Innovation Essentials for Business Leaders
University of Oxford
Challenge cultural ideas about innovation to better understand its terminology, forms, and the principles for creating an effective innovation system.
About this Course
The Innovation Essentials for Business Leaders Open Course from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford begins with the idea that innovation is about creatively combining existing and new elements to serve new purposes, often in unfamiliar contexts. It focuses on how to lead organisations that both optimise current resources and explore future opportunities. You’ll explore key questions such as what innovation truly means, why it matters, and how leaders can embed innovation into everyday practice. Two core principles underpin this approach: technology is just one starting point for successful innovation, and its impact depends on the organisation’s capabilities and capacity. The course opens by breaking down and defining the concept of innovation. This course offers a foundational overview, introducing key concepts and frameworks for those new to the subject. To explore the topic in greater depth, you may wish to continue with the full Oxford Strategic Innovation Programme. 36:Tf
What You'll Learn
- Explain why firms and other organisations innovate and why it is so difficult to innovate.
- Identify concepts and more precise language for talking and thinking about innovation.
- Distinguish between product and services, business model, and system-level innovation.
- Investigate innovation as a specific, routine capacity and strategy of a business.
- Analyse the nature, importance, and types of innovation in an organisation.