Assignment:
Innovation
Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.
-Theodore Levitt, "Creativity Is Not Enough"
There are many viewpoints concerning innovation and many concepts of what innovation involves. These viewpoints and concepts vary by industry. In the Dictionary of Management, Nandhakumar (2010) defined innovation as "the development of new products or new ways of selling" (p. 203). Consider the following scenarios to gain an understanding of only a few simple forms of innovation:
A technology company creates a virtual reality television, allowing people to interact with their favorite characters and programs in their living rooms and revolutionizing home entertainment.
The manager of a small restaurant develops a process that enables him to deliver hot food to busy lunchtime crowds in half the usual time, resulting in higher customer satisfaction and higher profits.
Both of these scenarios depict different forms of innovation. The pressure to innovate can affect nearly every aspect of business, and the decision of whether and how to innovate generates multifaceted debates.
This week, you will explore and share your perspectives on the topics of innovation and entrepreneurship and their relationship to each other. You will also evaluate scholarly literature related to innovation and specific to your degree specialization.
Learning Objectives
Independent scholars will:
• Analyze the relationship between global innovation and entrepreneurship within organizations
• Construct an annotated bibliography of resources related to innovation in doctoral specialization
Learning Resources
Note: To access this week's required library resources, please click on the link to the Course Readings List, found in the Course Materials section of your Syllabus.
Required Readings
Ekore, J. O., &Okekeocha, O. C. (2012). Fear of entrepreneurship among university graduates: A psychological analysis. International Journal of Management, 29(2), 515-524.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Griffin, A., Price, R. L., &Vojak, B. A. (2012). Serial innovators. Research Technology Management, 55(6), 42-48.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Hunter, M. (2012). On some of the misconceptions about entrepreneurship. Economics, Management, and Financial Markets, 7(2), 55-104.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Piva, E., Rentocchini, F., & Rossi-Lamastra, C. (2012). Is open source software about innovation? Collaborations with the open source community and innovation performance of software entrepreneurial ventures. Journal of Small Business Management, 50(2), 340-364.
Note: You will access this article from the Walden Library databases.
Walden University. (2015c). APA course paper template (6th ed.).
Important Note: This template must be used for every Assignment in this course, unless otherwise noted. Failure to use this template will result in a mandatory grade of zero for that Assignment. It is recommended that you download and save this template so you have it available for future Assignments.
Walden University. (2015d). Common course assignments: Annotated bibliographies.
Note: This site contains a number of subsections: "Formatting," "Summary," "Critique/Analysis," "Application," and "Example." Please be sure to review all information contained within this larger section. If you need additional support on completing an annotated bibliography, please review one of the webinars found in this week's Optional Resources.
Walden University. (2015h). Reference list: Common reference list examples.
Walden University. (2015i). Sample annotated bibliography.
Discussion: The Innovation-Entrepreneurship Relationship
The work of the entrepreneur is to innovate and to successfully manage innovation.
-Joseph Maciariello, "Foreward to the Routledge Classics Edition,"
Peter Drucker's Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Both innovation and entrepreneurship are widely touted as essential components of business and economic growth, as reflected in the epigraph. Discussion of the topics is almost unavoidable in business and government circles. Because growth in entrepreneurship and increased innovation are goals pursued simultaneously, a better understanding of the relationship between innovation and entrepreneurship has widespread practical implications for business. However, professionals and researchers from every facet of business continue to disagree on the precise definitions of both concepts, much less the relationship between them. Researchers also debate the overall impact of entrepreneurship and innovation and the factors that promote them.
Nonetheless, as more professionals engage in this debate, the academic and professional business communities gain valuable insights into this important relationship. These insights have implications not only for business and society as a whole but also for individual global change agent professionals who make decisions on an everyday basis.
To prepare for this Discussion, review this week's Learning Resources and consider your personal and professional experiences with innovation and entrepreneurship.
Post an analysis of the relationship between global entrepreneurship and innovation within organizations. Your analysis should include the following:
• The implications of this relationship for individuals and global change agents within organizations
• Specifics about how this relationship affects your own approach as a global change agent to risk taking and the way your personal strengths may or may not reflect the relationship between global innovation and entrepreneurship
Be sure to support your work with a minimum of two specific citations from this week's Learning Resources and one or more additional scholarly sources.
Assignment: Annotated Bibliography on Innovation
As previously noted, scholarly research and writing are key components of the DBA program of study, but this aspect of doctoral research may seem daunting, even to those with years of experience in business. Specifically, for some independent scholars, completing their literature review can be overwhelming, and writing more than 25 pages while ensuring critical analysis and synthesis of the literature is not easy. You can help ensure your success, however, by thinking of doctoral research and writing as an orderly process designed to facilitate quality.
Completing an annotated bibliography is one of the foundational steps in the doctoral process, and it will help you organize and evaluate resources for later use. You will be able to reflect critically on the merits and relevance of each resource to your topic of doctoral research study. By collecting peer-reviewed articles from peer-reviewed journals that are within 5 years of your anticipated graduation date and by collecting seminal literature where applicable, you will lay the foundation for successful completion of your Doctoral Study. You will begin this important process now.
To prepare for this Assignment, do the following:
• Read this week's Learning Resources focused on the annotated bibliography to understand the rationale for its use and the format and content required.
• Find five peer-reviewed articles on innovation related to your specialization.
• Use the resource "Reference List: Common Reference List Examples" as a quick guide for formulating your bibliographies to maintain alignment with APA formatting.
• Use the APA Course Paper Template, linked in this week's Learning Resources, to complete this Assignment.
Submit a 3 to 5 page annotated bibliography, in which you do the following:
• Write a reference citation for each of your five sources, ensuring adherence to proper APA formatting.
• Provide a summary for each article, followed by a critique and analysis, including the following:
o Appropriateness for the intended audience
o Authority or background of the author
o Limitations, depending on the scope, reliability, age of the document, and bias
o Research findings
o Usefulness of the source for your purposes
o Conclusion
Note: Each annotation does not have to be long (2 to 3 paragraphs), but you need to take into consideration the points listed. Model your document after the sample provided in this week's Learning Resources and use the resources in the Walden Writing Center for additional help.
Readings:
1. How Individuals Create and Deliver Breakthrough Innovations in Mature Firms
By Bruce A. Vojak, Raymond L. Price, and Abbie Griffin
2. Fear of Entrepreneurship among University Graduates: A Psychological Analysis
By John O. Ekore, Ogochukwu C. Okekeocha
3. Is Open Source Software about Innovation? Collaborations with the Open Source Community and Innovation Performance of Software Entrepreneurial Ventures
By Evila Piva, Francesco Rentocchini, and Cristina Rossi-Lamastra