High involvement innovation : examining employee involvement and management practices in the manufacturing sector

The importance of learning in achieving a competitive advantage continues to be of growing importance in the innovation literature. Learning is regarded as a stimulator of innovation and learning is also an outcome of the innovation process. Irrespective of which view, leaming is important to innovation process because of the need to develop individual competencies and organisational competitors. High Involvement Innovation is one way an organisation can increase its innovation capabilities through the involvement of organisational members at all levels in continuous improvement initiatives. This paper examines a range of management practices that influence two key abilities identified in the High Involvement Innovation model; these being enabling employees to participate in the CI process, and leaming activities as part of an organisation's endeavours to implement CI processes.