Innovation and all that jazz: an exploration of jazz as a medium for learning about innovation

摘要

The research study discussed in this paper is centrally concerned withudperception and understanding of innovation and association with the conceptudin small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). lt is with particular referenceudto jazz, as a metaphor for innovation, that the concept is examined and anudexploration of the effectiveness of the jazz metaphor therefore represents audcore focus for this study.udlt is within the overarching 'Year of Innovation' programme delivered by theudUniversity of Gloucestershire during 2004-5, that this study is located. Theud'Innovation through Jazz' component of this programme involved the use ofudlive jazz within interactive workshops delivered with Gloucestershire SMEs.udThe author was involved in the design and delivery of these workshops andudthese engagements provided a useful forum for exploration of innovation andudthe jazz metaphor.udThe author approached this study from an interpretivist worldview, adopting audprimarily qualitative methodological approach for this essentially exploratoryudstudy. The author used mixed methods in her research, making particular useudof semi-structured interviews, observation and questionnaires. The resultantuddata set incorporated data of both a qualitative and quantitative nature,udtriangulated to provide rich insight into perceptions and understanding ofudinnovation and the effectiveness of the jazz metaphor as well as into audnumber of issues around employment relations in small firms.udGiven the diversity of small firms as well as of the individuals within them, theudauthor does not attempt to make generalisations from her findings. Thisudexploratory study does however provide new insight into the effectiveness ofudthe jazz metaphor, applied in the specific context of small firm innovation.