Maturity Analysis to Assess the Capability of an Organisation to Innovate

Abstract

Globalisation has created a highly competitive environment for organisations, which in order to be successful in the long term, must be able to generate ongoing innovation. However, a majority of the organisations do not succeed in doing just that. The question arises, which factors determine the innovation capability of a company? In order to answer this question a literature research on innovation, innovation models and organisational behaviour was conducted. However, the analysis of existing innovation models revealed that they either only focus on a single factor or do not provide the needed indicators and explanation in order to apply the models and are therefore not suitable to assess the innovation capability of a company. Therefore, the main research question was defined: How should a method be designed in order to assess an organisations capability to innovate? In order to find an answer, an extensive literature research as well as interviews with experts from different industries were conducted. Based on this data a model consisting of 7 dimensions and 27 indicators was developed as well as a corresponding questionnaire to assess these indicators, following a Design Cycle strategy. The research findings show that the developed Organisational Innovation Capability model is a suitable and comprehensive model that can be used to support organisations by assessing their current innovation capability in order to define the necessary further measures.