Book Review: Y. Dabhalkar and Rishikeshika T. Krishan, 8 Steps to Innovation: Going from Juggad to Excellence
| DOI | 10.1177/0019556117689857 |
| Published date | 01 March 2017 |
| Author | P.C. Bansal |
| Date | 01 March 2017 |
| Subject Matter | Book Reviews |
Book Reviews 161
of higher education in world will be of interest to scholars and practitioners in
the field of education as well as for policymakers at every level of administrative
reform. Overall, the presentation of the book is admirable; it is also affordably
priced. The book is a good pick for researchers, teachers and students of social
science, especially those who are involved in the research on higher education.
G. Kamalakar
Dept of Political Science, Osmania University
Hyderabad
kamalakarou@gmail.com
Y. Dabhalkar and Rishikeshika T. Krishan, 8 Steps to Innovation: Going
from Juggad to Excellence. Noida, Uttar Pradesh: Collin Business—
An Imprint of Harper Collins Publishers, 2013, xx + 3016 pp., `399
(paper back).
DOI: 10.1177/0019556117689857
The book under review offers an eight-step process for creating a systematic
innovation capability that can be transplanted across the board in any business
or region. The eight steps are built around three key themes: build an idea pipeline,
improve idea velocity, and increase the batting average. The book uses about
50 stories from India and elsewhere to illustrate the core principles and practices.
Citing Wikipedia, Dinesh Thakur describes Juggad as a term applied to a
creative idea providing a quick, alternative way of solving or fixing a problem
(Thakur, 2013); in this context, the authors write that when innovation happens
in the organisation only through ad hoc means and chance meetings, it seems
more like a Juggad. In North India, transportation vehicles are made by sourcing
locally available parts, including the engine; it is also called ad hoc improvisation.
On the other hand, when an organisation has a disciplined way of generating,
selecting, nurturing and implementing ideas such as the suggestion box scheme
of Telco, we call it systematic innovation (p. 6). Innovation has three elements:
idea, implementation and impact. The four types of innovation are process,
product, customer experience and business model. Innovation is an iterative
process involving a series of experiments; innovation is not just about risk-taking;
it is also about assessing and mitigating risks in the organisation; there is always
resistance to change. Here, it is emphasised that resistance to change can be easily
understood in terms of the conflict between an elephant (tradition, emotional
inertia) and the rider (logic and rationality). Companies can use different methods
to direct the rider, motivate the elephant and shape the path in order to overcome
the elephant–rider conflict.
‘Building an idea pipeline’ involves three steps: lay the foundation; create a
challenge box; and build participation. Idea management process pays attention
to the source of ideas, their scope, the number of stages an idea will go through,
the back-end technology to be used, the idea selection process and how ideas
will be supported and sponsored. Next, the source of innovation is curiosity and
challenge book which reflect the anxieties and aspirations of various stakeholders
To continue reading
Request your trial