Research - Embedded Values in Innovation Practice

dissertation research The Union Institute August, 2000

Embedded values in innovation practice:
Toward a theory of power and participation in organizations

	Introduction	Does computing technology offer the possibility for humanizing the workplace? Or have we yet learned that technology does not fulfill on its promise to improve quality of work life? The flaws in the assumptions of technology may show up in many management problems, such as isolation of work communities, technology-based job design, organizational power differences. In today’s chaotic state of rapid technology change, many organizations seem willing to accept technology’s lead into the organization. Critiquing such assumptions led to this research on design values in organizations and processes. This research specifically focused on innovation management processes in large technology firms that develop software products, and use information technology in organizational strategy and process.
	Review of the Literature	This research fits within an interdisciplinary convergence of three broad disciplines: organizational psychology, design studies, and information systems. At this intersection we find interdisciplinary fields informed by all three areas, specifically participatory design (PD), organizational informatics, and innovation management. Knowledge management, social systems design, computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW), and work practice research also inform this intersection of interests.
	Research Method	This purpose of this study was to uncover and describe the relationship of individual and organizational values to the design of software products. The research started with the question “how do different values influence software products?” This inquiry led toward understanding the influences of organizational and individual values on the performance, relationships, and effectiveness of system design teams and their products. The particular focus was oriented toward values in conflict, since conflicts expose differing values within a context and enable observation and critical reflection. I addressed three research questions: What values conflicts arise within software development teams? To what factors do product designers and managers attribute values conflict? How do innovation processes used in product development embed organizational values?
	Case Analysis Findings	This research investigated values conflicts in innovation from ten case studies of software development projects in large software product organizations. The findings identify the types of values conflicts experienced in development projects, and show their relationship to innovation practice in the organizations. Organizational innovation processes contributed to values conflicts, through embedding values in-use within processes. The organizational factors were analyzed independently by studying two software companies in-depth. Both the innovation project cases and the organizational study suggest values conflicts may be inherent in the official processes used in managing innovation projects. Three research questions guided the research and maintained its direction. 1. What values conflicts arise within software development teams? 2. To what factors do product designers and managers attribute values conflict? 3. How do innovation processes used in product development embed organizational values?
	Interpretive Analysis of Organizational Innovation Process	The case study analysis and survey responses made frequent references about organizational culture, suggesting further research into the organizational processes supporting product innovation. A second round of interviews gained further insight into organizational innovation and design processes and supported these initial case findings. These findings suggest that innovation and project management processes embed organizational values and propagate them through project activity. Thus, these implicit values and the associated behaviors become invisibly embedded and reinforced throughout the organization. This was the working hypothesis for the organizational innovation process interviews.
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