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Article
Art of the possible or fool's errand? Diffusion of large-scale management innovation
Business Horizons (2016)
  • Matthew A. Douglas, Air Force Institute of Technology
  • Robert E. Overstreet, Air Force Institute of Technology
  • Benjamin T. Hazen, Air Force Institute of Technology
Abstract
Organizations are continually challenged to increase efficiency and improve performance despite frequent cuts to personnel and budgets. These challenges force organizations to identify, develop, and diffuse various management innovations. Diffusion efforts are often met by resistance, reluctance, or ambivalence, resulting in what many consider to be a fool's errand. While management innovation may not be the forte of large, bureaucratic organizations, we present a case study of a U.S. Air Force maintenance, repair, and overhaul organization that has recently, and successfully, diffused a large-scale management innovation. Results from the case study support the development of a diffusion of innovation framework that identifies important mechanisms associated with the acceptance, routinization, and assimilation of management innovation. The framework informs leaders of the diffusion process, while the recommended actions of relentless leadership, deliberate development of personnel, and enterprise involvement drive diffusion efforts and help leaders achieve desired results in innovation diffusion and associated performance improvement. Overall, we assert that the pursuit of management innovation is not necessarily beyond the art of the possible for business leaders.
Keywords
  • Management innovation,
  • Diffusion of innovation,
  • Post adoption,
  • Operations management,
  • Leadership,
  • Continuous improvement process (CIP)
Publication Date
July, 2016
DOI
10.1016/j.bushor.2016.03.002
Publisher Statement
Works produced by employees of the U.S. Government as part of their official duties are not copyrighted within the U.S. The content of this document is not copyrighted.
Citation Information
Matthew A. Douglas, Robert E. Overstreet and Benjamin T. Hazen. "Art of the possible or fool's errand? Diffusion of large-scale management innovation" Business Horizons Vol. 59 Iss. 4 (2016) p. 379 - 389
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/robert-overstreet/9/