So what keeps an institution or company from innovating?
Here are my theories?
1) Sunk Cost Fallacy – we already spent money on this and even though it sucks, we might as well use it.
2) Lack of knowledge that there’s a problem
3) Cost – this is huge, but I would say that in the 21st century, cost is no longer an issue. I’ve lately been dealing with event management software, so i googled “open source event management software” and came up with this. It’s completely free (and open source so easy to edit and improve). I would guarantee there’s an example of this for ANY type of software you’d like to replace. Exhibit A: Every office should be using google docs or open office or zoho and NEVER use Microsoft Office ever again. (btw, why is there not more social software out there to do things? just a question)
4) Staff is already familiar with old software – who cares really? I understand that this is important but it’s a joke to be worrying about this. If the old staff doesn’t want to learn, we can bring in new staff.
I’d love to hear some others, but this was just a quick brainstorm.
I’m not sure there is a lack of innovation, rather a very slow pace of innovation, especially at institutions with a top heavy management structure. That being said, I agree that items #1, #3, and #4 are inhibitors to progress.
I would expand #2 to include not only a lack of knowledge of a problem, but also to include lack of knowledge of better solutions. With the frenetic pace of work at student affairs offices, a problem may be perceived, but the lack of time and energy to research options allows inertia to prevail.
Well said about what causes institutions to not innovate. Good point about better solutions; I wouldn’t even really say that’s just a student affairs problem but an institutional problem. The quandary is that many of the people with the time and energy to research for new solutions are not in a position to implement said solutions. Irony!