Organizing and Managing Innovation: Threadless Case Study

This report provides a comprehensive analysis of Threadless's innovation strategies and management practices. It begins with a strategic summary of the organization, highlighting its market position and consumer-driven approach. The report then delves into the innovative aspects of Threadless, particularly its visual merchandising and customer service, and how these elements contribute to its success. It explores the types of innovation dominant within the organization, including service and social innovation, and examines how Threadless organizes and manages the implementation of these strategies, such as gathering information, evaluating competitive advantages, and fostering a collaborative community. The case study highlights the importance of adaptability, customer feedback, and integrated innovation systems in maintaining a competitive edge in the market. The report also discusses Threadless's leadership style, emphasizing a participative approach and the ability to handle crises effectively. Overall, the report offers valuable insights into how Threadless leverages innovation to expand its business and achieve its goals.

Running head: ORGANIZING AND MANAGING INNOVATION
Organizing and Managing Innovation
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author’s Note

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ORGANIZING AND MANAGING INNOVATION
Topic: Organizing and Managing Innovation
With the dynamic change progress of civilization the business organizations tend to
change their strategy and policy for the purpose of expansion. In order to expand the entire
process of business in the international market the organizations have to render innovation
techniques to achieve a different image and recognition. However, this very specific study has
focused to evaluate on how various types of innovation technologies help an organization in
expanding the entire process of business in multinational countries. The overarching concept of
innovation strategy lies on the advancement of services by investing large amount of money for
improving the entire service quality. In order to know the current trend of market the research
and development experts usually tend to focus on conducting an effective research by making an
effective communication with the customers. As a result, the organization gets to know the
current needs and demands of the customers. In order to make an effective competitive
advantage the organization focuses to implement different innovations within technology as well
as service process. However, this very specific study has focused to make an in-depth evaluation
on how Threadless has rendered innovation within the business services for expanding their
entire process of business in different geographical boundaries. After making an effective
evaluation from the case study Threadless it has been observed that this specific organization is
hugely successful iconic consumer driven company. Headquartered in US this specific
organization has rendered different fashionable t-shirts that have created a trademark for the
organization.
1. Strategic summary of organization:

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Threadless is a Chicago based retail brand especially known for digitally print designs
and colorful garments for men, women as well as children (threadless. 2017). In order to
give a constant market threat Threadless always tends to apply new strategy and policy to draw
the attention of customers. Threadless has always remained as one of the most prestigious retail
chains occupying a predominant place in the realm of supermarket industry. With the effective
service effort of large number of employees this specific organization has been considered as
World’s familiar retail brand especially worthy for young generations. People belonging to
different geographical boundaries are interest in purchasing their products and services of
Threadless due to the implementation of technological innovation along with innovation in its
service process. As per the point of view of Schiederig, Tietze and Herstatt (2012), the primary
purpose of implementing innovation strategy is to win the attention of customers belonging to
different geographical boundaries as well as attitudes.
Before launching the products in the market the research and development team of
Threadless has collected feedback from the customers in order to know the current market
demands. After conducting an effective market review it has been observed that customers are
interested not only on the product design but also in the product features (Bucherer, Eisert and
Gassmann 2012). The emergence of Threadless has rendered a new taste in wearing fashionable
clothes. In addition, Threadless has rendered innovation in the business leadership as well so
that internal employees can perform well for maintaining the product as well as service quality.
This very specific study has focused to make an effective evaluation on how Threadless renders
innovation method in the leadership style as well. As per the point of view of Volberda, Van Den
Bosch and Hei (2013), a specific form of leadership style within the organization may not help
the business experts to get best performances from the employees. The business leaders of

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Threadless believe the same. As per organizational structure and ethical beliefs of Threadless
the business leaders never intend to follow a specific form of leadership style at the workplace.
The decision that the business leaders of this organization intends to take is based on the
situation. Generally, the business leaders of Threadless intend to follow participative form of
leadership style at the workplace. Employees are not forced to follow a specific rule at the
workplace. Managers tend to give flexibility to the employees for showing their own point of
view regarding the business goal (Brentani and Reid 2012). As a result, employees intend to
provide their best endeavor for rendering the success of business. On the other hand, the business
experts sometimes have to face innumerable difficulties in handling the sudden crisis. However,
in order to overcome this kind of business crisis the leaders have to take immediate decision
without informing the employees (Candelin-Palmqvist, Sandberg and Mylly 2012). This very
specific study has focused to make an in-depth evaluation on how the transformation form of
leadership can help the business experts of Threadless for handling the sudden crisis of business
coming on behalf of customers as well as employees.
2. What makes this organization innovative in the marketplace?
Visual merchandise is one of the most innovative features of Threadless due to which
the organization has created a major impression in the mind of global customers (Tidd and
Bessant 2014). The overarching concept of visual merchandise implies that retail organizations
in order to attract the attention of customers intend to develop the floor plans as well as
dimensional display for maximizing the rate of sales. Implementation of visual merchandise
helped Threadless to highlight their goods and services both. In addition, Threadless has
rendered a department of refurbishment for handling the customers complaints in a better way.

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However, in order to overcome this particular crisis Threadless business experts have decided to
launch an additional department of refurbishment. After receiving the complaints’ the quality
analysts tend to verify the authenticity of that particular complaint. If the quality analysts feel a
genuine issue highlighted by the customers the experts are ready to repair the product defect
(Laperche and Picard 2013). As a result, customers do not trust their faith on the brand even after
receiving defective products. However, after receiving a major threat from its competitors, the
business experts of Threadless have also rendered some innovative strategies and policies within
the services that made them different from other brands.
Atalay, Anafarta and Sarvan (2013) stated that the primary objective of research and
development team is to gather necessary feedback from the customers. After gathering necessary
feedback the business quality analysts tend to identify why most of the target customers are
getting dissatisfied in the product as well as service process. However, this very specific study
focuses to make an in-depth evaluation on how the business experts of Threadless have
implemented integrated innovation system within the business policy. The primary purpose of
this very specific strategy aims to communicate with the external stakeholders to collect their
feedback (Nagano, Stefanovitz and Vick 2014). This particular assembly helps the business
experts in getting an effective solution from customers’ end as well. It has been observed that
customers do not get the scope to directly communicate with the business experts. As a result,
the customers intend to give their effective feedback with the help of new media, digital media
and so on. However, this very specific initiative helps the organization immensely in making a
direct feedback from the customers. As a result, the business experts as well get the scope in
reforming their business strategy and policy (Vishnevskiy, Karasev and Meissner 2015).

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Customers would like to pay their interest in purchasing new products and services from
Threadless.
Collaborative community is primarily governed by social norms. In order to get good
performances from the business employees the managers of Threadless have decided to render
the concept of agile work environment to make the employees free from heavy work pressure.
Threadless has recruited employees from different geographical and cultural backgrounds and
attitudes (Kasemsap 2014). Therefore, the managers have to face innumerable barriers such as
linguistic barriers, cultural barriers and psychological barriers and so on. Agile work
environment enables the employees to make their sitting arrangement in a flexible manner. An
individual employee can sit beside a person with whom that individual employee is flexible.
3. What type of innovation is dominant in this organization?
Innovation is primarily constituted with six major types that include service innovation,
open innovation, social innovation, user innovation and business model innovation. Service
innovation implies using innovative service delivery process in order to draw the attention of
customers (Martín-de Castro 2015). While dealing with the entire process of business
Threadless has decided to change their service design. The employees of customer service
system are from different geographical backgrounds and attitudes. As a result, Threadless has
decided to recruit those employees who are having various cultural attributes. As a result, the
customers from different religion do not face hesitated in using the service process of
Threadless. Social innovation is the systematic initiative that the business experts intend to
follow innovative social activities for rendering the organizational image and goodwill.

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Threadless business experts have taken ample of environmental activities after being
associated with the government. These kinds of corporate social innovation helped the brand in
reaching the doorstep of international customers (Bernardo 2014). Social innovation is one of the
most effective strategies and policies that Threadless business experts have implemented for
drawing the attention of global customers. Open innovation is the paradigm that ensures that
firms can use advancement of technology in exposing the external ideas as well as internal ideas.
Threadless being one of the most prestigious brands in the US market the business experts have
already achieved immense recognition for their advancement off technology.
Business model innovation is all about creating new concepts and ideas within the
organization with the help of which people belonging to different geographical markets get
attracted for using the services (Akintoye, Goulding and Zawdie 2012).
However, after evaluating several types of innovation strategies used by Threadless it
can be concluded that social innovation is one of the most effective business strategies that
Threadless intends to follow for gaining organizational goodwill (Vasconcellos and Morel
2012). Maintaining community relationship, using diversity management at the workplace,
implementation of environmental activities along with the government are the several initiatives
that the business experts of Threadless has already taken for drawing the attention of customers
from international backgrounds.
4. How does this organization organize and manage the implementation of innovation
In order to implement the mentioned innovation strategies Threadless follows some of
the major strategies and policies. Gathering information is one of the most effective strategies
and policies that the business experts tend to focus. After gathering effective information about

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the current needs and demands of market the business experts of Threadless focuses on
implementing innovation. Research and development team takes major initiatives in
communicating with the customers. As a result, the business experts get to know which kinds of
strategies the executives should follow. While gathering information the research and
development team was facing innumerable communication barriers while interacting with the
customers (Bogers and West 2012). However, after facing these kinds of difficulties the experts
have decided to attend an effective training and development session with the help of which the
employees can develop their communication skill. After gathering information the business
experts intend to evaluate whether the organization is having the capability of implementing this
innovation plan. In many cases, it has been observed that Threadless in order to compete with
other competitors decided to render integrated innovation strategy with the business process for
communicating with the customers directly. After gathering feedback the business experts
evaluate whether organization has the capability of implementing business strategy or not.
Evaluating competitive advantage is one of the most effective ways of implementing
plans (Tidd and Bessant 2014). With the help of analyzing competitive advantage the business
experts have collected data regarding the strategies and market demand of other organization as
well. Threadless while making environmental activities has drawn the attention of international
customers. The target consumers belonging to other geographical boundaries showed their
interest in purchasing products of Threadless. Therefore, making innovation strategy within the
business process is highly important to create different market value amidst large number of
competitors. Threadless has introduced a tight quality control with the help of which people
belonging to different psychology can give an approach for refurbishing the product.
Refurbishment department with the help of tight quality control system is playing an effective

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role (Atalay, Anafarta and Sarvan 2013). The primary objective of this specific department is to
resolve the customers’ issues. After receiving the complaints the employees intend to make a
research and development process. Customers after getting effective services from the quality
control team tend to show their positive approach in using the products of Threadless.
Implementation of tight quality control system is highly effective for maintaining business
reputation of Threadless.
Designing an environment for customers’ hang out is most effective strategy that has
been implemented within the business process. After achieving a huge response large number of
customers especially young generation wishes to visit Threadless store for viewing the products
and its visual merchandise rather than purchasing it. Threadless stores are flexible enough in
allowing the outsiders for observing their products (Tidd and Bessant 2014). As a result, the
customers without any hesitation can enter inside the store. This kind of hang out system is very
much innovative for expanding its brand image beyond going the regional backgrounds and
areas.
In order to maintain business sustainability amidst the huge market threat organizations
intend to apply innovation strategy for creating a continuous market demand. This specific study
has provided deep insight on how the business experts of Threadless after rendering innovation
in their products as well as services have expanded their recognition in the global market.
Threadless is considered as one of the most prestigious brands occupying a predominant place
in the retail industry all over the World. The customer of Threadless is surrounded with different
geographical boundaries due to its innovative product features as well as delivery process.

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By implementing integration system the business experts of Threadless has focused to
make a direct communication with the customers. As a result, customers get a scope in sowing
their own point of view regarding the products as well as services. The study focuses to make a
critical discussion on the different kinds of innovation strategies and policies. Different eminent
scholars have expressed their own opinion regarding the pros and cons of various innovations.
The business experts of Threadless like to follow specific strategy for implementing those
innovations. The essay has focused to make critical evaluation on how the innovations are
applied within the business process.

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