Contextual analysis as support for successful innovation in complex environments

Abstract

In order to survive and thrive, organizations need to adapt, reinvent themselves, and innovate. However, many intentional efforts to bring about innovation do not succeed. In order to be successful, innovation requires the support of individuals throughout the environment in which it is emerging. In many cases, such support is not forthcoming for a variety of reasons. In this paper, the authors discuss a number of barriers that may inhibit the success of innovative practice. They then discuss a role for contextual analysis as the means to target individual engagement, and present an example of a method which could be used to conduct such analysis. © 2007 International Federation for Information Processing.