Moving towards a structured, transparentinnovation process at the ‘new’ RijkswaterstaatBouwdienst : analysing decision making on innovation

The main research question that is used for this research is:
How is decision making on innovation currently taking place within the new Rijkswaterstaat Bouwdienst and how is the recent reorganization affecting this process?.
The theoretical framework of this research combines theoretical structures of innovation and decision making processes with concepts of organizational culture. The link between these approaches makes it possible to analyse how current processes are shaped and how the shift in organizational culture is affecting these processes. Within decision making processes, three dimensions are distinguished: decision maker, time of decision and selection criteria. From organization culture, two levels of manifestation are discerned (artifact and espoused values). Based on these concepts relations are presumed, which are used as sensitizing concepts during the research. The conclusion of this research shows that the innovation process as well as the decision making process within the Bouwdienst is non-uniform. Compared to the theoretical innovation- and decision making process, as desired by the division Innovation & Development (idea-R&D-pilot-implementation), innovation processes within the Bouwdienst had extra phases, combined phases, extra gates and double gates. Also the three dimensions of a gate (decision maker, selection criteria, time of decision) showed a wide variety. The reason for this is twofold. (1) The innovations have a very diverse character. This variety expressed itself in type of innovation, a variety in impact level, and also a variety in costs. (2) The organization's common organizational and financial structures are not fit to deal with innovation processes, because they are not designed to deal with the uncertain character of innovation projects.