A Proposal for a Standard With Innovation Management System

1.1 Innovation management
Magdalena Jurczyk – Bunkowska
Innovation management is a multifunctional and interdisciplinary process which requires market
integration, organizational structure and technological change (Tidd, Bessant, & Pavitt, 2005). Hansen
and Birkinshaw (2007) define innovation management as the active and conscious organization
where control and execution of activities lead to innovation. It is the innovation process- oriented
definition. In a broader sense innovation management is defined as the intentional design of a
complete innovation system, including innovation processes. The idea of system and process view of
innovation management was shown in figure 1.
Ortt and Smits (2006), who believed that innovation management is an activity in a multi-level system,
conducted an extensive literature study and summarized the changes in innovation management
trends as:
� The end of the linear model
� The rise of the systems approach
� The inherent uncertainty and need for learning
� Innovation becomes more entrepreneurial
knowledge
management
system
innovation management (process)
innovation strategy
leadership
motivation
internal &
external
communication
creative organization
innovation management (system)
Company
innovation
culture
learning
Figure 1: Innovation management as a component of system innovation management and process
innovation management
This article concerns operational innovation management related to process realization where
innovation is the effect.
1.2 Innovation process
An idea can be regarded as an innovation only when it is implemented. An idea, practice or object
which is not adopted is not innovation at all. It results in the necessity of taking actions and decisions
between two cases: idea appearance and practical use of its effects. These actions are connected
with each other and create innovation process. Utterback and Abernathy (1975) have described
innovation as an iterative process, where "a basic idea underlying the innovation is developed over
time in a predictable manner with initial emphasis on product performance, then emphasis on product
variety and later emphasis on product standardization and costs". Van der Ven (1999) uses the term
'innovation journey' to emphasize the uncertain character of this innovation process.
As Hartley (2006) argues, stages are helpful for conceptualizing the innovation process and
determining where drivers and barriers can occur. Models of innovation processes distinguish certain
phases, stages, components, building blocks, or main activities. It was assumed in a course of
discussion that innovation process comprises three main phases: 'front end', development and
implementation/commertialization. The first is regarded as rather unorganized and of a chaotic
progress (Koen, 2001).The following phases have more linear features although it is typical for them
to develop simultaneously a few ideas, quite similar to 'innovation funnel' conception. It is also
assumed that a process should be open to some extent and each innovation process should provide
some useful knowledge (Tidd, 2005).
The issues considered in the article concentrate on the following problems:
� Are the enterprises planning innovation processes? If so, to what extent?
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