Innovation Project Management Research Articles

Developing Mechanisms of Reducing Risks in Managing Innovation Projects and Programs in Russian On-Line Retail Organizations

Currently, the market is crowded with commercial enterprises, which makes it necessary to maintain the competitiveness of modern companies. One of the effective ways to support its functioning in the market and successful further development is the development and implementation of innovative projects. At the same time, when managing innovative projects, developers face various risks that should be minimized in a timely manner. Risk reduction is a rather complex process, as there is a high level of uncertainty inherent in innovative projects. Therefore, in order to minimize the risks of innovative projects, it is important to choose the best quality methods and tools that will form an effective risk reduction mechanism as a result. This article presents the concepts of innovation project, risk management and risk reduction mechanism. Methods and tools for reducing the risks of innovative projects are considered, the main types of risk minimization mechanisms are identified. In addition, the author conducted an analysis of innovative projects of the Russian retail chains "Magnit" and "X5 Retail Group", identified the main mechanisms for reducing the risks of innovative projects and programs used in these retail chains.

Современные подходы к управлению рисками инновационных проектов сетевых организаций розничной торговли в условиях пандемии

The relevance of the research is due to the fact that in the conditions of the pandemic the priority for the retailers is to do business through the innovative projects implementation. These processes are associated with the various risks when it is required to choose a competent approach to their management. There are many different modern approaches, but it is necessary to choose the most effective one, which will not entail serious losses. In the article the concepts of an innovative project and risk management are discussed, the modern approaches to risk management are explored and their classification is considered. It has been carried out the analysis of the developed and implemented innovative projects by the largest Russian retailer X5 Retail Group in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Statistical data on the implementation of innovative projects are presented, problems in the risk management of innovative projects are identified and recommendations for solving these problems are proposed.

Stimulating innovation with an innovative curriculum: A curriculum design for a course on new product development

In a dynamic marketplace, new product development (NPD) is considered the pivot of an organization's competitive strategy. However, little research has been conducted on the teaching material, pedagogical approach, and learning objective that should be part of a course on NPD. The study introduces a methodology for designing a curriculum with limited prior knowledge. First, latent semantic analysis was applied to extract the main research themes from journal articles on the subject, which are considered potential teaching materials. Next, the modified Delphi method was applied to identify their eligibility as teaching materials. Finally, both a revised Bloom's taxonomy and analytic hierarchy process were applied to establish learning objectives and determine the priorities in teaching materials and pedagogical approaches, respectively. The paper presents a case study to show that the proposed methodology can induce faculties to consider student requirements, evaluate the feasibility of teaching materials and pedagogical approaches, and develop assessments with concrete learning objectives. Moreover, the study found that the pedagogical approaches of experiential learning and constructivist learning were effective for teaching innovation management, knowledge management, project management, and risk management in courses at business schools in new product development.

Innovation projects at the University-Pharmaceutical Industry interface: challenges and opportunities

COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the digital transformation of pharmaceutical R&D. This paper aimed to diagnose some key aspects of University-Pharmaceutical Industry (U-Pharma) partnerships in Brazil that should be addressed in digital platforms to enable the creation of innovative solutions to COVID-19. A qualitative research was applied through an online guiding questionnaire to identify the main points that are considered as opportunities or challenges by the parties involved in the University-Pharmaceutical Industry interface. The responses were processed using content analysis to raise common themes. Further, in-depth interviews were performed to evaluate the subjective perception of these themes. The results of the questionnaire showed the topics bureaucracy, partnership, and agility as the most relevant. The in-depth interviews showed the subjective perception of these themes. The joint analysis of the results showed that in addition to problems related to project management processes, issues that involve the human dimension, such as pro-executive behavior and communication skills, are also extremely relevant to the success of U-Pharma projects. The development of digital solutions for Knowledge Management of innovative projects of U-Pharma collaborations should take into consideration both the project and human dimensions. It is recommended that Project and People Management should be integrated into digital platforms.

Management of innovative projects: a way to increase the competitiveness of state institutions in the market of health services

Management of innovative projects: a way to increase the competitiveness of state institutions in the market of health services

A strategic study for materials interdisciplinary frontiers and disruptive innovation

Disruptive innovation is an important indicator of the overall level of technological development of a country, which determines the level of national competitiveness. The disruptive innovation of cross integration of cutting-edge science and technology will play a leading role in technological progress and industrial development. Improving the disruptive innovation ability of cross integration of cutting-edge science and technology is the key to realizing the world-leading potential of China’s science, technology, and industry. Materials are the basis of human material civilization, national security, economic development, and social development. The promotion of interdisciplinary materials science and the integration of materials science with information science, environmental and energy science, life science, and other disciplines has become an important trend and driving force in the development of materials. This integration of materials science with other scientific areas is the key development direction in international research and the focus of future international competition. Cross-cutting-edge and disruptive innovation in the field of new materials are important metrics of the new technology revolution. Based on the strategic study of materials interdisciplinary frontiers and disruptive innovation, here we point out the development priorities according to major national needs. These priorities focus on seven interdisciplinary areas, in which materials science is integrated with physics and mathematics, life-medicine science, energy science, information science, bionics science, manufacturing science, and deep-space-sea-earth science. Through the in-depth collaborative works involving materials science with physics and mathematics, the transformation of the materials research paradigm will be promoted, developing new-concept functional materials and devices with revolutionary performance, new artificial intelligence materials, and future intelligent systems. The interdisciplinary research work involving materials science and life-medicine science will promote research on the basic biochemistry theory toward the creation of novel nanodrugs for major diseases, as well as the basis of tissue regeneration theory and functional reconstruction of important organs. Through the combination of materials science with energy science, new energy materials, devices, and application technologies will be developed to provide key materials and technical support for China’s carbon peak and carbon neutralization. Through collaborations involving materials science and information science, the next generation of new information technology materials and devices will be developed for optical fiber communication and optical fiber sensing technology, 6G communication, quantitative memristors, flexible electronic devices, storage materials and devices, light-emitting materials and devices, and single-photon detection. Through the combination of materials science and bionic science, interdisciplinary frontier basic scientific theories, such as the principle of multiscale composites for bionic hierarchical structures and life body and the mechanism behind the superwetting interface enhancement in life systems will be studied, and bionic health materials, bionic energy materials, bionic environmental materials, and bionic information materials will be developed. Through the interdisciplinary work involving materials science and manufacturing science, the theory and revolutionary technology of the extreme manufacturing of advanced materials, bionic manufacturing, femtosecond-light manufacturing, and composite-field manufacturing will be developed. Through the combination of materials science and deep-space, deep-sea, and deep-earth science, key materials will be developed to meet the national strategic needs in the fields of deep-space, deep-sea, and deep-earth science. Finally, this paper puts forward policy suggestions to strengthen the research of cross-cutting-edge and disruptive innovation from two aspects, namely the science and technology management system and disruptive innovation project management mechanism, aiming to provide guidance for decision-making for China to establish itself as a powerful country in materials science.

COMPETENCE APPROACH IN AGILE TRANSFORMATION OF EDUCATION ESTABLISHMENT

The subject of the article is development of project, programs and project portfolios management systems with drivers of innovation in Agile transformation of Education Establishment is considered. Substantial changes in the environment require further research into the effectiveness of the application of existing agile methodologies, knowledge systems and competencies of project managers and their leadership. The foundations of environmental change lie in changing the decision-making paradigm in innovation project and programs management in Agile transformation of Education Establishment. The goal is to explore modern approaches to leadership formation when applying agile methodologies of its specificity from the point of view of decision-making processes in project management. The problems of leadership creation and development in the application of agile project management methodologies for the implementation of information and communication systems are considered. The results of studies were conducted on the basis of a competency-based approach modelled by the International Project Management Association. The content model of competency of the leader applying agile management is presented. Conclusion: The Agile leadership and leadership behaviour patterns are formed in a project management behavioural competency system based on agile technology methods and tools. These competencies included: Self-reflection and self-management, Personal integrity and reliability, Personal communication, Relationships and interaction, Leadership, Teamwork, Conflicts and crises, Inventiveness, Reconciliation, and Orientation to results. The patterns of project managers' behaviour as agile leaders in project product creation and agile project management are explored. The differences in the behaviour patterns of leaders and agile leaders were examined by behavioural competencies within the identified key competency indicators. Such patterns allowed the authors to identify bottlenecks in the application of agile project management methodologies in the context of the development of innovative products of innovation systems.

When Wrong Is Right: Leaving Room for Error in Innovation Measurement

To date, measuring innovation has not been an exact science. As in many areas of organizational life, errors in measuring innovation are a recurring fact. Innovation researchers and practitioners alike have become increasingly interested in understanding the occurrence of organizational errors and how these errors affect innovation and its measurement. This empirical study aims to address this under-explored area by utilizing a qualitative in-depth case study at the innovation department of an organization with production sites and sales organizations worldwide. A total of 28 semi-structured interviews at several organizational levels were conducted, with innovation managers, project managers, senior managers, and staff. Based on the findings in this case study, three explanations are presented on how organizational errors occur when using innovation KPIs (key performance indicators). The first explanation can be connected to the increasing complexity of innovation and its intangible nature. Another explanation can be traced to the difference between innovation strategy and innovation KPIs. Lastly, room for organizational errors can be related to the multitude of individuals and organizational levels involved in innovation and its measurement. The implications for practitioners are that innovation KPIs are not precise metrics but should be seen as estimates with organizational errors. Whether or not these innovation KPIs can be used as tools to turn innovation into competitive advantages largely depends on whether wrong is right. Future research should focus on the metrics that are implemented and actually in use, as this future path would highlight the function and dysfunction that organizational errors in innovation KPIs can have.

Project-Based Approach to Managing Innovation Processes in Organisations

Technological advance has led to the rapid development of society and human life. Innovation strides ahead. In this context, the development of educational institutions is viewed as a sequence of managed discrete processes with clear characteristics: clear objectives, finite targets, limited resources and time.The relevance of this issue reflects the fact that innovation management in organisations is mostly tactically operated as project management. Innovation project management provides a specification of the chosen innovation strategies and their implementation in production and business operations. Project management, in a nutshell, is a targeted systemic process of delivering and performing managerial decisions adopted across the stages of a particular design cycle and focused on its successful implementation within the set time, budget and resource constraints.An important specific feature is that the key elements of the innovation management system are usually individual innovation projects.

Ontological Modelling of the Decision-making Support Intellectual System in Risks Analysis in the Innovation and Investment Sphere

The purpose of the article is to study, analyze and consider general problems and prospects of using ontologies when modelling decision-making processes in intelligent systems when analyzing the risks of the innovation and investment sphere. The research methodology lies in methods of the basic concepts semantic analysis of a given subject area (innovation and investment projects and management processes for the implementation of these projects). The article discusses the existing approaches to modelling decision-making processes in the analysis of risks in the innovation and investment sphere. The novelty of the research is the intellectualization problems solving of processes in the innovation and investment sphere on the basis of formal ontological models. Conclusions. The practical value of the presented results lies in the development and use of knowledge management system components for identifying and predicting problem situations in innovation and investment projects. The proposed integrated ontology can be used in the management of innovation and investment projects in various subject areas since it contains classes of concepts that have the status of a project activity standard. The developed ontological model makes it possible to develop software architecture for an intelligent decision support system, develop metadata and build a set of interrelated thesauri to support the semantics of end-user requests.

Using action research in innovation project management: building legitimacy and organizational learning in an SME during a merger process

PurposeThe purpose is to explore how the process of action research (AR) can support building legitimacy and organizational learning in innovation project management and portfolio practices in merger contexts.Design/methodology/approachMeta-reflection on method issues in Action Research through an action research case study with an innovation group during an organizational change process. This case demonstrates an example of an action research cycle focused on building practitioner legitimacy rather than problem-solving.FindingsKey findings include (1) demonstrating how AR can be used for building legitimacy through visualizing the innovation process, and embedding those visuals in top management practices of the organization; and (2) demonstrating how AR can work as an organizational learning tool in merger contexts.Research limitations/implicationsThis study focuses on an action research cooperation during a two-and-a-half-year period. Thus, findings offer the depth of a medium term case study. The processes of building legitimacy represent this particular case, and can be investigated in other organizational contexts to see the extent to which these issues can be generalized.Practical implicationsFor researchers, this paper offers an additional type of AR cycle to consider in their research design which can be seen as demonstrating a form of interplay between practitioner action and organizational level legitimacy. For practitioners, this paper demonstrates a connection between legitimacy and organizational learning in innovation contexts. The discussion of how visuals were co-created and used for building legitimacy for an innovation process that differs from the standard stage gate model demonstrates how engaging in AR research can contribute to developing visuals as resources for building legitimacy and organizational learning based on connections between theory and practice.Originality/valueThis case rethinks AR practice for innovation project management contexts to include legitimacy and organizational learning. This focus on legitimacy building from organizational learning and knowledge conversion contributes to our understanding of the soft side of innovation project management. Legitimacy is demonstrated to be a key concern for innovation project management practices.

Management of innovative projects at the enterprise: key concepts and features

The course of modernization and innovative development proclaimed by the country's leadership stimulates the innovation process at enterprises. However, being engaged in the development and implementation of innovative projects in the activities of the enterprise, management of enterprises is faced with some barriers caused by the specific features of such projects. The article analyses the current state of affairs in the management of innovative development of the agro-industrial complex of the Penza region. The paper determines the existing problems and prospects in the management system of innovative projects in the specified area. The study carries out an assessment of the innovative potential of agricultural organizations of the Penza region. The authors propose a model for managing innovative projects based on a systematic approach, substantiate the application of the differential method in determining the strategy of innovative development, describe operating models for each type of strategy.

STRATEGIC MANAGEMENT OF INNOVATIVE ENTERPRISE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS: METHODOLOGICAL PROVISIONS

The paper is devoted to the issues of innovative projects strategic management for the enterprises development, which is due to the acceleration of changes affecting the implementation of enterprises economic activities. Conducted a study of theoretical, methodological and applied aspects of enterprise development strategic management to determine the possibilities of improvement and development in modern conditions of the economic activities implementation. The necessity, importance and expediency of the strategic management formation in the enterprise management system are indicated and substantiated. The most common, basic strategies for enterprise development are considered, including strategies for concentrated growth, integrated growth, diversified growth, and reduction. The stages of enterprise development strategic management are determined, among which one of the main is the stage of strategic analysis. The specifics of the enterprises economic activities have been clarified, including the spread of project management methodology, changes caused by Industry 4.0, the COVID-19 pandemic, climate transformations, and others. A conceptual diagram of the «Star» project management model has been formed, which indicates the areas of knowledge in project management, including integration management, risk management, communications management, stakeholder management and others. The model also assumes taking into account both traditional restrictions in the project implementation, namely, compliance with the requirements for quality, project cost and time of its implementation, and new ones, including ensuring profitability, environmental friendliness and social significance. The conceptual scheme provides for further improvement of the project management model by the possibility of expanding the range of components through the addition of new elements. The use of the conceptual scheme of the project management model as a basis for the methodological foundations development for the strategic management of innovative enterprise development projects is proposed. Changes in the strategic management concept of enterprise development are considered. The general project management concept as a basic for strategic management of enterprise development is defined.

Tools for intellectual support of project decisions based on analyzing uncertain factors of a different nature

Today, the management of complex innovative projects to create new aircraft is carried out in the conditions of uncertainty, which is due to the lack of “high-quality” (complete, accurate, consistent, etc.) data on their internal and external environment. In this situation, to support the adoption of project decisions, it is advisable to use an approach based on the identification and assessment of NON-factors that have a negative meaning in natural language and deny one of the basic properties of formal systems. The authors propose a procedure for analyzing NON-factors in project risk management, based on the assessment of uncertain factors of internal and external project environment using various methods of data mining (particularly, neural fuzzy classifier, fuzzy pyramidal networks, fuzzy logic methods, fuzzy Kalman filtering algorithms). Using the proposed approach will increase the validity of decisions on the viability of such innovative projects and a set of measures for risk management.

Project management of innovation and investment activities to ensure agricultural entities economic security in Ukraine

The purpose of this article is to justify the project management of innovation and investment activities to ensure economic security of agribusiness entities based on increasing the efficiency of innovation and increasing competitiveness in the Ukrainian economy. It is proved that investment and innovation policy to ensure economic security involves implementing state investment priorities capital and growth of investments in rural development. Factors influencing the growth of equity of agro-industrial enterprises are identified with factor analysis. It allows increasing the socio-economic efficiency of agricultural production.

Reducing uncertainties in innovation projects through intra-organisational collaboration: a systematic literature review

PurposeThis article provides the first systematic review of literature on effective organisational practices for reducing innovation project uncertainties to promote project performance. Innovation is the lifeblood of organisations, while simultaneously being one of the most challenging processes to manage. This systematic review seeks to examine best practice for reducing uncertainties and thus mitigate the high failure rates in innovation projects.Design/methodology/approachThis paper provides a systematic review of the literature on innovation project management and encourages an understanding of how intra-organisational collaboration reduces uncertainty and thus increases project performance.FindingsBased on an analysis of the systematic literature review findings, the impact of intra-organisational collaboration in reducing uncertainties in innovation projects is uncovered. Three types of project uncertainties were found to be dominant in the context of innovation project management: task, technological and market uncertainties. Five dimensions of intra-organisational collaboration are also identified, namely collaborative relationship, collaborative leadership, communicating and sharing information, trust formation and joint decision-making.Originality/valueThe authors situate five intra-organisational collaboration dimensions as key mechanisms that yield organisational learning as an outcome. On the other hand, they also uncovered that organisational learning is a key enabler in the relationship between intra-organisational collaboration and task, market and technological uncertainties reduction. Therefore, intra-organisational collaboration is identified as a critical practice in enhancing the performance of innovation projects. The study proposes a multi-dimensional conceptual model, providing a mechanism for furthering a research agenda for improving the performance of innovation projects.

Construction Project Management Innovation and Green Construction Management Strategy Research

Construction Project Management Innovation and Green Construction Management Strategy Research

The agility-control-nexus: A levers of control approach on the consequences of agility in innovation projects

Recent developments indicate a fast-growing relevance of the agile project methodology in innovation. Besides the benefits, agile projects also pose several challenges. Organizations need to come up with an answer to cope with the inherent risks of agile projects. The adaption of management control mechanisms is key to foster the benefits of agile. However, the ongoing debate on the benefits of control systems for innovation and the harm of control systems for achieving agility creates a nexus. Further research on how to adapt existing mechanisms is required to obtain a better understanding and provide guidance for organizations. Building on Simon's levers-of-control (LOC), this study specifies the consequences of different control levers applied by top managers on the outcome of innovation projects considering the respective project agility and the agility of the projects' environment. We follow the calls of existing research on the nexus of control and agility and adumbrate which control levers can positively influence the outcome of agile and non-agile innovation projects. Using survey data of 316 project managers and product owners across different industries, this study reveals that the impact of control on innovation project performance depends on the design of control systems and the emphasis on different control levers used by top managers. Furthermore, the findings reveal a moderation effect of agility in this context. The combination of the LOC and agile project management for innovation projects contributes to the literature on innovation management, project management, and management control.

Directions of strategic development and project management in Russia

The article investigates the present-day problems of strategic development in Russia and the possibilities of their solution on the basis of the project approach. The main problems of implementation of innovative development and project approach are defined and systematized. Methodological approaches to their solution and improvement of project management taking into account advanced innovative development are proposed. The main obstacle to the application of project management methodology is the lack of elaboration of methods, mechanisms and tools for the management of innovative projects in high-tech enterprises of Russia. Great hopes in Russia are cantered on the development of a state innovative project management strategy, within which development and implementation of a program to restore production potential based on technological modernization of industry, as well as creation of a forward strategic fundamental scientific foundation for future development are necessary.

ФОРМУВАННЯ ІНСТРУМЕНТАРІЮ РЕАЛІЗАЦІЇ ПРОЕКТІВ ІННОВАЦІЙНОГО РОЗВИТКУ АГРАРНОГО СЕКТОРУ

Introduction. The reflection of the interrelationships and orderliness of the processes during the implementation of projects is a general methodology of project management, which has so far acquired a world-class definition as an acceptable and appropriate management standard. For business entities, the implementation of individual innovation projects or their portfolios is relevant. At the macroeconomic level, it is advisable to consider programs that are a set of interrelated projects by objectives, where the implementation of each of them determines the possibility of implementing the other. In this aspect, programs often acquire a socio-economic character of development, where projects within are aimed at both commercial gain and the solution of social problems. The purpose of the article is to substantiate the process of portfolio management of innovative projects in the agricultural sector of the economy and the characteristics of the main tools within the relevant management mechanism. Results. Special features of portfolio, program and project management are highlighted. A comparison of existing approaches to justifying the choice of project portfolio is made. The key processes to be implemented during the implementation of the portfolio of innovative projects are highlighted. The most common procedures for substantiating the portfolio of innovative projects are summarized. Based on the generalization, taking into account the specifics of agro-innovative projects, a sequence of processes for substantiating the project portfolio is proposed. The peculiarities of this decomposition are the definition of its components: the processes of project identification in the portfolio, categorization of components, component evaluation, selection of components, determination of time characteristics and budget development, as well as portfolio balancing. For each of the outlined processes, the appropriate inputs, outputs and support tools are listed. The principle of effective portfolio management of innovative projects is also highlighted and their content is explained. Keywords: innovations, innovative projects, innovation management, tools of innovation implementation, innovative development of the agricultural sector.