Utilizing Innovation Management Tools for Developing the Creative Capabilities of the Workforce in Sub-Saharan Africa. An HRD Function

Abstract: Developing a culture of innovation within the organization is one of the best insurance an organization can have in an environment of fast-moving markets (Hidalgo & Albors, 2008). Though scholars are yet to reach a consensus on the definition of the concept of innovation, Crossan and Apaydin (2010) argued that “innovation is production or adoption, assimilation, and exploitation of a value-added novelty in economic and social spheres; renewal and enlargement of products, services, and markets; development of new methods of production; and the establishment of new management systems. It is both a process and an outcome” (p. 115). A myriad of activities such as knowledge management, teamwork, employee motivation, and change management can be deduced to characterize innovation as both a process and an outcome. It is for this reason that managerial leadership style is almost an inseparable underpinning of innovation as the creativity and human relations skills of a leader has consequences for setting out and implementing innovative ideas. Other researchers have defined innovation as “an essential means by which organizations survive and thrive (Dodgson, Gann, & Phillips (2013, p. 3). According to these authors, innovation must be managed, but before then, it needs to be understood. Thus, understanding the essence of innovation is the key to using the concept effectively in policy making and organizational planning. This is a human resource development (HRD) function. Despite the acceptance of the innovation concept as a tool for development, many African countries are yet to exploit the full benefits of the concept for improvement in various aspects of their economies. An investigation by Olsson (2012, Lema, Kraemer-Mbula, & Rakas, 2021) on innovation, higher education, and research for development in Ghana, Kenya, and Uganda proved that most sub-Saharan African countries are yet to integrate the tenets of innovation into the various sectors of their economies. The study revealed that, even though these countries were committed to working towards new strategic ideas, they are yet to translate these into sound national policies and programs for economic growth and development. The purpose of this paper is to identify how innovation management can be utilized as the catalyst for human resource development (HRD) in sub-Saharan Africa. This is a call for improvement in skill and talent development and to accentuate the potency of HRD in national development. The main research question for this work is, what are the methodological issues with innovation management in sub-Saharan Africa? In Ghana for instance, the public sector is the conduit through which incumbent governments offer goods and services to its populace. Nonetheless, some public sector institutions have come under serious attacks for their inability to incorporate novel ideas into their operations to render quality services. Other public sector organizations in Ghana have even collapsed due to lack of innovative practices to achieve competitive advantage (Awosika, 2014). Leadership in managing innovation cannot be underestimated. A leader’s philosophy, idiosyncrasies, leadership style, strengths and weakness, management skills, acceptance of new ideas, and other traits have major influence on the adaptation of innovation process and implementation by an organization (Horth & Buchner, 2014; Collet, Graham, & Lindsay, 2019). More importantly, the gender of a leader has a lot of influence on innovation management. Many researchers are of the opinion that more women should be given the opportunity to spearhead affairs in the public sectors since the male dominated public sector has not yielded expectant results of meeting and satisfying the needs of society (Khan, 2016).