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Abstract
Innovation activities in large organizations are typically conducted by teams. Previous research noted the positive correlation between innovation performance and the cultural diversity of teams, wherein people from different backgrounds approach problems differently and have differing tolerances for risk. In a long term extension of these studies we aim to determine if these proclivities attenuate over time, as members modify & harmonize their behaviors driven by cultural norms of the organization. In an early read out from this effort, cohorts of innovation team members across several continents and representing six of the ten global cultural clusters completed a series of team analytics and questionnaires. The analytics were derived from cross-cultural communication frameworks which have been utilized to assess how culturally associated values influence behavioral traits. The respondents invited to participate were directly involved in innovation projects either as part of their main function or through membership of a specific innovation team and represented a range of experience levels. Subjects were also invited to offer written commentary on team and organizational culture as it applies to innovation. A definitive trend was uncovered wherein employee service time (in years) correlated with moves from cultural group norms towards more moderated, centrist decision making traits and lowered risk taking appetite. Further, specific indicators which correlate to disruptive ideation and innovation performance softened as a function of service time, independent of cultural origins. Together, this may signal a need for innovation teams to be mindful that balance is maintained with respect to members service time and new team entrants are supported to pursue high-risk high-reward ideas.
Highlights
While all forms of diversity are beneficial, in the case of innovation teams it has been noted that cultural diversity of team members has a disproportionately beneficial impact on performance (Bertelsmann, 2018; Lorenzo et al, 2018)
Given anecdotal observations that teams involved in serial innovation project cycles successfully proposed de-risked ideas, we have begun to investigate any changes to cultural drivers and team dynamics as a function of time
Where baselines would predict 50% for moderate in each category, the results showed increases to 60+%, including an 18% gain in the case of moderation towards uncertainty (Figure 4e). While these shifts and trends presumably bode well for team and organizational harmony, there exists the potential for innovation performance, where risk taking and out of box thinking are at a premium, to be impacted
Summary
While all forms of diversity are beneficial, in the case of innovation teams it has been noted that cultural diversity of team members has a disproportionately beneficial impact on performance (Bertelsmann, 2018; Lorenzo et al, 2018). Having observed and confirmed the positive benefit of cultural diversity on innovation team performance (Jones et al, 2021), we became interested to learn if, over time, those individuals and teams would continue to be serial disruptors or progress to suggesting safer, de-risked follow on ideas. The latter may have a higher potential for success and reflect realities encountered by team members in progressing projects within the organization. Given anecdotal observations that teams involved in serial innovation project cycles successfully proposed de-risked ideas (classified as adjacent versus transformational), we have begun to investigate any changes to cultural drivers and team dynamics as a function of time
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