Championing and promoting innovation in UK megaprojects

Abstract

In this article we explore the role of innovation champions and the ways innovation is championed and promoted in five selected UK megaprojects. To date, this research area is surprisingly underexplored in the megaproject management literature. The study is based on thirty interviews with innovation champions to capture their own perceptions and narratives on the ways innovation is stimulated and promoted in megaprojects, combined with relevant textual materials. Innovation was commonly defined as a step change or best practice that creates value that could be financial, environmental, societal etc. The data demonstrate the role of CEOs and their collaboration with innovation champions and academic partners in introducing innovation into the vocabulary of megaprojects, developing and formalising innovation strategy, and transferring experiences across megaprojects. The data show the ways different communication channels are used to promote innovations by champions such as forums, portals, platforms, campaigns, events etc.

Leader strategies for motivating innovation in individuals: a systematic review

“…Leaders who boldly pursued innovation (Hsu, 2009;Wang et al, 2018), ensured that a variety of employees and resources were brought to bear on a given challenge (Aarikka-Stenroos et al, 2017), held a tolerance for ambiguity (Koch et al, 2015;Shane et al, 2003), and, otherwise, made space temporally, attitudinally, and organizationally for innovation was effective in building the confidence of their work forces (Song et al, 2011). This mirrors findings elsewhere that transformative leadership (known colloquially as visionary leadership; Kandiko, 2013) was effective in making innovation more likely (Abbas et al, 2012;Bolderdijk et al, 2018;Sergeeva & Zanello, 2018;Y. Wang et al, 2018;Yidong & Xinxin, 2013).…”

“…Similarly, leaders or managers who supported innovation tended to take a promotion focus (playing to win; Poskela & Martinsuo, 2009 ), rather than a loss prevention focus (playing not to lose; Manimala, Jose, & Thomas, 2006 ; Poskela & Martinsuo, 2009 ), thereby taking calculated risks and enabling their followers to do the same (Bowles & Hattie, 2013 ; Koch et al, 2015 ; Maria Stock, Zacharias, & Schnellbaecher, 2017 ; Sergeeva & Zanello, 2018 ; Spanjol & Tam, 2010 ). While a majority of studies found that the effect of champions was significant, Chen, Li, and Leung ( 2016 ) pointed out that two recent meta-analyses revealed that champions only had a small effect on the quantity of innovation by individuals.…”

“…Effective collaboration was found to increase expectancies for innovation though necessitating the communication and subsequent discussion of ideas (Bastian et al, 2018 ; Curado et al, 2018 ; Fernandez & Pitts, 2011 ; Hartmann, 2006 ; Jiang & Thagard, 2014 ; Monge et al, 1992 ; Pihlajamaa, 2017 ). Collaboration was also found to involve diverse stakeholders (Aarikka-Stenroos et al, 2017 ; Costa et al, 2015 ; Kuznetsov & Kuznetsova, 2011 ; Sergeeva & Zanello, 2018 ; Wu et al, 2008 ), facilitate empowerment (Bolderdijk et al, 2018 ; Fernandez & Pitts, 2011 ), promote knowledge exchange (Aalbers et al, 2013 ; Antikainen & Vaataja, 2010 ; Bastian et al, 2018 ; Curado et al, 2018 ; Muninger et al, 2019 ; Naidoo & Sutherland, 2016 ), facilitate co-designing (Hartmann, 2006 ; Sorice & Donlan, 2015 ), inspire friendly competition between teams (Lam et al, 2010 ; Naidoo & Sutherland, 2016 ; Öberg & Shih, 2014 ), as well as help team and coalition building which ensure that a person does not have to go it alone (Costa et al, 2015 ; Dee et al, 2002 ; Kirsten & Du Preez, 2010 ; Mc Fadden & Gorman, 2016 ; Öberg & Shih, 2014 ). These outcomes of collaboration, such as networking (Mc Fadden & Gorman, 2016 ), all induced increases in confidence to innovate, especially in female entrepreneurial networks (Apergis & Pekka-Economou, 2010 ).…”

The Role of the Project Management Office (PMO) in Stimulating Innovation in Projects Initiated by Owner and Operator Organizations

“…Critically, the KPMG review did not list “innovation” as a recommendation to improve project delivery capability. However, the recent successful implementation of early contractor engagement at Bank Station Capacity Upgrade is an example of innovation being created, practiced, and championed within the same organization (Sergeeva & Zanello, 2018).…”

Challenges of Megaproject Management of Education in Contemporary Russia

“…Megaprojects in centralized management models of the national economy limit the independence of organizations in decision-making, create conditions incompatible with the system of "creative destruction", and limit the entrepreneurial potential of the business. More details about supporting and promoting innovation in UK megaprojects can be found in [5].…”