The innovation process in mining: Integrating insights from innovation and change management

Abstract

Innovations in the mining sector have the potential to address decreasing access to resources, lessen environmental impact, increase production and improve mineral recovery. One of the obstacles to implementing innovations in mining is organisational resistance to change. Existing innovation models do not explicitly articulate the role of people and how to engage them in the process of implementing innovations and often do not recognise the specific context of the innovation activity. The nature of mining makes innovation adoption difficult because it involves changes to the mining operation, which impact the value chain. We use a qualitative exploratory approach based on 25 interviews with highly experienced mining practitioners to understand how the innovation adoption process unfolded in that context. Using an abductive approach, we draw from the empirical data and insights from the innovation and change management literature to develop an actionable process model for innovation adoption in the context of mining. The study makes important contributions. It articulates and validates a three-phased process model of innovation adoption, which explicitly incorporates a focus on the people who are active agents in the innovation process. The model is contextualised to mining in terms of language, practices, nature of the business and nature of innovation in that business.