The PDMA Handbook of Innovation and New Product Development, 4th Edition

CHAPTER FOUR ORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN FOR INNOVATION: LEVERAGING THE CREATIVE PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCESS TO BUILD INTERNAL INNOVATION EFFECTIVENESS

Wayne Fisher

4.1 Introduction

This chapter outlines a robust approach to improving innovation effectiveness by combining best practices from Organizational Design and Creative Problem Solving.

Jay Galbraith (2002) is considered by many to be the father of organizational design. The Galbraith Star Model™ organizational design framework has been used by thousands of companies worldwide to improve organizational effectiveness and business results. Organizational Design for Innovation is the application of the Star Model™ to an organization’s innovation management system.

The three phases and key steps of the Organizational Design for Innovation (ODI) work process are summarized below in Figure 4.1. The three phases of ODI – Assess, Design, Mobilize – correspond to the three phases of Creative Problem Solving – Problem Definition, Ideation, Action Planning (see Basadur 2021 for an excellent primer on Creative Problem Solving).

FIGURE 4.1 SUMMARY OF THE ODI PROCESS.

Organizational Design for Innovation begins with an objective assessment of the organization’s current innovation capability, identifying gaps and barriers to achieving long-term business ...