Managing Innovation for Performance Improvement

Feasibility of Launching a New Innovation

Propose and justify the application of approaches for managing innovation within an organization to deliver a performance improvement.

Assessment Task

In the role of external consultant you have been asked by the management of your chosen company, to explore the feasibility of launching a new innovation into the organization’s market place which is in the very early stages of design and development.

You can choose a business from any sector which has in excess of 250 employees eg therefore not a Small, Medium Enterprise (SME). The business organization identified must be different to the one identified in assignment 1.

You have been asked to prepare a convincing 15 minute PowerPoint presentation (+10% allowable overrun) for the management team of your identified organization. This presentation should critically consider the following:

• Identification of a clear, justified and substantial area of innovation currently under early stage development.
• A critical analysis and evaluation of potential external challenges which could impact at the  design, development and implementation stages of the identified innovation and management’s response to managing identified potential challenges emergent at each of these stages.
• An evaluation of performance improvement measures considered appropriate at each stage of the business’s innovation process to determine the efficiency and effectiveness of your business’s innovation process and the impact on longer-term success of the innovation.

Each area has equal weighting of 30% with 10% allocated for the presentation quality and the academic theory and underpinning (please see specific guidance and specific marking criteria on the next page for more detailed guidance).

You should submit your PowerPoint slide presentation via TurnItIn link on the module page by the required deadline specified above.

Arrangements for the uploading of your PowerPoint presentation together with notes to support your presentation will be given by the module leader well in advance of the submission date.

Your presentation must specifically take into account the following:

• Determination and justification of one identified innovation. The identified innovation must be one that is at the early stages of design and development and therefore not yet launched into the organization’s market place. (30%)
• A detailed analysis and evaluation of potential external challenges from several sources, which could influence progression of the identified innovation through the innovation process stages and eventual implementation is required. Focus also needs to be applied to managements’ role in the overall innovation process as well as the impact of potential management style. (30%)
• Identification and critical assessment of performance management is required as it relates to management of the innovation process. Factors of efficiency and effectiveness need to be considered when considering organization performance improvement during progression of the identified innovation through the various stages of the innovation process. (30%)
• The quality of your presentation will include:  content, clarification and relevancy of slides, Application of two business models to support analysis, appropriate visuals to enhance your overall presentation and justifications and the use of academic underpinning of related theory to your organizational case study using APA format referencing. (10%)

Please note:

Your supporting notes, per slide, must show evidence of critical analysis relating theory to practical context. It is not sufficient to present a set of notes using simply descriptive narrative.