Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 4.2
Benefi cial management support actions in grassroots innovation programs
Management support
dimension
Suggested management support actions
Benefi t according to SDT
Resource allocation
Establish a dedicated team to supervise
and manage the project. The team
should ensure participating teams have
access to adequate budget and
organizational resources for advance-
ment and nurturing of projects
Boost employee
autonomy
and
intrinsic motivation
Allow employees suffi cient time to work on
innovation projects they feel passionate
about
Visibility of
involvement
Frequent and visible involvement of senior
management in the promotion of
grassroots innovation
Boost
relatedness
and
intrinsic motivation
for
grassroots innovation
Tangible incentives
Provision of appropriate rewards and
recognition for innovators. For
example, offer participating employees
incentives such as career progression or
fi nancial rewards
Boost
extrinsic motivation
for grassroots innovation
Organizational
structure
Offer participating employees training in
business case preparation and the
chance to access new knowledge and
career development paths
Boost
extrinsic motivation
for grassroots innovation.
Improve employees'
perceived
competence
to
bring new ideas to market
Tolerance for failure
Acknowledge that failure often is part of
developing a successful innovation.
Avoid being too critical of break-
through ideas too soon. Do not push or
blame people when they make “smart”
errors. Risk-taking
Boost
intrinsic motivation
for
grassroots innovation.
Improve employees'
perceived
competence
to
autonomously
bring new
ideas to market
4.4
The Innospire Initiative at Merck KGaA: An In-Depth
Case Study
4.4.1
The Birth of Innospire at Merck KGaA
In late 2008, Merck KGaA,
9
headquartered in Darmstadt, Germany, initiated a new
innovation initiative to collect and advance innovative ideas to generate new busi-
ness at all levels inside the company. Merck KGaA is a global pharmaceutical and
chemical company with total revenues of
10.3 billion in 2011, a history that began
in 1668, and a future shaped by more than 40,000 employees in 67 countries.
10
€
10
In 2009 when innospire started Merck had total revenues of
€
7.7 billion and approximately
33,000 employees in 61 countries.
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