Cultural diversity drives innovation: modeling in the global pharmaceutical industry

Abstract

Purpose The innovative capacity of an organization is typically realized through unit-level teams. Previous studies correlate innovation performance with cultural diversity of teams, but note that team dynamics need to be optimized to derive maximum benefit. Herein, this study offers an assessment of available team building instruments through the lens of diverse innovation teams. In a demonstration project in the pharmaceutical industry, this study then outlines specific tools and approaches which can be successfully deployed through team coaching and mentoring. Design/methodology/approach A cluster of nine innovation teams with varying degrees of cultural diversity was provided with assessment and management instruments which had been identified and field tested by a mentoring team. Content included cultural awareness tools, innovation team profiling methods and Team Science (SciTS) ideology. Teams were funded, coached and mentored through a six-month performance period and assessed at regular intervals. Findings Team assessments provided correlations between performance (measured by project completion and new intellectual property generated) and diversity together with wealth of information on intra-team culture and dynamics. Concrete recommendations from the study include adoption of appropriate communication standards to promote inclusivity, use of SciTS operational tracking metrics to enhance engagement, use of the FourSight group profiling methodology and cultural quotient scale cultural awareness instruments at team-forming stage to promote effective dynamics and enhance inclusivity. Practical implications Cultural diversity has a positive impact on innovation teams. This said, for maximum benefit cultural awareness of team members should be optimized to avoid unintended conflicts developing. Such issues can be exacerbated when teams are deployed remotely and preventative measures should be established. These issues became of heightened significance as a result of telecommuting imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic and have longer-term implications, as corporations consider global air travel reduction through environmental concerns. A tracking tool is described to monitor team engagement and promote inclusivity. It is expected that the learnings can influence how teams can best form, normalize and operate within corporate innovation programs and form the basis of long-term impact studies. Originality/value This represents the first systematic study on the impact of cultural diversity and team dynamics within innovation programs in the pharmaceutical industry. The tools and methodologies deployed are widely available and can be adopted by innovation teams in many adjacent industries with established innovation ecosystems.

Do workforce diversity, inclusion practices, & organizational characteristics contribute to organizational innovation? Evidence from the U.A.E

“…The evidence that disadvantaged employees are less committed suggests that organizations need to consider how they can structure their HR system, practices, and climate to meet the expectations of the employee and generate commitment among diverse people (Moon & Sandage, 2019). Consequently, inclusion practices generating a sense of fairness, belongingness, uniqueness, and diverse climate/culture among employees is important for generating innovation at the workplace (Jones et al, 2021). Hence, the following hypotheses are proposed: H2: Workforce inclusion practices have a significant positive impact on organizational innovativeness.…”

Cultural diversity drives innovation: empowering teams for success

“…Ideally, these should include cultural assessment (awareness and competence), team dynamics (individual and team integration) and inclusive and transparent operating principles grounded in team science methodology. Systematic analysis using appropriately powered studies and controls will ultimately help quantitate the impact of various components in innovation teams and across programs, although initial observations from our internal innovation program are encouraging (Jones et al, 2020). Such learnings could then be used to inform and guide team development and ultimately allow correlation of diversity elements with predictive outcome metrics.…”

“…For any innovation team, openness, trust, candor and psychological safety are pre-requisites for success and to monitor the health of the team an anonymous/confidential scorecard tool is advocated (Figure 8). Adapted from SciTS principles, this is used to record progress or signal advanced warnings at specific intervals during the project, allowing intervention by the assigned coach if necessary (Jones et al, 2020). Aggregate analyzes from these surveys (issued with regular frequency) are shared with teams with emphasis placed on driving to full inclusivity for all team members.…”

“…extended periods and multiple cycles. We intend to report the long term findings and implications from these studies in due course (Jones et al, 2020).…”

Affirming NIH’s commitment to addressing structural racism in the biomedical research enterprise

“…Where we are now As a scientific agency, NIH knows that bringing diverse perspectives, backgrounds, and skill sets to complex research questions enhances innovation and scientific productivity (AlShebli et al, 2018;Hofstra et al, 2020;Jones et al, 2021;Lungeanu and Contractor, 2015;Smith-Doerr et al, 2017;Zhang and Tang, 2018). This has prompted NIH to launch an array of initiatives over the years aimed at enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion.…”