LEADERSHIP: This question is asking about the importance of leadership in the innovative

organisation. Its worded in such a way as to suggest that leadership is important but then so
are lots of other things. What do you understand by leadership? Dont slip into a long
account of this complex notion but it is helpful to write and think with a robust definition.
What are these lots of other things that are important and where might you rank leadership
in a list of them? Top? Middle? Bottom? Or perhaps its importance changes over time and
across situations (if this is the case why and how?). Have a look at Unit 3 in the Module
Handbook and the accompanying overview notes and Reading. Use your understanding of
leadership as a concept and reflect on its significance and importance vis--vis all the
elements and aspects of an innovative enterprise. CLUE: At one extreme in certain situations
leadership might be THE independent variable from which all else flows dynamic,
charismatic and transformational leadership is dominant and all the other factors are
dependent variables. In other situations perhaps not?
Leadership is addressed in Unit Three where we look at the components of an innovative
organisation. There may be relevant material elsewhere (of course you have to decide what is
relevant).

INNOVATION STRATEGY: All the textbooks stress that innovation can and should be
planned for. Strategic management textbooks say exactly the same thing enterprises should
plan so there is nothing novel about innovation planning. There is a question though about
how innovation planning and strategic management planning generally relate to each other.
My view (you might disagree) is that innovation planning should not be regarded as a
separate activity but one entwined with and part of strategic planning generally. Innovation
should be an automatic consideration built into the planning cycle through culture, routines
and acknowledged priorities the Blackpool thru a stick of rock approach. That said, the
question is asserting that having a strategy vis-a-vis innovation is THE key to innovation
success. Get a strategy and innovation is guaranteed. Have a look at Unit 4 in the Module
Handbook and the accompanying overview notes and Reading. Think how this big statement
can be challenged. Is the strategy well-designed in terms of its sequential elements
SEARCH, SELECT and so on? Moving from the strategy itself to the context of planning we
might remind ourselves that sometimes enterprises call themselves innovative on the basis
of R & D spending when in fact the spending is not well-focused and the organisation lacks
the structural, procedural and cultural underpinning of an innovative organisation. Is there
any kind of parallel here with innovation strategy? CLUE: Does all innovation come from
and is the result of having a strategy?
You will find specific material relating to innovation is central to competitive success in
Unit 1 (Definitions and Issues). There may be relevant material elsewhere (of course you
have to decide what is relevant).

Something to consider: countries have to respond to globalisation and the economic

challenges of turbulent markets and breakneck technological development. They do this by
using a package of political, economic, social and fiscal measures called a National
Innovation System (NIS). You will find material relating to NISs in Unit 5 (Into the Future:
Collaboration).