Hierarchies

Question 1

List ways hierarchies can help teams of people innovate

Answer 1

1. Keep teams moving in the same direction even when strong disagreements threaten to keep the teams from progressing
2. Help teams generate, identify, and select new ideas

Question 2

How can hierarchies help teams generate, identify, and select new ideas?

Answer 2

1. Bounding solutions
2. Converging ideas
3. Structuring processes

Question 3

Describe bounding solutions

Answer 3

Team members with influence can accelerate the learning process by clearly setting the bounds for innovation

Question 4

Describe converging ideas

Answer 4

Identify which ideas have promise, which can be put on the back burner, which should be pursued, and which should be scrapped.

Question 5

Describe structuring processes

Answer 5

Creating ground rules and establishing norms in order to foster an open, creative environment and encourage team members to share their ideas.

Question 6

Well meaning hierarchies become problematic when people at the top are too heavy-handed and interfere when their interference isn’t needed.

Answer 6

true

Question 7

List ways leaders can make hierarchies work

Answer 7

1. Have clear chain of command
2. Create a performance-based culture
3. Use team feedback

Question 8

List ways leaders are enabled once they are institutionalized and legitimized by hierarchies

Answer 8

1. Organize subordinates around common goals.
2. Motivate subordinates and encourage learning.
3. Promote team member collaboration.
4. Help select (or organize the process of selecting) promising ideas to pursue.
5. Facilitate transitions among different stages of the innovation process (e.g., idea
   generation to refinement, testing, and commercialization).

Question 9

List ways hierarchies help by creating rules and processes

Answer 9

1. Place constraints (e.g., timelines) on subordinates, which promote a sense of
   urgency and encourage teams to build and maintain momentum.
2. Provide a means for challenging the status quo.
3. Keep emotional attachment to ideas or the status quo from hindering innovation.

Question 10

Teams without hierarchies may lack focus and direction, have trouble cooperating, and
move slowly and inefficiently and, in turn, may be less effective and innovative.

Answer 10

true

Question 11

List tradeoffs of hierarchies

Answer 11

1. Leaders should exercise constraint. They should direct innovation processes only when
   they are needed (e.g., to resolved bottlenecks and interpersonal conflict).
2. The leader and his/her authority should be clear.
3. Firms and teams should have high-performance cultures (e.g., systems to foster merit-
   based promotions, performance measurement and celebration, and accountability) (p. 51).
4. Leaders should promote teams’ interests, rather than their own.