INNOVATION FROM INSIDE: THE VOLVO GROUP'S MODEL

Most research on innovation processes has focused on the use of ideas and knowledge from outside the organization in the development of products and services. Usually, companies search external knowledge sources -such as customers, suppliers, universities, research institutes, and competitors- and use information technology to boost internal knowledge absorption that affects process innovation performance.

However, according to Georg von Krogh and Martin Wörter, researchers from the ETH Zurich in Swittzerland, companies can develop innovative processes not only from outside but also from inside the organization. Based on their nine-years research's findings on the Volvo Group, they suggest four practical steps to do so:

FIVE TACTICS TO DEAL WITH A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION

 Let’s face it. Conflicts with coworkers can be tough. But you’re not going to solve the underlying issues or maintain a positive relationship if you barrel through the conversation when you’re completely worked up.

 A disagreement can feel like a threat. You’re afraid you’re going to have to give up something — your point of view, the way you’re used to doing something, the notion that you’re right, or maybe even power – and your body therefore ramps up for a fight by triggering the sympathetic nervous system. This is a natural response, but the problem is that our bodies and minds aren’t particularly good at discerning between the threats presented by not getting your way on the project plan and, say, being chased down by a bear. Your heart rate and breathing rate spike, your muscles tighten, the blood in your body moves away from your organs, and you’re likely to feel uncomfortable.