Replicating Innovation in Global Offices

A Successful Experiment in the U.S.

It made sense. A large high-technology company had established an innovation center in one of their U.S. offices where employees were entrepreneurial, engaged, excited to come to work, and as a result were quickly developing new ideas for customer-facing products.

Scaling Success Globally

So the firm wanted to replicate that success in other places, namely India and China. Leaders from the U.S. held week-long workshops designed to expose workers at the China and India sites to the U.S.-developed practices of rapid development cycles, user-centered design, and collaboration in an open office layout. Leaders also provided the sites with detailed instructions on how to implement these new practices.

A Year-Long Immersion in India

They even sent one of the U.S. employees to work on site in India for a year. This immersive experience allowed the employee to share knowledge and expertise, as well as gain a deeper understanding of the Indian culture and work environment.

Results and Conclusion

The experiment was a success. The India and China offices began to see similar levels of innovation and engagement as the U.S. office. The company was able to leverage the best practices from around the world, creating a more collaborative and innovative global workforce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What were the key practices implemented in the U.S. office?

A: Rapid development cycles, user-centered design, and collaboration in an open office layout.

Q: How did the company ensure the success of the experiment in India and China?

A: The company held week-long workshops, provided detailed instructions, and sent a U.S. employee to work on site in India for a year.

Q: What were the results of the experiment?

A: The India and China offices began to see similar levels of innovation and engagement as the U.S. office.