Multinational teams in the European Commission and the European Parliament

International public organizations, as the European Commission and the European Parliament, are under almost permanent political pressure to improve efficiency. While teamwork is considered to be a possible remedy, so far little research on effectiveness of multinational teams was undertaken in international public organizations. The purpose of this book is to identify the distinctive characteristics that influence multinational team performance in a public management context. Based on a qualitative research approach a complexity model of multinational team performance was developed. This model can be used as a checklist to identify possible problems in multinational teams. Additionally, managerial implications of how to deal with the inherent complexity of multinational teams are given

Understanding the Role of Objects in Interactive Innovation

The purpose of this paper is to understand the role of objects in interactive innovation, i.e. interaction for innovation among core inside innovators, peripheral inside innovators and outside innovators. Going beyond the predominant usage of ‘boundary objects’ we argue that a pluralistic approach of objects is needed to better understand and trace the different – and shifting – roles that objects play in interactive innovation. To do so, we develop a framework of the role of objects in interactive innovation. This framework is applied while designing the “IP Industry Base” (IPIB) project for interactive innovation. The IPIB is an innovative analytical database in the field of competitive intelligence (CI). From the lessons learned in this project, we discuss what needs to be considered for the conscious development of objects to foster interactive innovation in the context of highly innovative software development projects

Introduction to the special issue: Transferring knowledge for innovation

AcceptedJournal ArticleThis is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.© 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Knowledge is an important company resource, particularly when the organisation is striving to create new goods and services and to be more innovative. Knowledge is created at the interface between individuals and organisations and also by original scholarly research; however, this new knowledge must often be diffused across an organisation or transferred between organisations before it can be internalised and adopted. Therefore the modes and mechanisms for transferring knowledge transfer have, over the past 25 years, been steadily receiving more and more attention. This special issue of the Journal of R&D Management recognises this progression and brings forward recent academic papers with the aim of extending this field. Each paper offers insights into this phenomena at a national/policy, organisational or activity level and were originally submitted to a Special Interest Group, led by the Editors of the Special Issue and hosted by the International Society for Professional Innovation Management (ISPIM) between 2013 and 2015. Whilst introducing each of these papers, the introduction for the Special Issue: Transferring Knowledge for Innovation also makes a unique contribution to the field, by presenting a simple heuristic that could be used to offer some degree of categorisation in terms of the respective content and therefore contribution of each paper

Radical innovation: making the right bets

Report published by Advanced Institute of Management ResearchOur research reveals that organisations, here in the UK and elsewhere, must face up to the complex challenges associated with exploring and developing radical ideas and innovations if they are to continue to be successful in the long term. ■ Discontinuous innovation – ‘doing something different’ innovation – is often the driver of sustained competitive advantage and shareholder value creation. As such the ability to support radical innovation is an essential organisational competence. ■ The decision-making process in which resources are allocated to innovation projects is extremely challenging, as the degree of uncertainty involved means that using conventional systems and processes often leads to radical ideas being rejected. ■ The research identifies twelve excuses that organisations use to justify their decision not to pursue radical innovation. Organisations must learn to recognise when they are making these excuses and find other ways of evaluating how to behave when faced with radical innovation. ■ The innovation selection environment that operates in organisations can be described in terms of four zones. In two of those zones, new strategies are required for innovation selection decision-making. ■ There are a number of promising strategies that can help organisations to back an innovation winner. These include: building alternative visions; bridge-building to/from outside the box; probe and learn method; using alternative evaluation and measurement criteria; mobilising sponsorship and championship; using alternative decision-making pathways; deploying alternative funding structures; using alternative – dedicated/devolved/decentralised – implementation structures; mobilising entrepreneurship inside and outside the firm. ■ Through a thorough understanding of the innovation selection process, organisations can avoid the pitfalls that lead to abandoning potentially marketwinning radical ideas. At the same time they can learn how to implement strategies that nurture and develop that all-important discontinuous innovation.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)and Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC

The cultural standard method

The proposed method enables us to identify cultural standards, i.e. the underlying norms of thinking, sensing, perceiving, judging, and acting that the vast majority of individuals in a given culture is considering as normal for themselves and others. Norms of behaviour can be different across societies even if the underlying values are the same and can cause critical incidents to emerge. A sequence of methodological steps allows systematically dealing with sampling, interviewer, interpretation, construct, and culture bias in cross-cultural qualitative research based on narrative interviews.(author's abstract)Series: EI Working Papers / Europainstitu

An integrative model of multinational team performance

We provide a framework for understanding managerial implications of multinational teams. In addition to context, four major categories of variables have a determining influence on multinational team performance: universal values, norms of behavior, perceptions of others and self, and personality traits. Size of teams, kind of task, learning opportunities, power and interests change the effects of these variables. Of particular importance is the team implementation process, which can neutralize adverse effects of wrong perceptions, helps to establish team norms and, thus, contributes to success of multinational teams. (author's abstract)Series: EI Working Papers / Europainstitu

The impact of culture on interactions: five lessons learned from the European Commission

Summary Using data collected from 25 interviews with Austrian employees in the European Commission, we explore the conditions under which cultural differences do and do not influence interactions. Previous experience with culturally-determined behaviour and experience working in a foreign language is found to foster norms that reduce conflict based on cross-cultural differences. Time pressure, on the other hand, makes cultural differences, specifically the way that criticism is delivered and the extent of relational-versus-task orientation, more explicit. Our findings have implications for the design of training for multinational teams, as well as the composition of these teams.Role of culture Cross-cultural interaction Culturally-determined behaviour European Commission Case study research