What Is Innovation

Chapter 14. Innovation1

By Kathryn A. Baker

If defined broadly, innovation can be seen as the business of science organizations. However, like most of the organizational literature, the innovation literature has largely focused on innovation in private sector business organizations. This literature may, nonetheless, have insights that can be used by the science organizations, both private and public. First, although science organizations need to innovate, they have not necessarily taken the lead in systematically studying how organizational and environmental factors can best promote innovation. Also science organizations in both the private and public sector are under greater pressure not only to generate innovative science but also to function as a business. For example, there is greater emphasis on commercializing scientific discoveries, having a solid and well-designed portfolio of science programs and projects that help the organization adapt to external changes in funding priorities, and demonstrating results and favorable cost/benefit ratios. This innovation literature may provide insights into balancing innovation with business realities. While the literature on innovation in private sector organizations may be a source of useful insights, it may also be the case that studying science organizations could provide critical insights into how to promote and sustain innovation in private sector business organizations. Public science organizations should consider playing a lead role in promoting strategies for encouraging and sustaining innovation and developing a true innovation competency.

Overview

The literature on innovation has a long history. The early research on innovation tended to address the organization’s ability to respond and adapt to external and/or internal changes (Burns and Stalker 1961; Hull and Hage 1982). Subsequent work on innovation stressed more pro-active innovation and distinguished between types of innovation. Emphasis was on the...