Exploring the Use of Innovation Performance Measurement to Build Innovation Capability in a Medical Device Company

Abstract

In order to increase their innovation capability, many organizations make the effort to actively change their R&D working practices. In parallel, measurement is an important issue with regard to managing innovation. In this paper, innovation management and measurement theory are combined with empirical investigations of experiences of using measurement as a support to the development of innovation capability in practice. The paper reports results from analysis of measurement data and a semi‐structured interview study, encompassing 19 interviews with managers and engineers involved in the current change activities of the case company. The study reveals that various innovation measurement mechanisms are used in different departments in the R&D organization, reflecting the diverse views of what constitutes innovation that dominate in each group, as well as the group's level of involvement in the on‐going building of innovation capability – from heavily involved (innovation leaders) to attentiveness from a distance (innovation laggards and progress evaluators). This, together with challenges related to identifying relevant metrics to support both incremental and radical innovation and managing existing reward and goal‐setting systems, is seen to have implications on the capability development in the organization requiring attention to how innovation measurement is designed, implemented and used in practice.

Innovating for low‐carbon energy through hydropower: Enabling a conservation charity's transition to a low‐carbon community

“…Hallgren () critiqued existing innovation audits in an attempt to propose an approach suited to improving high‐involvement innovation. Nilsson and Ritzén () identified “illustrative examples” of innovation management models. They noted that “ although these frameworks differ in their design and content, some commonalities exist around key enablers based on studies in highly innovative companies ”.…”

“…One of these categories was "specialized supplier" engaged in the key strategic task of finding and maintaining a specific niche. This audit has been used in subsequent research (de Weerd-Nederhof & Fisscher, 2003;Hallgren, 2009;Nilsson & Ritzén, 2014;Yam, Guan, Pun, & Tang, 2004). Finally, this audit has been used as a basis for more than 400 major field projects by undergraduate students "to support, in so far as is realistic, the process of organizational and strategic development in the firms in which projects are undertaken" (Coughlan & Graham, 2009).…”

Managing strategic intellectual property assets in the fuzzy front end of new product development process

“…The level of an idea that will solve the problem, lead to more innovative ideas, and has the impact on the business's new product/service performance, regardless of whether or not the idea itself is novel or unusual Astebro and Koehler (2007), Bj€ ork and Magnusson (2009), Cooper (2006), Dean et al (2006), Kim and Wilemon (2002), Maccrimmon and Wagner (1994), Nilsson and Ritz en (2014) Alignment with company intellectual property strategy-offensive/defensive…”

Determinants of Service Innovation in Academic Libraries through the Lens of Disruptive Innovation

“…39 On the other hand, inappropriate performance measurement for the innovation team can often become an obstacle to creativity as well as a source of resentment.…”