The Government believes that it also concerns issues such as employees trust and participation, as well as low wage dispersion.
in order to ensure access to manpower with sound and relevant competency. Private research investments must be strengthened
and a more up-to-date statutory framework Strengthen the use of design as an innovation tool by setting up a design-driven innovation programme Focus on the employees,
As the employer of approximately 30 percent of the country's workforce, with a volume of procurements amounting to approximately NOK 249 billion,
We do not address experienced R&d experts but staff in SMES (managers, employees and trainees) who have to develop innovative products
and services to suit their own circumstances and look for some tools that may assist them.
Business consultants might wish to use it as an additional tool to support their clients
First, there is a need to prepare European citizens better for entering the labour market, thereby reducing the number of unemployed.
but for a more accurate and less biased diagnosis, an external specialised consultant is proposed. Example Questionnaire for Technology Audit (at the end of the article:
At this point, the participation of experts for recommendations and solutions was necessary. So the district used the help of Wright
The new budget realities were met with the least amount of employee disruption and service level degradation as possible.
the organisation can discover it is much more efficient to find solutions using its own employees than asking for consultancy elsewhere);
and the relations between the employees of an organisation (for example, creating a relaxed open to communication atmosphere,
employers can discover potential problems of the organisation no matter the level of their occurrence before the situation gets out of control)."
the new employees as well as the regular people can be valuable sources of alternative ways of using the technologies of the providers or of the competition, of new ideas;
and cultivates employees'self respect; he/she encourages the employees to seek solutions, to get involved,
to take upon the consequences of their decisions; he/she avoids critics and humiliations; he/she creates an atmosphere of openness,
only if he/she has talented very and motivated employees. We have to make an important statement:
Mini guide for creating a creative environment Ask for each employee's opinion in order to produce a large number of ideas.
it is a public company founded in 1930 with over 28,000 employees worldwide. Context: the company fights its capacity to serve its clients,
3. a special place with a large board or paper that can be see by all participants. 4. an expert called facilitator,
2-should be solved with the actual employers; 3-speed of implementation; 4-implementation difficulty. 7. Marking ideas:
if experts in different fields of knowledge and levels of qualification participate in the session. 4. 3. 1
The innovative potentials of a group can be used (experts in different fields of knowledge. All participants are active (not necessarily achieved by a brainstorming session.
Therefore, for the composition of a work group, experts from different fields are useful (technicians, doctors, biologists etc.
Clear definition of the problem Available knowledge in different levels/expertise of different fields of knowledge (natural science, technical expertise, medicine) group work with experts from distant fields can be very useful
experts-and abilities to use them"Innosupport: Supporting Innovation in SMES"-4. 4. Analogical Reasoning page 62 of 271 From the point of view of patent protection analogies should be found in fields which are farther away
From these many experiences and from being creative every day for both employers and clients, he has gained a rich resource of examples to help others expand
mainly existed in people (employees) minds, firstly you have to manage people specific behavior regarding knowledge.
We train our employees but we don't let them use their knowledge We learn mostly in projects
but we don't pass on our expertise We have an expert for every question but few people know how to locate him/her We document everything thoroughly
and the participation of each employee to the firm cognitive capital is recognized also. KM alignment with the firm strategic aims KM is not an end in itself.
Knowledge gaps might arise from missing people (special know-how or experts) or missing technology or a combination of the two.
Implement a culture change policy In today's very competitive work environment many employees don't feel safe in their work position and usually‘'hide''knowledge,
make mistakes or ask other employees if they don't know something. People at work also shouldn't be afraid to have small conversations at work (water cooler discussions),
Specific knowledge might exist in every employee due to his/her past experience, first degree, etc. 4. 6. 5. Case study Golden West Foods Improved site management methods help meet growing demand Brief Golden West Foods operates the UK warehousing and delivery
and accurately communicated to employees. Solution To help the company maintain and improve the quality of their working methods,
and provide incentives based on sharing Lack of absorptive capacity in recipients Educate employees for flexibility,
and CIO. com are published by CXO Media Inc. to meet the needs of CIOS (Chief Information Officers) and other information executives.
Has any worker on the assembly line the authority to make changes that he thinks will improve its efficiency?
They will not waste the innovative potential of their employees (practically the most valuable asset of a company.
They will create among employees the sentiment of participation, the sentiment that their ideas are taken into account.
This will result in a strong bond between the company and the employees, which is in itself beneficial. 4. 7. 1. Why
Better stimulation of employees and a proper way to motivate them in terms of performance and com-New organizational culture based on responsibility of each employee, teamwork, good communication
awareness of the innovation importance for the company's performance, excellent work relations Proper capitalization of innovative potential of employees, adequate reward for each important innovative proposal,
Nurturing an environment that encourage the creativity of employees (blue sky thinking that use toys to stimulate creativity are to be considered-see links) Setting up organizational structures/mechanisms that support,
using tools that will make the most of the creative potential of the employees. Details on that subject will be given later in the module.
Supporting Innovation in SMES"-4. 7. Systemic Management of internal innovative proposals page 83 of 271 Gather information about employees'The management asks for the innovativegeneration of information inside the organization
Basically, the success of the quality circles is based on the feeling the employees get that they are taken into account, that their opinion counts.
Suggestion boxes http://www. its. qut. edu. au/cip/qmf/section1/1 2 4/The method implies the creation of a number of boxes where the employees deposited ideas, suggestions,
a Mexican cement company, regularly uses all its employees and its customers for ideas. These firms understand that corporations cannot have out-of-the-box thinking
Other innovation routines may include mentoring of innovators by senior management, seeking advice and resources outside established channels, celebration of successes and learning from failures.
and employees may see, at a glance, for instance, what kind of innovations are under development in the pipeline.
Appointment to fellow does not change an employee's work function or business unit. But, in exchange for the honour, fellows assume an ambassadorial role in the company.
And, finally, reward your executives as entrepreneurs-not simply as stewards of the corporate legacy. 4. 7. 6. Case studies Case study 1 A firm's (working in house appliances) experience in organizing quality circles can be summarized as follows:
The circle comprised of 12 workers, under the supervision of a foreman. They met one hour every week.
One has to mention that every employee has the right to participate to the program.
and well-defined series of activities concerned with the particular stage of the development and each gate is a decision point where senior management can continue
According to a business consultant helped ENERGEX, "We were surprised initially by the call from ENERGEX-energy retailing is a long way from our usual customers in manufacturing".
According to business consultant the results of the ENERGEX Retail review were positive.""We found high-energy teams passionate about their industry,
With the help of the business consultant we have tailored the Stage Gate product development system to suit our managerial needs.
ENERGEX chose business consultants to help them develop its new process and tackle the shortcomings identified.
ENERGEX has seen that process development by an empowered crossfunctional team is crucial to long-term project success. Such teams must have the authority to make real decisions as well as the personal backing of the senior management team.
Good senior management support speeds process acceptance and early success."Innosupport: Supporting Innovation in SMES"-6. 1. New product development methods page 115 of 271 The initial plan was to involve the PIT crew in all aspects of process development,
the launch should consist of education and practical hands-on training for users and gatekeepers (senior management), accurate and concise process documentation,
New employees should also be trained in the process. The Results During the implementation of RAPID, existing projects were mapped to the process
The senior management gatekeeping team has welcomed already the consistency of business cases produced"Innosupport: Supporting Innovation in SMES"-6. 1. New product development methods page 116 of 271 by the new process,
Solution The tyre company with the help of external consultants built a solution to monitor
Solution The engine manufacturer with the help of external consultants designed a solution with a multi-tiered software architecture that abstracts the functionality according to the business requirements.
In addition there are many technologies available for recycling purposes as well as expert consultants in several recycling areas.
business partners and professional advisers would normally be regarded as implicitly confidential and would not prejudice a subsequent patent application.
The Scottish company with the help of Marks & Clerk Scotland, IP experts initiated proceedings in South korea for infringement of their South korean design registration and succeeded immediately in stopping further manufacture
to new employees, independent contractors, venture capitalists or bankers. But they want to make sure the information stays relatively secret.
From employees to potential partners, every business needs a Non-Disclosure Agreement to protect itself.
Current and former employees are responsible for most breaches of confidentiality. Employees are implied under an duty not to use trade secrets in a manner that will harm your business.
But it is best to get this in writing and to specify to the employee exactly what is confidential,
and to make provisions for when the employee leaves your business. They can be used to:
share intellectual property share commercial or trading information formalise a relationship, eg between an employer and employee 7. 3. 2. What are the main types of NDAS
and where they are used? A precedent confidentiality agreement is used for mergers and acquisitions. If a company wants to buy your business,
and requiring the other side to obtain similar NDAS from employees, principals or agents of theirs who will come into contact with the information. 2) Second,
So he began to seek information about how to best protect them, by consulting IP experts.
So the company owner protects his know-how by concluding non-disclosure agreements with future employees,
IP questions are dealt with as problems arise by seeking help from IP experts. Planning to diversify his business activities,
business angels will be retired executives or people who have built successful businesses and then sold them. In either case, they would have an extensive knowledge of their market sector, the best practices, existing business contacts or other experience
Use clear and simple language the person that will read the Business plan may not be an expert on the area of your project,
and proof read the document Reference others by referencing experts in the area of your project,
It is an innovative structure created to promote self learning among employees of the car manufacturer. The first of its kind in Italy, it has thirty-five multimedia computers, two telematic workstations and a room for videoconferences. 100 electronic programmes, CD-ROMS, encyclopedias and web sites,
. i-define living (www. i-define. co. uk) Dawn Winder is a Personal Branding Consultant (first of a new breed?).
what constitutes the requirements for the qualification of the employees?..209 10.1.2. Why: The role of human resources in the company's ability for innovation...
and organisationally etc. in other words to be innovative depends to a high degree on their employees, their competence and knowledge.
what constitutes the requirements for the qualification of the employees? Changing market conditions such as: Increasing internationalisation and globalisation of the markets, high competition pressure, Decreasing product life cycles, increasing innovation speed, Growing market segmentation and customer orientation, Increasing demands
on quality, Increasing complexity, dynamics and technology etc. are great challenges for innovation strategies of the enterprises which in turn lead to complex qualification requirements of the employees.
Faster decline of the knowledge and the need for lifelong learning High demands on the specific subject skills but also on the methodical and social competence of the employees communicative and language competence need for more responsibility and self-control etc.
The role of human resources in the company's ability for innovation The qualification of the employees are, on the one hand, a prerequisite for innovation,
when technological, organisational and social innovation changes in the qualification profile are taking place among the employees.
The CEO of Eloxal Heuberger (an anodising institution with 22 employees) has an interview with the staff member before this person is sent to an external further training course.
Here the expectations of the enterprise and the employee from this training measure are made clear before the event.
and which supporting measures the employees would need to apply them. In addition, a summarising report is written after each seminar
and a short oral report is given in front of other employees. All training material is deposited in the company-owned library where it is readily accessible by all staff members.
Tips and Tricks If required, the company Winkelbauer (engineering enterprise with 46 employees) organises events under the title EDP:
Each staff member has the possibility to talk for two hours with an EDP expert about his EDP questions on the basis of a catalogue of questions prepared in advance
These minutes then serve the employees as reference books for further questions. Example Database Market place of experience The Gosch Consulting company (Consulting enterprise with 30 employees) has compiled a database with the title Market place of experience.
It is accessible via intranet and serves as an active knowledge management. Here any problems and their solutions that crop up during the work are entered by the employees.
If there is a problem during their daily work they then can access the Market place of experience
and check whether a colleague came across the same or a similar problem in the past. 10.1.5 Resource Bibliography Training and Qualification-Handbook for Consultants, Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, Institut für Organisations-und Personalmanagement GRAZ,
Graz 2003 Links http://www. evfh-nuernberg. de/data/dbfiles/entwickl. doc Employees are the basis of social organisations.
For workers to comply with their tasks the company has to plan the volume of need for employees and their qualification level and competence.
Furthermore, labour conditions have to be organised in such a way that the employees become motivated. http://www. hrtoday. ch/Artikel detail de. cfm?
A flexible human resources development, grants the employees labour market ability, and opens up new business fields for the enterprise. http://www. innovation-aktuell. de/kv0409. htm Systematic and continuous human resources development safeguards the innovation ability and the compatibility of the enterprise.
However, whereas big companies have their own departments for preparing their employees for future requirements,
Introduction page 214 of 271 http://www. fhso. ch/pdf/human/snp20 innovativ. pdf Innovative employer":
It is true to say that typically businesses will deal with these challenges by engaging support services such as consultants, lawyers,
If you company does not have an HR department or an HR expert, you will most likely work with an external consultant or advisor."
"Innosupport: Supporting Innovation in SMES"-10.2. Identifying training needs for Innovation in SMES page 218 of 271 So a good TNA ask appropriate questions around:
which in effect breaks down functions from the top manager of the enterprise through successive layers of management to the individual worker who touches the product or service,
because the employees of the different areas are the ones that will be involved in the training later on.
Critical opportunities may cause training needs of your employees; we give you a few examples: Introducing new technologies;
Hiring employees from specific target groups (e g. immigrants; or the mix of some of these factors."
If necessary, ask for the support of an external expert to help you structure the measures to improve your organisation's performance.
Training Needs Symptom Cause Proces s Functional Area Desired Output Employee Proposed Solution Solution Details Bad quality control Production Quality control Production
and shift quality manager High rate of returned products from customers Large delays in deliveries to customers Distribution Logistics Delivery time rate 98%Packaging employees Delivery workers Defining
and take prompt corrective actions. 1 day training for packaging and delivery employees about this new system.
Bad negotiation process with suppliers about payments policy Purchasing Purchasing Negotiation of larger payment deadlines with suppliers (90 days) s Purchase workers Negotiation and purchasing
Identifying training needs for Innovation in SMES page 223 of 271 Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) is responsible for supporting employers in the development of appropriate skills in the labour market
The project is working with four main audiences, across the built environment, focusing on Contractors, Specialist Subcontractors, Consultants,
www. trainingzone. co. uk Trainers'Library is an international online resource pool for trainers, HR managers and consultants,
Once embraced by employees, innovation becomes a way of life. It ensures that all the human capital is in step
which employees are motivated and confident enough to continually try new things Out to this end, employees would be equipped with the right types of knowledge,
skills and abilities to both effectively generate and implement new ideas. A company culture is the values
it is shared the values and practices of the company's employees. This tool can help companies in creating a culture in
which every employee has the opportunity to learn and grow in order to improve themselves and their business.
This includes a work environment striving to meet the needs of all employees. Why and where creating a company culture for continuous innovation is applied?
Act with competitive urgency and decisive action Use knowledge of employees and data to make decisions in a timely manner Tolerate mistakes of employees in pursuit of continuous improvement Act with swift resolve
but you must gradually bring about modified employee behavior, leading from the top. But once a company sets out on the innovation journey
give employees a set of rights, responsibilities and rewards that make them accountable for their own actions. 2. Encourage Employee Innovations,
and Reward Them Accordingly Companies are often fast to turn to outside help, when in fact they already have the capabilities within their organisation to do the job. 3. Replace Rigid Processes With Clear Business Objectives Too often innovation is stifled
then hand those designs to the line that is expected to execute them from memory. 4. Challenge Employees to Compete
Koch gave this responsibility to all employees, with rewards both for uncovering unsafe conditions, and for discovering new ways to conduct business more safely.
A team of company employees decided that they could do the job themselves better and cheaper,
Now imagine that the company has only two employees. This is Universal Leven, a Netherlands-based subsidiary of Allianz, focused on large, professional broker organisations.
The two employees are in charge of corporate strategy, network expansion and product development. Everything else, including product branding, product design,
and processes), played by good jazz musicians (employees), playing high quality instruments (technology) in the right way, so that the audience (customer) enjoys the performance.
and customer satisfaction is involved directly in the selection of key personnel The employees: are competent and confident in their jobs are aware of their strengths
Academy of Management Executive, 16:42-53. Jelinek, M. & Schoonhaven, C. 1990. The innovation marathon:
organisational and inter-organisational levels decisively improve the innovation behaviour Apart from business management effects there are manifold labour market political and political-economic effects 11.7.
of innovation in the enterprises Efficient research institutions of international format inside and outside universities Sufficient potential of highly qualified employees Attractive frame conditions for scientists and researchers from home
or will contact directly some expert in the field; nevertheless, the Internet could be used more often as the most comprehensive and operational means of finding information. 12.1.1.1.
and detailed comments provided by an expert in the field. Depending on the type of the required information or specificity of data,
and contracting foreign experts Finding and using international sources for financing Marketing and sales (ads website,
1. Employing people who are professional experts and speak foreign languages e g . because they come from
employees sometimes arrive late or leave during the course due to work commitments (Mrs Y, there is a phone call for you).
Case studies A manufacturing company realised that they needed to develop the language skills of their employees.
The employee can assess skill and needs him or herself. The results speak for themselves and help both the management and the employees.
Key: Capabilities Needs 1 Fully competent 1 Essential 2 Can get by 2 Useful 3 No knowledge 3 Irrelevant"Innosupport:
Company employees: It is important to know the cultural characteristics of your employees, so if you have a workforce comprising members of different cultural backgrounds,
then it is important that you know to what extend this will influence the way that they work,
if added value is high enough Request for qualified workers increases, higher education becomes a decisive factor in competition Technical based professional skills lose against qualifications to adapt activities permanently to economic and technical changes;
An innovative idea In a radio discussion on the on petrol prices an employer introduced the innovative idea to raise prices for petrol to avoid that shoes produced in Europe are brought to a third world countries only to thread the shoestrings
He suggested using the extra money from higher prices for the payment of employers'social contributions for the employees.
Language skills needed A manufacturing company realised that they needed to develop the language skills of their employees.
The renowned, Bonn-based Institut für Mittelstandsforschung (Ifm) defines SMES as firms that employ less than 500 workers
Contrasted against some large corporate houses that generate billions of euros in annual sales and employ hundreds of thousands of workers,
and provided employment to 70.9%of all employed persons in 2006 (Ifm, 2007b). In absolute terms German SMES provided employment and/or apprenticeship to 20.42 million people in 2006 in the country.
As on 31.12.2006 large firms (with 250 employees or more) constituted a miniscule 0. 33%of all enterprises.
Of 3, 215,238 enterprises active on the aforementioned date an overwhelming 3, 204,519 were SMES (with less than 250 employees.
confirm, or extend the data base with experts from the selected industries like firm representatives, representatives of industry associations and cluster managers.
R. Tiwari and S. Buse (October 2007) Page 17 of 31 47,998 engineer job vacancies in 2006 resulting in a loss of 3. 5 billion euros (Koppel, 2007.
SMES with a staff of 50 to 249 employees were found to be suffering more from this scarcity (60%)than did large firms (40%)(BITKOM, 2007b.
Google Inc. cited troubles in obtaining work visas for its prospective employees as a reason to set up its first engineering research and development centre outside the US in Bangalore in India (The Hindu,
Furthermore, some employees in the R&d units at the headquarters tend to see the new location as a potential threat to their job security leading to resentments, antagonism and even non-cooperation,
and should provide their employees involved in international activities with cross-cultural training. This sensitization to mutual cultural issues may play a key-role in the success of an international venture.
A thorough understanding of internal business processes, organisational backing not only by senior management but also by other employees, especially in R&d departments,
creating a more dynamic economy and greater employment opportunities. In fact, the national climate for private sector innovation has an impact on businesses of all sizes,
Liberalise the hiring of qualified foreign workers. Enhance co-operation between schools, entrepreneurs and branch organisations.
and encourage the employees to participate not only in innovation and learning activities but also be a part of designing activities (Wilhelmsson & Döös, 2009, Kianto, 2008).
The criterion followed in selection of SMES was based on number of employees not exceeding 150 full time employees.
whether they have been involved in in-house or outside the company R&d acquisition of external knowledge for R&d activities or training their employees in this regard.
The results indicate that on all accounts SMES surveyed were involved less in R&d activities except for the training of employees.
although, these companies are engaged in developing the skills and capacities of their employees through various trainings.
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