An assessment of strategic innovation on organisational growth: a case study of Siyanda Union Mine Ivan concentrator

Abstract

The key objective of the research was to assess the impact of strategic innovation on organizational growth using the case of Siyanda Union Mine, a platinum mine in Limpopo province, South Africa. The study focused on the following objectives: to assess the impact of strategic innovation on the growth of an organization, to analyze the impact of strategic innovation on product quality, to investigate the impact of strategic innovation on organizational productivity, to design a strategic innovation model that enhances productivity and growth. Literature review showed that strategic innovation is about creating new value to satisfy the customer needs and also brings sustainability and growth to the organization. The proper implementation of strategic innovation variables of strategy, strategic management, innovation and innovation capability leads to organizational growth. Empirical studies in Europe, USA, Nigeria and locally shows that organizations should implement strategic innovation as means of gaining sustainable performance and growth. The study adopted interpretivism a qualitative approach research philosophy which enabled use of qualitative method. A case study design was adopted for this research. A sample of size of 20 managers was drawn from a population of 36 using purposive sampling. The study made use of both primary and secondary data. The secondary data was obtained using an interview guide. The thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences software was also used to measure regression and correlation of variables. The study revealed that the economic challenges of low production, poor product quality and high operating costs faced by the organization can be mitigated through companywide implementation of strategic innovation. The study recommends the training and development of Siyanda Union Mine employees on areas of strategic innovation which are strategy development, innovation, strategic management and innovation capability. The study also further recommends the supporting of managers of the organization to develop and implement developed strategic innovation model.