Innovation culture has long been one of the most talked-about topics in the business world. Since “innovation” is a very broad concept, it can be defined in many different ways. With the developing and digitalizing world, the concept of innovation has become popular and has gained an important place in both our personal and business lives. In this article, “Why should companies care about innovation?” and “How to build a culture of innovation in companies?” You will find answers to your questions. What is Innovation? Innovation means improving or changing a process, product or service. Innovation is a phenomenon that takes place in both our personal and business lives. Innovation is of great importance in the business world. Organizations have several options to increase their competitiveness: they may strive for price leadership or develop a differentiation strategy. In both cases, innovation is essential. Additionally, innovation is a driving force for the short, medium, and long-term success of enterprises. For this reason, companies that attach importance to innovation aim to incorporate innovation into all business processes by creating an innovative corporate culture. What is Innovation Culture? Almost everyone in companies agrees that creating a culture of innovation is crucial. Well, first of all, what is the definition of “innovation culture”? Innovation culture can be defined as allowing people in an organization to develop ideas and implement innovations. The innovation culture in companies is listening to the ideas of company employees and applying creative ideas. Why Is Innovation Culture Important? We live in an age of technology where changes are happening at a rapid pace. Maybe things that seemed unusual to us when we thought about it a short time ago have now become a part of our normal lives. For this reason, both individuals and businesses have to adapt to this change and transformation process. Companies that are left behind in this process of change and transformation are also falling behind in the competition. We can better understand the importance of innovation culture from the following items. It improves existing business processes. It improves existing products and services. It accelerates the identification and evaluation of opportunities. It increases customer satisfaction. It increases employee satisfaction. How to Build an Innovation Culture? To create an innovation culture, first of all, it is necessary to develop the innovation perspective of everyone involved in the business. For businesses to successfully create an innovation culture, the participation of all company employees is essential. So, how is a culture of innovation created? Employees should be sensitized to innovations. Employees should be motivated and inspired to participate in innovation alongside their daily work. Employees should be provided with the knowledge, tools, and skills necessary to enable them to innovate. Innovation ideas from employees should be evaluated and those found appropriate should be implemented. Employees who share positively evaluated suggestions should be rewarded. The Effect of Suggestion Systems on Innovation Culture One of the most important issues for businesses that adopt an innovation culture and want to create an innovation culture is the method of communication with their employees. For the successful adoption of a culture of innovation, communication between employees and managers must proceed quickly, easily, and smoothly. The corporate suggestion system acts as a bridge between employees and management. Thus, it enables employees to convey their opinions, suggestions, complaints, and innovative ideas about the company to the relevant authorities. The corporate suggestion system is frequently preferred by companies that want to create a culture of innovation. Thus, companies can easily perform all their suggestion processes through a single platform. The corporate suggestion system is also called the “employee suggestion system” and the “individual suggestion system”.
