RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
4.4 Measurement and Operational Definition
4.4.1 Innovation Competency (Dependent Variable)
Table 4.4 (Continued)
Name of School
Interviewee Directors or Deputy
Directors
Personnel Responsible for Innovation
Development Anuban Ban Mor
(Phatthanarat) School
Suwat Saentawee Thaweep Mahavijit Ban Muang Sam Pi
School
Patchara Wongkhamtan Umphaphorn Rinpanyo and Saowaros Pothika Ban Huai Hea School Ura Thasom Master Sergeant Second
Class Sanya Sonboonthong La Salle Chotiravi
Nakhonsawan School
Thassanee Kannika Anna Srithubthim and Omsin Pongkasetkam
135
As such, competency of the organization can be measured by performance.
Competency in any aspects of an organization can be measured by performance in those aspects. As a result, innovation competency is also measured by the innovation performance. Zhu, Wang and Hipel (2012) identifies that innovation competency can be described in a form of the innovation performance of the organization, that is, the evaluation of number of patents, number of innovation awards received and market shares of innovation products.
According to the study related to organizational innovation, there is a link between innovation performance and innovative organizations. The efficiency of the innovative organization can be observed from its performance in achieving innovation (Fazlzadeh and Khoshhal, 2010). Calantone et al. (2002) measured organizational competency in innovation by applying these following indicators: 1) frequency of using new concepts, 2) seeking new approaches for performing some operations, 3) creativity in organizational methods and operations, 4) leading the market in presenting new products and services, 5) a willingness to take risks, and 6) the launching of new products in the market over the last 5 years.
Ibarra (1993) developed a tool for measuring innovation performance of the organization by the level of the organization’s own satisfaction with its own created innovations and. Such satisfaction can be supported by the level of satisfaction of the organization’s stakeholders towards the quality of innovation. In the views of this scholar, innovation can be categorized into two dimensions: the level of response to environmental changes by the organization’s directors, and technology that is able to develop and improve the internal process of organization and reduce the cost of production processes. In the meantime, Aragon-Correa et al. (2007) developed a measurement method from Miller and Friesen’s (1983), which measures innovation competency by asking the organization’s members about the innovation of the organization in comparison with competitors and the frequency of offering new products and services. However, Shyu et al. (2006) defined innovation performance as the number of innovations of an organization, the degree of novelty of the innovation, and the value of the innovation. Similarly, Sbragia (1984) presented the indicators of innovation performance as the level of satisfaction derived by the organizational innovation, the amount of success derived from organizational innovation and the cost
effectiveness of innovation projects compared to innovation outcomes. In addition, Wu and Lin (2011) presented the following method for evaluating innovation performance:
1) Rate of Innovation Success: Percentage of successful products and service innovations in any period.
2) Market Shares: Proportion of organizational innovations sold in the market, compared to similar innovations of other organizations in any given period.
3) Profits of Innovation: Proportion of income and costs of innovation investment in any given period.
In line with data obtained from studies of attributes of innovation competency and measurement of innovation competency variables, Table 4.5 summarizes the measurement of independent variables and the definitions of innovation competency.
Table 4.5 Study Issues and Measurement of Innovation Competency Variable from Perspectives of Scholars
Independent Variable Indicators Scholars
Innovation competency (ability of a firm to successfully
commercialize innovations repeatedly, and across organizational settings (Gina and Ayers, 2005)) Innovation competency can be measured in terms of innovation performance in fulfillment of
organizational goals or satisfaction (Fazlzadeh, and Khoshhal, 2010)
(Number of Innovations)
(Shyu, et al (2006) - Count of new market (Hadjimanolis (2000)
Danneels, and Kleinschmidt (2001) - Count of new application (Hadjimanolis (2006)
Loch (2002), Grossi (1990) - Count of new procedure (Hadijimanolis (2000)
Loch (2002), Johne (1999)
(Degree of Novelty)
Shyu, et at (2006)
137 Table 4.5 (Continued)
Independent Variable Indicators Scholars
- Degree of customer/
market
Danneels and Kleinschmidt (2001), Mankin (2007) Garcia and Calantone (2002)
- Difference type Johne(1999),Grossi(1990), Loch (2002)
- Progressive type Hadjimanolis (2006) - Break-through type Johne (1999), Loch (2002) (Value creation) (Shyu, et al (2006)
- Market value Garcia and Calantone (2002), Wu and Lin (2011) - Overall satisfaction with
innovation
Sbragia (1984)
- Cost control of innovation project compared to innovation outcome
Sbragia (1984)
Table 4.5 outlines studies of scholars in relation to operational definitions and the measurement of innovation competency variables. These studies relate to innovation in general organizations. However, this research relates to the study of innovation competency in terms of education in schools where organizational management and objectives are different from other businesses. As a result, to link the perspectives in Table 4.5 to an educational perspective, it is necessary to adjust the definitions and terms of variables as follows:
Most educational institutes, such as schools, aim to provide educational services. They expect to provide education efficiently rather than making profits. As such, the measurement of innovation competency based on Table 4.5, in terms of indicators of Number of Innovation should focus on measuring the number of new methods and approaches rather than on marketing. Regarding indicators of Degree of Novelty, appropriate measurement should focus on innovations that help improve schools instead of the application of original innovations, as well as the novelty and prominence of innovations created by schools compared with similar or existing innovations. Value Creation should measure the organization’s efficiency (learning achievement and satisfaction of persons concerned with educational management of schools) and innovation outcomes compared to resources used for innovation development. As such, adjusted approaches of measurement and indicators of innovation competency for educational institutes are shown in Table 4.6 below.
Table 4.6 Measurement and Indicators of Innovation Competency in terms of Education
Dimensions Operational Terms Scholars
(Number of Innovation) - Number of new
application
- Number of procedure
- Number of innovations created by school
(Hadjimanolis (2006) Loch (1999), Crossi (1990), Johne (1999)
(Degree of Novelty) - Degree of progress in
innovation
- Degree of outstanding newness of innovation
- Most innovations created by the school can improve school tasks (resulting in high outcomes)
- Most innovations created by the school are different from previous innovations
Zahra , et al, (1999)
Johne(1999),Grossi(1990), Loch (2002)
139 Table 4.6 (Continued)
Dimensions Operational Terms Scholars
(Value creation)
- Overall satisfaction with innovation
- Cost control of innovation project compared to innovation outcome
- Students’ academic achievement
- Overall satisfaction of the school' s stakeholders - Ratio between
innovational outcome and resource utilization
Sbragia (1984) Sbragia (1984)
Sbragia (1984)
4.4.2 Factors affecting Innovation Competency (Independent Variables)