Assignment Description
You are required to undertake research on two innovative organisations in the same sector (for example, BMW and Toyota) who have headquarters in different countries. You will write a 4,000 word report on the management of innovation in those organisations that must include the following sections:
- An introduction to the two organisations and some of their main innovative end results.
- Map and critique the innovation space of the two organisations setting out existing practice (i.e. outputs/outcomes).
- Critically discuss the innovation strategy and management process employed in the organisations using Tidd and Bessant’s 4 step model (search, select, implement and capture).
- Identify recommendations to improve the innovation management of the two organisations.
- Provide a short conclusion to your innovation report assignment.
Key Points
1. Individual Work
You are to work individually.
2. Research approach
You should find the required information on the organization via secondary/desk (i.e. web, journal articles) research. Where needed you can use primary research to fill in any knowledge you are missing from secondary sources. You must clearly provide evidence to support the critical discussion in your report. English language sources are preferable, non-English sources are acceptable as long as a translation of the reference is provided.
3.Writing the Report
Write up your work in a report format. Your report should explicitly include all the items listed in the marking schedule below. It should be a maximum of 4,000 words in length. The word count excludes the following: references, appendices, table of content. Please include the word count on the title page.
- Read all the relevant class materials carefully, trying to work out what the text is covering and the main points conveyed. At this stage you should be focussing on the key points and the main thread of the arguments. Underline what appear to be the key points or topic sentence(s) in each section as you read.
- Then work through each of the multiple choice questions in each of the 10 learning units in turn. Think through your answer(s) before you indicate what you consider to be the correct response.
- Do not expect to get all the questions right, even if you are aiming for a good mark. Concentrate on the question in hand. Do not become distracted by the questions you have passed over or have not yet done. Do not panic. Some of the questions are designed to be challenging even for the best of students. If you are unsure, opt for the answer you first thought was right.
- Marks are not deducted for incorrect answers but only given for right answers, so make sure you attempt an answer for all the set questions.
- None of the multiple choice questions are designed to trick you as you can see from this sample multiple choice question:
Which of the following is not associated with successful implementation of innovation projects?
- Systematic process for progressing new products
- Early involvement of all relevant functions
- Cross-functional team working
- High salaries for R&D directors.
From reading the class text and study guide you will be able to identify that the right answer is D because high salaries for R & D directors is not normally associated with the successful implementation of innovation projects.
