Innovation in the time of recession is a creative and significant response for the business entity. It is important to comprehend that innovation can only be achieved after an understanding of the real nature of the market is reached. During the normal economic period, it is difficult for a business manager to understand the real value of their product or service and the benefits it can provide to the consumers. Thus, a lot of energy and resources are wasted on enhancing the aspects of product and services which are of no value or little value. Recession acts as a filter to convey the real needs of the customers to the business managers. Once the customers' needs are identified, business managers are then equipped with more valuable information and can guide the innovation through proper research and development. Therefore, it is necessary and inevitable for a healthy business unit to innovate during a recession. Many business leaders in the past have used recession to innovate and, as a result, they were able to turn a recession into an opportunity.
Historically, many other companies have invested in innovative technology and products during recessions. Large and small business innovation gives companies the ability to attract consumers in a time when consumers are severely limiting their expenditures. Innovation also has the ability to leave a long-lasting impression which has the potential to be successful long after the recession has ended. Remember that in turbulent times, the business managers and customers are equally worried. A business organization that responds by investing and providing the latest innovations in technology sends a very positive signal to the consumers that their needs are not being forgotten during the tough times. Innovative technology and launching of new products keep the consumer and employee motivation high and creates a positive business stance for long term business objectives.
Innovative strategies during innovation in Sierra Leone
In my country Sierra Leone, during the start of the recession a commission was created to oversea all forms of innovation. This commission is for those innovations that require financial backing as money was a big issue during the recession. Those innovations that don’t require financial backing are not channeled through this commission.
There are innovative service organizations in my country but I can say for sure that most of them are not well developed. Most of the innovative programs have been singled out or grouped into one sector referred to as commission for innovative programs.
No matter the type of innovative ideas that a person or a group of persons can have whether technological, medicinal, environmental, political, agricultural, traditional are all channeled through this organization.
When a person has an innovative idea, this idea is channeled through this commission in the following ways. First and foremost, you have to apply for the right to an innovative idea.
After applying, you have to present your innovative ideas to the commission. The commission will then review your presentations which will be in a written form like a proposal and if they are satisfied by that I mean if they see that this idea is useful to the country and to the world at large then you will be invited to do a face to face presentation in front of a committee where you will be asked various types of questions pertaining to your idea. If you can pass all those tests then your innovation is good to go. You can get all the help you need to fulfill your innovation.
After your innovative idea has been approved you will receive a financial package. But the commission will require you to bring back a certain percentage of your profit to them. Depending on the type of innovation they can calculate how much commission they should be getting. Sometimes they require 50% of the profit or 70% or even 30% all depends upon the type of innovation.
Also this percentage of commission going to them can also be determined if you have a small amount of capital. For some people they will tell the commission that they have certain amount of capital they only require a smaller amount from the commission. And in this case you know your profit will not be shared equally with the commission.
I must also say that having certain amount of capital with you also helps in acquiring the rights for these innovations because letting the commission know that you have some money can also reduce the amount they spend and thus making you stand a better chance of getting their help.
Spotlight on the factors impeding these processes during recession
There are a lot of factors and impediments to this innovative infrastructure and that is the issue of collateral and corruption.
Most of these loans that are giving for these innovative ideas are entitled with collateral. Loans are giving but you need to have something that will stand as collateral especially for such innovations that are not 100% percent guaranteed to be successful. And collateral come in various forms from houses to businesses.
In cases where in your innovative project does not become successful project there are also consequences for that as well especially if heavy money has been poured into such projects.
But having a strong defense team and having good reasons why certain projects are not successful can save you all of those consequences.
In some cases some of these projects are physically supervised by members in the commission and that can make you free from whatever consequences that might result if your project is not successful.
Corruption is a major factor in these projects. Most projects that do require financial aid don’t get completed because of the corruption in handling finances. Sometimes even committee members supervising these projects are involved in huge corruption practices.
Conclusion: It is said by many economists that recession is the mother of innovation. Most innovation comes into play when there are hard times. That is the time when people understand the market and it is the time when producers get to know what products are useful to people. During recession people don’t spend a lot or they spend only on things that can benefit them. So it is the job of innovators to provide innovative services and ideas so as to suite customers during the period of recession. This commission for innovative ideas came into existence during the recession period and I can say for sure that it has yield a number of innovations in various fields of study. And now I can say there are certain laws which they have put in place to help guide and protect innovators.
References
Burns, T. & Stalker, G.M. (1994), the Management of Innovation, Oxford University Press, Oxford.
Baker, W.E.& Sinkula, J.M. (1999), "The Synergistic Effect of Market Orientation and Learning Orientation on Organizational Performance", Journal of Academy of Marketing Science, 27(4):. 411-27.
Aiken, M. & Hage, J. (1971), "The Organic Organization and Innovation", Sociology, 5, (1): 63-82.
Calantone, R.J., Cavusgil, S.T. & Zhao, Y. (2002), "Learning Orientation, Firm Innovation Capability, Firm Performance", Industrial Marketing Management, 31(6): 515-24.
Slater, S.F. & Narver, J.C. (1995), "Market Orientation and the Learning Organization", Journal of Marketing, 59 (3): 63-74.
Stephen Shapiro (march 2008) ‘Making innovation cultures a reality”
Bloomberg business week (2009) “Recession: The mother of innovation?”
Fawzi Thomas (Сьерра Леоне, Франция), Т. Б. Иванова
Российский университет дружбы народов (Москва, Россия)
Управление интеллектуальным капиталом. Материалы Международной научно-практической конференции (Екатеринбург, 27 апреля 2012 г.) Екатеринбург: Издательство Уральского государственного экономического университета, 2012.
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