Tibor Dőry

Innovation and excellence

Management methods for innovation transformation

Chapter 4. Possible innovation models for businesses open to change

Following the theoretical and conceptual foundation, this chapter presents four case studies, each of which offers unique lessons. The case studies are instructive independently of each other and provide concrete examples for managers who wish to increase the innovative activity of their businesses. The order of the case studies reflects the gradual nature of innovation transformation. The first presents the practice of MELECS's quality assurance and lean management-based developments, highlighting a specific example. In the case of AUDI Hungaria, it presents the results of an idea management system refined to perfection by a premium car manufacturer, which was developed over many years of systematic work. BOSCH's innovation-stimulating culture can serve as an example for many companies if they have their own products and their owners are specifically striving for this. Perhaps the most important transformation experiences can be found in the example of the Hungarian company Mould-Tech Ltd, which, after several decades of being a supplier, embarked on the path of ambidextrous organisations.

The research framework of the case studies is based on the absorptive capacity model developed by Abrell et al. (2018). The aim of the case studies is to gain a deeper understanding of management practices that support innovation and innovation transformation, and to identify good practices and management methods. The case studies examine the capabilities included in absorptive capacity theory:

recognising the value of user knowledge;
the acquisition of user knowledge;
understanding and transforming user knowledge in line with the company's developments.

The case studies follow the same structure: first they present the company's strategy and goals, as well as the importance of innovation and how it is managed within the company. Particular emphasis is placed on fostering innovation among employees, i.e. how the company encourages its employees to engage in innovation and development activities:

Arousing curiosity about the application of new technologies / the development of tools, machines and algorithms (CURIOSITY)
Identifying customer needs and channelling them into development initiatives (CUSTOMER ORIENTATION)
Implementing collaborations with customers and suppliers (COLLABORATION)
Adapting to uncertainty and ambiguity (AMBIGUITY)
Empowerment to take action, formulate innovation proposals, and implement minor developments (EMPOWERMENT)

During the preparation of the case studies, we also attempted to identify corporate incentives and practices. These fall into the following three categories:

Behaviour enablers: direct ways to encourage and enable behaviour change;
Artifacts: physical or digital objects to reinforce behaviour change;
Nudges: indirect ways to encourage and enable behaviour change.

The interviews on which the case studies are based were conducted by the author, then the completed studies were refined by the corporate interviewees, and finally the press officer or PR manager approved the text that forms the basis for publication in the volume.

Tartalomjegyzék

Kiadó: Akadémiai Kiadó

Online megjelenés éve: 2026

ISBN: 978 963 664 182 5

Menedzsment

The aim of the book "Innovation and Excellence" is to inspire and encourage company leaders, managers, and experts to initiate and implement innovation transformations with the help of professional literature and corporate case studies. Another important goal is to help develop the innovation capabilities of small and medium-sized enterprises in particular by sharing simple, proven management methods that can be tested in practice.

The first part of the volume reviews the factors of corporate excellence and success, then highlights the possible sources of innovation, with a focus on the role of users and employees. The empirical section presents a detailed description of the supportive role of the workplace environment and creative working conditions based on corporate case studies (AUDI, BOSCH, MELECS). The volume concludes with a description of selected tested practical methods and management techniques that readers can try out in their own businesses.

Hivatkozás: https://mersz.hu/dory-innovation-and-excellence//

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