The continuous and unpredictable changes of the external environment, together with the rapid evolution of digital technologies, have profoundly marked the current era, making innovation essential for survival. Digital Transformation has been further accelerated by the advent of Covid-19, before which digital tools were not exploited by companies to their full potential. The need for remote work during the pandemic forced companies to expand the use of digital tools to multiple areas of the company, including the way interactions happen. Collaboration and interaction are essential for innovation, as they stimulate collective creativity, which, according to literature, is further increased when in person. However, since there is not enough material to understand what happens when interactions are mediated by digital tools, it becomes necessary to understand how human relationships have changed and which are the underlying dynamics. To fill the gaps and contribute to enriching both literature and practice, an empirical research was conducted by carrying out a set of interviews with selected employees, belonging to an innovative and digital-native start-up. The results obtained highlight the importance of in-person interactions at the beginning of the innovation process, as relational dynamics that positively influence creative idea generation cannot be replicated in a digital context. However, no evidence of significant differences between the use of in-person and digital modalities emerged, concerning the second half of the innovation process. Overall, our study highlights the necessity to find the right balance between online and offline to take full advantage of the benefits that the two modalities offer, while minimizing drawbacks. Finally, a framework has been developed to summarize the results, and suggestions are offered to managers regarding best practices for creating a supportive and stimulating work environment for creativity and innovation.
I continui e imprevedibili cambiamenti dell'ambiente esterno, insieme alla rapida evoluzione delle tecnologie digitali, hanno segnato profondamente l'epoca attuale, rendendo l'innovazione essenziale per la sopravvivenza. La trasformazione digitale è stata ulteriormente accelerata dall'avvento del Covid-19, prima del quale gli strumenti digitali non venivano sfruttati dalle aziende al massimo delle loro potenzialità. La necessità di lavorare a distanza durante la pandemia ha costretto le aziende ad estendere l'uso degli strumenti digitali a più aree dell'azienda, comprese le interazioni. La collaborazione e l'interazione sono essenziali per l'innovazione, in quanto stimolano la creatività collettiva che, secondo la letteratura, aumenta ulteriormente di persona. Tuttavia, poiché non c'è abbastanza materiale per capire cosa succede quando le interazioni sono mediate da strumenti digitali, diventa necessario comprendere come sono cambiate le relazioni umane e quali sono i meccanismi che le caratterizzano nel contesto digitale. Per colmare le lacune e contribuire ad arricchire sia la letteratura che la pratica, è stata condotta una ricerca empirica, realizzando una serie di interviste a dipendenti selezionati, appartenenti ad una start-up innovativa e nativa digitale. I risultati ottenuti evidenziano l'importanza delle interazioni di persona all'inizio del processo di innovazione, poiché le dinamiche relazionali che influenzano positivamente la generazione di idee creative non possono essere replicate in un contesto digitale. Tuttavia, non è emersa alcuna evidenza di differenze significative tra l’interazione di persona e quella digitale per quanto riguarda la seconda metà del processo di innovazione. Nel complesso, il nostro studio evidenzia la necessità di trovare il giusto equilibrio tra online e offline per sfruttare appieno i vantaggi che le due modalità offrono, riducendo al minimo gli svantaggi. Infine, è stato sviluppato un modello di riferimento per riassumere i risultati e sono stati offerti suggerimenti ai manager sulle migliori pratiche da poter implementare per creare un ambiente di lavoro favorevole e stimolante per la creatività e l'innovazione.
Innovation in the digital era : how hybrid interactions affect creativity and innovation
De LUCIA, CAMILLA;COVELLI, ALESSIA
2021/2022
Abstract
The continuous and unpredictable changes of the external environment, together with the rapid evolution of digital technologies, have profoundly marked the current era, making innovation essential for survival. Digital Transformation has been further accelerated by the advent of Covid-19, before which digital tools were not exploited by companies to their full potential. The need for remote work during the pandemic forced companies to expand the use of digital tools to multiple areas of the company, including the way interactions happen. Collaboration and interaction are essential for innovation, as they stimulate collective creativity, which, according to literature, is further increased when in person. However, since there is not enough material to understand what happens when interactions are mediated by digital tools, it becomes necessary to understand how human relationships have changed and which are the underlying dynamics. To fill the gaps and contribute to enriching both literature and practice, an empirical research was conducted by carrying out a set of interviews with selected employees, belonging to an innovative and digital-native start-up. The results obtained highlight the importance of in-person interactions at the beginning of the innovation process, as relational dynamics that positively influence creative idea generation cannot be replicated in a digital context. However, no evidence of significant differences between the use of in-person and digital modalities emerged, concerning the second half of the innovation process. Overall, our study highlights the necessity to find the right balance between online and offline to take full advantage of the benefits that the two modalities offer, while minimizing drawbacks. Finally, a framework has been developed to summarize the results, and suggestions are offered to managers regarding best practices for creating a supportive and stimulating work environment for creativity and innovation.| File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/10589/196638