Gillian Sudlow
Reflections on Building a Modern 21st Century ...

In Part I of this post, [Dr. Thomas Carey] offered reflections on the discussion paper Building a Modern 21st Century Workforce prepared for Fall 2024 consultations led by the Government of Canada’s Minister of Workplace Development. Those reflections were based on our experiences in the Workplace Innovation Network for Canada, fostering collaborations with workplace and higher education partners to advance employee-led innovation in Canada.

This follow-up post complements those previous reflections with insights specific to another emerging focal point for our current collaborations within Canada and beyond: Developing a distinctive role for Canada in Workplace Innovation Skills for Industry 5.0.

Reflections on Building a Modern 21st Century Workforce (Part II—Industry 5.0)
Gillian Sudlow
Reflections on Building a Modern 21st Century ...

In this three-part post, [Dr. Thomas Carey offers his] reflections on the discussion paper Building a Modern 21st Century Workforce prepared for Fall 2024 consultations led by the Government of Canada’s Minister of Workplace Development. These reflections are based on experiences by our team within the Workplace Innovation Network for Canada, around our mission to foster collaborations with workplace and higher education partners to advance employee-led innovation in Canadian workplaces.

Reflections on Building a Modern 21st Century Workforce (Part I)
Gillian Sudlow
Helping Students Develop the Communication ...

In this post, Rob Danisch, Communication Studies Professor at the University of Waterloo, reflects on the importance of focusing on teaching creative and critical thinking skills to help students become innovation catalysts …

In my case, I’m a Professor of Communication Studies. This means that my classes focus on the kinds of communication practices that can foster or catalyze innovation. It’s not music we are learning to play, at least not necessarily; we are learning an embodied knowledge about our everyday habits of interaction. And I’ve long wanted to teach the embodied communication practices most helpful for creating a culture of learning and catalyzing innovation.

Helping Students Develop the Communication Skills They Need to Be Innovation Catalysts
Gillian Sudlow
Resources for Building a Sustainable ...

Our WINCan team was delighted to be invited to present our current work at the October conference of the EU’s Workplace Innovation Network on The Future of Work. The focus of the presentation was our recent progress on establishing a sustainable Professional Community for Workplace Innovation Catalysts in the Windsor-Essex region, including the larger plan to integrate workplace innovation as a key enabling element in the region’s Innovation Ecosystem.

Resources for Building a Sustainable Professional Community for Workplace Innovation Catalysts
Gillian Sudlow
Case Stories of Workplace Innovation for ...

In Part I of this post, we provided an overview of a WINCan project with our summer research intern – Kyla, an undergrad in the Integrated Sciences program at McMaster University. The aim was to assess the feasibility of creating  case stories to illustrate workplace innovation activities that would be of specific interest to Science students. The previous post discusses source material for illustrative case stories for two of the innovation activities – Job Crafting and Innovation Adaptation – in our adaptable learning resources for Understanding and Applying Workplace Innovation.  

We follow up in this post with illustrative case story sources for Design Thinking and Intrapreneurship. We also describe a potential practice case story with which students could engage as a test of their understanding, based on a Design Thinking experiment to improve a biochemistry lab course at McMaster.

Case Stories of Workplace Innovation for Science Students – Part II

workplace innovation

Case Stories of Workplace Innovation for Science Students – Part II

Case Stories of Workplace Innovation for Science Students – Part II

In Part I of this post, we provided an overview of a WINCan project with our summer research intern – Kyla, an undergrad in the Integrated Sciences program at McMaster University. The aim was to assess the feasibility of creating  case stories to illustrate workplace innovation activities that would be of specific interest to Science students. The previous post discusses source material for illustrative case stories for two of the innovation activities – Job Crafting and Innovation Adaptation – in our adaptable learning resources for Understanding and Applying Workplace Innovation.  

We follow up in this post with illustrative case story sources for Design Thinking and Intrapreneurship. We also describe a potential practice case story with which students could engage as a test of their understanding, based on a Design Thinking experiment to improve a biochemistry lab course at McMaster.

The Emerging Professional Role of Workplace Innovation Catalyst

The Emerging Professional Role of Workplace Innovation Catalyst

Amongst the insights from the FSC research – with workplaces across Canada – was recognition of an emerging professional role for Workplace Innovation Catalysts at the program and organizational level, who could encourage, enable and support workplace innovation initiated and led by other employees (Carey, Frye et al 2023). In this post, we will highlight the activities and impacts of the WEtech Innovation Catalyst program and describe some of what we learned about the Workplace Innovation Catalyst role during our research collaboration.

Enhancing Workplace Innovation with Research Insights: the EngServ Story

Enhancing Workplace Innovation with Research Insights: the EngServ Story

Our previous post this month contained highlights from one of our workplace partners who successfully advanced employee-led workplace innovation in their organization by adapting  Research-to-Practice insights on Workplace Innovation and Quality of Work from Europe. In this companion post, our team members share highlights from a second workplace partner, EngServ, (a Calgary-based Engineering Services company). Stephen Cohos is a professional engineer and Innovation Project Coordinator. Bios for our WINCan team authors are available here.

Factors that Influence Motivation for Workplace Innovation (Part II)

Factors that Influence Motivation for Workplace Innovation (Part II)

In this post, we will present similar reflections re research insights on the remaining three Motivation to Innovate factors identified:

  • Innovation Results as an (intrinsic) Incentive: Improving Employee Quality of Work Life 

  • Extrinsic Incentives: What is the role of financial or other incentives?

  • Reducing the Perceived Costs and Risks of Workplace Innovation

Factors that Influence Motivation for Workplace Innovation (Part I)

Factors that Influence Motivation for Workplace Innovation (Part I)

Recent research by Terry has helped to clarify for us the factors that influence employee motivation to engage with workplace innovation [Soleas 2020, 2021]. This research adapted a common framework used for assessing motivation in the workplace [Flake et al 2015], and included an initial study with 30 recognized Canadian innovators as interviewees. The resulting prototype survey instrument was then iteratively refined in prototype tests with another 500 Canadians who had been identified as leading innovators in their workplaces.

Workplace Innovation: From Goals to Game Plans

Workplace Innovation: From Goals to Game Plans

In this post, we’ll summarize the From Goals to Game Plan process to advance employee-led innovation in our partner organizations, which has emerged from the cases we have been working on with a set of initial representative workplaces. We’ll also illustrate our own use of such research insights and exemplary practices in developing this framework for two purposes:

  • as an organizing structure for our workshops to help partner workplaces to identify where and how they want to advance workplace innovation with their employees

  • and later as the organizing framework for two key outputs from the Workplace Innovation and Quality of Work Life project, a Research Adaptation Synthesis and its accompanying illustrative Case Stories from participating workplaces.

Developing Graduate Capability in Workplace Innovation is Recognized in Europe’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Teaching Excellence Awards

Developing Graduate Capability in Workplace Innovation is Recognized in Europe’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Teaching Excellence Awards

Great news: we found out this week that WINCan and two of our academic partners have been short-listed as finalists for the 2022 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Teaching Excellence Award (based in Europe – this is the 8th annual award). In September, our team presents at the final competition round in Cyprus – virtually, from our home bases in Canada and Australia.

Adaptable Learning Resources for Workplace Innovation: What Have We Learned? (part II)

Adaptable Learning Resources for Workplace Innovation: What Have We Learned? (part II)

In part I of this two-part series, we described the context and content of reusable course modules to introduce higher education students to Employee-Led Innovation in the Workplace, and how the modules were deployed in a course unit at a university School of Business.

In this follow-on post, we will also explore our initial methods for assessing the development of learner capability for workplace innovation, including use of a new workplace tool for assessing aspects of innovation mindsets.

Adaptable Learning Resources for Workplace Innovation: What Have We Learned? (part I)

Adaptable Learning Resources for Workplace Innovation: What Have We Learned? (part I)

One year ago, we began a WINCan project to explore how we could create resources, activities and experiences for adaptable teaching and learning resources which Higher Education institutions could adapt for teaching and learning for Workplace Innovation.

We were basing our project on an Instructional Design for adaptability developed in a previous Ontario-based project with six Ontario colleges and universities and six workplace partners from the corporate and public sectors. We also applied what we had learned in working with our collaborating institution in Melbourne (Australia) in co-developing their pioneering course unit on Understanding Workplace Innovation.

In this series of two posts, we will focus on what we’ve learned over the last year from adapting teaching and learning resources for Workplace Innovation in Higher Education. Our aim is to help Canadian institutions move toward the goal of “Every Graduate Can be an Innovation Enabler” with flexible resources and formats

Intrapreneurship as Workplace Innovation in Accountancy

Intrapreneurship as Workplace Innovation in Accountancy

This post presents our final proof-of-concept test of our prototype professional development Ladder of Opportunities in Workplace Innovation in the work domain of Accountancy. These tests were intended to identify how well the framework fits with what we know about workplace innovation in a specific workplace domain and to identify some of the context-specific issues to be addressed for the framework to be used productively. Previous posts looked at Job Crafting, Innovation Adaptation (including specific examples from the Audit area) and Design Innovation (with a focus on Design Thinking in Accountancy).

Workplace Innovation in Accountancy: Job Crafting and Innovation Adaptation

Workplace Innovation in Accountancy: Job Crafting and Innovation Adaptation

In this post we describe specific examples for workplace innovation in the Accountancy work domain for the first two elements of our prototype framework: Job Crafting and Innovation Adaptation. A future post will add examples for Design Innovation and Intrepreneurship.

Why Accountancy as a Test Case for the Workplace Innovation Ladder of Opportunities?

Why Accountancy as a Test Case for the Workplace Innovation Ladder of Opportunities?

In a previous post, we outlined our prototype framework for a Ladder of Opportunities for professional development in for individual capability to engage with innovation in the workplace. We have been piloting, evaluating and refining this framework in two ways:

  • Proof-of-concept test cases in specific work domains, to identify how well the framework fits with what we know about workplace innovation in that domain and to identify the context-specific issues to be addressed for its productive use in domain-specific professional development for workplace innovation.

  • Ongoing experiments to apply the framework in higher education learning experiences, to develop capability in workplace innovation across a range of potential work domains

In this post, we describe our use of the Accountancy work domain as an initial proof-of-concept test case for the first of these evaluations.

“Every Employee” Engagement with Workplace Innovation: A Professional Development Ladder

“Every Employee” Engagement with Workplace Innovation: A Professional Development Ladder

We describe in this post a way to bridge the perceived gap between the innovation capabilities and experiences across the workplace: a Ladder of Opportunities to progressively build skills, knowledge and mindsets for innovation, allowing employees to choose their own level of engagement a any given time. We also outline results from initial Proof-of-Concept tests and work underway with workplace partners.

Case-Swapping to Adapt Resources on Workplace Innovation Across Contexts

Case-Swapping to Adapt Resources on Workplace Innovation Across Contexts

In one of our previous WINCan projects, a collaboration between workplace and academic partners to share and adapt learning resources on Workplace Innovation, we developed a case-based instructional design model intended to foster resource sharing and adaptability. In a new project launching this week, we’ll be testing those ideas, by creating new online learning resources to incorporate Workplace Innovation concepts and activities into a course at an Ontario higher education institution…while in parallel working with another higher education institution (in Alberta) and an Ontario workplace partner on pilot studies to assess how those resources could be adapted for their specific contexts.

Mobilizing Research at the Intersection of Innovation and Human Resource Management

Mobilizing Research at the Intersection of Innovation and Human Resource Management

For many organizations, employee-led innovation has become a key element in responding to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. In preparation for our life “beyond lockdown”, an initiative led by Workplace Innovation Europe is supporting workplaces who want to build on this momentum for employee-driven innovation, as a key organizational strategy for thriving post-COVID. In European research, Employee-Led Workplace Innovation has been shown to improve organizational performance and quality of work for employees, with a strong evidence base emerging on how to achieve these complementary goals …

KM and Workplace Innovation: a pilot course

KM and Workplace Innovation: a pilot course

WINCan’s Co-Principal Catalyst and Workplace Partners Lead, Blake Melnick and Programs Coordinator, Allison Davies begin this post by describing the key elements of innovation capability. They continue with a description of a prototype program of how to foster these elements by treating the “Classroom as a Workplace.”

Demonstrating the Capabilities of B.A. Graduates Through Workplace Innovation

Demonstrating the Capabilities of B.A. Graduates Through Workplace Innovation

In this post, Tom Carey and Deanne Gannaway highlight five reasons why BA graduates make ideal candidates for workplace innovation. The skills they learn and practice through their coursework provide a critical lens through which to view workplace challenges and inspire new ideas and ways of doing. This post also introduces two of the Heroes of Humanities cards which will be highlighted in future posts.

Reflecting on Workplace Innovation for BioEngineering Technology and Services

Reflecting on Workplace Innovation for BioEngineering Technology and Services

In this post, Kevin Joslin, undergraduate BioEngineering student and Research Assistant with medical devices at the University of California San Diego, shares a student’s perspective on workplace innovation in the context of bio-engineering and technology services.

When I think of innovation, I always think of the product as new technologies and ideas, instead of the process of innovation itself. From my brief dive into a seeming Renaissance of new innovation and product development methods, I have seen the importance of further developing the way we approach inventiveness and technological progress.