Individuals in R&D

Question 1

Dilemma of innovation

Answer 1

• innovation is a precondition for economic growth
• but: innovation destroys existing structures and positions, thus creating losers from innovation

Question 2

Forms of resistance against innovation

Answer 2

Rational-technological arguments
– Doubts about operability: “Does it work?”
– Objections against the timing of the innovation:
“Now is not a good time!”
– Objections because of missing/limited fit:
“It does not fit to our processes / products!”
▪ Rational-economic arguments
– Objections against destruction of valuable assets/competences:
“Existing capital goods will become obsolete!”
– Objections against risk: “The risk is too high!”
– Doubt about the necessity of the innovation (reversed burden of proof):
“Who on earth needs this? Necessity must be proved!”

Question 3

Causes of resistance

Answer 3

Barriers of “not-knowing” / due to lack of knowledge
– Innovation may require intensive learning and intellectual deliberation / adaptation
– This leads to resistance when individuals are (or feel) incapable of coping with the
innovation
– Individual effects can be amplified in groups (e.g. departments)
▪ Barriers of “not-wanting“ / due to lack of willingness
– Constitutional or learned mechanisms of regulation/governance
– Reasons related to power (re-)distribution, high risk aversion
– “Group Think“, ideological world-views, conservative attitude
– Objective reasons, innovation creates winners and lose

Question 4

Resistance from administration

Answer 4

Administration for routine tasks can filter out innovation:
– Responsibility: nobody is or feels responsible / competent
– “Rejection” by way of passing the innovation up in the hierarchy
– Problems of coordination from ineffective assumption or allocation of competencies
– Filtering effect when innovation criticizes the existing organization
▪ Resistance from accounting?
– Accounting does not treat innovations as intangible investments/assets,
but as expenses
– However, according to IAS: Of “R&D”, “D” can (and must) be
amortized (“aktiviert”), “R” must not
– Profit & loss accounting oriented towards the short term reduces
incentives for innovation (e.g. discounting of future revenues)

Question 5

Different intensity levels of resistance

Answer 5

Question 6

Types of promoters

Answer 6

Question 7

Characteristics of promoters

Answer 7

Question 8

Implementation of promoters

Answer 8

• deficiency of technical promotor need to be identified systematically and need to be compensated by a power promoter
  ▪ In case of large “distances” (e.g., due to language or subject),
  a process promotor should be introduced into the process
  ▪ Predominance of self-organization: team members need to combine
  autonomously into a team; support of this procedure can be in the
  form of assistance/enabling for initial contacts

Question 9

Key network position: the broker

Answer 9

Question 10

Key network position: technological gatekeeper

Answer 10

Question 11

Characteristics gatekeeper

Answer 11

Features:
– central person
– good knowledge of information from external sources
▪ Functions:
– information collector / producer
– information catalyst
– unlike promotors, not linked to specific project
▪ Characteristics:
– high technical / professional competence
– many publications and presentations
– high formal level of education
– employed already for a long time
– lower leadership level in hierarchy

Question 12

Self-selection into roles

Answer 12

• champions and promotors occur spontaneously
• cannot be filled by simply identifying and assigning a member of staff to this “position”
• suitable individuals who already act informally in such a role must be identified and supported in their role