1. Innovation in Organizations
November, 2011
Taesung Kim (tzk5085@psu.edu)

2. Types of Innovation-Decisions
1. Optional innovation-decisions: choices are made
by an independent individual
2. Collective innovation-decisions: … by consensus
among the members of a system
3. Authority innovation-decision: … by a few powerful
individuals in a system
4. Contingent innovation-decisions: … only after a
prior innovation-decision

3. Organizational Innovativeness
1. Leader’s characteristics: leader’s attitude toward
change (+)
2. Org’s internal characteristics:
centralization, formalization (-) /
complexity, interconnectedness, organizational
slack, size (+)
3. Org’s external characteristics: system openness
(+)

4. The Role of Champions
1. The presence of an innovation champion:
contributes to the success of an innovation in an
organization
2. The role: something like that of an opinion leader in
a community
3. The characteristics: innovation-minded, good at
people skills rather than power

5. The Innovation Process in an Org
Decision
Initiation Implementation
Agenda Redefining/
Matching Clarifying Routinizing
Setting Restructuring

6. The Innovation Process in an Org
1. Agenda-Setting: Organizational problems create a
perceived need for innovation. Sometimes the need
sets off the innovation, and sometimes knowledge
of an innovation creates a need for it.
2. Matching: Fitting an organizational problem with an
innovation.

7. The Innovation Process in an Org
3. Redefining/Restructuring: The innovation is re-
invented to fit the org, and organizational structures
are altered. Both the innovation and the org usually
change in the innovation process.
4. Clarifying: The relationship between the org and
the innovation is defined more clearly. The framing
of an innovation has important consequences.

8. The Innovation Process in an Org
5. Routinizing: The innovation becomes an ongoing
element in the org’s activities, which means
sustainability. Sustainability of the innovation is
related to (a) its degree of re-invention, (b) the fit
between the intervention and the org, and (c) the
involvement of a local champion.

9. Discussion Questions
1. Assuming you are writing: leader’s attitude toward
change (+)
2. Org’s internal characteristics:
centralization, formalization (-) / complexity, interco

10. Thank you!
Taesung Kim
tzk5085@psu.edu