Order DescriptionTopic
Conduct an in-depth evaluation (using publicly available information) of the Company IBM assigned to you and prepare a 2000-word Innovation Report.

The report will include the following sections:

1.The business case for innovation

Provide justification for prioritising innovation in the organisation. Offer the main findings of your organisational diagnosis.

• Intro / Executive summary: this is the project we are undertaking
• Context and problem statement: assessing the situation, reasons
• Project description: objectives and strategic description of the process
• Benefits: this is what success will look like, solution description
• Expectations: this is what we need from you (key assumptions, resources, funding, authorisation, support)
• Our commitment: this is what you can depend on us for (key deliverables)
• Conclusion

2. The business case for Leadership challenges

What are the main leadership challenges of IBM?
What can be done to overcome them?
Use theoretical frameworks from the module content to write this section.

• “Leadership is the process of influencing others to understand and agree about what needs to be done and how to do it, and the process of facilitating individual and collective efforts to accomplish shared objectives.” (Yukl 2013)
• challenges that have to do with the organisational structure, culture, sense making, aligning, enabling, supporting and sustaining innovation

3. Innovation challenges

What are the main challenges IBM is facing in relation to innovation? What needs to change?

Use theoretical frameworks from the module content to write this section.

• ‘the process of creating value from ideas’ (Tidd and Bessant 2013)
• challenges directly related to creating value from innovative ideas
4. A framework for innovation
What are the organisational priorities in relation to leadership and innovation? Provide your recommendations to address the organisational challenges you identified in sections 2 and 3 above.

5. Next steps and conclusion
Provide practical next steps.

6. References
7. Appendices
8. Analysis
All ideas/strategies must be analysed.
Identify journal articles that provide findings in support and not in support of each idea you present.
Identify the conditions under which the particular idea/initiative/strategy has been effective and ineffective (e.g. type of organisation, size of organisation, country, organizational communication etc.). This will help you make the inference as to whether the idea will work in your organisation or not, and also to make recommendations about what should be done to make its implementation effective.
While reading journal articles, also pay attention to other effective ideas that are mentioned there that are not part of the list given to you. You may be able to include them in your recommendations.
All the arguments that you make must be supported by academic theory

9. Structure and style of writing
The report needs to follow the assigned structure.
As this is a report, you can use headings to separate sections.
Your writing needs to flow and any ideas/assertions need to follow a clear line of argument
Each paragraph and each section needs to concentrate on one key idea. Structure your ideas early on so that there are no overlaps between different sections.
Each section needs to be written in text form. Please minimise the use of bullet points to the absolutely necessary.
If you need to use tables and diagrams please title and explain them.
Please use formal academic language and avoid conversational expressions.

10. Use of academic sources and referencing
Although this is a business report, your sources need to be academic!!! This means that websites like Wikipedia or Businessballs etc are not considered as adequate resources. For an assignment of this level the norm is to refer to at least 10 academic journal articles. Other sources such as books, business magazines, reports and statistics reports are valid sources but will be considered as additional resources to the academic articles.
Referencing is according to Harvard referencing guidelines.

11.Formatting
There should be a title page (with the title of the coursework, module name and your registration number. Do not write your name.), a contents page (with the list of headings and subheadings and their page numbers) and a reference list.
The word limit is 2000 words (excluding title/contents page and the reference list. Citations within text will be counted).
The text must be in Times New Roman, 12 point font, 1.5 line spacing.
There should be a 1 inch margin all around the page.
Pages must be numbered.