Everyday innovation: how to enhance innovative working in employees and organisations

This report uses practical examples to show how to promote everyday innovative working among employees, groups, leaders and organisations. The key findings are that: skills and behaviours that contribute to innovative working in organisations can be identified and measured - there is not a special 'sub-group' of people who are 'innovators' in organisations; the evidence shows self efficacy for innovative working (and a belief and confidence in one's ability to innovate) makes one much more likely to be an innovator; research suggests that innovative working/behaviours can be systematically enhanced - a bespoke approach is the most likely to succeed; and government and corporate policymakers have an important role in promoting innovative working in the UK.

[It is concluded that] how to enhance innovative working continues to be a significant challenge for organisations in all sectors. However, despite aspirations, many working practices that increase innovation are not being readily adopted. There are some employee characteristics and behaviours that enhance innovative working, such as motivation for change, openness to ideas and original problem solving. However there is limited evidence that organisations are actively integrating the research evidence into corporate [human resources] HR policy and practice. [It is suggested that] leadership capability, organisational culture, and organisational values are among the most important factors and initiatives that enhance innovative working. Although there is a growing awareness of this, there is a gap between what [is known] about these factors and how they are put into practice.

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