Creativity and Innovation Management - Core Competencies and Competitive Advantage

Following is a brief definition of core competencies and competitive advantage and their fit with creativity and innovation management.

Core Competence:

A core competence is one which critically underpins the organisation's competitive advantage. Companies can differentiate themselves from their competitors with specific core competencies, but often not for long. The differentiation is difficult to sustain and can often be imitated by competitors.

The integration (and attainment) of constituent skills that is the distinguishing mark of a core competence, is achieved and sustained through developing strong dynamic capabilities, particularly in a world of innovation based competition.

Competitive Advantage:

Whilst a core competence is a source of competitive advantage, not all competitive advantages arise from core competencies. Often seemingly unassailable advantages prove transitory because of a change of underlying factors. The very existence of competitive advantage sets in motion creative innovations that, as competitors strive to level the playing field, cause the advantage to dissipate.

Recognition of, and adaptation, to change is thus a pre-requisite of successful strategy. For many organisations, the only truly sustainable advantage comes from out-innovating the competition.

These topics are covered in depth in the MBA dissertation on Managing Creativity & Innovation, which can be purchased (along with a Creativity and Innovation DIY Audit, Good Idea Generator Software and Power Point Presentation) from http://www.managing-creativity.com. You can also receive a regular, free newsletter by entering your email address at this site.

You are free to reproduce this article as long as no changes are made and the author's name and site URL are retained.

Kal Bishop MBA, is a management consultant based in London, UK. He has consulted in the visual media and software industries and for clients such as Toshiba and Transport for London. He has led Improv, creativity and innovation workshops, exhibited artwork in San Francisco, Los Angeles and London and written a number of screenplays. He is a passionate traveller. He can be reached on http://www.managing-creativity.com.

---

The Leadership Alignment Model

Some time ago we had the privilege of working with... Read More

Productivity Through Positive Reinforcement

Most people just want to be appreciated. If you're a... Read More

The Dog That Didnt Bark

A few weeks ago, after consultations with others in an... Read More

Increase In-House Nursing Homes Collections

The following nursing home collections report outlines 11 guidelines you... Read More

The Top 10 Things They Don?t Teach You In Business School

Here are 10 subjects that academia should be teaching their... Read More

How to Attract and Retain the Right People

If you're one of the many executives struggling with finding... Read More

Business Innovation ? Status Games

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Look Good on Voice Mail

Your use of voice mail tells others a lot about... Read More

Organizational Culture, Creativity, Innovation

It can be concluded with great certainty that certain organizational... Read More

Selecting Top Talent: Improve Your Batting Average

I recently gave a presentation to a group of business... Read More

How to Create a Trusting Manager-Employee Relationship

BUILDING TRUST AS A MANAGER: 1. Be reliable. Follow through... Read More

This Old Business

Not long ago I was asked to come out and... Read More

Business Innovation ? Improvisation

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

What is Knowledge Management Anyway?

When you think of all the things companies have, you... Read More

The Email Trap

If you sit at a computer for most of the... Read More

Conference Calling Can Save Your Sales OrganizationTime and Money!

Conference calling can save you money. There is no doubt... Read More

Knowledge Management - Leadership Behaviours Which Encourage Knowledge-Sharing

The concept of knowledge management or knowledge sharing makes intellectual... Read More

Project Management - The Traveling Product Manager

Various studies ? and common sense ? indicate that involving... Read More

Popular Business Misconceptions Cost You Money!

Faulty information costs you money! Which of these popular business... Read More

Loyalty, Motivation And Work-Life Balance

Managers who aren't loyal to their people can't expect loyalty... Read More

Understanding Every Aspect of Your Organization

GET TO KNOW YOUR ORGANIZATION: If you don't understand an... Read More

Behavioral Interview Questions You Can Use Monday Morning

If past behavior is the best way to determine future... Read More

Why Half of All Mergers Fail After the Honeymoon Ends

Marriages and corporate mergers in America have at least one... Read More

Performance Management - Getting The Most Out of Your Employees

Managing for Best PerformanceIn it's simplest form, performance management is... Read More

The Changing Boss-Secretary Relationship

THE CHANGING BOSS-SECRETARY RELATIONSHIP: Imagine a partnership at work. One... Read More

How to Get the Best from Outsourcing

There's a great little article ('Business Lifeforms') on... Read More

Bar Charts Brought to Life: Index of Interactive Information for HTML and PDF

Bar Charts and the Information ChallengeWhether one is an unknown... Read More

Organizational Capital in Politics, War, Sports and Business

Intangible Corporate Assets such as Organizational Capital, Blue Sky and... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management: The Creative State

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Creativity and Innovation Management ? Psychological Reward

Creativity can be defined as problem identification and idea generation... Read More

Power of Pinpointing Accountability

I have always said that if I were to write... Read More

Creativity and Innovation - Large Firms Versus Small Firms

There is a pervasive assumption that small firms are more... Read More

When Business Becomes A Battlefield

"We have to be careful it's like a minefield out... Read More