Measuring Innovation

Abstract: The aim of this thesis is to conduct an on-site survey of IKEA Of Sweden, Älmhult (IKEA 2010b), with the aim to determine if IKEA Of Sweden, as an empirical case, innovates within its organization. Measuring innovation is achieved by investigating the level of alignment of the daily operational activities employed by the IKEA Of Sweden organization, with key, modern managerial theorists in the field of innovation and organizational structure; namely, Henry Chesbrough’s Open Innovation paradigm and Michael Hammer’s reengineering framework. The results are discussed; namely, that a methodological, innovative structure facilitating the discovery, execution, and measurement of ideas is not implemented. The on-site survey involved a qualitative technique to collect information via four departments; namely, the Product Development department, the Packaging department, the Material and Technology Development department, and HR department. There was one interviewee respondent in each department. The collected information was augmented with approved, roll descriptions, and the IKEA testimony (EMU 2010). All surveyed departments act as embedded sub-cases within the overall holistic study. The questioning employed was open-ended, enabling the collected answers be subjected to further analysis. Objective analysis is achieved via the Use Case technique; utilizing the research methodologies used by Robert K. Yin, as an empirical inquiry where more than one source of evidence is used (Yin 1984).