Understanding the drivers of innovation in an organization: a literature review

Abstract

Purpose Innovation is an engine that drives the organization and allows it to outcompete in the economic environment. This paper aims to analyze scientific publications between 1980 and January 2021 concerning innovation indicators at organizational and individual levels. The study identifies 11 unique indicators to evaluate innovation, thus enhancing existing knowledge in the domain. Design/methodology/approach A total of 175 randomly selected journal articles were systematically analyzed. Findings While innovation has received significant attention in the commercial sector, the focus on the construct in academic research has remained relatively narrow. The analysis offers a comprehensive view of innovation drivers at an organizational and individual level. Research limitations/implications The literature review offers a deeper understanding of the indicators of innovation impacting organizational performance. Originality/value The analysis and methodology discussed aim to assist managers, researchers and policymakers in comprehending the various innovation indicators; such understanding may enhance individual and organizational efficiency.

Understanding drivers of innovation in information technology companies using a grounded theory approach

“…A significant body of literature studies the employee-level drivers referring to an organization’s innovativeness as a consequence of its employees’ motivation and capacity to generate and execute new ideas. Team innovation performance, employee creative contributions, intrinsic motivation and leadership skills are the most pervasive factors that drive innovation at an individual level (Dani and Gandhi, 2021). Other factors like innovation management software and engineering tools such as issue trackers, bugs trackers, online scrum programs and cloud communication platforms like wikis and Google docs are identified as drivers contributing to team innovation in IT firms (Endres et al , 2022; Rose et al , 2016).…”

“…Additionally, most studies on organizational innovation drivers focus on health care, electric and electronics, transport, finance, IT and energy sectors in developed nations such as the USA, the UK and China (Hossain, 2017). The innovation sector in India is still in the budding stage, and there is a vast scope for innovation studies in Indian IT industries from an emerging economy perspective (Yadav et al , 2022; Dani and Gandhi, 2021).…”

Guest editorial: Advancing theory on innovating in Asia from multiple perspectives

“…The study validated that companies find significant opportunities and possibilities under threat discernment of risks. The fifth paper titled "Understanding innovation as a driver of the organisation's performance: A literature review study" by Dani and Gandhi (2021) indicates that innovation has been given much importance in the commercial sector; however, constructs explored are relatively narrow in academic research. This study also provides a comprehensive view of drivers related to innovation.…”

Organizational culture and innovation: exploring the “black box”

“…Researchers describe a broad scope of innovative culture (IC) characteristics (Garza and L o pez, 2020). To Dani and Gandhi (2021), IC stimulates creativity, autonomy, emotional intelligence, cognitive ability and risk-taking. Montreuil et al (2021) indicated the following characteristics of an IC: creativity, collaboration, a challenging environment, risk-taking, teamwork, decision-making ability, learning, external orientation, and long-term vision.…”