Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Strategic innovation originated as a concept in academic literature in the 1990’s, and
provides companies with the opportunity for substantial value creation. Previous research
has shown how the learning or process aspects of a company foster strategic innovation
capacity, or the ability of a company to systematically create strategic innovation initiatives.
However, an understanding of the role of the content aspects or the drivers of strategic
innovation – Strategy Processes, People, Culture and Resources – remains problematic.
Despite a heightened awareness and interest by both scholars and practitioners in studying
and better understanding strategic innovation, it is still regarded as an emerging field of
inquiry. Additionally, limited research has been conducted on strategic innovation in a South
African context. As such, a limited base of empirical research for strategic innovation exists.
To address this lack of empirical research a literature review of strategic innovation was
conducted, highlighting any research gaps; an empirical study was then executed. The
literature review first investigated strategic innovation as a topic, identifying the antecedents
to; the results of; and motivations for strategic innovation. Subsequently, a theoretical link
between strategic innovation capacity and the drivers of strategic innovation was established.
Lastly, each driver of strategic innovation was individually explored for the purpose of
operationalising each driver for empirical analysis. The review of strategic innovation
literature revealed a research gap that culminated in the following research question: How do
the drivers of strategic innovation affect the strategic innovation capacity of selected banks? The empirical study consisted of a mixed-methodology design, conducted in two phases.
First the sample was narrowed to include only the most appropriate banks, this being the
most significant sector of the financial services sector in South Africa. The first phase of
research consisted of semi-structured interviews conducted with the six most qualified
individuals across the participating banks. This phase of research was used to refine the
identified antecedent elements of the drivers of strategic innovation, and develop the sample
for the second phase of research. The interviews were recorded, transcribed, and subjected to thematic analysis to generate findings. The findings of the qualitative phase show that the
antecedent elements of the drivers in South African banks are consistent with the literature.
Although no new South African specific elements were discovered, external factors for
managerial consideration were noted. This emphasises that South African banks should
adopt global best practices for their field, whilst taking into consideration the unique South
African circumstances.
The second phase of research made use of cross-sectional electronic questionnaires to
gather interval data on the drivers of strategic innovation and strategic innovation capacity.
The questionnaire was developed from the findings of the first phase of research and
distributed to 125 individuals, 53 completed responses were received, yielding a response
rate of 42.4%. All the constructs were measured to be reliable using Cronbach’s alpha and
the collected data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of
the quantitative phase indicate that the drivers of strategic innovation have a significant
positive relationship with strategic innovation capacity. This finding underlines the important
role managers can play in fostering a company’s ability to systematically create strategic
innovation initiatives. The driver with the strongest relationship with strategic innovation
capacity was shown to be Culture, emphasising the importance of creating an organisational
culture geared towards innovation. The second strongest driver was Resources, followed by People, and lastly Strategy Processes which had the lowest significant positive relationship
with strategic innovation capacity. The findings also showed that the inter-driver relationships
were significantly positive, with Culture once again displaying the strongest correlation
values.
The most important contribution of this study is the empirical evaluation of the relationship
between the drivers of strategic innovation and strategic innovation capacity in the South
African banking context. The establishment of this relationship creates a solid platform upon
which future studies may build through the highlighted areas for further study. The findings
also provide management with a means to assess the levels of the drivers, as well as
antecedents on which to focus when staging managerial interventions for their improvement. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Strategiese innovering het ontstaan as 'n konsep in die akademiese literatuur in die 1990's,
en bied maatskappye ’n geleentheid vir aansienlike waardeskepping. Vorige navorsing het
getoon hoe die leer- of prosesaspekte van ’n maatskappy strategiese innoveringskapasiteit,
of die vermoë van ’n maatskappy om stelselmatig innoveringsinisiatiewe te skep, bevorder.
’n Begrip van die rol van die dryfkragte agter strategiese innovering – Strategieprosesse,
Mense, Kultuur en Hulpbronne – bly egter problematies. Ten spyte van groter belangstelling
in die studie van strategiese innovering vanuit die akademie sowel as die praktyk, word dit
steeds as ’n ontluikende navorsingsveld beskou. Verder is slegs beperkte navorsing oor
strategiese innovering in ’n Suid-Afrikaanse konteks reeds gedoen. Daar bestaan dus ’n
beperkte basis van empiriese navorsing vir strategiese innovering.
Om hierdie gebrek aan navorsing aan te spreek, is ’n literatuuroorsig van strategiese
innovering gedoen wat navorsingsleemtes uitgewys het; ’n empiriese studie is toe uitgevoer.
Die literatuuroorsig het eerstens strategiese innovering ondersoek deur die voorgangers van;
resultate van; en motiverings vir strategiese innovering te identifiseer. Vervolgens is ’n
teoretiese skakel tussen strategiese innoveringskapasiteit en die dryfkragte agter strategiese
innovering vasgestel. Laastens is elke dryfkrag individueel ondersoek met die doel om dit te
operasionaliseer vir empiriese ontleding. Die literatuuroorsig het ’n navorsingsleemte onthul
wat tot die volgende navorsingsvraag gelei het: Hoe beïnvloed die dryfkragte agter
strategiese innovering die strategiese innoveringskapasiteit van die gekose banke? Die studie het bestaan uit ’n gemengdemetodologie-ontwerp wat in twee fases uitgevoer is.
Die eerste fase het bestaan uit semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude met die ses mees
gekwalifiseerde individue vanuit die deelnemende banke. Hierdie fase is gebruik om die
geïdentifiseerde voorafgaande elemente van die dryfkragte agter strategiese innovering te
verfyn, en om die steekproef vir die tweede fase te ontwikkel. Die onderhoude is opgeneem,
getranskribeer en onderwerp aan tematiese ontleding om bevindinge te genereer. Die
bevindinge van die kwalitatiewe fase wys dat die voorafgaande elemente van die dryfkragte in Suid-Afrikaanse banke strook met die literatuur. Alhoewel geen nuwe, spesifiek Suid-
Afrikaanse elemente ontdek is nie, is eksterne faktore vir bestuursoorweging opgemerk. Dít
beklemtoon dat Suid-Afrikaanse banke behoort te hou by die wêreldwye beste praktyke vir
hulle veld, terwyl hulle steeds die unieke Suid-Afrikaanse omstandighede in ag moet neem.
Die tweede fase het elektroniese deursnitvraelyste gebruik om intervaldata oor die dryfkragte
agter strategiese innovering en strategiese innoveringskapasiteit in te samel. Die vraelys is
ontwikkel uit die eerste fase se bevindinge en is versprei aan 125 individue; 53 volledige
response is ontvang, ’n responskoers van 42.4%. Al die konstrukte is met Cronbach se alfa
as betroubaar gemeet, en die ingesamelde data is ontleed met beskrywende en inferensiële
statistiek. Die bevindinge van die kwantitatiewe fase dui daarop dat die dryfkragte agter
strategiese innovering ’n beduidende positiewe verhouding het met strategiese
innoveringskapasiteit. Hierdie bevinding onderstreep die belangrike rol wat bestuurders speel
in ’n maatskappy se vermoë om stelselmatig strategiese innoveringsinisiatiewe te skep.
Kultuur het na vore gekom as die dryfkrag met die sterkste verhouding met strategiese
innoveringskapasiteit, wat die belangrikheid beklemtoon van die skep van ’n organisatoriese
kultuur wat op innovering toegespits is. Die tweede sterkste dryfkrag was Hulpbronne, gevolg
deur Mense, en laastens het Strategieprosesse die laagste beduidende positiewe
verhouding met strategiese innoveringskapasiteit gehad. Die bevindinge het ook gewys dat
die onderlinge verhoudings tussen die dryfkragte beduidend positief was, met Kultuur wat
weereens die sterkste korrelasiewaardes toon. Die belangrikste bydrae van hierdie studie is die empiriese evaluering van die dryfkragte
agter strategiese innovering en strategiese innoveringskapasiteit in die Suid-Afrikaanse
bankwesekonteks. Die vasstelling van hierdie verhouding skep ’n platform waarop
toekomstige studies kan bou. Die bevindinge bied aan bestuur ’n manier om dryfkragvlakke
te assesseer, asook voorafgaande elemente om op te fokus wanneer bestuursintervensies
gebruik word om hierdie vlakke te verbeter.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/86486 |
| Date | 04 1900 |
| Creators | McKenzie, Kieran David |
| Contributors | Maree, L., Hough, J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences. Dept. of Business Management. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | xiv, 253 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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