Re-envisioning Innovation: From Vision to Strategy to Plan and Back Again

Abstract

Abstract

HMS is a Swedish company and a global market leader in the industrial communication industry. Initially, HMS was managed with a vision of a connected industry. Gradually, that vision was complemented with strategies on how to reach that vision. In line with the company’s growth and acquisitions, these strategies started to substitute their vision and they began to be supplemented with much more detailed plans. As the company’s offer expanded, these detailed plans began to take over as the company’s primary instrument of guidance. In other words, HMS went through three phases: From a “Market Establishment” phase (with a vision as their primary guideline), to a “Market Development” phase (with strategies as their primary guideline), and finally to a “Market Maturity” phase (with detailed plans their primary guideline). In so doing, their vision became less challenging/ motivating for HMS’ employees. An action research approach was used, influenced by grounded theory. The results showed that people have different mindsets throughout these phases, and going back is challenging because while HMS’ employees need a vision, visions come without detailed plans and will not work unless they are supplemented by inspirational communication and passionate innovation champions who can push forward without any detailed plans.

Keywords: Employee needs, innovation champions, plans, strategies, visions

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Re-previendo la innovación: de la visión a la estrategia para la planificación y viceversa

Resumen

fundamentada. Los resultados mostraron que las personas tuvieron una mentalidad diferente a lo largo de estas fases y el regreso es un desafío, porque mientras los empleados de HMS necesitan una visión, las visiones vienen sin planes detallados y no funcionarán a menos que se complementen con comunicaciones inspiradoras y apasionados campeones de la innovación que puedan empujar hacia adelante sin planes detallados.

Palabras clave: Necesidades de los empleados, campeones de innovación, planes, estrategias, visiones

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Bibliography: Lysek, Michal/Palmhager, Jörgen/Danilovic, Mike: Re-envisioning Innovation: From Vision to Strategy to Plan and Back Again, IJAR – International Journal of Action Research, 1-2019, pp. 5-24.
https://doi.org/10.3224/ijar.v15i1.02