ABSTRACT
The main idea of this chapter is to identify the conditions that contribute to the development of management tools and methods and support innovative solutions such as Innovation 4.0. In particular, it highlights the importance of (1) the process of decentralisation of management structures, (2) the development of self- and process management and (3) the creation of new types of organisations (such as consultancies and outsourcing companies). In addition, the chapter analyses the role of concepts such as benchmarking, inter-organisational cooperation, the agility of employees and companies and the agility of an innovative organisational environment.
Based on the above considerations, this chapter also attempts to answer the question of how useful the new management tools and methods are in times of the coronavirus pandemic, which is undoubtedly closely linked to an emerging management tool – agility. The hypothesis examined in this chapter assumes that Innovation 4.0 will serve to expand the institutionalisation of innovative business environments, develop inter-organisational cooperation networks that promote the creation of soft management factors, shape the agility of innovative organisations’ environments and promote the use of IT tools, including artificial intelligence.
It is assumed that inter-organisational networks, soft management factors, agility and computerisation are seen as tools, while outsourcing, benchmarking and self-management are seen as methods.
