Examining innovation management from a fair process perspective

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The importance of innovation is undeniable in today's turbulent environment, making insights into effective practices invaluable. This dissertation presents a compelling argument that innovation can be managed for enhanced performance, proposing a managerial approach centered on fair process. Procedural justice is well-established in organizational literature, highlighted by Kim and Mauborgne's identification of significant fair process shortcomings in corporate interactions. Van der Heyden and colleagues have defined fair process operationally, merging Kaizen continuous improvement with classic decision theory. However, their framework had not been rigorously tested until now. This dissertation addresses that gap by analyzing 15 German manufacturing sites and their performance in two key innovation processes: strategic product planning and serial development. The findings are noteworthy, revealing a diverse range of fair process practices across the plants, with linear regression results surpassing initial expectations. The work offers a comprehensive, empirically validated framework for innovation management. Both the literature review and empirical analysis—encompassing qualitative case studies and statistical evaluation—are thorough, showcasing the depth of research undertaken. The thesis is complex and meticulously developed, contributing significantly to the field.