With chapters by eight management thinkers and practitioners from around Australia, the subject of innovation is approached from a variety of angles and perspectives. The theme underpinning all chapters however is the role of the manager in leading innovation and nurturing imagination and creativity. One of the main premises of the book is that innovation is driven by people and their creativity, not research and development. It encompasses all aspects of managing innovation, from recognizing the need and desire to be innovative, using imagination to add value, developing systems that encourage and implement corporate creativity
"Intellectual property" - patents and copyrights - have become controversial. We witness teenagers being sued for "pirating" music - and we observe AIDS patients in Africa dying due to lack of ability to pay for drugs that are high priced to satisfy patent holders. Are patents and copyrights essential to thriving creation and innovation - do we need them so that we all may enjoy fine music and good health? Across time and space the resounding answer is: No. So-called intellectual property is in fact an "intellectual monopoly" that hinders rather than helps the competitive free market regime that has delivered wealth and innovation to our doorsteps.
Victorian Technology - Invention, Innovation and the Rise of the Machine
An enlightening history of 19th-century technology, focusing on the connections between invention and cultural values. In 1822, Charles Babbage unveiled his Difference Engine—a mechanical device made of thousands of hand-tooled parts that could calculate large numbers with unprecedented precision. In other words, it was the prototype of the computer—one of many Victorian-era innovations that foreshadowed the technologies that define our world.
Collaboration and Co-creation: New Platforms for Marketing and Innovation
Today’s consumers are more knowledgeable, networked, and vocal. For them consumption is not merely an act of buying products and services, but an expression of their creative potential. Consequently, they are demanding a say and a voice in how companies conceive, develop, and deliver value to them. It is not surprising, therefore, to hear that a large number of companies are transforming how they innovate—not only in terms of developing new products and services, but in how they are created, delivered, and supported to customers.
Lean Innovation: A Fast Path from Knowledge to Value
Within manufacturing, Lean has lead to significant results throughout the world. But what happens when Lean meets Innovation? Is the needed creativity destroyed, or can Lean make the results of the organization even better? In Lean Innovation, Claus Sehested and Henrik Sonnenberg reveal how a managed iteration between creativity and effectiveness can ensure that the visions of top management are realized through the innovation processes. Lean can elevate the innovation processes to a new level where they become a true strategic differentiator.
