Underground innovation: an opportunity not to be missed

A survey of Research & Development employees at Ford Motor Company shows that as many as 45% of them work on their own research and innovation projects in addition to their formal assignments. These innovations may well benefit the company but often remain hidden from management. What motivates employees to do this and do their 'underground innovations' hardly ever surface? Jeroen de Jong and Max Mulhuijzen of the Utrecht University School of Economics (U.S.E.) see underground innovation as an opportunity not to be missed. They identify different types of innovators and make concrete recommendations on how management can respond to each of them. There's a lot more happening in your company than you think and you can benefit significantly from it, says Mulhuijzen. But a simple 'suggestion box' won't get you there. You have to work proactively to stimulate and value people.