International Journal of Innovation 简介：The article addresses the integration of "innovation" and "active aging" strategies. The goal is to develop a framework that identifies the skills pertaining to mature workers in a context of innovation. It should also provide direction for public policies and corporate practices to take advantage of the innovation potential of this workforce. The "active aging" strategy could have a positive effect on the innovation capacity of industrialized countries. This strategy refers to a process aiming to optimize the conditions to improve the quality of life during old age. Borrowing from the Schumpeterian approach and based on the third edition of the Oslo Manual, the concept of innovation is broadened from the standard definition. Three stages of technological change are identified: invention, innovation, and diffusion. As a result, the innovation process involves more than science and technology activities. It includes peripheral activities, such as commercialization and innovation management. Very little is known about the impact of the aging workforce on innovation. If there is a relationship between age and innovation, it should appear at the macroeconomic level. Countries with a higher dependency ratio should demonstrate a lower technology intensity level. Correlating these indicators (that is, dependency ratio and technological intensity (R&D/GDP)) for some OECD countries, it is found that no relationship holds. Going further and examining countries for which cohorts of 45 years and older are more educated, there is no more significant inclination to innovation either. More emphasis on innovation skills is therefore essential to understand this relationship. Moreover, despite the popular belief that skills of the mature workforce tend to decline over time, research from many disciplines acknowledges that it is not the case. The cognitive atrophy would be more likely related to the exclusion of workers from the labour market than due to the obsolescence of their skills. Two categories of skills-fluid and crystallized-seem to decline at a different pace over time. While the first category is most likely to face an age-related decline, the second is resistant to the aging process. In this paper, we are wondering if the mature workforce owns specific and exclusive innovation skills. We assume that metacognitive abilities (that is, the combination of 'expert thinking' and 'complex communication') are relevant in the case of older workers and that they could play a strategic role in the innovation process. However, innovation skills are not fully understood and much work remains to be done to identify these skills. Too often, innovation skills are confused with foundational skills. The poor state of knowledge of innovation skills makes it difficult to assess the contribution of the aging population. On the basis of the Schumpeterian approach and the novelty concept from the Oslo Manual, we disaggregated innovation activities into three categories and provided a framework enabling the identification of skills related to these activities. It allows us to address the potential contribution of aging workers in very specific contexts. The first scenario refers to the generation of scientific and technological ideas leading to invention. Depending on either the incremental or radical nature of change that induces an invention, older scientists and engineers can play a substantial role in these activities. It refers to the "new-to-the-world" level of novelty concept. For example, one can mention applied mathematical reasoning skills to solve a vaiety of problems in the innovation process. The adoption and adaptation of technologies developed outside a firm are core activities of the second scenario, drawing on the "new-to-the-firm" concept of novelty. The adoption of Information and Communication Technologies in a firm is a good example of innovation activities involved in this scenario. Generally, an aging population is accused of being weakly endowed with these skills. Finally, the third scenario looks at management activities, such as human resources management, intellectual property marketing, and so on. An older population may have an advantage over younger people in these activities given the length of their experience. In any event, it appears that government and firms have a crucial role to play to encourage older workers to remain longer in the labour market. Some public policies and corporate initiatives that enable the retention of these workers in the labour market are outlined for each scenario. For example, many OECD countries reformed their pension system, one of the most popular incentives to keep the aging workforce active in the labour market. Lifelong learning strategy is another initiative developed by numerous countries that allows workers to maintain and develop skills during their careers. incentives for employers and employees are also worth considering for encouraging workers to attend training sessions, especially older workers for whom frequent discrimination due to age exists but must be prevented. Another initiative concerns the transfer of skills from one generation to another using mentoring or professional coaching, which consists of providing guidance in solving complex problems and acquiring knowledge and skills. OECD countries do not necessarily apply the same policies and programs. However, only a concerted strategy between workers, employers, and government in a specific country can suppress the barriers and increase incentives to encourage older workers to continue working and contribute to innovation.

International Journal of Innovation 简介：Drivers of changes in the present economic reality are globalisation, innovative technologies, competition, and new types of customer behaviour. As a result of these processes previous concepts of and methods for company management become insufficient. To gain competitive advantage in the market it is necessary to take more into consideration of such aspects as human resources development, knowledge transfer, and enhancement of customer loyalty. The aim of this article is to present results of research on the changes in the Polish sawmilling industry in the field of management, organisation, and marketing. Surveys and interviews with experts carried out in 2006 and 2008 were main research methods. Modern management systems and organisational structures encountered in Polish sawmilling companies stem to a great extent from specific features of this industry which encompass great dispersion of and dominance of microenterprises (around 9 thousand business entities, including over 90% with employment of up to 9 people). At the same time this industry is of great economic importance - it produces 9.7% of sold production of traditionally defined wood industry (including furniture) and employs 34 thousand people. After a deep crisis at the end of 1990s the economic situation of the industry improved in the period 2006 2008 - in 2007 the industry was characterised by one of the highest growth dynamics amongst the industries of the wood sector. From conducted research it follows that in the Polish sawmilling industry bigger companies, most often having a considerable share of foreign capital, are generally more open to innovative management concepts and techniques. In such companies management is made up of specialist in the field of economics and management more often than in small companies, whereas in smaller firms traditional techniques of company management are used the oftenest, whilst not in all cases this is so because of deliberate action of the management. Moreover, generally in microenterprises the owner himself manages the resources of the organisation, decides the goals of the enterprise and methods for their attainment. On the basis of research it may be stated that part of sawmilling companies regularly streamline their organisational structures (of over 100 surveyed sawmilling firms every third company streamlined its organisational structure in last 5 years), although this is not a common phenomenon. However in the surveyed companies a centralised decision-making structure is dominant which means that there is lack of characteristic of modern organisation "democratisation" of management and "flattening" of organisational structures. Until now full implementation of such modern concepts as: knowledge management, comprehensive quality management, innovation management, lean management, reengineering, benchmarking, time-based management, or coopetition, was not observed in the Polish sawmilling industry. However application of some actions specific to these ideas might be observed. In the context of knowledge management the research showed that not many sawmilling companies have continuous programmes of employee training which significantly limits development of these organisations. In the sphere of quality management every third sawmilling company has an organisational unit responsible for quality, which is a positive phenomenon. However still not all the producers see the necessity of having ISO certificates. With reference to changes in the innovation sphere it was observed that hardly ever sawmilling companies have in their organisation structure units responsible for innovations, R&D, and implementation of new technologies. In recent years new investment have been most often connected with machinery, whereas outlay on purchase of licences, patents or new technologies has been small. Moreover, the research shows that Polish sawmills more and more often change their production profile to further processed products of higher added value. Post-sale service has also been increasing or its scope has been broadened, which evidences modern approach to management in which the client and his loyalty is the most important. The stronger consumer orientation is reflected mainly by the fact that most sawmilling companies create and maintain a permanent network of consumers and have system of preferences for their regular customers. At the same time product promotion, most often over the Internet, is a key marketing technique. This way of communication is most advantageous to big sawmills or sawmills specialising in the production of unique goods. The following factors can be found amongst other factors which have a bearing on winning and keeping the clients: offer of high quality products, low price, unique design, supply on time, and possibility of complaint. However it is a disadvantage that regular marketing research is relatively seldom conducted in sawmilling companies. Some other forms of activity characteristic of modern management trends were observed in the sawmilling industry as well. The examples of such activities include: reduction of poduction area and standardisation (features of lean management), setting company's priorities and strategy by comparison with the best companies and adaptation of the model practice (benchmarking), commissioning or subcontracting of selected work packages within the framework of continuous cooperation (outsourcing). On the basis of research and declared intentions of management it may be assumed that in the future the variety and scale of modern management practices application in sawmilling companies will grow.

International Journal of Innovation 简介：The current commodity market characterizes by high competition. Each commodity tends to attract the attention of consumers and its product. Competition is forcing manufacturers to develop innovative, environmentally friendly packaging, able to represent the product in the market. Innovative activity is one of the main elements of most modern businesses, since innovation can be the driving force behind the progressive changes that need to be managed with the help of marketing strategic management. One of the marketing concepts, packaging isolated as the fifth component of the marketing mix, so it is an important element as a commodity, and the whole enterprise, especially innovative activity. It is very important in the design of a new product determined with packaging that will distinguish it from the other, attract the attention of consumers, providing a more effective commercialization of innovation and creating an optimal system of distribution. The aim of this article. The purposes of this work are to analyze the nature, functions and requirements for packaging, to make the appropriate systematization of these approaches, to identify the role of packaging in the process of innovative activities and distribution of goods. Also the authors offer own methodological tools of packaging that integrates the work of manufacturers (designers, graphic designers) and marketers. The results of the analysis. Packaging is the final process of creating a competitive product in the distribution system and effective tool to influence consumers. The authors analyzed the basic concept of \"packaging\" and highlighted approaches to its treatment, namely: 1) in terms of logistics and merchandise; 2) marketing; 3) communication with the consumer. There have been systematized and the basic functions of packaging in terms of logistics and marketing functions mapped and packaging requirements (reliability, environmental friendliness, safety, compatibility, interchangeability, aesthetics, economic efficiency). The role of packaging in the process of innovation management and distribution of goods is identified. Main stages of work on developing packaging are proposed and disclosed in detail: 1) familiarize with the activities of the manufacturer of the goods; 2) familiarization with the product for packaging will be developed; 3) study the major trends in the packaging of the product; 4) analysis of competitors; 5) analysis standard packaging products; 6) study of consumer preferences on the outside of packaging products; 7) the development and delivery of technical specifications; 8) financial and economic evaluation of packaging; 9) the development of the goods packaging; 10) production test batch of packages; 11) assessment of packaging products; 12) identify possible ways to improve packaging and amendments to its production; 13) production of packaging. The developed approach, in our opinion, is more appropriate for use in the real world because the work allows for marketers, designers and constructors, which increases the efficiency of packaging product creation. Use advanced form of the specification, which is more convenient due to the consolidation of divisions and detail of the information necessary for marketers. The authors determine that the terms of reference must contain the following major sections: objective development package; detailed information about the product, which may influence the choice of material for packaging; basic requirements for packaging; marking packages; to-market strategy; other requirements and suggestions. Conclusions and directions of further researches. Thus, the packaging of goods increasingly influences consumers, so marketers should influence the process of creating the package. Packaging is the final process of creating a competitive product in the distribution system and effective tool to influence consumers. Further research appropriate conduct in line with the practical application of the proposed approach.

International Journal of Innovation 简介：The aim of the article. The aim of the article is to clarify the ways of innovative development improvement and to update its components in order to improve the innovation\'s commercialization process in industrial market; it is based on necessarily of criteria and indicators system developing which is supposed to evaluate effectiveness of innovative developments, to find ways and tools how to increase the level of its implementation, etc. The results of the analysis. The development of a modern economy is characterized by intensification of globalization, integration economic extending and becomes more dependent on the ideas of generation efficient, researches and innovative products commercialization. Implementation of innovative developments in the priority sectors of the economy is becoming one of the most important backgrounds for sustainable development. Management of the innovative implementation must be focus on effective innovation implementation on the industrial market and to predict the impact of negative factors. The most challenging aspect of this process is operational identify problems that arise at each stage of innovation. Thus, the implementation of the innovation process is impossible without using the system of criteria and indicators for evaluating effectiveness of innovation, which is suggested in the article. The study produced the following results: main directions of the innovation effectiveness process within the modern scientific markets were observed; problems of the innovation implementation in the industrial management context were analyzed; system of criteria and indicators in the context of the effects of its implementation was proposed. It allows evaluating the effectiveness of innovative development, and provides the ability to identify not only strategic alternatives but also the ways to improve the process of introducing innovations in the industrial market. Successful implementation of innovation facilitates helps to coordinate the economic interests of the innovation process members. That is why it is so important to count on market interests and impacts every each of them. That is why for innovative process evaluation it is strongly recommended to use the system of criteria and indicators, which involves assessment of economic, environmental, social, organizational, managerial and marketing efficiency. It makes it possible to measure innovation implementation results, which based on typical parameters for each effect. Main issues of research, which show its scientific news, are about criteria and indicators systematization which helps to evaluate innovation efficiency implementation and to identify the week links in the innovation process. The proposed system of criteria and indicators evaluating effectiveness of innovation allows using a set of indicators that take into account the interests of the innovation process to obtain the final result to improve the mechanism for implementation of innovation management and adjustment of the market introduction of innovations industrial market. Conclusions and directions of further researches. Methodological evaluation of effectiveness of innovation involves the practical application of robust algorithms, methods and models. The system of criteria and indicators for innovation effectiveness evaluating is standardized and can be used in the management of innovation of industrial enterprises. The system provides a maximum consideration of features of object management, it involves the interests of participants in the innovation process in order to choose strategic alternatives to the successful implementation of innovation.