THE CORPORATE IMMUNE SYSTEM

Phuoc D. Nguyen

The body’s immune system responds to the bacterial invasion which creates specific antibodies to the antigen of that bacterium to help protect the body against the infection and positively enhance the body’s resistance. Whereas the corporate immune system creates specific antibodies to protect and maintain current structures, processes, and culture negatively aims to kill the antigen of innovation ideas and destroy creativity.

Oster (2009) defines “It is an important role of corporate leadership to recognize corporate antibodies in all of their forms and help them successfully integrate into the productive fabric of the company or excise them. (p. 42). Sloane (2016) cited Larry Keeley’s ten types of innovation, including ten categories of profit model, network, structure, process, product performance, product system, service, channel, brand, and customer engagement. Keeley advises that you analyze your current innovation offerings and identify opportunities in other categories. He argues that the most successful companies innovate in several different categories. Parker (2011) states, “Intrapreneurship — also known as corporate entrepreneurship and corporate venturing —is the practice of developing a new venture within an existing organization, to exploit a new opportunity and create economic value.” (p. 19). Deloitte Digital (2015) suggests a guide to accelerating innovation within corporations, including one of five insights that are “The intrapreneurship describes a people-centric, bottom-up approach to developing radical innovations in-house.” (p. 3). Based on Keeley’s ten types of innovation as an innovation model/process corporate leadership diagnoses to recognize corporate antibodies in every innovation type/area. Leaders build the innovation culture, learning organization, and organizational learning, build the creative problem-solving culture, and establish an innovation management system that includes innovation goals, objectives, targets, metrics, and innovation process based on innovation priority and needs to project an innovation strategy includes annual innovation plans and action plans, leaders assign responsibility and authority to establish an innovation steering committee and innovation task forces of cross-functional teams. Start-up companies should apply intrapreneurship and establish an innovation process that includes Keeley’s ten steps of innovation. We can classify support innovation categories (leadership, management, functional management, process management) including profit model, network, structure, process, channel, and brand. Additionally, key innovation categories include product performance, product system, service, and customer engagement.