DOC660 Module 4 Case Latest 2022 May

DOC660 Innovation and Creativity in Business

Module 4 Case   

PRODUCT INNOVATION

Assignment Overview

Product innovation and design is not a spontaneous activity but one that requires planning and proper allocation of resources. Most companies are organized with some form of research and development (R&D) department that is focused on generating innovative designs efficiently and effectively. The R&D methodology follows different models depending on the types of products being made. Most methodologies involve four, five, or six stages and include “gates” or a set of specific criteria for each stage before moving on to the next stage. Activities like prototyping, initial market research, final design proof, and production design are part and parcel of these methodologies. The key is to find the most promising ideas and refine them into marketable products.

Spending time, effort, and resources on developing new products is a risky business. Will a new product be the hot new item that everyone wants and is willing to pay top dollar for, or will it be a boondoggle or maybe just another so-so product? Companies need to make a profit on new products, and usually this profit must cover the costs of R&D and all the research costs of products that never made to production.

Organizational culture is another factor that has a huge effect on the success of new product design and production. There are two main elements of a culture that generate support for innovation: people and infrastructure. The people element consists of shared (core) values, leadership, attitudes, behaviors, and communication style. Infrastructure comprises systems, processes, and policies.

Culture and risk are both highly researched topics in the realm of product innovation. This is driven by the fact that CEOs know from experience that these are essential components of success, and business researchers and consultants follow what these CEOs are interested in.

Case Assignment

Choose at least one of the Required Readings. You may choose two or all three, but you must have three works of literature to review. So search for other literature so that you have three total works to review. These works of literature items can be a research paper, scholarly article, magazine article (e.g., Harvard Business Review), website article (check the validity of the source), book or book chapter, newspaper article, or other and must discuss this main topic.

Prepare a 5- to 7-page paper in accordance with the Assignment Expectations on the topic:

“Innovative Product Design and the Elements of Risk and Culture”

Follow the guidelines in How to do a review of a work of literature in the Case 2 Assignment Overview.

Assignment Expectations

Length: The written component of this assignment should be 5-7 pages long (double-spaced) without counting the cover page and reference page.

Organization: Subheadings should be used to organize your paper according to the questions.

Grammar and Spelling: While no points are deducted for minor errors, assignments are expected to adhere to standard guidelines of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and sentence syntax. Points may be deducted if grammar and spelling impact clarity. We encourage you to use tools such as grammarly.com and proofread your paper before submission.

As you complete your assignment, make sure you do the following:

Answer the assignment questions directly.

Stay focused on the precise assignment questions. Do not go off on tangents or devote a lot of space to summarizing general background materials.

Use evidence from your readings to justify your conclusions.

Cite at least five credible resources.

Reference your sources of information with both a bibliography and in-text citations. See the Introduction to APA 7 (Lib Guide). Also refer to the Graduate Writing Handbook in Doctoral Resources: COB: DBA: Resources for Students. And another resource is the “Writing Style Guide,” which is found under “My Resources” in the TLC Portal.

Your assignment will be graded using the following criteria:

Assignment-Driven Criteria: Student demonstrates mastery covering all key elements of the assignment.

Critical Thinking/Application to Professional Practice: Student demonstrates mastery conceptualizing the problem, and analyzing information. Conclusions are logically presented and applied to professional practice in an exceptional manner.

Business Writing and Quality of References: Student demonstrates mastery and proficiency in written communication and use of appropriate and relevant literature at the doctoral level.

Citing Sources: Student demonstrates mastery applying APA formatting standards to both in text citations and the reference list.

Professionalism and Timeliness: Assignments are submitted on time.