Can Innovation Survive Virtual Teams and Outsourcing?

by Carl Adams

Innovation is important for economic development at a national level and for business survival at a corporate level. However, if the trend toward global virtual activity and outsourcing continues, then we are heading for an overall slowdown in innovation as the corporate problem space is outsourced and virtual working practices raise barriers to collaboration and problem sharing.

In this Executive Update, I suggest some ways corporations can support innovation in an outsourced virtual environment.