ENTR554

036464

Recent surveys indicate that innovation is at the top of the agenda for more than three-quarters of executives; at the same time, nearly as many report failing to meet their own hopes and expectations for their innovation initiatives. This graduate level course will focus in on what is increasingly understood to be a primary reason for the gap between aspirations and outcomes for innovation and entrepreneurship: the leadership and organization of the innovative process. As companies shift their thinking about innovation from being a fundamentally technological or mechanistic endeavor to one that is more organic, creative, and human-centered, so have they shifted their management concerns. Among them: What role does innovation play in overall strategy and where does it fit into strategic plans? What kind of leadership (or leaders) is required to develop an innovative culture? What are the implications for organizational structure and process? Is organizational innovations needed before companies can achieve their innovation objectives? Through readings, cases, exercises, and projects, we will explore these and related questions on the intangible contributors to innovative success for both existing and new firms in manufacturing, services, and nonprofits.

GRD - Regular Grades A, B, C, D, E

Graduate