The Key Attributes of An Innovative Organisation

Article by Staff writer BSc/MSc 18/01/2026

In their seminal 1982 work, In Search of Excellence, Tom Peters and Robert Waterman identified eight key attributes that characterised "excellent" and innovative organisations. Moving beyond the rational model of management that relied heavily on rigid structure and quantitative analysis, they proposed a more human-centric, fluid approach to business. From a design thinking and psychological perspective, the attributes focus on reducing the friction of bureaucracy and fostering a culture where experimentation is the primary driver of growth.  

Attributes:

1. A Bias for Action: A preference for getting on with it rather than analysis paralysis. Organisations focus on rapid prototyping and trying it rather than lengthy committee meetings. Insight: The attribute reduces the fear of failure by reframing work as a series of low stakes experiements.  

2. Close to the customer: Learning from the people served. Innovation is driven by deep empathy and regular interaction with the end user. This is the emphasis stage; innovation is the byproduct of solving genuine user pain points