Case Study the Technology Partnership

TTP Case Study

There are many different aspects of this company that help to foster innovation, beginning with the human resources at the company and the way they are viewed. It is clear that Gerald has had a commitment to hiring curious and investigative people from the start, and the employee-ownership structure of the company definitely helps to encourage an ongoing commitment to providing new and innovative ventures for the company. The general culture and atmosphere of curiosity and an emphasis on interest rather than profits (or in addition to profits, at the ver least) is also a very effective means of encouraging innovation as well as (presumably) encouraging employee retention, which would in trun foster innovation through the building of a great deal of camaraderie and trust amidst the company's teams.

2)

This methods of innovation and of fostering innovation at TTP might not be easily transferable to other organizations, as many of the ways in which innovation is encouraged at the company are embedded in the very foundations of the way the company does business. Especially for publicly traded companies or companies owned by other interests not involved in day-to-day operations, where projects must often be chosen and pursued based almost entirely on their projected profitability, the innovation-encouraging practices at TTP might simply be untenable.

3)

At this particular point in the company's history and in the development of Anne's idea, I would not give her the go-ahead to establish a training arm of TTP. The idea might be a solid one with some more work and a more honest appraisal of what would need to be offered to client companies and individuals in order to maintain a high quality product and thus shore up rather than weaken the brand image of TTP, but simple training and consulting will not be able to export the TTP model to other companies. A consulting form that helped businesses to complete major reorganizations in order to become the type of innovative company that TTP is could be useful, but there will be a smaller market for these services. Untill TTP can better codify how it achieves innovation and find ways to translate this to other companies without rebuilding from the ground up, a training arm simply would not be profitable or desirable.

4)

Human resources management at TTP is quite explicitly and consciously built around the need for recognizing the contributions and achievements of every employee that makes the company's day-to-day and ongoing operations successful. From the employee-ownership principle to the degree of care taken in making sure compensation and bonuses are equitable, employees are given a real stake in the company. This helps drive innovation specifically and success generally through increased commitment and interest in the company's work.