Ahead of its time, IDEO’s shopping cart did not receive a positive feedback when initially designed and launched in 1998, as it did not made it into the stores at that stage. It did, however, entered the stores under a reshaped formula, but based on the IDEO’s prescribed formula, later on, hitting the large supermarkets like Carrefour. In this case, in terms of innovation, IDEO demonstrated visionary leadership, although the company was not later on the beneficiary of the success that its designed shopping cart registered. Looking at this situation from an entrepreneurial perspective, there can be stated that the shopping cart, as designed by IDEO, was successful, but not for IDEO, but for the company that took inspiration in its design, for supermarkets and for customers. All the stakeholders of the shopping cart had to win, except for IDEO. The company did not earn anything for its innovative design because it was ahead of its time and not accepted in 1998 when it was produced. Therefore, the shopping cart was not a successful invention for IDEO.
Moreover, the managerial style within IDEO is also ahead of its time, according to the examined video. In 1998 the team was experiencing the charismatic leadership style, wherein the team’s coordinator did not led, but influenced, motivated and infused passion for work to the team members. The innovation is enabled within IDEO team because the team members have very diverse individualities and cultural and professional backgrounds that allow them to think differently. Difference of opinion, distinct ways of perceiving things and situations, along with respect for the others’ views and ideas generate innovation. The video clearly shows how the team leader encourages diversity of opinion but also indicates that careful critics should not be confused with personal judgments (Roth, 2011).
The chaos was incorporated into the work process, generating a controlled chaos, specific to a free-spirited organizational behavior. In this working environment, employees experience the self-motivation and the urge to permanently overpass themselves, which is the attribute of self-actualization, a motivational level that increases organizational performance (sursa). From this point of view, I would hire IDEO for redesigning a product, as I would have 100% confidence in the fact that they would put passion, humor, commitment, hard work and especially innovation in delivering an excellent product. If in 1998 the shopping cart did not work it was also due to the fact that back then the world in general was more reluctant to change and to embracing new things. Nowadays it is different, as the world stepped into the future, embracing everything that is new and incomprehensible, for the pleasure and excitement of discovering the novelty.
Based on the video and on the article supporting it, I do not think that the shopping cart that IDOE designed was really ahead of its time. In terms of innovation it may have been, but in terms of utility it could have been immediately introduced into the shopping centers diversifying the shopping experience. The fact that it was not introduced was a failure, not the product itself. I do not believe that a product designed by IDEO should wait for years to catch. In case it would require time to be successive, I would still pay IDEO to generate an innovative product, because any innovation implies taking a risk.
References
Maslow, A. (1954) Motivation and personality. New York: Harper.
Roth, Y. (2011) The IDEO shopping cart (1998) wasn’t a failure, the concept was ahead of its time. Retrieved from http://yannigroth.com/2011/08/12/the-ideo-shopping-cart-1998-wasnt-a-failure-the-concept-was-just-ahead-of-its-time/.
