VOIS - Area 2 - Module 6

  1. MODULE TITLE

Module 6: Adaptability and flexibility
  1. AUTHORS

CWEP
  1. SHORT DESCRIPTION

Adaptability and flexibility are considered as examples of soft skills supporting Open Innovation. Employees who deal with the innovation process in the company should have this competency developed at a high level. The complexity and dynamic of the working environment put every employee in a situation that requires these qualities to cope with working conditions . For managers adaptability and flexibility are the must-have skills. To understand the meaning of adaptability and flexibility for managers who deal with Open Innovation you need to be aware of the conditions that influence competencies requirements. Adaptability and flexibility are necessary soft skills for dealing with new or different situations, ideas, or problems in the workplace. These competencies are important to effectively deal with innovation.
  1. LEARNING OBJECTIVES

    Upon completing this module, you should be able to:

  • Explain the link between the adaptability and flexibility of their employees and themselves and company innovativeness
  • Self-evaluate their own adaptability and flexibility
  • Describe the role of adaptability and flexibility in a competency model for Open Innovation
  • Describe the resource-based model of adaptability
  • Prepare and apply their strategy for developing adaptability and flexibility skills
  1. Training Content
1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Adaptability and flexibility in a competency model for Open Innovation

The challenges of implementing and managing Open Innovation activities cause new demands on the skills and abilities of the individuals involved. Research confirms that adaptability and flexibility are among the most important skills and abilities in support of OI. In the research run by Podmetina  D., Soderquist K.E., Petraite M., and Teplov  R. “Developing a competency model for open innovation. From the individual to the organisational level.”, adaptability and flexibility were ranked the eighth position among 28 other skills and abilities that are considered supportive competencies to Open Innovation.

Source: https://pl.freepik.com/

Fig 2. Adaptability and flexibility as an element of a competency model for Open Innovation [in % of response]

Cognitive adaptability draws from individuals’ situation awareness, mental capabilities for dealing with change, and adaptive orientation in terms of attitudes and beliefs concerning change. All three aspects of cognitive adaptability will help individuals to adjust to organizational change.

Psychological resilience, positive emotions, and emotion regulation are three resources that can support employees in dealing emotionally with organizational change. These three resources are strongly associated with positive outcomes, such as increased well-being.

When addressing behavioral adaptability research findings generally appear to favor a proactive approach over a more conservative or avoidant approach.

Quiz

What kind of skills and abilities are important to support Open Innovation in an organization?

PREVIOUS << NEXT >>