Enhancing the Culture of Innovation in a Department of Transportation

Effective innovation deployment is important because delay during implementation can have adverse consequences that include wasted labor, wasted energy, and wasted material resources. Enhancing the culture of innovation combined with clear performance standards at Minnesota Department of Transportation (DOT) will improve the ability to maintain roadways and other transportation assets across Minnesota. Better performing roadways are expected to increase the public’s confidence in our stewardship and increase the public’s willingness to provide additional transportation investment through increased taxes. Minnesota DOT’s organizational culture significantly influences the deployment of innovative technologies, practices, and policies. A well-functioning organization, in ways similar to America’s tradition of success, encourages exploration, rewards pioneering, and welcomes a diversity of employees as the organization embraces greater effectiveness. By demonstrating a renewed good faith effort to deploy innovative solutions, Minnesota DOT does its part to improve service delivery and enhance performance. Employees throughout Minnesota DOT continue to strive to better serve the people of Minnesota. This shared employee commitment is demonstrated by the “big ideas” offered to Minnesota DOT leadership in the Innovation Culture Assessment Report. Positive change is underway because as a leader noted many years ago “the people insisted on changes and they were made.” When fully implemented, these changes will enhance government effectiveness and guarantee accountability for the people’s investments for decades to come.

• Record URL:
  http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/172801.aspx
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://www.trb.org/Main/Blurbs/172801.aspx
• Authors:
  • Siekmeier, John
• Publication Date: 2015-6

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Digital/other
• Features: Appendices; Bibliography; Figures;
• Pagination: pp 19-31
• Monograph Title: Geotechnical Research Deployment: How Organizations Encourage Innovation: Lessons Learned. Presentations from the 93rd Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board, January 14, 2014, Washington, D.C.
• Serial:
  • Transportation Research Circular
  • Issue Number: 199
  • Publisher: Transportation Research Board
  • ISSN: 0097-8515

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Culture (Social sciences); Innovation; Organizations; Performance measurement; State departments of transportation
• Identifier Terms: Minnesota Department of Transportation
• Geographic Terms: Minnesota
• Subject Areas: Administration and Management; Geotechnology; Highways; Research; I10: Economics and Administration; I40: Soils and Rocks;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01578218
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS, TRB, ATRI
• Created Date: Oct 19 2015 10:38AM