MIT Sloan Management Review Article on Driving Remote Innovation Through Conflict and Collaboration

To stimulate and refine ideas for innovation, organizations have traditionally relied on the energy of face-to-face, copresent teams collaborating both formally and informally in meetings, cubicles, and corridors, and at watercoolers. The dynamic energy created by copresence is considered critical for embedding innovation into an organization’s workplace culture. But after the pandemic-driven mass exodus from the office and the transition to remote work, leaders need to understand how they can embed innovation in remote teams.

Early in the pandemic, of necessity, organizations emphasized business continuity and scaled up their existing capabilities to manage teams remotely. The seemingly insurmountable challenge — delivering results without copresent office-based teams — was met with surprising success. Productivity increased in many organizations; for example, Oracle improved productivity by 20% to close its monthly books within 24 hours for the first time.

About the Author

Esther Tippmann (@esthertippmann) is a professor of strategy at the National University of Ireland, Galway. Pamela Sharkey Scott, a professor of strategy and international business at Dublin City University, centers her research, teaching, and advisory services on how organizational leaders develop and implement strategy across multinational corporations. Mark Gantly (@markgantly) is an adjunct professor of management at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

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