Naskah Pengabdian oleh Reiga R. A., S.E., M.M.Innovation is basically carried out as an effort to adjust to the needs or lifestyle of the community. Innovation will be successful if it is able to pass the adjustment stage. This means that without us realizing it, innovation has a connection with the culture of society. No matter how good the innovation is, if it goes against the culture of society, the potential for failure will be even higher. Vice versa, if the company is able to innovate and find common ground with the culture of society, then innovation will be closer to the point of success.
Cultural Origins
Culture is formed from several factors, such as historical factors, geography, religion and other factors. Through these factors we can see how the process of an innovation is created.
1. Geography Factors
Geography deals with the natural conditions on the face of the earth. This condition will create a culture of society. People who live in the mountains or low-temperature areas, in their daily lives need thick clothes as an effort to warm the body. Thin and cold P akaian is certainly not a product needed in the region.
The case in Africa can be a concrete example of an innovation created from the geography of a region. Africa has hot and arid geographical conditions. Many settlements are far from water sources, so people have to travel long enough distances to be able to fetch water. The habit of taking water using timba or jerry cans certainly has a bad impact, considering the distance they have to travel to carry the water container.
This condition creates an innovative product called hippo rooler, which is needed by the community, and can make it easier for people when taking water. Using hippo rooler people can take large amounts of water with minimum power.
2. History
History deals with past events that are remembered and have meaning in the eyes of the public. Although history does not have a significant role in innovation, it does not mean that it can be ignored.
3. Technology
Nowadays, almost everyone uses smartphones, and the habit of using smartphones produces various innovative products, such as phone holders, mobile phone cases, and other products. Technological advances create a new culture, and through that new culture companies can seize innovation opportunities.
4. Religion
Muslim communities have distinctive attributes, such as the hijab for women, head coverings, gamis, and others. Innovation in these attributes will certainly only occur in Muslim countries and will not happen in other countries.
Culture and Management Functions
Culture not only affects innovation, but also affects all management functions, both marketing, resources, production and finance, of course, it will have an impact on policies set by the company.
Cultural Knowledge
It is important for the company to know the culture in a region, because it will determine the success of the innovation of a product. KFC is one of the companies in the culinary field that always innovates according to the tastes of people in various countries. So it is not surprising that we find differences in menus in each country. The cultural knowledge that must be known by the company consists of two, namely factual knowledge and interpretive knowledge.
1. Factual Knowledge
Factual knowledge is a condition in which a person is only limited to knowing what the culture of a region is. Based on this knowledge the company is strongly discouraged from establishing an innovation.
2. Interpretive Knowledge
Interpretive knowledge is one level above factual knowledge, where at this stage a person not only knows, but tries to feel, understand and appreciate a culture. Of course, Muslims in one country will have a different culture from Muslims in other countries. But using interpretive knowledge we can distinguish them and can establish innovative products more precisely.
Gamis wanita with various color patterns can be easily offered in the Indonesian market. However, this is not the case if we market it in Medina, because the majority of women there use black and black gamis. That is the importance of having cultural knowledge, not only faktual knowledge, but also interpretive knowledge.
