Learning and Development and a Culture of Innovation

 

As technology is becoming more intertwined into our daily lives, business in today’s market is a storm of constant developments and advancements. Staying at the forefront of this inventive environment is a vital aspect in keeping your organization’s market advantage (Brynjolfsson & Hitt, 2000).

While it continues to be a competitive need in certain businesses, innovation is a key value in others (Vey et al., 2017). When it comes to L&D, innovation can be described as a crucial ingredient that promotes creativity, enhance problem solving skills, and even equips the workforce to accept change effectively. Long-term market competitiveness is a result of building an innovative culture inside the confines of your company through learning and development (Tamayo-Torres et al., 2016).

Innovation isn't something you finish and then move on from. It's a constant exercise connected to the growth and learning of your organization (Schott et al., 2003). Continuous innovation encourages revenue growth and improves business performance throughout economic crisis situations (Tamayo-Torres et al., 2016). 

Experts in L&D offer several essential tactics that show how the process of establishing an innovative culture throughout your firm can begin in the classroom. Organizations that remain inventive with L&D are better positioned to empower their staff by providing them with the newest knowledge and expertise (Vey et al., 2017). Such organizations are more imaginative than most others, which provide them a competitive advantage over its competitors (Schott et al., 2003). Here are some innovations in L&D that help the organization go to the next level.

• Video-based learning – YouTube is one of the most visited websites in the world. This gives the organizations to take advantage of videos to make cost effective L&D programs (Schott et al., 2003). Furthermore, video conferencing tools such as zoom have also become affordable learning mediums to pass knowledge.
• Virtual Reality
• Mobile Learning - The advent of mobile learning has created a wealth of opportunities for expanding access to education and self-expression. It provides an alternative that can supplement already available options or a means of engaging in learning in situations where none exist (Kukulska-Hulme, 2019).

To foster a sense of creativity within a business and develop an innovative culture, a strategic corporate plan is necessary. A few ways to foster a culture of innovation a listed below.

•  Focus on Continuous Improvement - A team can create processes that will change over time as well as through unexpected breakthroughs by moving and establishing concepts constantly (Tamayo-Torres et al., 2016).

• Create a value statement - A value statement summarizes the fundamental principles that direct and guide an organization's culture. These principles set criteria for decision-making and guide the organization toward its objectives. A unified culture that promotes inclusivity and accepts all perspectives can be developed with the help of a clear value statement.

• Incorporate the core competencies of innovative organizations- Core competencies such as growth, customer- centered innovation, and effective communication should be incorporated within L&D programs to encourage innovation as a cultural standard.

• Change the method of discussing ideas - A culture of innovation requires deliberate communication tactics that promote belongingness, inclusivity, and the generation of fresh ideas (Vrgovic et al., 2012). Discussions frequently center on why a plan might ultimately fail or how it could have failed in the past. Sometimes the discussion completely veers off topic and turns into a series of barriers. In the past organizations were able to take decisions at the top management level and pass the message down to all the levels. However, now in most leading garment manufacturers, leaders have changed the methods of discussing ideas engaging more employees in an organization to ensure they are taking into consideration different aspects and angles. 

•  Ensure Engaged Leadership - The best businesses have leaders who integrate innovation into the whole culture through learning and development (Schott et al., 2003). When leadership is actively involved, a business is more likely to adopt an innovative mentality. By refraining from micromanaging from the top, these leaders inspire greatness from their subordinates. Good leaders actively participate in their own learning and are always seeking to improve. They also inspire others to do the same (Vrgovic et al., 2012). Given the post pandemic period it is important for leaders of the organization to be involved and ensure new ways are adapted to adjust to the big impact caused by the pandemic. An organization must closely follow trends in the market as it is so volatile these days. 

• Hire for Diversity - Hiring for diversity offers a variety of viewpoints, values, and approaches to problem-solving. There are more ways to assess a topic and generate ideas when there are multiple perspectives present (Smith et al., 2004). Thereby driving Innovation.

• Keep learning opportunities flexible - A highly adaptable environment that can negotiate erratic markets, seize new possibilities, throw out concepts that aren't working, and keep an eye on consumer trends is necessary for an innovative culture (Vey et al., 2017). The necessity to adapt to these developments is no different in learning and development departments.

 

Figure 1.0 shows the traditional versus the culture of innovation conversation pathways.

                        (Carlton et al., 2021)

One thing unites businesses with strong innovation cultures: anyone with an interest can result in the improvement (Vrgovic et al., 2012). Organizations have discovered that collaboration between strategists and communicators and creative thinkers fosters innovation (Tamayo-Torres et al., 2016).

 

List of References

Brynjolfsson, E. and Hitt, L.M. (2000) “Beyond computation: Information technology, Organizational Transformation and Business Performance,” Journal of Economic Perspectives, 14(4), pp. 23–48. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1257/jep.14.4.23.

Joan Carlton, Teri Abbo, Erin Meyers, and Kristin Landis-Piwowar, 2021. "Intentional Communication to Build a Culture of Innovation: A Framework to Promote Innovation as an Organizational Priority," white paper, Oakland University Leadership Academy.

Kukulska-Hulme, A. (2019). Mobile Language Learning Innovation Inspired by Migrants. Journal of Learning for Development, 6(2), 116-129.

Schott, M. et al. (2003) Innovations in Distance Learning Program Development and Delivery, 6.

Smith, D.G. et al. (2004) “Interrupting the usual: Successful strategies for hiring diverse faculty,” The Journal of Higher Education, 75(2), pp. 133–160. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1353/jhe.2004.0006.

Tamayo-Torres, I. et al. (2016) “Organizational learning and innovation as sources of strategic fit,” Industrial Management & Data Systems, 116(8), pp. 1445–1467. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1108/imds-12-2015-0518.

Vey, K. et al. (2017) “Learning & development in times of Digital Transformation: Facilitating a culture of change and innovation,” International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning (iJAC), 10(1), p. 22. Available at: https://doi.org/10.3991/ijac.v10i1.6334.

Vrgovic, P., Vidicki, P., Glassman, B., & Walton, A. (2012). Open innovation for SMEs in developing countries-an intermediated communication network model for collaboration beyond obstacles. Innovation: Management, Policy & Practice, 14(3), 290–302.