Internal
At Riordan manufacturing company, employees form one of the most fundamental internal drivers of innovation. These employees are made up individuals and teams that are hired based on professional backgrounds, skills and competences. For processes to be completed at Riordan, individual employees must achieve the stated goals. The organization has various departments that are controlled by the human resource managers especially when it comes to hiring and retention of workers. From the organizational hierarchy, we have the president at the top followed by several officers in management positions. For example, there is a department that deals with research and development. Employees have different job descriptions and classifications. When the entire team is put together, innovation is attained with much ease.
Another internal driver of innovation at Riordan is the organizational culture. The mission statement of the organization reads “Six sigma, leading edge R&D and exceeding ISO 9000 standards define the attitude and abilities of Riordan Manufacturing” (Riordan Manufacturing, 2013)
This is an excellent organizational culture that shows how Riordan has managed to be a market leader through innovative and high standards of production. The organization has excellent stories of success drawn from its management policies.
External
In terms of the external drivers of innovation, it is vital to mention that customers and marketing conditions/economic climate are major determinants. Riordan has managed to build positive relationship with customers. The from the company’s website, the management states that “we will strive to be a solution provider for our customers and not be a part of our customers challenges” (Riordan Manufacturing, 2013). Creative ideas (innovation) can only be developed when there is a warm relationship with customers. When the latter are treated well, they will be willing to give feedback on the company’s offerings in terms of products and services. Hence, their needs will be understood in a better way.
Besides, when there is extreme fear on marketing conditions, innovation may eventually fade away. A poor economic climate on the sales and marketing of Riordan’s products will obviously demoralize employees and eventually lead to downward trend in innovation. Limited risks will be taken by employees when the market is not promising.
Reference
Riordan Manufacturing (2013). Employee Site. Web.