FERNANDO SOUSA, PH.D. CIEO/ UNIVERSITY OF THE ALGARVE (fernando.sousa@apgico.pt) ILEANA MONTEIRO, PH.D. CIEO/ UNIVERSITY OF THE ALGARVE 2013 MSKE (3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON MANAGING SERVICES IN THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY) FAMALICÃO (UL), 17-19 JULY

1. A BENCHMARKING STUDY ON ORGANIZATIONAL
CREATIVITY PRACTICES, IN HIGH TECHNOLOGY
INDUSTRIES
FERNANDO SOUSA, PH.D.
CIEO/ UNIVERSITY OF THE ALGARVE
(fernando.sousa@apgico.pt)
ILEANA MONTEIRO, PH.D.
CIEO/ UNIVERSITY OF THE ALGARVE
2013 MSKE (3RD INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
MANAGING SERVICES IN THE KNOWLEDGE ECONOMY)
FAMALICÃO (UL), 17-19 JULY
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2. RESEARCH OBJECTIVE
To provide a benchmarking list of initiatives
dealing with the development of
organizational creativity and innovation in
high technology industries
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3. SUBJECTS
BIO
TECH
RECOMMENDED
AS LEADING
R&D
RECOMMENDED
AS CREATIVITY
EXEMPLES
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NANO TECH
•NORTH
CAROLIN
A
BIOTECH.
CENTER
•LUND UNIV.
•TEL-AVIV
UNIV.
•WASEDA UNIV
•BÜHLER
FACTORY
•UNILEVE
R R&D
•PFIZER
INCLUDED IN
BIO TECH
ICT
ECOINNOVATI
ON
OTHER
* NOKIA
•BO=1 AREA
(MALMO)
•ZERO
WASTE
ACADEMY
(JAPAN)
* IRISH “SOFT
LANDING”
•HERMIA
LIVING
LABS
•YDREAMS
•BOSH
INNOVATION
•ROTOR COMPANY
•WEIN MINERALS
•SENSATA
TECHNOLOGIES
•SONAE
•BRISA
• DROMONE

4. CREATIVITY, INNOVATION AND PROBLEM
SOLVING
PROBLEM SOLVING
 Creativity relates to problem definition and solution finding
between the individual and what is being created. It is mainly an
emotional and cognitive individual process.
 Innovation relates to communication and power. It requires a
series of problem definitions, in order to carry out a decision or
an idea, thereby making it difficult to separate creativity and
innovation at organizational level.
 Not everyone can be an inventor but everybody can add value to
the organization.
Creativity:
Problem
definition and
solution
finding
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Innovation:
Value creation

5. CONTEXT
Priority given to R&D may probably
be shared in the near future with
organizational innovation policies
as the Fuzzy Back End of
Innovation.
Intrapreneurship, organizational or
corporate creativity and innovation,
must be seen as the workforce
potential to promote changes in the
benefit of the organization.
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CLIENT
Process
Product
Organization

6. RESULTS
IDEA
GENERATION
IDEA
SELECTION
IDEA REWARDS
2
1
1
9
8
8
.
LEADING
R&D
.
OTHER
COMPANIES
.
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7. CASE STUDY
DROMONE INDUSTRIES
IMPROVE SALES & CUSTOMER SERVICE
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8. PROBLEM STATEMENTS
 Customer survey results indicated issues with poor
level of customer service
 Poor internal communication between departments
in the company
 Engineering Department was not accountable for
customers
 The selection of a suitable training programme was
proving difficult for the company
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9. INITIATIVES DEVELOPED
 Diversification facilitated in the company, by
innovation management workshops,
product, industry and geography
 Workforce participation policies
 Adaptation of reward management systems
to a more intrinsic and developmental
approach to retribution
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10. RESULTS
 Sales increased by 21%
 Increased customer facing people in the company from 2 to
12
 Improved brand reputation with customers that were asked
to participate in the customer survey annually
 Implemented company team brief and newsletter that was
also used for customer communication
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11. THE FUTURE OF ORGANIZATIONAL
INNOVATION
 It must rely on top management orientation to innovation
and in COLLABORATIVE project teams, supported by idea
finding and problem solving methodologies, together with
value and return on investment analysis.
 Client or market requirements seem to be the best
inspiration for projects, and fluid decision making (flat
hierarchy) the best guarantee that the system may work.
 To be effective, organizational innovation has to cope with
power sharing and a climate of mutual trust between
management and employees
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12. TO BE INNOVATIVE THE PROJECT TEAM
MUST SEARCH FOR MEMBERS WHO CAN
BRING DIFFERENT VIEWS, AND WHO
BECOME COLLABORATIVE BY POWER
SHARING, WORKING METHOD AND
MUTUAL TRUST DEVELOPMENT.
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13. REGIONAL PROJECT INCUBATOR
COMPANIES AS PROJECT
INCUBATORS FOR THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A REGION OR
SECTOR
OBJETIVE
RAISING COLLABORATIVE
PROJECTS, FROM FORMAL
SEMINARS, AIMING AT REGIONAL
OR SECTOR DEVELOPMENT
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14. PROJECT INCUBATOR CHARACTERISTICS
 Using normal short seminars as starting




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points, instead of end points
Using the self-interests of companies to
build innovation by collaboration,
instead of asking them to change their
strategy
Using territorial identification to
strengthen project commitment
Complementing start up strategy for
entrepreneurship with spin off strategy
Reinforcing the entrepreneurship power
of regional and local promoters (e.g.
company and local development
associations, universities, technical
centers)

15. HOW DOES IT WORK?
Organization
One promoter, one subject, 2
companies, 3 specialists, 5 other
guests representing start ups and
different views. Open to the public
1st Part (2 hours)
After each company presents
possible collaborative projects, the
discussion is extended to the
specialists, guests and the general
public, so that several possible
projects are suggested to
companies.
Break (30 minutes)
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16. HOW DOES IT WORK?
2nd Part (01h30)
From the listed projects, each
company selects one and a new
cycle of discussion is generated,
aiming at defining possible project
structure and team composition
for each project.
In the end at least two projects will
be established, as well as possible
invitations for project team
members
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17. WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
1- Definition of the objective,
team composition and logistics
with each company
2- Project team meeting (4 hours)
- Problem definition
Action plan
3- Short-term project (1-3
months)
4 - Value added networks (new
business opportunities)
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18. RPI EXAMPLE
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19. THANK YOU
Contacts:
Adress:
Rua José Fernandes Guerreiro, nº. 28, 1º. Dtº., 8100-598 Loulé.
Tel: (+351) 289 093 327
Tlm: (+351) 912452794
apgico@apgico.pt
www.apgico.pt
www.facebook.com@associacaoapgico
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