Everyday innovation report - Nesta

44
35. Patterson, F. et al. (2009)
Op cit.
36. Lucas, B. and Claxton, G.
(2009) ‘Wider Skills for
Learning: What are they,
how can they be cultivated,
how could they be measured
and why are they important
for innovation?’ NESTA
Research Report. London:
NESTA.
37. Department for Innovation,
Universities and Skills (2008)
Op. cit.
38. 38 Chell, E. and Athayde, R.
(2009) Op. cit.
Part 7: Summary and final reflections
7.1 Summary and final reflections
How does this evidence help corporate
policymakers in understanding how to
introduce, encourage and sustain innovative
working in organisations? The research
literature review and survey report explores
several implications for working practices but
with a particular focus on organisational HR
interventions. 35 These include:
• employee attraction
• employer reputation and brand
• organisational culture and climate surveys for
innovation
• recruitment strategies
• induction programmes and early socialisation
• selection and assessment for innovation
• development and skills for innovation
• social networks and knowledge sharing
• work design
• motivating innovative employees
The need to raise skills levels to support
innovation in the UK is generally
acknowledged. However, as pointed out by
Lucas and Claxton 36 these are often “bland
statements about ‘unlocking talent’”, which
provide little direction for HR policy and
practice. Similarly, they highlight that although
the Innovation Nation White Paper 37 was
one of the few government White Papers to
include a reference to ‘innovative people’
the specifics regarding skills and behaviours
required were severely limited. This current
report commissioned by NESTA reflects the
desire to understand more about the specific
role of ‘people’ behaviours and innovation in
organisations. To summarise, our key findings
are provided below and future areas for
research, policy and practice are suggested.
Assertion 1. Skills and behaviours that
contribute to innovative working in
organisations can be identified and
measured reliably.
This report provides a detailed analysis of
the skills and behaviours that contribute to
innovative working in organisations. Evidence
from the literature review, survey report and
interviews provides a clear indication of the
skills, behaviours and attitudes that predict
innovative working and indeed points to
empirically validated psychometrics to assess
these in the workplace.
In a recent NESTA research report, the
identification and measurement of innovative
characteristics of young people was piloted. 38
On the surface the innovative characteristics
identified appear similar (creativity, selfefficacy,
energy, risk propensity and leadership)
to those established in the workplace with
an adult population. This will help direct
education policy on skills development for
the future. There are differences however in
the behaviours found observing young people
within a school context to those observed in
the workplace with an adult population.