Creating organizational innovations in countries in transition using Finnish change laboratory: A case study from Serbia

Abstract

The Finnish Change Laboratory intervention method has been used in several Western countries to support innovation and learning within organizations. This study explored the applicability of the Change Laboratory method to work activities in Eastern European transition economies. The case of a Change Laboratory project at a Serbian publishing house was examined and discussed. The Change Laboratory led to a clear break from previous models and resulted in a new, much more efficient model of work organization based on teams. The studied publishing house can be characterized as an innovator within a relatively laggard industry. This characteristic increased the Serbian publisher's potential for developing 'learning partnerships' with publishing activities in EU Member States. These 'learning partnerships' enabled appropriate Western concepts to be found that could be used as stimuli to develop a new model of work for the publishing house during the Change Laboratory.