Question

What are the similarities and differences between discovery driven innovation and needs driven innovation? How successful would a discovery driven innovation be in the health care setting versus a needs driven health innovation?

Tanner (2012) stated that “no idea is too crazy or too wild”. What is meant by that statement? Explain how you have seen this implemented during a brainstorming session.

Do you agree that an organization that is not capable of innovation is doomed to decline and become extinct? What criteria would you use to assess whether or not the organization is innovating effectively?

Read the Criminal Justice Mental Health Court article on pages 15-18 of your course textbook. What were the assumptions that informed the design of this innovation? What is your initial reaction to this particular needs driven innovation?

Answer 1

The similarities between discovery driven innovation and needs driven innovation are:

• Both are approaches through which innovation can be done
• Both keep the objective of providing greater good, while thinking about the innovation process.

The differences between discovery driven innovation and needs driven innovation are:

• The discovery driven innovation happens by chance and there is no solid trigger behind the study involved. Whereas in needs driven innovation, the urge to fulfill a need acts as a trigger for the innovation study
• The discovery driven innovation is unbounded and can traverse in any direction. Whereas the needs driven innovation is bound by the satiation of the need and must traverse in the direction of its fulfillment.

In a health care setting, need based innovation will be the need of the hour to find a cure for a particular disease or condition. While discovery based innovation will occur as a miracle that will help in the evolvement of overall healthcare sector.

“No idea is too crazy or too wild.” By this statement, Tanner is implying that the scope of an idea cant be measured by mere listening or thinking about it. The idea needs to be thoroughly studied to evaluate its feasibility and scope. In a brainstorming session, all team members are encouraged to come up with ideas to solve the objective, without worrying about its feasibility or applicability. After the ideas have been jotted down, the feasibility and applicability of each idea is studied upon and the best idea is considered for execution.

In my views, innovation is the key that facilitates the evolvement of any company. If an organization is not innovating, its growth gets stagnant and its market may decline after a while. Companies need to come up with innovative ideas to improve its business processes and products and to grab new market opportunities. This way, the business of the company keeps on growing.