Innovation was also introduced in Chapter 1 as an important issue for organizations and managers. How important is culture to innovation? More than half of senior executives surveyed said that the most important driver of innovation for companies was a supportive culture.42 But not every company has established a culture that fosters innovation. In fact, in a survey of employees, about half expressed that a culture of management support is very important to generating innovative ideas, but only 20 percent believed that management actually provides such support.43

What does an innovative culture look like? Here’s one perspective offered by Swedish researcher Goran Ekvall:44

• Challenge and involvement: Are employees involved in, motivated by, and committed to the long-term goals and success of the organization?

• Freedom: Can employees independently define their work, exercise discretion, and take initiative in their day-to-day activities?

• Trust and openness: Are employees supportive and respectful of each other?

• Idea time: Do individuals have time to elaborate on new ideas before taking action?

• Playfulness/humor: Is the workplace spontaneous and fun?

• Conflict resolution: Do individuals make decisions and resolve issues based on the good of the organization versus personal interests?

• Debates: Are employees allowed to express opinions and suggest ideas to be considered and reviewed?

• Risk taking: Do managers tolerate uncertainty and ambiguity, and are employees rewarded for taking risks?