MIA - The Managing Innovation Audit
The MIA covers the four dimensions of managing innovation capability, which are: (1) core organisational capabilities, (2) leadership competence and strategic clarity, (3) managerial skills and (4) innovation wellsprings. Innovation plays a more important role in some types of organisation that others. However, the picture is complex as some parts of an organisation often have a greater innovation intensity than other parts. The MIA helps to identify where innovation is needed, using Francis & Bessant's 4Ps model.
Innovation in Product includes anything that can be offered to a (internal or external) market for attention, acquisition, use, or consumption and that might satisfy a want or need, including physical objects, services, persons, places, organizations, and ideas.
Innovation in Position are choices taken about (internal or external) markets selected, how the organisation communicates with markets, stakeholders and partners and how its distinctiveness is to be signalled.
Innovation in Process concerns flows of activities that are intended to introduce or improve internal and/or external processes (sequences of interdependent activities, often proceeding horizontally, which are transformations) that reduce costs, enhance efficiency, improve the work environment, improve quality and/or increase agility.
Innovation in Paradigm are changes in conceptual maps that drive sensemaking and behaviour (the system of beliefs, mind-sets, values and practices that defines collective thinking processes). Paradigm is the underlying structure of meaning that drives the firm. It combines intention, vision, constructs, attention foci, routines, norms and decision-rules into a shared system of seeing the world and taking action.
In the diagram, the red circle (1) in the middle represents the parts of an organisation for which transformational, including radical, innovation initiatives are necessary, constructive and functional. Circle 2 represents parts of the organisation that require substantial innovation but much of it is incremental. Circle 3 represents parts of the organisation that benefit by multiple small innovations and circle 4 represents parts of the organisation for which innovation is a rarity.
