BSB80615/BSBINN801: Lead Innovative Thinking And Practice - Sophia - Case Study - Management Assessment Answer

Subject Code: BSB80615/BSBINN801 Internal Code: F_AI_EJGA_DF

Management Assessment Answer

Assignment Task: Student questions and activities PART 1 Questions and answers Question 1: Outline any two innovation theories and discuss their key concepts. Write your answer in 250-300 words. Question 2: Compare and contrast the theories of question 1 with past theories and thinking innovation. Write your answer in 300-350 words. Question 3: Explain how theory and thinking on innovation and creativity can contribute to applied practice. Write your answer in 200-250 words. Question 4: Discuss the impact of leadership style on innovation in organisations, including how specific approaches may encourage or inhibit innovation. Write 200–250 words for each Question 5: Discuss the relevance of organisational and industry context on innovation. Write your answer in 200–250 words. Question 6: Analyse the internal and external conditions or factors that impact on organisational innovation. Write your answer in 200–250 words for each. Question 7: Outline of the strategies for identifying, assessing and managing risks associated with innovation? Write your answer in 200-250 words. Question 8: Give at least five examples of innovations drivers in an organisation. Write your answer in 50–100 words Question 9: Give more than five examples of innovation enablers in an organisation. Write your answer in 100-150 words. Question 10: List the steps need to follow that support innovative practices. Write your answer in 50-100 words. Question 11: Describe mechanisms at system or process level that can support innovative practices. Write your answer in 200-250 Words. Question 12: Discuss the common challenges to innovation within an organisation. Write your answer in 250-300 Words Question 13: List any seven barriers to innovation within an organisation. Question 14: As a manager what ways you will adapt to overcome these challenges and barriers to innovation in an organisation? Write your answer in 100-150 words Questions to discuss: Question 1: List various tools and techniques to generate new ideas? Question 2: Discuss the 6 hats of DeBono tools and their significance? Question 3: Discuss the various steps to create a Mind Map Question 4: Discuss the major drivers of change. Question 5: How can you promote creative thinking techniques to foster personal and team innovation? Question 6: What factors affect the individual and collective thinking and creativity Question 7: List common factors that drive innovation. Question 8: List some of the enablers that help innovation. Question 9: List some of the types of leadership qualities. Question 10: Discuss the requirements that promote sustainable innovative activity. Question 11: Discuss some of the ways to transfer knowledge Question 12: What are the responsibilities of a mentor in a mentoring way of transferring knowledge? Question 13: What are the responsibilities of proteges in a mentoring way of transferring knowledge? Question 14: What are the benefits of On-Job-Training? Question 15: What are the risks associated with Innovation? Question 16: What can be done to encourage innovation from a team? Question 17: Discuss the resources required for innovation to occur? Question 18: What are the strategies to make innovation an integral part of an organization? Question 19: Discuss some of the barriers and risks to innovation. Class Activities: Case study: Sophia is a Swedish company that designs and sells ready-to-assemble furniture and home accessories. The company wants to develop an “Innovative Sustainable Design Strategy” that relates to its production process and final delivery of the product or service to the consumer. This sustainability strategy will include resources and energy independence plans, which limit the consumption of the planet’s resources, replace them with recycled and renewable materials, and reduce waste. The company wants to concentrate on delivering to its consumer's innovative products at the lowest prices possible. The objective of implementing this strategy is as follow:

• To achieve both innovation and enterprise business targets, which subsequently lead to a greater ability to compete in the market.
• Reduce production cost.
• Reduce distribution cost.
• To help make people’s homes more sustainable and provide a better life for people and their community.
• To redesign environmentally friendly stores and transportation facilities.

Sophia objectives: To offer a wide range of home furnishing items of good design and function, excellent quality and durability, at prices so low that the majority of people can afford to buy them. Sophia strategies:

• Self-assembly feature cuts operational & transportation cost
• Concentrate on individual marketing rather than mass marketing
• Limited warranty and service model after that
• Opening a small retail store and segmented marketing
• Diversity in business
• Country-specific management style
• Standardized retailer selection
• Financial stability, independence and flexibility
• etc.

Importance of Sophia objectives: "To offer a wide range of home furnishing items of good design and function, excellent quality and durability, at prices so low that the majority of people can afford to buy them " This objective kind of gives Sophia employers and employees the sense of growing direction. It also forms the foundation for Sophia decision-making: try to reduce the price as much as possible (but not at any price, it still wants to maintain the quality of products). It indirectly guides the way IKEA products are designed, manufactured, transported, sold and assembled; therefore it is the base of all Sophia strategies and tactics. Sophia 's objectives provide a basis for measuring and controlling the performance of the workforce (the designing and functioning,), the management and the entire business. Sophia vision & mission statement: Sophia vision statement: To create a better everyday life for the majority of people Sophia mission statement: Offer a wide range of well-designed, functional furnishing products at prices so low that as many people as possible, will be able to afford them. About Sophia mission statement

• Explain what Sophia is trying to achieve a high standard of quality and to produce long-lasting products with lower prices.
• Outlines how Sophia vision statement (To create a better everyday life for the majority of people) can be achieved.
• Highlights Sophia value: good products with low price

Activity 1: Considering the case study provided below, you are required to:

• Research and document a range of techniques and tools to generate new ideas and thinking.
• Research, analyse and document trends shaping the organisation s current and future thinking and practice.
• Evaluate overall context for individual and collective innovative thinking and creativity.
• Research and analyse specific conditions for innovation and issues that impact on individual and collective innovative thinking and creativity.
• Document innovation drivers and enablers.

Activity 2: This activity is a continuing activity from the previous activity. For the same organisation, you are required to: required to demonstrate skills to:

• Lead innovation by example.
• Establish work practices that support innovation

You will arrange a meeting with the Human Resource Manager, Production team leader and the Supply Chain Supervisor. You will be chairing the meeting. The agenda of the meeting is the following:

1. Creating opportunities for promoting innovation within the team.
2. Organising and agreeing on the effective ways of working to achieve the objectives of implementing the “Innovative Sustainable Design Strategy”.
3. Supporting and guiding colleagues.
4. Implement improvements and communicate about them.
5. Reflecting on how the team is working.

Roles and their responsibilities:

• The roles of customer support officer and Production team leader will be played by the fellow student.
• You will play the role of the manager.
• Your trainer/assessor will take on the role of HR Manager.
• Each student will get the opportunity to play the role of the manager.

During the meeting, you (manager) are required to:

• Participate in a healthy and open discussion relevant to the topic of the case scenario (Innovative ways to develop and implement the “Innovative Sustainable Design Strategy” that relates to its production process and final delivery of the product or service to the consumer).
• Present your ideas to the meeting participants.
• Demonstrate positive reception of ideas from others.
• Provide constructive feedback based on your point of view.
• Answer the relevant questions to:

o Customer Support officer regarding:

• How to make products and services more suitable to local Aboriginal and Australian market?
• How the organisation can promote innovation with the team?
• The effective ways of rewarding and encouraging the team for achieving success and organisational goals.

o HR Manager regarding:

•  Working conditions that reflect and encourage innovative practice.
•  Workplace procedures that foster innovation.
•  Team building methods to lead teams to work in ways that maximise opportunities for innovation.
•  Appropriate ways of celebrating and promoting innovation

o Supply Chain Supervisor.

• Supply chain operations to reduce supply chain cost.
• Acknowledge suggestions, improvements and innovations from all meeting participants.
• Discuss the risks considering the implementation of the “Innovative Sustainable Design Strategy”.
• Regularly evaluate your own approaches for consistency with the wider organisational or project context (consider the organisational objectives).

Activity 3: Scenario The management now wants you to establish the work practices that support innovation. These work practices are to be established considering the feedback provided by the Human Resource Manager, Production team leader and the Supply Chain Supervisor. Task: Considering the discussion conducted with the Human Resource Manager, Production team leader and the Supply Chain supervisor in the Activity 1 and after careful analysis of the information given in the case study scenario, you are required to:

• Determine the procedures and practices that foster innovation including:

o collaborative work arrangements o building team capacity to contribute to innovation o providing formal and informal learning opportunities o evaluating ideas o building team capacity to contribute to innovation o consultation o respectful communications and sharing of ideas and feedback.