Ways in which a company can design its structure to foster innovative behavior

Essay by mainiacUniversity, Master'sA+, March 2005

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For a company to compete in today's competitive business world is increasingly a function of how proficient they are at innovation. The goal of a company is to increase profitability, increase growth and innovation and introduce new values/norms/culture into the company. In order for a company to remain competitive, it must have maximum quality, minimum cost and maintain peak performance. The design of the organization is crucial to innovation. In ways a company structure links its personnel in various specialties, such as research and marketing, gages the speed a company can introduce new products into the market. In its reflection, you cannot overlook the fact that the company culture has an impact on the people to be innovative. Culture defined as entrepreneurial norms and values is mostly likely fostering innovation than a culture that embraces conservatism and/or bureaucracy.

In my experience the creation of a structure that fosters innovative behavior, begins with top leadership equipped to provide vision, inspiration, and conviction to demonstrate integrity, provide meaning, develop objectives, generates trust, and communicates values.

As a leader, you must do more than just hold the title; as a CEO, you must exercise leadership through setting the example for others to emulate. Leaders must also influence and motivate managers to incorporate vision, strategic planning, and elements of quality management into the full range of the organization's activities.

Leaders must be knowledgeable of the fact that creativity and innovation is the heart and soul of their organization. New ideas can lead to programs/products that are superior to those already in existence or planned in an organization. Toyota for example has lead the way by targeting the 20 - 30 something and has come with a new line of cars. Other car manufacture's are lagging behind and are just now starting to target that...