Employee-driven innovation : the manager's guide to EDI

Abstract

The majority of great innovative ideas are not discovered in a laboratory by a group of brilliant minds, nor in the executive office by the top managers. The people that deal with the company‟s problems, analyze the competition and service the guests on a daily base are the ones that come up with the great ideas. This fact is often overlooked by senior management who thinks that the people working under them do not understand what the company needs.

The main objective of this thesis is to highlight that the regular employees of an organization play a crucial role in the innovative process, in the form of employee- driven innovations. Furthermore, the need for change that comes with having an innovative company is emphasized.

The thesis in front of you isn't a conventional researched based thesis, but rather a product-oriented thesis, meaning that no qualitative or quantitative research is done. Instead the theoretical framework is the base of the product, supplemented with personal ideas, case examples and adapted views of industry professionals. The thesis product is a guide which helps managers in creating an environment where EDI can flourish, and it also contains practical tips.

As can be concluded, the majority of companies with the goal of being innovative have a big chance of succeeding, as long as they abandon most of the existing idea generating processes. The guide is a great starting point for managers who want to change their organization from the core and who are ready to change their existing behavior. Not only does the company of tomorrow need to promote self direction instead of management, but it also needs to loosen up and allow mistakes to be made.