The document describes an innovation assessment methodology used by TrendsSpotting Research to help organizations implement innovation. The methodology involves two stages: 1) Exploratory research through interviews with senior executives to understand perceptions of innovation challenges. 2) An employee innovation survey to analyze perceptions of innovation implementation, identify opportunities for improvement, and form a basis for ongoing success measurement. The survey examines factors like leadership, culture, and performance across idea generation, selection, development and commercialization stages. TrendsSpotting uses this research to provide organizations with recommendations to improve innovation readiness.

1. Implementing Innovation in Organizations
Innovation Assessment
Research Tools
TrendsSpotting Research
January 2013

2. Implementing Innovation in Organizations
Innovation is known to fuel organizational growth, to drive future success, and is the
engine that allows businesses to sustain their viability in a global economy. Both
-­‐and-­‐
which the constant need of fighting for survival and the threat of competition
encourage firms to innovate.
Business and management research clearly indicates that organizations with
innovative capacity can respond to environmental change quicker and can perform
better than non-­‐innovative organizations.
Optimal organizational innovation requires translating a business strategy into an
overall organizational strategy, with proper mechanisms to ensure successful
innovation performance when introducing new commercialized products to the
market.
For implementing innovation in the organization, individuals in all levels should be
encouraged by top managers to think independently and creatively, and share their
personal knowledge with others. To innovate, companies need to ensure a culture
that supports new ideas and encourages new
efforts on optimal execution.

3. Implementing Innovation in Organizations
Innovation Implementation Methodology
In order to help organizations to innovate TrendsSpotting has collected insights from
primary research conducted on leading companies as well as start up companies, reviewed
academic research together with practical business research and analyzed variety of case
studies to come up with core parameters of best practices that are vital for the
implementation of innovation in organizations.
On the basis of core innovation functions, TrendsSpotting has set a
methodology to assess organizational innovation readiness. Shared perceptions regarding
innovation, human efforts engaged in innovation processes, tools and platform utilized,
and a structured innovation intervention process are presented.

4. Implementing Innovation in Organizations
Innovation Implementation Methodology
Shared perceptions regarding innovation
o Innovation as a strategic priority (benefits and opportunities)
o Innovation as a competitive advantage
o Innovation requirements are clearly defined
o Initiating innovation and supporting it are defined as desired traits, which are
acknowledged and rewarded.

5. Implementing Innovation in Organizations
Innovation Implementation Methodology
Human efforts invested in innovation:
o Leadership commitment
o Vision: Well communicated, clear strategic vision and goals
o Innovation dedicated leaders: innovation personas setting motivations and inspirations
o Engaged employees that care to promote innovation processes and outcomes
o Cross organization employee involvement (cross departments and sectors)
o Innovation agents and external partners are involved in innovation activities

6. Implementing Innovation in Organizations
Innovation Implementation Methodology
Tools and platforms:
o Inspirational tools and creative settings
o Innovation learning tools
o Internal innovation communication channels / platforms
o Innovation performance metrics (measurements and follow-­‐ups for improvement)
o Innovation incentives and rewards

7. Implementing Innovation in Organizations
Innovation Implementation Methodology
Structuring the innovation intervention process
TrendsSpotting proposes a defined process for innovation implementation:
o Identification of worthy innovation challenges (incremental and disruptive): portfolio
balance, short and long term expectations, risk and success assessment.
o Identification of innovation obstacles for specific projects
o Managerial involvement and support
o Wide collaboration teams (diversity of roles, departments, sectors, regions)
o Supporting the process through the 4 stages: Ideation selection development and
commercialization
o Initiation of innovation projects
o Agile project management (execution planned and emphasized from the early start)
o Re-­‐examining innovation projects (updating risk and benefits)
o Lesson learning
o Communication of shared innovation experiences (successful projects as well as failed
ones)

8. Assessing Innovation Readiness in Organizations
On the basis of core innovation functions, we have set a methodology to
assess organizational innovation readiness.
Employee Innovation Survey is designed to map the organization and to
identify opportunities for change and improvement. With thousands of employees
surveyed from different sectors and across five continents, it is considered a validated tool
to examine innovation importance and perceived competitive advantage, as well as
innovation leadership and culture. Innovation is mapped through the idea stage all the
way to execution and commercialization.
TrendsSpotting utilizes these research tools to provide companies with practical
recommendations concerning innovation readiness across the organization. These tools
involvement. Those can provide indications for obstacles that block innovation processes,
and can structure methodology for innovation intervention and innovation success
measurement.

9. Innovation
Assessment Methodology
Stage 1: Exploratory Research among innovation stakeholders
Stage 2: Employee Innovation Survey

10. Innovation
Assessment Methodology
Stage 1: Exploratory Research:
Interviews with senior executives involved in innovation processes
This exploratory study is aimed to gather initial insights on how senior executives in the
organization perceive innovation and its challenges.
Research Objectives:
Understanding perceived importance of innovation
Identifying organizational innovation: profiling the current state of innovation
culture
Main challenges and obstacles in implementing innovation in the organization
Innovation measurement
Future plans for implementing innovation

11. Innovation
Assessment Methodology
Stage 2: Employee Innovation Survey:
Research objectives:
Analyzing employees perceptions regarding innovation in the organization (perceived
importance and perceived success).
Identifying level of innovation implementation (key parameters: leadership, culture,
knowledge and learning)
Profiling success factors along innovation stages (idea generation, selection,
development and commercialization)
Tracing opportunities for change initiatives needed for improving innovation outcomes.
Assessing innovation implementation by unique demographic traits: seniority, tenure,
department and role.
Constructing foundations for ongoing innovation success measurement and reward
structures

12. Innovation
Assessment Methodology
Stage 2: Employee Innovation Survey:
Methodology:
TrendsSpotting Employee Innovation Questionnaire is a scientifically-­‐validated assessment
tool designed for use within organizations. It contains 38 items including 4 demographic
questions. Employees are invited to participate in an online survey by an invitation email.
The mail includes a direct link to a 15 minute survey, located on secure servers.
The survey starts with instructions explaining the purpose and format of the questionnaire.
A formal definition of innovation with its many aspects is presented to the participants
before they start answering the questionnaire.

13. Innovation
Assessment Methodology
Stage 2: Employee Innovation Survey:
Methodology:
Part 1: Perceived innovation importance and innovation success
The questionnaire examines innovation perceived importance, and dedicated time invested
in innovation activities. It also compares perceived innovation success to competitive
companies and traces most pronounced innovation promoters.

14. Innovation
Assessment Methodology
Stage 2: Employee Innovation Survey:
Methodology:
Part 2: Innovation culture and project performance
In order to profile key innovation parameters (leadership behavior, knowledge sharing, etc.)
as well as innovation performance across the different innovation stages statements are
presented to test level of agreement.
With the completion of large pilots, items that best reflected dimensions of innovation
The response
format used is a 4-­‐point Likert scale (Strongly disagree, Tend to disagree, Tend to agree,
Strongly agree). Because the questionnaire was designed for use within all levels of the
was added.

15. For more information on Innovation Assessment tools or our
industry innovation reports
Contact us at
Customerservice@trendsspotting.com

16. About TrendsSpotting:
TrendsSpotting.com is an innovation research company. Using unique Research 2.0
methodologies we identify key industry trends, compile and analyze them to develop
insights for a winning innovation strategy .
TrendsSpotting.com serves leading international brands.
Syndicated Trend Reports are published on top market research
databases.
TrendsSpotting is known for its annual Influencers Prediction Reports and has earned
prestige among marketing experts.
Many of our trends insights, presented at The TrendsSpotting Blog, are often quoted
by the news media and appear at leading sites as The New York Times, Advertising
Age, Marketing Profs, Mashable, Read Write Web, GigaOm, and more.

17. The TrendsSpotting Team:
Our team is comprised of analysts with extensive experience in consumer research,
market strategy, user experience, information systems, organizational behavior, and
data mining.
TrendsSpotting Research is headed by Dr. Taly Weiss a Social Psychologist and
marketing research analyst. Taly is a leading authority in innovation research and
strategy. She comes from an ad agency background taking the role of head of strategy
and research. She was among the first researchers to use web metrics technology for
practical research. She advises corporations on innovation strategy, emerging
technologies, emerging markets, business trends, and on NPD. Her academic work
to join groups and share resources.

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