There are different approaches when it comes to defining the types of innovation. One of the more common typologies is the division of innovation into top-down and bottom-up styles. Top-down innovation’s principle is that the initiative always comes from an organization’s top management and is influenced by their outlook. The initiative’s implementation happens with the help of employees, who make it a reality per the company’s vision. Deschamps (2017) cites Space X and Tesla as the organizations exemplifying this type of innovation – being brainchildren of their creator, Elon Musk, they are driven by his ideas and goals. When it comes to bottom-up innovation, its essence is in employees being initiators of possible changes, which is supported by the organization’s higher levels. According to Deschamps (2017), this is the case with Google and the 3M Company – they are successfully fueled by their workers’ input. There is also a so-called shared approach – the assuring of the company’s development by the collaborative effort of both the lower level and the executive management.
However, one can make a case that innovation comes from the top in one way or another. That is, when employees happen to have valuable ideas and are willing to express them, that certainly means that the company’s culture provides them with an appropriate environment for doing that. If workers did not feel comfortable expressing their creativity and were not sure they were listened to, they would not be doing it. Moreover, employees in such organizations are likely empowered by their managers to always strive to do their job better and share their ideas on how it can be arranged if they have any. Therefore, it is reasonable to say that innovation is something that comes from the top – at least by being encouraged and stimulated.
Reference
Deschamps, J. (2017). The eight attributes of bottom-up innovation leaders. Innovation Management. Web.