Title: Information processes in support of innovation

Authors: C. Anne Davies, Desmond Roche

Addresses: Head of School, School of Management, Queen's University, Belfast, BT7 1NN, UK. Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland

Abstract: This paper presents a case study of information processes in the regional office of a multi-national energy company which repositioned the company from exploration to gas storage. The information flows show the dissemination of ||rich|| information in and between project groups due to the small scale of the regional site with many long-standing members of staff. Formal methods of constituting an organisational memory are actively discouraged as corporate policy is that records, which are not legally required must be destroyed. The authors conclude that while the organisation has been successful in innovation to a certain level, current processes act against the institutionalisation of innovation. This may be assisted by the introduction of ||joint information platforms|| or summary project documents, accessed by groupware systems. Such dynamic systems would supplement the current information dissemination processes, while underpinning the creation of a learning environment.

Keywords: innovation; information; organisational memory; organisational learning.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2000.002881

International Journal of Technology Management, 2000 Vol.20 No.5/6/7/8, pp.556-568

Published online: 07 Jul 2003 *

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