BUSM4537 Enablers And Barriers To Business Innovation - Assignment Solution

Introduction

In order to add value in the businesses, innovation plays an integral part that introduces novel ways to do things. However, enabling innovation in workplace can be a challenging task for many organizations. This report is intended to discuss few enablers and barriers to business innovation. The report will also highlight ways to reduce the barriers that impede the growth of business innovation while sustaining the innovation enablers. To do this, Brevini Australia has been chosen to study the given topic. Brevini Australia is a Sydney based contemporary organization that sells planetary gear boxes to clients mostly in construction, mining and agriculture industries of Australia. After analysing the barriers and enablers of the company to the business innovation, the report will highlight how to cope up with the barriers and solidify the enablers while mentioning prospects for future research on the subject. 

BARRIERS TO BUSINESS INNOVATION

Internal Barriers

Workplace Environment

Most organizations have given significant attention to processes, resources and success measurement tools-based building blocks of innovation. However, organizations have underestimated the people-based factors of innovative environment – climate, behaviours and values (Rao and Weintraub, 2013). One of the most important internal barriers to business innovation in the organization is its workplace environment, procedures and rules that impede the growth of creativity among employees. When employees feel reluctant to embrace potential shift due to fear of criticism or judgement which eventually limit their expressions for new ideas that impede innovation. Such workplace environment compels workers to follow the rules and policies strictly (Rao and Weintraub, 2013). 

Australian organizations like Brevini Australia working in the construction industry have potential to innovate, however there is a lack of strategic attention from the leadership to introduce new ideas (Dynamic Business, 2019). An innovation-based leadership is an important aspect to overcome such barrier in the organization. For example, Lewin Change Management Model expressed that encouraging and sharing innovative ideas and creativity in the organization through listening employees is imperative to bring innovation (Manley and Blayse, 2004). 

Lack of resources

Being a high-profile organization, Brevini Australia needed to innovate its operations to survive in a competitive market. Innovation for the organization can only be useful when it is executed as planned and lack of resources to implement the change is a major barrier in the organization. The management need to be assured that funding plans are ready before starting off with an innovation project. Normally, clients had limited loyalty which was making the profitability of the company marginal (Manley and Blayse, 2004). Afterwards, reporting back to the management with information regarding return on investment. This way they can continue to reinforce future innovation activities in the firm. 

Short-term work relations

The construction industry is project based which makes project teams to work on short term notices rather in a long-standing association (Loosemore, 2013). This impede the growth of innovation and creativity among employees. Management can help overcoming this barrier through ensuring a proportionate value among various parties involved in a project to gain maximum collaboration and input that can foster the growth of creative ideas.