Case study: Kodak and the Digital Revolution 2191 - Essay Example

This report therefore gives an overall perspective into Kodak as a company by examining the company’s issues that has to do with innovation and how the company has managed innovation over the years. Innovation is particularly selected to be the theme of the report as innovation management has been noted to be a very important element in responding to today’s competitive, developing and dynamic global business environment. One important tool which is also backed by theory as being very important for the growth of modern businesses is power.

Power within the organisation defines how authority is used and how human resources are harnessed to ensure the collective achievement of organisational goals (Allison and Kaye, 2005). Greater part of the manifestation of power has however been noted to be vested in leaders (Olsen, 2012). The type, level and style of leadership exhibited within any organisation therefore go a very long way to influence how successful the organisation will be. From the case, there is sufficient evidence to the effect that the personality of Eastman Kodak as the founder and leader of Kodak was a major contributing factor that accounted for the company’s success throughout most of its history.

After 1932, his leadership legacy continued to be practiced by the company, accounting for several years of success (Hedeen, 2013). As part of the power and leadership legacy that Eastman Kodak left the company, there was very successful human resource management, innovation and marketing even after his death. Most of the company’s innovative ideas were managed around ways of brining unto the market new imaging machines and equipment that could meet the needs of customers and also compete well on the market (Gavetti, Henderson and Giorgi, 2005).

Unfortunately though, such quest for innovation, marketing and human resource management could not be maintained in the 1980s, creating major loopholes for competitors to take over from Kodak