At head of title: Executive summary.
"This Executive Summary is based on The Conference Board's Research Report, Making Innovation Work: From Strategy to Practice, which explores innovation through the results of a survey of executives at 100 companies during 2002 and 2003. Surveys were mailed to three different groups: senior strategy and R&D executives, human resource and knowledge management leaders, and marketing and R&D executives. The report also contains comments from follow-up interviews with representatives from a dozen firms and an extensive review of recent business literature. Although business process innovation and product/service improvement are currently primary concerns, about 70 percent of the participants say that over the next few years they will also stress identifying new customer segments and lines of business, formulating new business strategies, and creating entirely new products, services, or solutions. This study also examines how executives are making the business case for greater innovation, dealing with cultural issues, creating support mechanisms, organizing teams, and measuring success."