Barriers of Employee-driven Innovation in a Small Retail Store

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to study barriers that limit employee-driven innovation (EDI) in a small retail store from the employees’ perspective. In recent years, research on EDI has gained more attention, but the existing literature is still relatively limited. By focusing on EDI barriers, this study supports organisations in identifying their obstacles and improving their innovation practices. Understanding the barriers that limit innovativeness is not only important for the store itself, but also for its employees, as the findings can help them become more innovative, resulting in improved customer and employee satisfaction as well as better support for innovativeness from managers in organisations. This qualitative study was conducted in K-Market Neulamuikku, a small retail store in Kuopio, Finland.The interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis to outline barriers from the gathered data.