ABSTRACT
Organizational culture plays a significant role in innovation creation and continuous improvement. This culture is normally deeply embedded in organization's core values and employees' behavior and personalities. Von Stamm identifies experimentation, collaboration and competition, fun and focus, and commitment to innovation as four main characteristics that promote innovation culture. Continuous improvement known as kaizen culture in Lean manufacturing terminology enables an organization and its employees to adapt a set of philosophies, principles, and tools toward improving operations, products, and services. Changing the culture of the department may take a year or so but still relatively easier when compared to changing the culture of the entire organization, which may take years, or even decades, depending on the size of the organization and deeply rooted existing culture. Despite having technical knowledge and expertise on innovation and continuous improvement developing the right culture in an organization to be able to embark and engage on these activities is equally important to guarantee their success.
