Innovation Management in the Globalized Digital Society

Innovation is by far the trendiest management issue nowadays and the rhetoric of innovation has reached every sector of the economy and society, as well. Increasing competitiveness implies economic change through the introduction of new technologies and new methods of production, as well as, the development of new skills. Innovation is the core of this process. Innovation management is focused on the systematic processes that organizations use to develop new and improved products, services and business processes. It involves development of creative ideas within the organization and the networked environment. Focusing on the management of innovation implies also the management of talents among the employees. The knowledge captured in new technologies and processes has led to growth and competitiveness. Developing knowledge-based society requires adequate levels of investment in research, development, education, as well as creating a favorable environment for innovation. Reengineering in terms of innovation has helped many companies to improve their productivity and consequently to grow in competitiveness. Hereby we discuss the management of innovation in the circumstances of market globalization, digital revolution, and dynamic development of technology, products and services. Management of innovation is a complex task of leadership that aims at a systemic process of change throughout strategic and operational approaches. In this paper we discuss a model of innovation management based on the analysis of the driving forces of change and a framework in which domain and problem definition play an important role. The paper presents also the National Innovation Systems with a special view of Romania's position within the European Union in terms of innovation. (C) 2014 Published by Elsevier Ltd.