UNIVERSITY ENGAGEMENT: INNOVATING THE APPROACH TO INNOVATING AND INTRAPRENEURSHIP IN ENTERPRISES

The purpose of this paper is to highlight an effective model to evolve and implement more effective ways of increasing both the innovative capability and inclination of today’s workforce. This paper presents the findings from extensive research into the theoretical foundations of innovation and practices used to translate the findings to inculcate innovative practice by business and industry personnel. A formal literature review was augmented with in-person interviews of industry and academic leaders in England, Germany, Spain and the USA.

The paper abstracted here will present:
• A terse summary of the key findings from the review of the literature
• A summary of themes highlighted in the interviews
• A model for the process of innovation and its pre- and co-requisites
• A reflective assessment of three pilot programs to inculcate innovation among industry personnel
• Recommendations for enhanced practice in university and/or private sector education for innovation programs.
* educating about innovation… To this end we implement a carefully developed undergraduate and graduate program of study employing a spiral curriculum progressively developing advanced innovation understandings, attitudes and skills.
* researching innovation… To this end we are evolving a discovery agenda that addresses the entire innovation spectrum, both the front end of involving the genesis of innovative ideas and the downstream end involving the conversion of good ideas into tangible outcomes advantaging our society.
* engaging with our constituents… To this end we work with members local, state, national and international community in advancing their capacity for innovation, and the quality, efficiency and sustainability of their endeavors.

Based on a thorough literature review, the authors’ concluded that how people learn about technology and innovation directly affects how they structure knowledge in their own minds. Given this, it follows that we should stress innovation-related principles and systems in our instructional methods more than specifics and idiosyncratic facts. Similarly we need to think about how we might influence student attitude and value development, i.e., affective domain outcomes, and not just cognitive ones. Furthermore, because much of innovation potential can be linked to cognitive science, the authors also reviewed the latter field’s key finding to identify relevant principles.

The authors began by thinking of innovation not as any single process but rather as a system of mental processes, guided by metacognition and energized by affect such as motivation and inclination. In essence, innovation is a continuum beginning with a creative insight and, if successful, evolving into a viable product or service. This continuum of activities occurs within a context that feeds inputs to the continuum and that receives its outputs. This context influences the innovation process.

A systematic review of the scholarly literature reveals that the topic of ideation has received considerably less research effort than has realization and commercialization. The three major findings of this review will be highlighted by providing summaries of each: (1) the principles of cognitive science, (2) the concept and processes of metacognition, and (3) the motivations for innovation. Based on these findings a composite model was generated for metal processes involved in innovation. The composite model is presented in this paper.