How to Transform Crises into Opportunities for Businesses: An Innovative Application During the Pandemic

Year 2021, Volume: 3 Issue: 2, 121 - 138, 29.07.2021

Aysel Arslan , Çetin Bektaş

Abstract

In today's business world where competition is at the forefront, it is necessary to keep up with the rapid changes and developments. Businesses strive to do so through product innovation, sometimes their processes and sometimes making a dramatic change to their whole operating model. In this way, they have the opportunity to improve themselves and address their customers more effectively. Innovation management studies are significant for the sustainability of businesses and can be carried out at any stage of the business cycle. The coronavirus (covid-19) pandemic plagued all over the world in 2020 negatively affected the activities of many businesses. Despite the crisis, some businesses have demonstrated successful practices in various fields. In this context, the study aims to reveal how crises can be turned into opportunities within the framework of the gains of innovation management for businesses. Within the scope of innovation management, Abdi İbrahim Pharmaceuticals' practices regarding the Use of Most Innovative Human Resources (HR) Technology in Pandemic Period in 2020 were included in the study. In the study prepared by using the case research design, one of the qualitative research methods, the data were analyzed using the content analysis method. As a result of the findings, it has been determined that the innovative methods that the company has adopted for its employees during the pandemic period are effective in their motivation, and positive feedback is received. Besides, the company won the Golden Stevie award, one of the 2020 Stevie awards, for these applications. The Stevie Awards are one of the world's leading business awards. In the study, the ways and methods employed by the company in this success will be examined.

Keywords

Innovation, Innovation Management, Crisis, Pandemic Period, Organization

References

• Alonso-Almeida, M. M., Bremser, K., & Llach, J. (2015). Proactive and reactive strategies deployed by restaurants in times of crisis. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 27(7), 1641–1661.
• Aygen, S. (2006), İşletmelerde Yenilik Yönetimi Sürecinde Örgüt Yapılarında ve Hizmet Tasarımlarında Yaşanan Dönüşünler: Bir Ampirik Araştırma, S.Ü.SBE, Yayınlanmamış Doktora Tezi. Konya.
• Barnes, D. C., Mesmer-Magnus, J., Krallman, A., Scribner, L. L., & Guidice, R. M. (2020). Customer delight during a crisis: understanding delight through the lens of transformative service research. Journal of Service Management.
• Basadur, M., (2003), Reducing Complexity in Conceptual Thinking Using Challenge Mapping, Korean Journal of Thinking and Problem Solving, 2003 (2), 5-28.
• Bassiti, L. , Ajhoun, R. (2013), Toward an Innovation Management Framework: A Life-cycle Model with an Idea Management focus, International Journal of Innovation, Management and Technology, 4(6), 551-559.
• Bay, M., Akpınar S. ve Selamet A. A. (2018), Yenilik Yönetimini Etkileyen Örgütsel Faktörler: belediye ve Kaymakamlık Karşılaştırması. Gazi Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 14 (5), 392-405.
• Bel, R. (2010). Leadership and innovation: Learning from the best. Global Business and Organizational Excellence, 29(2), 47–60. https://doi.org/10.1002/joe.20308.
• Boone J. (2000), Competitive Pressure: the Effects on Investments in Product and Process Innovation, The RAND Journal of Economics, 31(3), 551.
• Buijs, A., J. (2007), Innovation Leaders Should be Controlled Schizophrenics, Creativity and Innovation Management, 16 (2), 203-210.
• Bülbül H., (2003), Rekabet Üstünlüğü Sağlamada Ürün ve Süreç Yeniliği: Bilişim Teknolojileri Uygulaması, Konya: Selçuk Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Yayınlanmamış Doktora Tezi.
• Corıat, B. (2000). Organizational Innovation in European firms : A critical overview of the survey evidence, The end of fordism and the rise of the Knowledge Economy, Oxford University Press.
• Demirci, A.E., C. Uzkurt, N. Işık, N. Aluftekin, H. Göktepe, E. Akdeve (2012). Yenilik Yönetimi, Anadolu Üniversitesi Yayını No: 2602.
• Döm Serpil (2006), Girişimcilik ve Küçük İşletme Yöneticiliği, Detay Yayıncılık, Ankara
• Drucker, P. (1985), Innovation and entrepreneurship: Practice and principles. New York: Harper & Row.
• Elçi Ş., (2012), İnovasyon Rehberi: Kârlılık ve Rekabetin Elkitabı. S. Karaata (Ed.) Yenilik – Yenileşim - İnovasyon Dünyasına Bir Yolculuk online kitap içinde (bölüm 2), Ege Genç İşadamları Derneği, Erişim: https://www.egiad.org.tr/wp-content/uploads/arastirma-raporlari/inovasyon-raporu.pdf (08.11.2020).
• Forman, J. and Damschroder, L. (2007), Qualitative Content Analysis, Jacoby, L. and Siminoff, L.A. (Ed.) Empirical Methods for Bioethics: A Primer (Advances in Bioethics, Vol. 11), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Bingley, pp. 39-62.
• Gibb, A. (2000). Corporate restructuring and entrepreneurship: What can large organisations learn from small? Enterprise and Innovation Management Studies, 1(1), 19–35. doi:10.1080/146324400363509
• Granstrand, O., Holgersson, M. (2020). Innovation ecosystems: A conceptual review and a new definition. Technovation 2020, 90, 102098.
• Hammer M., Champy J. (1994). Değişim Mühendisliği: İş İdaresinde Devrim İçin Bir Manifesto, Çeviren: Gül Sinem, 3. Baskı Sabah Kitapları, İstanbul.
• Heinonen, K., & Strandvik, T. (2020). Reframing service innovation: COVID-19 as a catalyst for imposed service innovation. Journal of Service Management.
• Kanter M., R. (1983). The Change Masters, Simon and Schuster, New York.
• Kuczmarski, T., Middlebrooks, A., ve Swaddling J. (2000). Innovating the Corporation: Creating Value for Customers and Shareholders, NTC Business Books, NTC/Contemporary Publishing Group.
• Labuschagne, A. (2003). Qualitative research: Airy fairy or fundamental? The Qualitative Report, 8(1), Article 7. Retrieved 5 January 2009, from http://www.nova.edu/ssss/QR/QR8- 1/labuschagne.html
• Leliveld, A., Knorringa, P. (2018). Frugal Innovation and Development Research. Eur J Dev Res 30, 1–16 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1057/s41287-017-0121-4.
• Mitroff, I. and Alpaslan, M.C. (2003), “Preparing for evil”, Harvard Business Review, Vol. 81 No. 4, pp. 109-15.
• Nagano MS, Stefanovitz JP, Vick TE (2014) Innovation management processes, their internal organizational elements and contextual factors: An investigation in Brazil. J. Eng. Technol. Manag. 33: 63-92.
• Neely A., Hii J. (1998). İnnovation And Business Performance: Aliterature Review. The Judge İnstitute of Management Studies Üniversity of Cambridge.
• Norman, D. A., Verganti, R. (2013). Incremental and radical innovation: Design research vs. technology and meaning change. Design Issues, 30(1), 78–96.
• Özdaşlı, K. (2005). Yaratıcılık mı Yoksa Taklit mi?: Yenilik Sürecinin Başlangıç Aşamasına İlişkin Bir Analiz , Süleyman Demirel Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 1 (2), 67-81.
• Özgün, M., (2009). Bir Rekabet Stratejisi Olarak Yenilik, Çerçeve Dergisi, MÜSİAD Yayınları, İstanbul, Eylül 2009, s. 155.
• Paech, N. (2007), Directional certainty in sustainability-oriented innovation management, Innovations Towards Sustainability, pp. 121-139.
• Porter M. (1990). The Compititive Advantage of Nations, Macmillian, London.
• Xu, Q., Chen, J., Xie, Z., Liu, J., Zheng, G. and Wang, Y. (2007), Total innovation management: a novel paradigm of innovation management in the 21st century, The Journal of Technology Transfer, 32 (1), 9-25.
• Santos, L. L., Borini, F. M., de Miranda Oliveira, M., Rossetto, D. E., & Bernardes, R. C. (2020). Bricolage as capability for frugal innovation in emerging markets in times of crisis. European Journal of Innovation Management.
• Santos-Vijande, M.L., Álvarez-González, L. (2007). Innovativeness and organizational innovation in total quality oriented firms: the moderating role of market turbulence. Technovation 27 (9), 514–532.
• Savaşçı İ. ve Kazançoğlu Y. (2004). Firmaların Yenilik Yaratma Sürecinde Serbest Bölgelerin Rolü. 3. Bilgi, Ekonomi ve Yönetim Kongresi, İzmir, Türkiye.
• Schumpeter J. (1934). The Theory of Economic Development. London: Transaction Publishers.
• Şengün, M. (2009). Süreç inovasyonunun verimliliğe etkisi: bir uygulama. Yayınlanmamış Yüksek Lisans Tezi. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü.
• Sultan, S., & Sultan, W. I. (2020). Women MSMEs in times of crisis: challenges and opportunities. Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development.
• Tek, B., Ö. (1991). Pazarlama İlkeler ve Uygulamalar, İzmir.
• Trott, P. (2002). Innovation Management and New Product Development, Prentice Hall,, London.
• Wenzel, M., Stanske, S. and Lieberman, M.B. (2020), “Strategic responses to crisis”, Strategic Management Journal, doi: 10.1002/smj.3161.