Collaborative innovation a form of Collective Innovation

The ENTOVATION a form of Collaborative knowledge innovation methodology includes 10 dimensions of Innovation strategy, the first being the collaborative nature of the process itself. The term Collaborative innovation is an output of explosion in virtual networks, cross boundary interactions and development of shared purpose. Knowledge leadership has became a matter of being able to create value through collective competencies often harnessed through vertical and diagonal initiatives versus the traditional hierarchical management techniques.

As a result of Collaborative innovation there are many changes happening to companies and community as a whole.

Company to community: The validity of the current concept of abstract corporate legal entities is being questioned as being part of the discredited rationalist doctrine, which separates mind and body and thoughts and emotions. A new community value system based on compassion is advocated.

Collaboration to Cohesion: It now almost goes without saying that collaborative relationships are being increasingly emphasized at the corporate level. Competition remains the dominant paradigm at the level of the nation state. Here is the first indication that beyond collaboration, there exists another more intense relationship called cohesion.

Communities of Practice to Shared Meaning: When the certainties of our era dissolve before our eyes into chaos, the time has come to make new meanings. Sharing best practice is not about asking question “why”; sharing meaning is.

Security to Trust: Cheating in an open knowledge-trading environment is not sustainable since it would quickly lead to exclusion. Trust and reliability are seen as becoming more important, as security and contractual enforcement become less certain.

The focus on knowledge and collective innovation has provided a common language across functions, sectors, stakeholders and nations. Education based strategies are seen as an equalizer between industrialized and developing nations. There is a major shift from teacher oriented to learning centered education strategies enabled by advanced technologies and the explosion of internet and intranet communications.

Study of best practices and adopting into business was the common techniques followed by organizations so far. But this method has lost its punch in today’s fast growing world, where competitors are moving very fast. Only mechanism that can keep one in business is innovate new concepts and technologies in a regular basis and provide value added products to customers on a regular basis.

Global consciousness based on a critical mass of individuals sharing both knowledge and meaning is seen as the way to ecological and economic sustainability. Knowledge professionals are expected to become increasingly key players in the world of trade in a “dematerialized” economy. Product life cycles are predicted to be short with new waves and more complex generations spawned by intensive innovation.

In today’s world partnering and successfully managing strategic alliances becomes a norm not an exception. To manage strategic alliances effectively there need to be a shift from self-interest to group interest. As more and more collaborations happen knowledge should be shared across boundaries, so as to promote collective innovation.

New rules are being shaped; and they are based upon collaborative strategy. The new game is one of leadership, that will get there first and become the enterprise to emulate. Those who establish the managerial standars are likely to be successful.

The core premise of the future is collaboration. This does not mean that organizations don’t compete. This is inevitable. But there will be a shift in orientation, organizations collaborate for mutual success. This era is of knowledge and focus of all organizations will be to tap that resource more than anything else. Organizations are now creating a integrated connection between the human values, capital and economic prosperity. Creating the Innovation Language, culture and shared vision is, by definition is a collaborative process. The faster the companies realize the need for collective innovation and collaborative strategies, the faster it progress.