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Art of the possible or fool's errand? Diffusion of large-scale management innovation

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  • Douglas, Matthew A.
  • Overstreet, Robert E.
  • Hazen, Benjamin T.

Abstract

Organizations are continually challenged to increase efficiency and improve performance despite frequent cuts to personnel and budgets. These challenges force organizations to identify, develop, and diffuse various management innovations. Diffusion efforts are often met by resistance, reluctance, or ambivalence, resulting in what many consider to be a fool's errand. While management innovation may not be the forte of large, bureaucratic organizations, we present a case study of a U.S. Air Force maintenance, repair, and overhaul organization that has recently, and successfully, diffused a large-scale management innovation. Results from the case study support the development of a diffusion of innovation framework that identifies important mechanisms associated with the acceptance, routinization, and assimilation of management innovation. The framework informs leaders of the diffusion process, while the recommended actions of relentless leadership, deliberate development of personnel, and enterprise involvement drive diffusion efforts and help leaders achieve desired results in innovation diffusion and associated performance improvement. Overall, we assert that the pursuit of management innovation is not necessarily beyond the art of the possible for business leaders.

Suggested Citation

  • Douglas, Matthew A. & Overstreet, Robert E. & Hazen, Benjamin T., 2016. "Art of the possible or fool's errand? Diffusion of large-scale management innovation," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 59(4), pages 379-389.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:bushor:v:59:y:2016:i:4:p:379-389
    DOI: 10.1016/j.bushor.2016.03.002
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Andrew H. Van de Ven, 1986. "Central Problems in the Management of Innovation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(5), pages 590-607, May.
    2. Sarkees, Matthew & Hulland, John, 2009. "Innovation and efficiency: It is possible to have it all," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 52(1), pages 45-55.
    3. Kuratko, Donald F. & Covin, Jeffrey G. & Hornsby, Jeffrey S., 2014. "Why implementing corporate innovation is so difficult," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 57(5), pages 647-655.
    4. Karel O. Cool & Ingemar Dierickx & Gabriel Szulanski, 1997. "Diffusion of Innovations Within Organizations: Electronic Switching in the Bell System, 1971--1982," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 8(5), pages 543-559, October.
    5. Van de Ven, Andrew R., 1986. "Central Problems in the Management of Innovation," Agricultural Research Policy Seminar 139708, University of Minnesota Extension.
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    Cited by:

    1. Khosravi, Pouria & Newton, Cameron & Rezvani, Azadeh, 2019. "Management innovation: A systematic review and meta-analysis of past decades of research," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(6), pages 694-707.

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