Innovation

ID: EN-MNG-20-11-420

Module annotation

Most successful firms have, at one time or the other, used new knowledge to offer new products or services that customers want or have been in a position to exploit other firm’s innovation. The times for students of innovation have never been better, more promising, or more challenging. Innovation in new millennium is, what TQM was to the 1970s, what time-based management was to the 1980s and what efficiency was to the 1990s – that is precondition for gaining ot maintaining a competitive advantage.

For the MBA a critical goal is to apply innovation concepts to real-life problems. So there is still jay Barney’s “there really isn’t anything quite as practical as a good theory”. For many firms, competitive advantage is gained and maintained through innovation. Innovation is not limited to high technology. Innovation usually means change, both in the organizational and the economic sense. For this reason any models that seek to understand the phenomenon are necessarily multidisciplinary. Both strategy (see module Strategic Management) and its implementations are critical to successful exploitation of innovation. Many innovation strategies fail not because there is something fundamentally wrong with them, but because they are not well implemented. Innovation entails dealing with new knowledge – collecting information and turning it into new products or services.

One needs to understand theory in order to apply it, and concepts, models and theories. However that are learned and not practiced evaporate quickly.

Content of the module

Due to time allocation for the course, content of the module is based on providing introduction and main overview about innovation, their frameworks, management and fundamentals and about few perspectives and approaches (with connection to others modules like Strategic Management and Project Management). For students it is necessary to understand what the innovation is, what are interconnections to processes, change, management and impact on companies, firms and their competitive advantage. There is no one-size-fits-all approach. There is also a need to understand not only competition and competitive advantage through innovation, but to understand the point of view and the role of networks, clusters, start-ups and globalization in the innovation process for sustainable world (eg. According to the UN Sustainability Goals).

Module goal

To help participants acquire the basic knowledge they need to apply innovation fundamentals, tools and processes so that they can support the innovation activities and projects and carry out necessary functions within their organizations. Also to help them gain an understanding of content, terminology, and application principles dealing with the innovation management efforts in time of disruption and post-pandemic world.

The aim of this course is to develop overview and provide basic knowledge and viewpoints required for innovation and its management, which will help the students to manage innovation (change) more strategically and efficiently. After completing this course with some self-study and reading literature the students will gain in depth knowledge on how to manage innovation as a management process, create innovation strategy, take technological directions into the consideration and apply collaborative approaches and learning for mutual benefits.

Module structure

• Fundamentals
  • Innovation types and frameworks
  • Models of innovation
• Strategizing
  • Innovation (and) strategy
  • Innovation (and) change
  • Innovation (and) management
  • Innovation (and) company
• Implementation
  • Coopetition, networks, clusters
  • IMP3rove
  • Lean start-up approach
  • Role of globalization
  • Innovation landspace in the Czech Republic

Literature (more on request, seek resources in English)

AFUAH, Allan. Innovation Management. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. 390 s. ISBN 978-0-19-524230-3.

BRESCHI, Stefano, MALERBA, Franco (eds.). Clusters, Networks, and Innovation. Oxford: Osford University Press, 2007. 499 s. ISBN 978-0-19-927556-4.

COOPER, Robert, G. Winning at New Products: Accelerating the Process from Idea to Launch. 3. vyd. Cambridge: Basic Books. 2001. 448 s. ISBN 978-0-738-20463-5.

GRAF, Holger. Networks in the Innovation Process. Local and Regional Interactions. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar, 2006. 203 s. ISBN 1-84542-930-3.

HAKES, Chris. Restart inovací. Jak rozvíjet, řídit a hodnotit způsobilost organizace a týmu k inovacím. Praha: ČSJ, 2012. 190 s. ISBN 978-80-02-02549-8.

HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Innovation. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2013. 179 s. ISBN 978-1-4221-8985-6.

CHRISTENSEN, Clayton, M. The Innovator's Dilemma: When New Technologies Cause Great Firms to Fail. Dotisk. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2013. 252 s. ISBN 978-1-4221-9602-1.

CHRISTENSEN, Clayton, M. a kol. The Innovator's DNA: Mastering the Five Skills of Disruptive Innovators. Boston: Harvard Business School Press, 2011. 304 s. ISBN 978-1-4221-3481-8.

CHRISTENSEN, Clayton, M. The Innovator's Solution: Creating and Sustaining Successful Growth. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 2003. 301 s. ISBN 978-1-4221-9657-1.

ŠVEJDA, Pavel a kol. Inovační podnikání. Praha: AIPČR, 2007. 345 s. ISBN 978-80-903153-6-5.

TIDD, Joe, BESSANT, John, PAVITT, Keith. Řízení inovací. Zavádění technologických, tržních a organizačních změn. Brno: Computer Press, 2007. 549 s. ISBN 978-80-251-1466-7.