello Eleanor,
I recently came across an article entitled,”What Do We Know
About Enhancing Creativity and Innovation?”. This was your work and I wondered if you
had ever had it published. I was given a hard copy printout and would like to use it as a
reference in a paper I am working on. Any information you could provide would be
beneficial.
Thanks,
Mark Russell
What is the title of your paper? Are you planning to
publish it?
Eleanor Glor
Editor in Chief
Hi Eleanor,
Thanks for the quick response. I am working on my MEd
at OISE/UofT and your
paper is part of my literature search for my thesis concerning “Innovation and
Change”. More specifically it is part of a paper I am doing concerning the
integration of a Distance Learning training strategy. The paper is intended to look at
Training Technology Design, Development and Implementation: Issues in Project Management
and Organizational Change.
Thanks again,
Mark Russell
Dear Mark,
If you go to the home page, www.innovation.cc, then choose Peer Reviewed Articles
of the left hand column, then do a search for creativity, or just go to the bottom, it’s
the last article.
The Table of Contents for Peer Reviewed Articles is at:
http://www.innovation.cc/rev_arts.htm and the article
is at
http://www.innovation.cc/rev_arts/creativ7.htm
Glad it’s helpful.
Eleanor Glor
Editor in Chief
The Process of Innovation
I would like to know what the companies like Motorola, 3M, Zeros or
anyone doing things (ed.) to manage the process of innovation. Can you kindly
help me?
Niloy Mitter
The Innovation Salon focusses on public sector innovation, so I am
not able to help, I am afraid.
There are several books on these companies, however.
Eleanor Glor
Editor in Chief
Correct Spelling of Name
Your web page refers to the Baldridge Award Criteria.
Other sources such as www.quality.nist.gov/law.htm
spell the name as Baldrige.
Which is correct?
Thank you for your assistance,
Bernie
My source on these matters tells me the correct spelling is
“Baldrige”. Thank you for drawing this error to my attention.
Editor in Chief
Triz methodology
Hello
Can you recommand me a book about the Triz methodology ?
Yoann Derriennic
Response:
I’m sorry, I don’t know it. I will publish your request
in the Innovation
Journal, and we’ll see what happens.
Editor in Chief
Models of Flexible Hours in Health Care
Hi:
I am a student from Germany working on a research project for my thesis in the US about
models of flexible hours in health care. It is a very important research, because a
hospital in Germany will try out that new concept – still to be found by me – flexible
working hours model.
Since I know that your knowledge in the health care business is excellent, I really
would love if you could give me a hint on the following:
– Do you know of any good books, researches or papers on that issue?
Anything would be helpful 🙂
Thank you so much,
Kirsten
Response:
I’m sorry to say I am not aware of anything. I do know that the Province of Ontario
hospitals in the last few years have introduced flexible staffing of nurses, so you might
check their web site to see if they have published anything about it. Their website is http://www.gov.on.ca/
Editor in Chief
Where Could I Write A Letter of Enquiry
About the Baldridge Award?
Eleanor –
thanks for your e-mail. I’ve tried looking at US government data bases, as you
suggested, but no luck. Is it possible that you could find me an address (and ideally a
name?) so that I could write a letter of enquiry? I think there must be a Baldridge Centre
somewhere…… Do you mind looking for me?
Thanks a million.
Susanna
The information is available at: http://www.quality.nist.gov/
Watch for more material in The Innovation Journal about the Baldridge and other
awards–coming soon.
Would you like to be on theannouncements list for the IJ?
Editor in Chief
I Would Like to Know More About the Baldridge
Method
I don’t know if you can help me. I am a member of a quality team
which is based in Leicester UK. We are currently working on a large project to
introduce new quality methods to the National Health Service. I am extremely
interested in the Baldridge quality management system, and would be grateful to know to
whom I should write/e-mail in the first instance. I would be very keen to
know some more about the Baldridge method – I think there are many areas where
we in the NHS can learn from the work you are doing. Can you point me in the
right direction please?
Thanks,
Susanna Nicholls
The Baldridge Award is a joint project of the American government and the
Baldridge organization, much like the Canada Award for Excellence is a joint project of
Industry Canada and the Canadian Quality Institute.
Response:
I would suggest you search the US government data base and see what you
get. If you find them, would you please let me know? My information on the Baldridge Award
is incomplete in The Innovation Journal–I know.
Eleanor Glor, Editor in Chief
Is there a Baldridge Award at the State Level?
Dear Eleanor,
I understand that the Baldridge Award is awarded on a national level in recognition for
excellent customer service. Would you happen to know if such an award exists on the state
level?
Thank you.
Meegan Barry
Response:
No, I’ve never been able to put much information together on it. If you find out, would
you mind letting me know?
Eleanor Glor, Editor in Chief
The World Future Society: Request for
Input
The World Future Society is updating its classic text, The Study of the Future. We
invite assistance from World Future Society members and others in making this second
edition of the Study the best it can be. In particular, we invite comments on the draft
chapters of the Study, which can viewed and downloaded below. We also invite your
participation by completing a survey on the state of the futures field. (This survey is
not yet available on the Web. If you wish to complete one, which will take about 45
minutes, please contact us.)
http://www.wfs.org/studytoc.htm
The Current and Last Five Years of the
Innovation Journal
Dear Sir,
I like to know the current and last five years contents of your esteemed
journal titled “The Innovation Journal’. Please inform me.
With regards,
Dr. D. Dutta Roy
ddroy@isical.ac.in
Response:
Dear Mr/Ms Roy
The Innovation Journal is not published in hard cover nor in issuesas such.
The best source of information on the IJ is therefore the Site Index, which
you will find listed on the left hand side of the page at the Home Page at:
http://www.innovation.cc
Eleanor Glor, Editor in Chief
Applications for Award
I am interested in applying for an award on behalf of our organization. We believe we
have developed a risk management approach to the handling of soiled linen that to the best
of our knowledge has never been done in healthcare and has the potential of eliminating
237,000 manual lifts of soiled linen in “linen bags” at our institution alone.
We believe that this innovative approach will be spread through our industry which suffers
the highest worker musculoskeletal injury rate. The BC WCB has recognised the importance
of our project by granting start-up funds of almost $200,000. We see potential, based on
our experience, to eliminate millions of incidents of lifting soiled linen across Canada
and thus making healthcare a safer workplace environment.
Would you please respond with current information on award application procedures.
Thank you,
Hank Compeau
Director, Patient & Resident Comfort Services
Nanaimo Regional General Hospital
(250) 755-7925
Hank.Compeau@cvihr.bc.ca
Who Said That? #2
“There is nothing more difficult to take in hand,
more perilous to conduct or more uncertain in its success
than to take the lead in the introduction
of a new order of things.”
Quality in Information
Hi, I would appreciate is i can get any information on the subject I am
investigating for the mayor work for my final semester . We would like to receive some
imformation about Quality in Information, this project is trying to create a methology to
make a historical background of the technological changes and innovations in all the
functional areas of a company in order to measure their competitiveness and/OR
technological grade of development.
Thanking in advance for your reply.
M. Pinzon
Response:
This one beats me. Maybe our readers will have some ideas.
Editor in Chief
Re:The Role of Innovation Awards
Dear Eleanor,
I have read your paper on “The Role of Innovation Awards” and my attention
was particularly taken by the statement “The Public Sector Innovation Journal section
on Awards lists the criteria for most of the innovation awards mentioned here.”
I hope you may be able to help me. I work in the Department of the Environment and
Local Government in Ireland. (The Government or Civil Service Department with
responsibility for areas such as Roads, Water Services, Housing, Physical Planning, the
Physical Environment and so on.)
I am one of approximately 800 employees and the annual payroll is c. IR£20M. The
Secretary General is permitted to give an award(s) to selected members of the staff in
recognition of “exceptional performance”. from a fund of 0.1% of the pay or
IR£20,000 each year.
I am one of a small group set up to advise on how such an award scheme may be
administered. Some of the pitfalls are obvious enough. (We have Technical, Professional,
Clerical and Administrative staff with earnings ranging from under £10,000 p.a. to over
£50,000.) However, I do not want to re-invent the wheel and so I wondered if you could
direct me to a source of information on what others in the Public Sector have done in such
instances in the past. Would the afore-mentioned piece in the Public Sector Innovation
Journal be relevant?
I should add that we do not, as yet, have performance management or performance related
payment schemes nor do we have awards for innovation or quality.
Any suggestions? — only don’t tell me to innovate!
Yours sincerely,
Kevin O Connor
Mechanical Inspector.
Response:
Hello Kevin.
Thanks for your note.
You might find it helpful to look over the criteria for the other awards. They reflect
wisdom about awards that people like yourself have been able to bring to the issues.
As I mentioned in my article, the main problems with awards are the us/them feeling
they promote and the sense of favouritism they can engender e.g. those who work close to
senior management get awards, or those who work on special projects, but not those who do
a great job in their regular duties. Many people now go for team awards as one way to
overcome some of the problems.
My inclination is to go back to basics. I suggest that your committee talk about
recognition, and how people like to be recognized and what it means to them. This is
different from one person to another. Immediate, on-the-spot recognition from someone who
really knows what you did and (perhaps) benefited from it is often very meaningful
–especially if the message gets to and is valued by the person’s supervisor. This kind of
recognition can be nicely augmented by a small gift–an appropriate gift (e.g. a book,
tickets to a game, flowers, a bottle of wine).
On a bigger scale, one important thing: There’s nothing more painful than someone being
recognized (e.g. by their professional association) and then being pushed out of their job
in the government. Guard against mixed messages!
I hope this is some small help.
Eleanor Glor, Editor in Chief
Hello again Eleanor,
Your note, the websites and your very prompt responses are all very much appreciated. I
cannot thank you enough. I will use your ideas and try to give the appropriate recognition
of their source.
Regards,
Kevin O Connor
Mechanical Inspector
Hi again,
I’m chasing after myself today so I’m going to take a shortcut.
I hadn’t cleared my mind sufficiently to give the group a clear steer so what I did was
pulled the different things that I was looking at into a Powerpoint presentation. I attach
it here (as my shortcut). I’ve added timings now so that it will run through in about 6
minutes (I went through it a bit slower yesterday.)
Near the end where I mention your e-mail there is a hyperlink to the full text of your
note. I presume this and other hyperlinks will not work so you have to use your
imagination. You also have to use your imagination for the voice over as I did not add
sound.
Your message was well received but the group is still hung up on who will make
decisions – a committee, the composition of which is going to be contentious – and what
criteria will apply. I believe there is still time to think about recognition but the
group is rushing on a bit. I’m going to circulate the presentation in hard copy and
hopefully the others will reflect a bit more on the last 3 frames.
Thanks again.
Feel free to use my note to you in your Journal. I will keep you posted (so to speak)
if there are interesting developments.
Regards,
Kevin O Connor
P.S.
The work we are doing on awards is as a sub-group of our Partnership Committee (about
20 persons representing management, staff and unions – yours truly being a Union nominee).
Partnership in the Irish Civil Service might make an interesting topic for your Journal,
sometime. Whereas, as I understand it, partnership in North America has developed up from
the shop floor to reach into the highest level of management, in Ireland partnership
commenced with the “Social Partners” (Government, the Unions, Employers and
representatives of Farmers) and is being driven down in the direction of the shop floor.
In our case, the current Civil Service pay deal (part of the national deal entitled
Partnership 2000) holds a 2% pay rise contingent on there being verifiable progress
towards partnership.
A preliminary assessment of the importance of the Post-Industrial
Future Hypothesis (PIFH)
The note below is my current interest. If you are interested and/or if your would share
it with others you know, I would appreciate it.
Thanks muchly,
Ruben Nelson
I seek your assistance.
Why:
We have been asked to do a preliminary assessment of the importance of the Post-Industrial
Future Hypothesis (PIFH)–the view that there is increasing evidence that the future of
Western Civilization and ultimately of the whole world lies beyond the imagination,
habits, forms of organization and logic of the late modern, industrial West.
Some call this new way of being “post-modern”, others
“trans-modern” and yet others “post industrial”. No single way of
speaking of the emerging way of living has been agreed upon. We use
“post-industrial” only as a place holder-until the character of what is next is
clearer.
Some make a negative case by citing the evidence says that the dilemmas of the late
20th Century–globalization, population, productivity, the environment, human dignity,
development, education, poverty–can neither be grasped nor dealt with satisfactorily by
further refining and applying modern industrial consciousness and logic.
Some argue the positive case by citing the growing evidence that the transformation of
Western Industrial civilization is already well underway.
Both these cases imply that the PIFH, at root, is an empirical hypothesis, and only
secondarily a moral claim.
Please help by:
1. Taking one minute to reply to question #1 or be part of
the study
2. Passing this message on to any persons or list-serves who might help.
Much work seems to focus on one dimension of Industrial culture: the economy, the role
of women, art, religion, science, technology, urbanization, etc. Few seem to tackle the
whole gestalt of Industrial consciousness and culture. Some contrast Traditional and
Industrial Cultures, others Industrial and Post-Industrial. While we hunger for integrated
work, we are interested in all approaches. Treat the PIFH broadly. Include any material
which, to you, appears to be relevant to the work of elaborating and testing the PIFH as a
serious hypothesis.
The results of our study will be made public. We will make sure that those who
contribute to this work receive a copy of our report.
Thank You.
Ruben Nelson
FutureSight: An Alliance for Understanding and Capitalizing on Change
Calgary, AB, Canada
voice: 403-673-3537
fax403-673-2114
rubenn@squareone.ca
1. In your judgement, is the PIFH credible enough to be worthy of further serious and
research?
YES:_____ NO:_____
Elaborate:
Response:
I’ve sent your request to the Futures and Strategies Network, an informal network that
meets here in Ottawa. I hope you get some responses.
I’ll also publish it in The Innovation Journal.
Some of my writings are published there, as is a list of other publications. I also
attach a list of my publications in wordperfect.
Editor in Chief
A search for internet-sites that provide full-text case studies on technological innovation at companies
I am preparing a presentation for my class “Technological Innovation”, being
taught by the interntaionally-renowned Dr. Pier Abetti, and I am looking for
internet-sites that provide full-text case studies on technological innovation at
companies. Do you know where I can look/who I can ask?
Thank you very much,
John Kim
Does anyone have info on Drucker’s 7 Sources
of Innovation
Do you know of a web site where I can get more info on Drucker’s 7 Sources
of Innovation?
Thank you
Lisa Holton
lh18372 @ imcnam.sbi.com
Response:
Sorry, I don’t. Please let me know if you find anything – I’ll post in the Innovation
Journal.
Editor in Chief
Is it possible to participate in the Innovation
Salon over the Internet?
My name is Oleg Medvedev. I am graduate student of Russian academy of
state service under President of Russian Federation. I specialise in field of amortization
policy of the state and innovation development of the enterprises.
Please, let me know if it possible to participate in work of your Innovation Salon through
internet?
Waiting for your kind answer,
Best regards,
Oleg Medvedev
Response:
I don’t have a way to do that right now. If you have a specific question you would like
discussed, however, please submit it to me. I will post it on the Innovation Journal, and
we’ll see what happens.
Editor in Chief
How did the Baldridge Award evolve?
I was wondering about the evolution of the Baldridge award. Whose concept? who
developed the idea? where did it come from? that sort of thing. Any information would be
most appreciated.
Sincerely,
Einstein4@worldnet.att.net
Can we send an overview of our news group to the
Innovation Journal?
Congratulations on your electronic journal. I and others working with me would love to
contribute. We could help list overlapping activities.
We have a FAUINET news group dissuasion, but not an electronic journal. We have about
700 persons working on these issues in 35 countries. Small/medium conferences annual. The
last big one was Montreal this past summer, some 130 persons. Lots of writing.
Could we give you maybe an overview of our project (how long? 4-5pp?_ ) for you and
your subscribers to see, and then try to encourage people in our Project to submit to your
journal?
I have three books, two just out, that analyze the political context of government
innovation. Would love to have someone review them with you. How do I submit?
Terry Nichols Clark, Professor of Sociology, Coordinator,
Fiscal Austerity and Urban Innovation Project
The University of Chicago
Chicago, IL 60637, USA Tel: (312) 842-5169
Fax: (312) 842-0185
Is The Innovation Journal available in hard
copy?
Is this journal available in hard copy as well? If so, is it possible for
you to send me a complimentary copy as I am interested in subscribing?
Can you also tell me where you are based as I would like to know if yourarticles are US
or UK based.
Thanks
Catherine Bond
Do you consider yourself to be a Canadian
Futurist?
Do you consider yourself to be a Canadian Futurist? If so, fill out a form and be
included in a Directory of Canadian Futurists. Where do I access the form?
Navigating in the Knowledge Economy: Understanding the Knowledge Value Proposition, A
Conference on Citizen Engagement was held October 27-28 in Aylmer, Quebec. Is there
any proceedings of this conf.?
Chris Bradshaw
principal, Bradshaw CommuniTies
president, Ottawa
co-ordinator, Initiative for Neighbourhood Integrity
chair, Ottawa Co-transportation Organizing Committee
administrator, pednet mail-list
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
phone/fax: 613-230-4566/230-8820
chris@ties.ottawa.on.ca, ottawalk@flora.org
Response:
The form for futurists: If you click on the hot link in The Innovation Journal
under What’s New or under News in the Index along the left side, you will find
it. A directory of Canadian futurists has already been published, so you might check
whether they are still accepting people.
Proceedings of conference on citizen engagement: Highlights of the conference are
available on The Institute on Governance website at www.igvn.ca
They do not plan to publish proceedings in hard copy. If you would like more
information, please contact the IGVN at: cmarshall@igvn.ca
They’d be happy to respond.
Editor in Chief
Can universities make students more innovative
or better contributors to the innovative process within firms.
Can universities (especially business schools) make students more innovative or
better contributors to the innovative process within firms. If so, how? Should business
schools pre-screen candidates on their innovative or creative capabilities? Can they? If
yes, then how? Some specific examples would be especially fruitful to the dialogue.
Response:
Training individuals to better assist the innovation process is a focus of mine as a
Graduate student at the Center for Studies in Creativity.
Innovation, I believe consists, of the generation of a new idea and its implementation
into a new product, process, or service, leading to dynamic growth. Creativity is a major
element within this process. The fertilization of innovation is typically the result of
creative thinking. As the founding idea moves toward reality it will always encounter
obstacles that require creative solutions to overcome. So for innovation to take place a
person or organization must learn how and when to think creatively and when to think
critically.
Can this be taught and is this skill measurable?
Yes it can as shown by the Creative Studies Project that was a two-year longitudinal study
researching the impact of creativity courses on undergraduate students in 1972. It is
because of the positive findings that a graduate program was approved in 1975. You can
enhance your ability to think creatively.
As for testing ones skill level, this is still up for discussion. However there are
tests designed to evaluate ones creative ability. See work by Teresa Amabile or Paul
Torrance.
Cory W. Wright
Process Re-engineering
M&T Bank Graduate Student
The Center for Studies in Creativity www.BUFFALOSTATE.EDU/~CREATCNT
cmrwright@yahoo
Innov.Mgmt.Network – V.5, No.99
copy wright <cmrwright@yahoo.com>
What’s an Innovation Salon?
The Innovation Journal says:
I hold an Innovation Salon in Ottawa.
That sounds interesting. What’s an Innovation Salon? Is that sort of like a discussion
group or ongoing conference? (…or a restaurant with music and an innovation theme? We
used to use a survey around here that we called the “Innovation Environment
Review.” I thought it was something with a chorus line singing “Inno-vation,
innova-tion…”)
-Jonathan
Idea Connections
693 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607 USA
http://www.innovating.com
Voice:716.442.4110 Fax:716.442.8823
jrabson @ innovating.com
Response:
The chorus line sounds interesting. My Innovation Salon is a dinner meeting
where anywhere from a dozen to 35 people get together to hear a speaker and discuss an
aspect of innovation. I hold it here in Ottawa, though I once took it on the road to
Toronto.
About half the participants are regulars, the rest come to hear the topic of the night.
I’m pleased to attract a wide variety of people, including senior executives,
policy-makers, administrators, auditors, quite a few private sector people; not very many
academics.
Editor in Chief
QUESTION 1: What do you currently perceive to be the most pressing issues/concerns
related to the effective management of innovation and
new technology? (please limit your response to three items)
QUESTION 2: What is your favourite quote (AND AUTHOR)
regarding the effective (or ineffective ) management of innovation and new technology?
Please send your responses to irc@mcmaster.ca and Glor.Eleanor@ic.gc.ca
Christopher K. Bart, Ph.D., C.A.,
Director
Innovation Research Centre
Michael G. DeGroote School of Business
McMaster University, Hamilton, ON L8S 4M4 Canada
Tel: 905-525-9140, ext. 24105, Fax: 905-521-8995
e-mail:irc@mcmaster.ca
Where can one obtain training in evaluating an organization’s
effectiveness using Malcolm Baldridge criteria?
I would appreciate learning where one can obtain training in evaluating an
organization’s effectiveness using Malcolm Baldridge criteria. Please contact me at cengers@jjc.cc.il.us or cengers@ MAIL.JJC.CC.IL.US or phone
815-729-9020, Ext. 6601.
Thank you.
Carolyn T. Engers
I am looking for models of innovation
I am looking for models of innovatin to evaluate with in a Masters research
project. I specificaly would like to understand their development and evaluate their
productivity
with in business. I would be grateful for any assistance received.
Susan Higson
Thistle Publicity
Tel+44 (0)1482 886016
11 St Marys Court
Beverley
England
HU17 8DG
email thistle@ndirect.co.uk
Do you know of a case of true employee
empowerment?
Do you know of a case of true employee empowerment? Would you be willing to share your
knowledge of that experience? I am very curious about this approach, which is much talked
about in North America, but does not seem to actually be used much in practice.
Eleanor Glor
Glor.Eleanor@ic.gc.ca
Though I am a teacher I am a part-time student doing a business course at
TAFE Tasmania. I am doing an Innovation assignment and have chosen CENTRELINK. I
have read the article by Sue Vardon and it has heaps of good information.
I still would like some information in the following areas and would appreciate your help
if you have the time.
1.Strategic Planning
How the concept actually developed?
Which area of Govt the initial direction/brief came from?
2.Concept Generation
Methods of idea generation used? (eg focus groups etc)
Inputs at the idea generation stage? (eg stakeholders)
3.Screening & Pretechnical
Evaluation
What were some of the ideas put forward?
How were they screened?
4.Commercialisation of Idea
What legislation needed etc?
I don’t want anything too complicated. I would appreciate it at least if
you could point me in the right direction.
Thank you for your time.
Noel Swan
How can I subscribe to the Innovation Journal?
I would like to subscribe to the Innovation Journal. How can I
do? Is it possible? Thank you very much. Best regards
Francesco Zucchelli
Partner
GALGANO & ASSOCIATI Management Consultants
Italy
Response:
Thank you for your interest in subscribing to the Innovation Journal.
It is only an Internet-based Journal, and therefore free for the reading. I would
be happy to put you on the list of people I inform periodically that new material has been
published.
Editor in Chief
How can I obtain training in evaluation an organization’s effectiveness using Malcolm Baldridge criteria?
I would appreciate learning where one can obtain training in evaluating an
organization’s effectiveness using Malcolm Baldridge criteria. Please contact me at cengers@jjc.cc.il.us or cengers@ MAIL.JJC.CC.IL.US or phone 815-729-9020,
Ext. 6601. Thank you.
Carolyn T. Engers
Updated May 22, 2006