Innovation and Organizational Performance at L3Harris

L3Harris

Introduction

L3Harris Technologies, Inc. is a global aerospace and defense technology innovator, delivering end-to-end solutions that meet customers' mission-critical needs. The company provides advanced defense and commercial technologies across air, land, sea, space, and cyber domains; and it focuses on offering solutions that disrupt the industry standards (L3Harris, 2023). Thus, L3Harris is known for its innovative solutions, but as a publicly traded company with headquarters located in Melbourne, Florida, it is also important to evaluate its engineering leadership and corporate innovation to provide recommendations for further growth. The fact that it is one of the hottest states in the US, to which businesses in blue states are relocating, suggests that it could receive a lot more attention going forward from employees looking for a place to work and live in comfort and security.

Reason for Choosing L3Harris

L3Harris is not typically listed among the top 25 most innovative companies, making it an ideal candidate for this evaluation. However, the company is large enough to have a significant impact in its industry. It also has room for improvement in terms of innovation management. Additionally, having connections within the company will facilitate the research process and ensure a comprehensive understanding of its internal workings.

Company Structure and Culture

L3Harris has a hierarchical organizational structure, with a clear chain of command from the executive leadership down to the operational level. This structure allows for clear decision-making processes, as in any hierarchically organized company. This same structure is often what helps cultivate better decision-making processes, but can also sometimes slow down the innovation process due to multiple layers of approval. Recently, L3Harris shifted from operating under four segments to three segments: Integrated Mission Systems, Space and Airborne Systems and Communication Systems (L3Harris, 2022).

The company's culture is driven by its commitment to excellence, integrity, ingenuity, forward-thinking, and providing advanced technological solutions to its customers. L3Harris emphasizes collaboration, continuous learning, speed, and agility, which are essential for fostering innovation. However, like many large corporations, there can be challenges in helping ideas from the ground floor make their way to the top. If it does not come from the higher levels, it is unlikely to see much daylight

Contacts within L3Harris

1. [Name 1] - Position (e.g., Senior Engineer)

2. [Name 2] - Position (e.g., Project Manager)

Tools Used for Assessment

For this evaluation, the Organizational Profile Assessment (Baldrige Criteria for Performance Excellence) would be used. This tool provides a framework for understanding the company's innovation capabilities from an external perspective. It focuses on identifying ways to improve leadership, the organization’s performance with respect to the customer, key metrics that center on analysis and knowledge management, workforce performance, operations, results, and how to plan accordingly based on the subtotal of points given in each category (Brown, 2017). It is a tool that provides a broad but penetrating look into the company’s overall dynamics. Also, it is possible that by analyzing articles, news releases, and the company's website, a fuller and even more comprehensive view of L3Harris's approach to innovation can be formed.