How Do You Define Innovation?

At the beginning of the course Dr. Herman presented the class with a question when he asked what the term innovation meant to each individual. A simple yet intriguing question, one that certainly sparked my interest. After completing CS400, I found that my answer has changed significantly. I initially claimed innovation signified creativity and while yes, I still believe innovation conveys creativity but our readings and class discussions, have lead me to believe that the term encompass so much more. In my opinion, innovation does not contain a concrete definition rather, the term is in a constant state of flux. To further elaborate, I am stating that the definition of innovation changes according to the situation and application.

I thought to myself that I must not be the only one who believes the term innovation changes according to situation. So I took this thought to the internet and I happened to find an article written by Brendan McGowan that discusses the different ways in which individuals within the IT sector define innovation. To my surprise I found that I was not alone as 56% believed that the definition changed according to the situation and application (McGowan, 2016). 24% of IT leaders "assert that there is no specific definition for innovation at all, and that it can be observed only through its impact and delivered value" (McGowan, 2016). Whereas, 20% of IT leaders claim that innovation contains a firm definition that can be applied universally (McGowan, 2016). It is interesting to compare the conflicting ideologies.



I would like to ask the class if their definition of innovation has also changed from the beginning of the term? And if they think innovation contains a fixed definition, no specific definition or changes according to the situation and application?




Work Cited

1. McGowan, Brenden. "How IT leaders can define and drive IT innovation". CIO from IDC. 17, Nov. 2016. Retrieved: https://www.cio.com/article/3142322/leadership-management/how-it-leaders-can-define-and-drive-it-innovation.html. Web.

Comments

  1. Sarah Cumming15 April 2018 at 12:51

    At the beginning of this course when we were asked to use a word to represent what innovation meant to us, I did not have much trouble coming up with one. However, thinking about it now, I feel that my term would change, and that I would have much more difficulty trying to decide on just one word, given the complexity of what innovation could mean. As well, I don’t think that innovation can have a fixed definition since everyone was able to come up with various unique words, pointing to the argument that it means something different for everyone. I would also argue however that innovation is an idea that can be generally understood in certain situations. In other words, when speaking about technological innovation, we all have some shared idea of what that generally means, but when we break this technological innovation down into different areas – the smartphone or artificial intelligence, or even the internet, innovation begins to take on different paths. It is because of this variations within innovation that it would be more difficult for me now to use a word to represent what innovations means.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Shinjni20 April 2018 at 14:32

    Hey,

    So I think that innovation changes according to the context it's been applied to and has to consider a lot of variables in the equation. Innovation varies to how big or small the change is. There was a previous article on this blog site that talked about Apple's innovations in iPhones and how this tech kept innovating. For some this was innovation, and some it was imitation and that's dependent on perspective.

    There are variations and ways to define what we innovate and how we do it, and the changes that are made to products and services can define it's growth or fall. From strategies to ideas, anything can be innovative and can lead companies to a successful path. But I think the better question to ask when is innovation too much for companies? Why do we always have to innovate? Once you have defined innovation for your company, how do you know when to stop (if ever).

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Changes in the Interviewing Process

Hi Everyone, Since most, if not all, of us are graduating and will be looking for full-time jobs, I thought it might be helpful to give some insight into how the job interview process in general has changed, so that we can be more prepared for them in the future. Spark Hire provides a useful comparison of then vs. now, helping to show the kinds of things that we should take into consideration for interviews. There are 9 changes in particular that are mentioned: Your reach is much more expansive Drastic improvements in video interviewing technology It’s much easier to schedule interviews An increased focus on cultural fit Candidates run the show There’s a greater emphasis on employer branding Networking happens in many different places The kind of employee hiring managers want has changed There’s a greater focus on data and analytics The two that I feel connect the most to what we have discussed in this course are number 6 (there’s a greater emphasis on employer bran...
Read more

Innovation Mirror

Image
Innovation is about the creation of new ideas as well as the revolutionizing of old ones. To me, innovation stems from creativity, the ability to use the imagination and foster original ideas—this is where innovation begins.
Read more

Technological Innovation and the Workforce - Amazon Go

Image
(http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/dam/assets/180126023346-amazon-go-inside-780x439.jpg) Could technological innovation be a problem for the future workforce? In the past several years there has been a significant shift in workplace culture and the presence of employees in the workforce. The increased integration of technology into this workforce has been consider a large factor in these changes. As this integration becomes greater through increased technological development and changes in company operations, we are beginning to see a new workforce comprised of these new technologies. Companies are restructuring to put in place innovative technological systems, and this often means the removal of first-line workers (people who customers engage with).             Just like when we walk into a Shoppers Drug Mart or a grocery store, we can now see how technologies are increasingly being used to replace employ...
Read more