Is Innovation More About People or Process?

Innovation becomes an important topic 10-15 years for any organization or business which announce a need for more creative, faster and radical work in their environment (Mase, C. "Leading Innovation",n.d., para. 1). Due to daily challenges people  resort to make a meaning for innovation (Muse, n.d.). Is innovation more about people or process? A question was asked among great number of people which result split answers (Ovans, 2015).  "The answer to the people or process question is probably both: people matter, process matters. Talented people can be hobbled by poor processes; hesitant people can be uplifted by smart processes" (Ovans, 2015). 

The first 50 percent says innovation is a talent. This can be illustrated briefly by Bernard Arnault(2001), a chairman of luxury goods LVMH, in HBR interview when he stated: "Our whole business is based on giving our artists and designers complete freedom to invent without limits". In addition, the founder of one of the world’s leading industrial design firms IDEO, David Kelley (2001), mentioned in one of his articles in HBR "blend of methodologies, work practices, culture, and infrastructure. Methodology alone is not enough”.

Companies full of motion pictures, product designers and fashion should be consider the idea that innovation depends on talent. On the other hand, this idea is not suitable with engineering-oriented innovation. An example of this carried out by Ovans (2015) in which Intel operating ideas effectively by exchanging information and processing the ideas. Intuit depends also on backup process to support the innovation in their work environment to act creatively as talented professionals in famous companies like Dior (Onavs, 2015).

Few steps were provided by Anthony, Duncan and Siren (2014) in HBR article "Build an Innovation Engine in 90 Days". The first step forces top managers to understand how innovation will fit the strategy of their companies. The second is by exploring the areas of innovation in the company and determine what the company can deliver to its customers. Finally, set the required time to build an effective innovation team to work properly.