In a stagnant economy doing business can become a bitter battle for every percentage of market share. How can your business break through the limits of the status quo – your current products, markets, suppliers and distributors? As the old saying goes, "if you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got".
This questionnaire is designed to explore factors that may enhance or reduce the ability of your organisation to be innovative in terms of business strategy. It is a self-audit tool that is the first step in a three stage process of identifying, understanding and eliminating the assumptions about your business that may be holding you back. All those respondants that enter their contact details will receive individual feedback that interprets their scores and offers recommendations for action. Challenge your business comfort zone and put the strategic initiative back in your hands.
Please note that "product" means goods or services.
This survey forms part of my PhD. research at Liverpool John Moores University. The results, together with the overall analysis and conclusions, will be made anonymous and sent to all those companies that have participated.
Kevin Bains-Johnston BSc. MBA Dip. CIM PGCertHE
Lecturer
School of Engineering, Technology and Maritime Operations
James Parsons, Byrom Street, Liverpool, L3 3AF
t: 01512312456
e: K.M.Johnston@ljmu.ac.uk
w: www.ljmu.ac.uk
1. We regularly meet our customers to identify changing attitudes and intentions.
2. When appropriate we will incorporate externally sourced elements in our final product.
3. There is very little our organisation can do to upset the status quo in our industry.
4. We seek competitive advantage by challenging industry assumptions.
5. The skills most valued in our organisation are often determined by historical importance rather than current relevance.
6. Being self reliant is more important than flexibility.
7. Our organisation is structured around our products.
8. We overcome threats by innovating out of their way.
9. We try to understand our customer's world and create solutions to their problems.
10. Staff development is driven by the need to strengthen our skill base rather than immediate business need.
11. We collaborate with other organisations to take advantage of business opportunities.
12. We have been caught out by unexpected competition from outside our traditional rivals.
13. Our organisation is structured around customer categories.
14. We have regular meetings to imagine new ways to exploit our skills.
15. Business success is about creating opportunities - luck has little to do with it.
16. We regularly participate in networking events.
17. The source of our competitiveness is the quality and distinctiveness of our employees.
18. We have entered completely new markets by re-designing our products for a new purpose.
19. We shape our organisation's environment rather than be shaped by it.
20. Our organisation is structured around areas of expertise.
21. A significant proportion of our revenue comes from products launched less than one year ago.
22. Failure is ultimately the organisation's fault.
23. A significant proportion of our revenue is from markets in which we did not compete one year ago.
24. We have lost business because the technical requirements were beyond our skill set.
25. Employees are encouraged to join professional networking associations.
26.
28. On what basis do you identify competitors?
36. Would you be prepared to take part in a follow-up interview to explore these issues more deeply?
If you have indicated you are willing to participate in a follow up interview please answer the following questions relating to contact details. Otherwise please ignore them.
