IP Outreach Research > IP Creation
Reference
| Title: | Gallup Reveals the Formula for Innovation |
| Author: | [Gallup Management Journal] |
| Source: | http://gmj.gallup.com/content/27514/Gallup-Reveals-the-Formula-for-Innovation.aspx |
| Year: | 2007 |
Details
| Subject/Type: | Creativity, Innovation |
| Focus: | Barriers, Success Factors |
| Country/Territory: | United States of America |
| Objective: | To probe the relationship between innovation and (workplace) culture, and in particular the effect of developing employee talents and strengths on individual creativity and workplace engagement. |
| Sample: | 1.010 employed national adults, aged 18 and older |
| Methodology: | Telephone interviews |
Main Findings
The study finds that employee talent and strengths development can be a powerful tool contributing to the creation and sustainment of a workplace culture conducive to innovation and creativity: 30% of respondents strongly agreed that their organisation is committed to building their strengths; of those, a majority (54%) also strongly agreed that their current job brings out their most creative ideas.
In contrast, of those employees who disagreed that their organisation is committed to building their strengths (nearly 50%), only one in ten strongly agreed that their current job brings out their most creative ideas. A strength-based work environment was also found to facilitate idea sharing among colleagues (which, in turn, is positively affected by strong friendships at work).
When combined with employee engagement, the positive effect of employee talent and strengths development on innovation is greatest: 66% of engaged employees stating that their organisation is committed to building their strengths also indicated that their current job brings out their most creative ideas. Conversely, only 3% of actively disengaged employees whose organisation is not committed to building their strengths agreed that their job brings out their most creative ideas. In line with this combination, a significant positive relationship between employee engagement, a manager focus on strengths and creativity between colleagues was found.
In view of their "strengths development + engagement = innovation" equation, the authors recommend that supervisors focus on their employees' strengths and positive characteristics. Given the link that was found between the encouragement of new ideas, strengths development, employee engagement and innovation culture, they furthermore suggest that companies and managers be receptive to new ideas that defy conventional wisdom.
[Date Added: Aug 18, 2008 ]