Innovation Champions Research Articles

First Hospital-Based Pain and Palliative Care Program in Hawaii

variations in programs and generalizing back to theorized relationships with the organizational environment (healthcare system), service technology (interdisciplinary palliative care), and implementation process factors. IV. Results. Implementation barriers include staffing deficits, organizational culture, futile care, resistance, knowledge deficits, stigma, difficulty communicating, disciplinary tension, and turf issues. Implementation facilitators include executive support, innovation champion, micro and macro observability, strategic planning, and communication networks. V. Conclusion. Palliative care challenges the dominant culture of the hospital because of a perceived conflict with curative care. Moreover, the interdisciplinary nature of palliative care transgresses traditional hierarchies. Executive support and a physician champion, in addition to including users in the implementation process, and increasing opportunities for observability of outcomes, are among the best ways to overcome resistance to palliative care. VI. Implications for Research, Policy, or Practice. Capitated financing mechanisms (or global budgets) provide an incentive to implement palliative care. These findings should be considered in shaping healthcare reform efforts to accommodate the aging population and the concurrent increases in chronic illness, disability, and unpredictable disease trajectories. The conceptual model was useful in understanding the implementation of this health services innovation within multiple levels of context.

Overcoming Roadblocks to Innovation

This paper examines the experience of the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in three recent innovations developed at its Division of Research and Innovation. Although these innovations promised significant returns on investment, their deployment faced serious challenges, which motivated this research. A literature review was conducted and professionals were interviewed to analyze the roadblocks. The innovations, roadblocks, successful mitigation measures, and lessons learned in each case are presented. The first case is Sensys, a compact, low-cost, wireless traffic-sensing system that can replace more expensive inductive loops. The second case is the Construction Analysis for Pavement Rehabilitation Strategies software, which simulates highway construction and traffic activities at construction zones and predicts traffic delays associated with simulation scenarios, to optimize construction timing and quality and minimize construction costs and effect on traffic. The third case is the Balsi Beam, a mobile frame designed to protect highway workers. Findings show that deployment faced roadblocks because ( a) transportation projects were complex, multifaceted, and interjurisdictional with many players having different interests; ( b) multiple layers of decision making sometimes lacked logic; ( c) public-sector procurement was driven by competitive, multiple low-bid processes that often infringed on intellectual property rights; ( d) public agencies resisted change; and ( e) risk-averse executives hesitated to implement new innovations. To mitigate roadblocks, a systems engineering process is advocated, one that ensures that customers are included in all phases so that the final product meets their needs and satisfies their requirements. Findings underline the need to interconnect researchers, developers, operators, and decision makers by improving communications at all levels and stages. There is need for timely establishment of criteria for evaluating innovations and for creation of innovative champions.

Nanoconvergence: the unity of nanoscience, biotechnology, information technology, and cognitive science

Bainbridge is an original thinker who navigates easily from social sciences to emerging technologies and societal aspirations. In this book, he brings to the reader all that is essential in the historic and rapid change toward science and technology convergence.-Mihail C. Roco, Ph.D., original chairman of the U.S. National Science and Technology Council's subcommittee on Nanoscale Science, Engineering and Technology, key architect of the National Nanotechnology Initiative, and currently senior advisor for Nanotechnology at the National Science FoundationThis book provides a sweeping, yet intimate, overview of an important, emerging area of science and technology-nanotechnology and its convergence with other areas of science and engineering. In Nanoconvergence we are provided with a view of these developments as seen through the lens of the world of William Sims Bainbridge, a visionary scientist and scholar, who has helped to frame and nurture nanoconvergence. His personal history and interests are endlessly fascinating, and include science fiction, space flight, religious cults, videogames, and a host of other areas and topics. His knowledge is extraordinary and includes expertise in the field of nanotechnology and related sciences, including biology, cognitive, behavioral and social science, and information technology. Further, he knows many of the players, including some who were mentors, others who are colleagues, and others whose funding he supervised. The strength of this book is the strength of Bainbridge's extensive, connected network, rooted in scientific, technological, and societal concerns.It is rare to find someone who brings to the table such breadth and depth of knowledge, spanning so many of the sciences, from physics through cognition. Bainbridge is a Renaissance man who is helping to both create and elucidate the potential future worlds that confront us. Ultimately, he is a visionary who is building a roadmap for a future that we can all help to shape. He is to be commended for sharing both this map and his journey with us.-Philip Rubin, Ph.D., CEO, Haskins LaboratoriesIn a world of increasing specialization, Bainbridge offers a refreshing alternative perspective of the way nanoconvergence will help unify disparate areas of knowledge and fuel a next generation of innovation. The integration of historical and forward-looking insights, firmly grounded in the people and projects of the present, made this an enjoyable read. With Nanoconvergence, Bainbridge joins the ranks of the few authors who have succeeded in integrating insights from far flung fields of science and technology into a compelling human story.-James C. Spohrer, Ph.D, Director, Services Research and Innovation Champion, IBM Almaden Research CenterThe Next Scientific and Technological Revolution, and What It Will Mean to You Explains the core principles and tools that are increasingly driving scientific and technical progress Previews today's rapidly converging revolutions in cognitive science: from psychology to linguistics, artificial intelligence to anthropology Tours the shifting border between nanotechnology and biotechnology Nanoconvergence is the coming unification of all significant technologies based on control of structures at the nanoscale. As biotechnology, information technology, cognitive science, physics, chemistry, and material science come together, their power will increase exponentially. This book is the first authoritative but easy-to-understand guide to the coming nanoconvergence revolution-and how it may reshape your life.In Nanoconvergence, William Sims Bainbridge tours the future of science and technology in plain, nontechnical English. Bainbridge draws on an extraordinary breadth and depth of knowledge, based on his unique role at the epicenter of the nanoconvergence revolution. He successfully integrates insights from far-reaching scientific fields into a compelling human story-offering powerful insights you can use to plan your career, seek new investment opportunities, or simply understand what's coming next. Discover new breakthroughs in measuring, manipulating, and organizing matter at the nanoscale and the implications of those advances See why science fiction's view of nanotechnology is wrong and why the truth is even more exciting Preview new technologies built on the principles of cognitive science and enabled by nanotechnology Learn how nanotechnology may save Moore's Law, allowing computers to double in power every year for the next two decades Discover why nanoconvergence may spark a renaissance in the social sciences Examine the potential impact of scientific and technological convergence on human society and diversity

Tales of the expected: investigating the rhetorical strategies of innovation champions

Innovation continues to be high on the agenda in construction. It is widely considered to be an essential prerequisite of improved performance both for the sector at large and for individual firms. Success stories dominate the parts of the academic literature that rely heavily on the recollections of key individuals. A complementary interpretation focuses on the way innovation champions in hindsight interpret, justify and legitimize the diffusion of innovations. Emphasis is put on the temporal dimension of interpretation and how this links to rhetorical strategies and impression management tactics. Rhetorical theories are drawn upon to analyse the accounts given by innovation champions in seven facilities management organizations. In particular, the three persuasive appeals in classic rhetoric are used to highlight the rhetorical justifications mobilized in the descriptions of what took place. The findings demonstrate the usefulness of rhetorical theories in complementing studies of innovation.

Corporate governance and innovative leaders

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to attract readers' attention to the importance of the integration of corporate governance and innovation for companies to strive further in business. The paper also attempts to illustrate how an innovation champion can exist in companies with a good corporate governance structure and fully utilize the structure, at the same time being aware of the limitations of innovation activities. Along the way, corporate social responsibilities should also be taken into consideration.Design/methodology/approachThe objectives of this paper are achieved first through an explanation of how corporate governance structure works and what purpose it serves. By understanding the mechanics of corporate governance, the integration of the structure with other fields of knowledge, in order to boost corporate performance, becomes possible. The paper also makes several references to companies around the world which have integrated successfully.FindingsInnovation is a teamwork effort. Concentrated efforts are needed from every person in the organisation, from the board of directors and all the employees. The main actor in the picture is the board of directors. Also, other critical factors such as culture, conducive environment and rewards very much need to be present in the system.Practical implicationsInnovation, even though deemed risky, must be supported. The board of directors or leaders of corporations must change the way they think. Leaders of corporations must make an effort to understand innovation, and subsequently spread it far and wide among managers by creating corporate policies that support innovation. With a consumer‐centric organizational principle in mind, corporations can improve their innovation success rate. A successful innovation effort requires full participation from everyone in the corporation to ensure that the end results of research and development are for the interests of society at large.Originality/valueCorporate governance is a structure that needs input from other fields of knowledge. Too much faith is put in corporate governance to bring about performance; unfortunately corporate governance is just a structure. There are a lot more factors that should be taken into consideration before achievement can be seen and success stories can be heard. This integration of knowledge is suggested to companies so that they can generate more revenue.

New Service Development of Entrepreneurial Innovations in the IT Sector

The authors report on a survey of small and medium-sized entrepreneurial information technology (IT) firms to investigate the impact of new service development (NSD) process activities on innovation success and failure. Their findings highlight the importance of managing the process to engage customers, management and employees, facilitating innovation champions to aid in idea generation and commitment, effectively communicating the benefits to customers, and using the tacit nature of the process to create barriers to imitation. In general, the findings point to several key elements that impact on successful entrepreneurial IT innovation projects and appear to result from an iterative, flexible and process-linked approach to NSD innovation.

A Framework for Research Utilization Applied to Seven Case Studies

It is widely acknowledged that prevention research often is not fully or adequately used in health practice and/or policies. This study sought to answer two main questions: (1) Are there characteristics of research utilization in communities that suggest stages in a process? (2) What factors, including barriers and facilitators, are associated with the use of prevention research in community-based programs, policies, and practices? Researchers used a multiple case study design to retrospectively describe the research-utilization process. A conceptual framework modified from Rogers's diffusion of innovations model and Green's theory of participation were used. Data were gathered from archival sources and interviews with key people related to any one of seven community-based practices, programs, or policies. Fifty-two semistructured interviews were conducted with program or project staff members, funding agency project managers, community administrators and leaders, community project liaisons, innovation champions, and other members of the research user system. Participation in the process of research utilization was described by using characteristics of collaborative efforts among stakeholders. Program champions or agents linking research resources to the community moved the research-utilization process forward. Practices, programs, or policies characterized by greater community participation generally resulted in more advanced stages of research utilization. Investigating the interactions among and contributions of linking agents and resource and user systems can illuminate the potential paths of prevention research utilization in community settings. Because community participation is a critical factor in research utilization, prevention researchers must take into account the context and needs of communities throughout the research process.

Developing communities of innovation by identifying innovation champions

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to propose that a form of communities of practice (CoP), a community of innovation (CoInv), is the best support for sustainable innovation. It aims to outline a method for identifying champions of innovation in organisation. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on extant research to argue that innovation is facilitated and supported by innovation champions, who have most influence outside traditional organisational structures when they are members of a close-knit community - a CoInv. A potential method for identification of champions of innovation is highlighted. Findings - Innovation champions are special people, with particular personality types and psychological profiles. In order to succeed in championing innovations in organisations they need both procedural and resource support, and social and cognitive support. The influence of innovation champions comes through social contacts, multiplied through the communities in which they participate, through the genuine esteem in which they are held. Developing CoInv around such champions makes practical sense for organisations. Originality/value - Identifying champions of innovation will permit a CoInv to form that links social networks and transcends organisational internal boundaries and forming such a community will potentially trigger more successfully supported innovations.

Contextual factors that sustain innovative pedagogical practice using technology: an international study

Pedagogical innovation—whether involving technology or not—is shaped by a complex interaction of the innovation with contextual factors such as school and school district policy, leadership, cultural norms and values, teacher attitudes and skills, and student characteristics. This study examined school and classroom con- texts in which pedagogical innovations employing technology were successfully sustained. Data were obtained from 59 cases drawn from the Second Information Technology in Education Study—Module 2, a project that examined 174 cases of innovative pedagogical practice in schools in 28 countries. An explanatory model of sustainability was derived from a qualitative analysis of the cases using grounded theory techniques. Essential conditions for the sustainability of classroom innovation were teacher and student support of the innovation, teacher perceived value of the innovation, teacher professional development, and principal approval. Contributing factors for sustainability were supportive plans and policies, funding, innovation champions, and internal and external recognition and support.

L'évolution professionnelle des champions de l'innovation organisationnelle

This study examines the professional evolution of champions of organizational innovation. We met 40 champions who pushed innovation between 1978 and 1995. Our results show three profiles. These differences between these three profiles can be explained by the champion's social and symbolic capital beforehand. Social capital is mostly useful when it allows access to top management and is used in a savvy political manner. On the contrary, the forceful use of technical expertise or personal moral/ethical conviction can be quite detrimental to the champion's career. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

The right stuff: Identifying and developing effective champions of innovation

Executive Overview To overcome organizational inertia or fierce opposition and move new product ideas from small to large project endeavors, market launch, and ultimate market success requires champions. Yet we do not know much about what makes some champions effective while others fail to deliver the goods. What I discovered by studying 72 innovations in 38 companies is that effective champions differ from ineffective ones in their personal characteristics and behaviors, how they identify the innovations to back, and how they promote them to gain the support they need to bring ideas to realization as new products or services. Effective champions are distinguished by three behaviors: conveying confidence and enthusiasm about the innovation; enlisting the support and involvement of key stakeholders; and persisting in the face of adversity. Relying on their personal networks inside and outside of the organization, they scout widely for new ideas and opportunities to pursue. Effective champions build support for the innovation by astutely analyzing key stakeholders' interests and tailoring their selling strategies to be maximally persuasive, and by tying the innovation to positive organization outcomes such as profitability, enhanced reputation, or strategic advantage. I conclude with seven action steps that enterprise leaders can take to breed, rather than block, potential champions in their organizations.

HOW DO CORPORATE CHAMPIONS PROMOTE INNOVATIONS?

The aim of this paper is to discuss which factors influence the impact of innovation champions on organisations. This is done by means of a systematic review of existing research. Many of the studies do not have a solid theoretical base. However, we find that resource dependency theory provides a theoretical framework in which innovation champions can be understood. We also show explicitly how other theories such as network theory, agency theory, and personal trait theory are needed in order to explain certain elements of the champions' behaviour. We propose an overall model, discuss theoretical and managerial implications of previous research, and suggest areas for future research.

Champions of technological innovation: The influence of contextual knowledge, role orientation, idea generation, and idea promotion on champion emergence

This study examined the role that champions play in the generation and promotion of ideas in the innovation process, and considered the influence of flexible role orientation and contextual knowledge in this process. Content analysis of interview transcripts from 19 matched pairs of champions and nonchampions revealed that flexible role orientation was positively related to idea generation, and contextual knowledge was positively related to packaging ideas for promotion. Idea generation was positively related to promoting ideas through informal and formal channels. Finally, in comparison with nonchampions, champions demonstrated more enthusiastic support for new ideas, tied the innovation to a greater variety of positive organizational outcomes, and used informal selling processes more often during idea promotion.

Getting Passionate About Winter Maintenance Research

The joy of working in a curious and innovative culture is the desire of many governmental organizations. Rules, regulations, and other bureaucratic procedures are often big-time barriers to change in governmental operations. Authorship and ownership of existing methods add to the resistance to change. Budget-conscious superiors often automatically discourage and discard ideas that require investing additional money up front. “If it isn’t made here, we don’t need it” and other syndromes cause the rank and file to continue doing things the same way they always have instead of “fighting city hall.” The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is an exception. There, winter maintenance research has developed beyond just being a program; it is a culture and a way of life. MnDOT is passionate about winter maintenance research. There are several key issues that are important to recognize in MnDOT. The passion resides at the maintenance worker level. Supervisors and top management provide encouragement, support, and guidance and are not stumbling blocks. Dedicated funding fuels innovation. New ideas that generate the most support are those that are customer focused and quality related because the customer is the common denominator that every level in the organization understands. It is hard not to support and fund new ideas that improve the effectiveness of products and services delivered to the end user. Finally, MnDOT has learned that providing opportunities for champions of innovation to share their accomplishments is an outstanding way to maintain and elevate even higher the excitement associated with maintenance research.

Benchmarking Innovation: A Short Report

A project is reported that benchmarked ‘best practice’ mature organisations, with a base in the United Kingdom, on the processes and practices that they perceive underpinned successful innovation projects. The majority of organisations had director level personnel involved in the innovation process but only three had active involvement of the top management. However, the majority saw the greatest level of innovation being obtained through the use of cross‐functional teams. Five key innovation supports were identified during the benchmarking exercise. These were top management support for, and involvement in the process; the appointment of an innovation champion or sponsor; rewards for innovative behaviours and ideas; and finally a positive attitude to building on creative ideas, irrespective of their source. It is suggested that benchmarking can play a role in identifying best‐practice innovation structures and procedures.

Organisational champions of IT innovation

This paper reports on an investigation of the characteristics of 10 organisational champions of information technology (IT) innovation in The Netherlands. The institutions at which they work are in the financial, transport, government and software sectors. Much of the research in this area has focused considerable attention on the individual personality traits of champions. This research project was positioned to contribute to the literature by broadening the focus of attention beyond individual-level characteristics. Since IT innovations occur within an organisational context, there is also a need to explore the role of organisation-level characteristics. This study explored both the individual- and the organisation-level characteristics exhibited by those promoting IT innovations in their firms. The results of this study show that these organisational champions fall somewhere in between the classic IT champion and the project manager. While personal leadership characteristics are not as much in evidence, organisational characteristics are emphasised more. They use their political skills to obtain resources and organisational acceptance of the IT innovations as they are shepherding the innovation through the organisational bureaucracy. However, these champions seem to place as much emphasis on creativity as classic IT champions. When necessary, they break rules, give veiled threats and find ways to get around the organisational bureaucracy. They seek creative outlets for themselves and those they manage. These findings suggests that a promising way to reduce the rate of information system (IS) project failures is to learn not only from IS projects undertaken by IT champions but also from innovation undertaken by other champions — business champions and champions of other technologies.

U.S. announces medals in science, technology

President Clinton last week announced the 1996 recipients of the U.S/s highest awards for research and for technological achievement. Among the eight winners of the National Medal of Science and five winners of the National Medal of Technology, several are cited for chemically related work. recipients of these prestigious medals are the nation's champions of research and innovation, said Clinton. For their leadership and originality, we honor them with America's version of the Nobel Prize. The science medal has been awarded since 1962 and the technology medal since 1985. Clinton will present them at a White House ceremony this summer. Polymer chemist Stephanie Louise Kwolek, a DuPont consultant since retiring as a research associate in 1986, will receive a technology medal for her contributions to the discovery and development of high-performance aramid fibers. These tough fibers, sold by DuPont as Kevlar, are used in products as diverse as lightweight bulletproof vests and fiber-optic cables. ...

Cultural Differences in Innovation Championing Strategies

This study examines the relationship between national culture and national preferences for innovation championing strategies for a sample of 1228 individuals in 30 countries. The study finds that the more uncertainty avoiding a society is the more people prefer champions to work through organizational norms, rules and procedures to promote innovation. The more power distant a society is the more people prefer champions to focus on gaining the support of those in authority before other actions are taken on an innovation rather than on building a broad base of support among organization members for new ideas. The more collectivist a society is the more people prefer champions to seek cross-functional support for the innovation effort.

Cultural differences in innovation championing strategies

This study examines the relationship between national culture and national preferences for innovation championing strategies for a sample of 1228 individuals in 30 countries. The study finds that the more uncertainty avoiding a society is the more people prefer champions to work through organizational norms, rules and procedures to promote innovation. The more power distant a society is the more people prefer champions to focus on gaining the support of those in authority before other actions are taken on an innovation rather than on building a broad base of support among organization members for new ideas. The more collectivist a society is the more people prefer champions to seek cross-functional support for the innovation effort.

Are champions different from non-champions?

Research on the innovation process has shown that the presence of an innovation champion—Someone who takes a personal risk to overcome organizational obstacles to innovation—is an important part of the new business development, new technology development, and organizational change processes. Champions play six valuable roles in the innovation process. They provide autonomy from the rules, procedures, and systems of the organization so that innovators can establish creative solutions to existing problems. They gather organizational support for the innovation by building coalitions between managers in different functional areas of the organization. They create loose monitoring mechanisms that allow innovators to make creative use of organizational resources. They establish mechanisms for making consensus decisions on innovations. They use informal methods to persuade other members of the organization to provide support for the innovation, and they protect the innovation team from interference by the organizational hierarchy. Some,but not all managers believe in the desirability of these championing roles.Existing research suggests that managers willing to serve as champions differ in many ways from those who are not. However, almost all of the existing research on championing has been conducted in the United States. This raises two fundamental questions: First, do champions and non-champions differ in their preferences for championing roles? Second, are these differences universal or limited to American culture? This study attempts to answer these questions by comparing the preferences for the six championing roles of individuals with championing experience and those without across 43 organizations and 68 countries. The study shows that individuals with championing experience have significantly different preferences from individuals without championing experience for five of these championing roles—building cross-functional ties, establishing autonomy from organizational norms and rules, enabling innovators to circumvent organizational hierarchy, using informal means to persuade others to support the innovation effort, and building a decision-making mechanism that includes all organization members. These differences exist after controlling for differences in the national culture of the respondents, the companies in which they work, and demographic characteristics. The results of this study suggest that differences in the preferences of champions and non-champions for the behaviors that champions adopt are consistent across cultures.