White, Andrew (2001) Creating the conditions for innovation : executive summary. EngD thesis, University of Warwick.

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Abstract

This Executive Summary describes a four-year Engineering Doctorate programme at the University of Warwick’s, Warwick Manufacturing Group. The objective of the doctorate was to investigate how to “create the conditions for innovation”. The Executive Summary presents three aspects of the work. Firstly, the methodology that was employed, secondly, a set of guidelines that show how companies can create the conditions for innovation, and finally, two innovations that the author had primary responsibility for developing. These innovations are TaxiCall and a business training game entitled “The Business of Innovation”. The conditions for innovation that have been identified are, senior management support and commitment, organisational capacity and structure, processes that facilitate risk and exploration, people who are committed and motivated to innovate, the integration of ideas and people from contexts alien to the business, a deep understanding of customers' expressed and unexpressed needs. TaxiCall is an innovative solution to the problem taxi passengers face when hailing a vehicle. It provides a means for a passenger to speak directly to the driver of the nearest available “for hire” taxi to arrange a journey. The author was responsible for developing the idea for TaxiCall into a defined business proposal. This proposal included strategy development, market analysis, a financial and marketing plan and a technical solution. The proposal received £0.5m to further develop the concept of TaxiCall into a viable business. As a consequence of this further development, £8m investment was made in order to launch TaxiCall as a service branded Zingo into the London market late in 2002. The Business of Innovation is a training game that has been designed to address the issue of why companies, who succeed with one technology, often fail to succeed with the one that follows it. It does this by allowing participants to experience why incumbent companies struggle to successfully manage technological discontinuous innovations. The author used this game with approximately 100 participants of Warwick Manufacturing Group’s MSc and Executive Development programmes. Evidence was gathered concerning its ability to meet its stated objectives with a majority of 86% of participants finding it a useful learning experience. The game has subsequently been adopted by a number of training organisations serving a variety of industry sectors.

Item Type:	Thesis (EngD)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HD Industries. Land use. Labor > HD28 Management. Industrial Management
Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH):	Business enterprises -- Technological innovations, Organizational change, Business planning, New products -- Management, Technological innovations -- Management
Official Date:	December 2001
Dates:	Date Event December 2001 Submitted
Institution:	University of Warwick
Theses Department:	Warwick Manufacturing Group
Thesis Type:	EngD
Publication Status:	Unpublished
Supervisor(s)/Advisor:	Yazdani, Baback ; Flower, J. O. (John Ogilvy) ; Cooper, Kate
Sponsors:	Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council ; Computer Sciences Corporation ; London Taxis International
Format of File:	pdf
Extent:	64 leaves : illustrations, charts
Language:	eng

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