Organizational culture assignment: Fast-growing Businesses in Vietnam

Question

Task:
Conduct a research on innovation assignment and identify research methods for idea generation and idea evaluation and/or selection in technology and innovation management and create two method cards summarizing their research.

Answer

METHOD CARD 1
IDEA GENERATION: Brainstorming/ Mind Mapping
Description, Approach and Goals

Description
Brainstorming method of idea generation explored in the innovation assignment is the method applied for generation of new ideas with the help of group of people. In this method every type of idea is recorded whether it is irrational or rational. Brainstorming has the feature of idea of development where people keep on adding new ideas. Moreover, there is no restriction in the generation of new ideas of innovation (Kalargiros and Manning 2015). Further, the brainstorming method of idea generation or mind mapping is always has number of characteristics such as:

• Maintaining a relaxed atmosphere.
• Ensure a correct or effective team size.
• Choose a leader of the team and define a vision or problem to solve.
• Give equal chance to everyone and collect as much idea as possible.
• Review all the ideas for clarification (Kalargiros and Manning 2015).

Mind mapping on the other hand involve both sharing of ideas as well as drawing relationship between the ideas.

Goals
The purpose of brainstorming or mind mapping method is to develop as many ideas as possible by pooling all ideas from a group of people. The investigation carried on this innovation assignment signifies that the major goal of brainstorming is to find a solution or idea for a particular problem by generating multiple solutions for it (Heuett 2015).

Approaches
There are many kinds of approaches when initiating brainstorming or mind mapping method. Each of these approaches are broadly classified into two broad categories such as structured brainstorming and unstructured brainstorming.

Firstly, one at a time approach where each member in the team is offered with the chance to share their ideas and the session of idea sharing continues until all members in the team gets the chance to share an idea. This is a highly systematic and disciplined way to contribute in idea generation process and it passes on from one person to another.

Secondly, open door approach where anyone from the team can share their ideas or suggestion they have whenever they want to share it (Heuett 2015).

Third is nominal groups write it down approach where each member write down the idea that they have instead of speaking aloud. However, the idea written can be seen by everyone. It is the best way to conduct idea generation process even among people that feels shy to speak in a group.

Lastly, online or virtual community brainstorming approach that involves engaging with communities through internet (AlMutairi 2015). The ideas shared through this approach can be assessed through social media, comments and others.

Advantages and Challenges
Brainstorming method of idea generation has number of advantages in generating innovative and creative idea as provided in the following section of innovation assignment.

• It is the best method that is facilitated by a mediator or a team leader.
• All participants are given chance to share their idea at random or in a system.
• The brainstorming method helps in generating multiple-ideas from extroverts as well as introverts through speaking or writing.
• It is an open opportunity to share the thinking or idea one has regarding a process.
• Brainstorming or mind mapping encourage creativity in an organization and allow production of maximum and most innovative ideas.
• Brainstorming increases the chances of generating the best idea for the business or motivating innovation.
• This method of idea generation encourage active participation of group members by creating sense of ownership (AlMutairi 2015).
• It is one of the most inexpensive method of generation and selecting innovative ideas.

Even though it has advantages as an idea generation tool, yet it has also been criticized by many scholars for the challenges it creates when developing ideas. brainstorming method is highly subjected to waste of time and involves fun and entertainment. Moreover, brainstorming requires high-level of expertise to generate final ideas. Thus, the tool faces challenge of correct knowledge and imagination to generate high quality idea.

The brainstorming tool is highly effective when used for solving managerial problems and the panel involves high-level managers with exceptional expertise. The managerial problem can be to improve or generate new technological change or innovation in the business (Putman and Paulus 2009). However, it will be ineffective when the group of members involved in idea formation does not have adequate expertise.

Discussion in TIM Context
Performance of the Tool
Brainstorming method is used in technology and innovation management is various ways to come up with innovation in different business context. In practice as well brainstorming all to generate solution for various managerial problems such as technological changes and improvement. The management teams adopt this technique in multi-stage process of solving problem or generating new ideas such as redefining the problem statements, collecting different solutions in a team, implementing the best solution chosen by the mentor that is the delivery manager. Thus, in real context as well brainstorming is actively practiced by using divergent thinking and then convergent thinking. The brainstorming method has performed effectively in innovation generating environment. This is because it has helped business groups to form rules for idea development by reflecting on previous ideas and avoid criticizing an idea. However, there has been incident when group members have found it difficult to express their ideas and this reduces the effectiveness of the method (Putman and Paulus 2009). Further, in practice brainstorming creates chances of social loafing where the group members would feel that their identity is lost while performing in a group. Thus, in practice conducting a brainstorming method is not smooth and involves hurdles as well. Further, it is stated that in practice brainstorming is effectively implemented by interaction with different departments and developing solutions to problems.

() has further stated that brainstorming strategy is one of the most important strategies that has been adopted by companies over time to provoke creativity and innovativeness. In practice, brainstorming has been used to solve problems in various sectors such as commercial, industrial and political fields.

How will you explain the effectiveness of the tool in different conditions within this innovation assignment?
The brainstorming method is effective when applied in interactive group rather than nominal groups. This is because interactive group forms a better interactive and collaborative process compared to nominal groups (Albors-Garrigos et al. 2018). This means that brainstorming is important in both collaborative process where open discussion is conducted rather than in written method.

Further, it is evident that the effectiveness of brainstorming tool in innovation management is more effective in everyday operational decisions rather than radical solutions if correct level of expertise is not added. This means that brainstorming should be supported by right expertise and knowledge to effectively implement the tool and come up with successful innovative decision. However, applying brainstorming process in day-to-day decision is easier and can be implemented effectively. Moreover, the process of brainstorming help in reaching effective result only if is supported by facilitators that evaluate ideas and finalize the most beneficial idea. Moreover, group-brainstorming process in organization proves to be more efficient only after new ideas have been generated individually. This is because group brainstorming help in giving a social stimulation to individual ideas.

Organizational Implications of Adopting this Tool
In respect to the adopting brainstorming in the organization for technological and innovation it is seen that the method help increasing the chances of idea generation. Moreover, this tool proves to be highly effective for the organization for implementing new technologies over time because of continuous thinking and idea generation. Moreover, this method will help the organization to be competitively strong in the market with better innovation and use of technologies. Further, divergent thinking in brainstorming create path for better and continuous change in the organization over time (Albors-Garrigos et al. 2018). It is a path to create effective creative processes and solve complex problems easily. Altogether brainstorming is responsible to create an innovative change processes in the business over time.

References
Albors-Garrigos, J., Igartua, J.I. and Peiro, A., 2018. Innovation management techniques and tools: Its impact on firm innovation performance. International Journal of Innovation Management, 22(06), p.1850051.

AlMutairi, A.N.M., 2015. The Effect of Using Brainstorming Strategy in Developing Creative Problem Solving Skills among Male Students in Kuwait: A Field Study on Saud Al-Kharji School in Kuwait City. Innovation assignment Journal of Education and Practice, 6(3), pp.136-145.

Heuett, K.B., 2015. Group Brainstorming in Organizations: Implementing the Functional Theory of Group Decision-Making as a Means for Increasing Performance.

Kalargiros, E.M. and Manning, M.R., 2015. Divergent thinking and brainstorming in perspective: Implications for organization change and innovation. In Research in organizational change and development. Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Putman, V.L. and Paulus, P.B., 2009. Brainstorming, brainstorming rules and decision making. The Journal of creative behavior, 43(1), pp.29-40.

METHOD CARD 2
IDEA SELECTION/EVALUATION: Cause and Effect Analysis
Description, Approach and Goals

Description
Root cause analysis or cause and effect analysis is a method that help in identifying the underlying factors or cause of an adverse event. This technique help understands the factors behind the failure or problem of an event and develop actions or future ideas to sustain in the long-term. Cause and effective diagram is also called as “fishbone diagram” that helps in identifying the cause of an issue and sorting effective ideas based on different categories. The participatory the tool encourages that a problem has number of causes and evaluate the collected ideas based on eliminating the cause and finding the correct solution (Du Preez and Louw 2008). It informs the management to conduct a detailed analysis of the ideas based on the cause of the problem and generating effective solution from it. Moreover, it also acts a tool that give direction to an idea by stating the effect of the idea, which can either be a desirable one or unsatisfactory. Thus, this tool described in this section of innovation assignment help to understand the most desired idea through its effect along with the root cause or factor behind the effect and help in successful implementation of the problem (Yazdani and Tavakkoli-Moghaddam 2012). Cause and effect analysis portray various features or characteristics such as:

• It is a tool that allows identifying, sort and displaying possible cause and desirable effect of a problem or option.
• It is a graphical representation of relationship between given outcome of an idea or problem and the reason behind it.
• The tool offers a detailed analysis of an outcome based on various factors.
• There can be multiple causes and effects of a situation, problem or idea. There can also be one effect of several causes.
• In establishing relationship, the cause should occur before the effect, there should be a cause of every effect and no other factor can explain the relationship between a cause and effect of a problem or idea.
• The problem must be clearly stated along with the effect in concise and clear terms.
• Display the cause and effect analysis in a fishbone diagram (Du Preez and Louw 2008).

Goals
The goal of cause and effect analysis technique is to identify all possible causes behind a problem. This means that the goal of cause and effect analysis is to provide best solution or choose the best innovative and technological idea for a problem based on the causes (Yazdani and Tavakkoli-Moghaddam 2012). The goal of the method selected in this part of innovation assignment is to form a basis for selection and evaluation of best idea based on the extent of solution it gives to the possible causes of a problem.

Approaches
The method of cause and effect diagram can be approached in different ways such as brainstorming and using standard categories such as machines, materials, methods and work force. Brainstorming can be used as an effective approach where not only the idea is generated, however the best idea is also selected based on the identified causes. This means that each member in the team write cause of a problem and idea based on the cause (Hekmatpanah 2011). Rounds are conducted to get more causes and more ideas until ideas are exhausted. This is followed by the analysis of the best idea by the mentor.

The second approach is to make use of various categories of evidence such as workforce, methods and others and evaluate the cause of the problem. this approach allow in determining the cause of the problem based on the evidence and select the idea that help solve the problem faced by an evidence. This is yet another effective way to select and evaluate the best idea based on the chosen form of evidence for the problem.

Advantages and Challenges
Cause and effect diagram runs with various advantages that it adds to idea selection and evaluation process. The major advantages of this technique of idea evaluation are provided in the next section of innovation assignment:

• It helps in identifying the cause of the problem in a detailed and in-depth manner compared to other method.
• The technique is the best way to choose the best idea from all the solution stated for the problem based on the identified causes.
• It is an effective way to identify the bottlenecks in the process and areas that need improvement.
• The technique is one of the effective way to bring improvement in a process in the most effective way.
• It is the best tool to educate the team about the problem and the kind of ideas or solution that needs to be generated.

Along with the benefits, it is seen in this innovation assignment that the cause and effect tool also faces various challenges in the area in which it is implemented.

• In certain situations the causes for a problem looks equally important and this makes it difficult to understand the actual problems.
• Highly time consuming to analyze the most important cause of the problem that needs improvement.
• The cause and effect diagram involves evaluating a problem based on opinion rather than evidence (Hekmatpanah 2011).
• The tool give wrong result if the analysis is not conducted in a controlled manner.

Discussion in TIM Context
Performance of the Tool in Practice
The cause and effect diagram has been used by organizations in a number of the innovation processes that majorly focus on developing innovative ideas and concepts. In practice the cause and effect tool allow to address the technology and innovation proves for various problems. The tool help in helping the business to acquire an in-depth understanding of a problem and implementing and exploiting new ideas effectively. In practice, it helps in improving the value of the business. It forms a central part in generic innovation process that connects innovation front-end with the exploitation of the innovation.

The below picture show the business value of innovation process model by determining the cause of a problem and ways to address it. For example, in a business problem that is to add value to stakeholders such as clients, employees and community. The root cause and effect of creating value for these stakeholders were to sell better products or service, to build disruptive innovation, implement a well manageable innovation process. This shows that in practice this tool helps in generating effective outcome.

Conditions in which the Tool is more/less effective
The condition in which the cause and effect diagram is more effective is when the causes are divided and sub-divided into parts while interacting. This helps in creating the link between causes and the effect and form categories of all the solutions. This avoid making the diagram less crowded and effective to understand. However, the cause an effect diagrams are ineffective or less effective when the team is not focused towards particular cause of a problem nor they are aware of symptoms. This is because they miss the actual caused and fails to address the important cause of a problem. the cause and effect process is highly efficient in evaluating and selecting the most effective idea when used with brainstorming technique because it help in giving voice to the opinions of the team members.

Organizational Implications of Adopting this Tool
The organizational implications of using cause and effect diagram is that it helps in making the business competitively strong by displaying all possible causes of a problem and identifying it effectively. It is one of the most evident problem solving process adopted by the organization to eliminate crucial problem from the system. It enables the business to explore the problem and come up with efficient solutions. Moreover, the tool discussed in the above segments of innovation assignment allow for preventing complications in the organizations related to various areas and be prepared for future situations (Xu and Dang 2020). This shows that the cause and effect process has a number of effects on the business and overall determines its profit and growth.

References
Du Preez, N.D. and Louw, L., 2008, July. A framework for managing the innovation process. In PICMET'08-2008 Portland International Conference on Management of Engineering & Technology (pp. 546-558). IEEE.

Hekmatpanah, M., 2011. The application of cause and effect diagram in the oil industry in Iran: The case of four-liter oil canning process of Sepahan Oil Company. African Journal of Business Management, 5(26), pp.10900-10907.

Xu, Z. and Dang, Y., 2020. Automated digital cause-and-effect diagrams to assist causal analysis in problem-solving: a data-driven approach. Innovation assignment International Journal of Production Research, pp.1-21.

Yazdani, A.A. and Tavakkoli-Moghaddam, R., 2012. Integration of the fish bone diagram, brainstorming, and AHP method for problem-solving and decision making—a case study. The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology, 63(5-8), pp.651-657.