Teaming Routines in Complex Innovation Projects

Chapter 8 of Technical Notes on Howard-Grenville et al. (2016)

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of Chapter 8 “Teaming routines in complex innovation projects,” of Howard-Grenville et al. (2016). The chapter focuses on innovation, where multiple experts work together towards the success of an unprecedented project and aim to achieve innovative outcomes. The authors examine the factors that contribute to success by investigating the Nona Lake project, which took place in Florida, USA. The analysis reveals that “teaming,” which refers to the ongoing adjustment and collaboration between experts, was effectively implemented in the project. Moreover, two routines that promote teaming and three types of leadership that enable these routines were identified. The chapter also suggests that in the context of innovation, leaders intentionally create teaming routines and that the performative aspect of teaming routines leads to the creation of the ostensive aspect. This paper provides an overview of Chapter 8, discusses its contributions and challenges to routine research, and explores potential avenues for future research.