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Innovation: the classic traps.

Rosabeth Moss Kanter1

  • 1Harvard Business School, Boston, USA.

Harvard Business Review
|November 30, 2006
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Innovation enthusiasm cycles repeat, often failing due to execution gaps. Companies must avoid common strategic, process, structural, and skill-based errors to foster successful innovation and growth.

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Area of Science:

  • Business Strategy
  • Organizational Behavior
  • Innovation Management

Background:

  • Innovation is periodically rediscovered as a key growth driver, but often fails due to poor execution.
  • Managerial generations face recurring challenges balancing existing revenue protection with new concept support.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze historical waves of innovation enthusiasm and identify recurring strategic, process, structural, and skills-based mistakes.
  • To provide practical advice for companies to avoid common innovation pitfalls and improve execution.

Main Methods:

  • Review of four major waves of innovation enthusiasm over 25 years.
  • Analysis of classic mistakes in innovation strategy, process, structure, and skills assessment.
  • Illustration with real-world company examples (e.g., AT&T Worldnet, Timberland, Ocean Spray, Quaker Oats, Arrow Electronics).

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Main Results:

  • Strategic errors include setting hurdles too high or limiting scope (e.g., Quaker Oats).
  • Process errors involve rigid planning and budgeting, stifling adaptation (e.g., Arrow Electronics).
  • Structural issues arise from clashing cultures between new ventures and existing businesses.
  • Underinvestment in the human element, such as premature removal of personnel from innovation teams, is a common pitfall.

Conclusions:

  • Successful innovation requires avoiding common strategic, process, structural, and skills-related traps.
  • Companies must carefully manage the integration of new ventures with existing operations.
  • Investing in and nurturing the human side of innovation is critical for long-term success.