The Dynamics of Innovation in Organisations : An Organismic-Interactive-Contextual Model

Innovations in organization provide a strategic and a competitive advantage that ensures long survival of the organization. Innovation in organizations is a unique phenomenon in that in the normal process of organizations there are no fertile grounds that stimulate innovations. The precise mechanisms and processes that lead to this facet of the organizational processes are not yet clearly understood. In this paper an Organismic-Interactive-Contextual Model is proposed that attempts to incorporate the key processes that result in innovative ventures. In the systemic thinking approach the inner body of the organization plays a predominant part in steering the path of innovation and this inner body is constituted by individuals and groups. The organismic processes are unique to the individual and the significant psychological processes play a dominant role in the emergence of innovation. In the psychology of motivation, the motivated behavior originates from either growth motivation or deficiency motivation. Besides, knowledge support systems fall into computer facilitated inputs and the cognitive processes of the innovator. Secondly group interactive mechanisms hold the key in situations of team work. The significant internal processes that accentuate the innovation are the leadership processes, team structure, and learning organization culture. Moreover the contextual processes or extraorganisational considerations provide the background to innovation. Innovation is further enhanced by organizational processes and more specifically it is mediated by structural processes. And finally the innovative processes differ in small and medium sized enterprises and large enterprises