Creativity and Innovation Management at Puregym

Executive Summary

Innovation management involves four main stages namely development of ideas, externalization, strategic fit, and internalization. After the ideas have been developed, externalization requires that a learning or practice environment is created so that the codified knowledge can be available to its intended users. Additionally, the knowledge and practice needs to be tailored in an appropriate manner to fit the activities and schedules of the end user. This is what is referred to as strategic fit (Bucherer, Eisert and Gassmann 2012). Finally comes the internalization phase which refers to the realization of value and rewards from the innovative management culture. At pure gym, creativity and innovation have encouraged tacit sharing of knowledge and information which has helped create a diverse community striving to attain physical, mental and emotional fitness. For students seeking expertise in innovation management, they can benefit from specialised guidance through management dissertation help..

The organization also strives to maintain a healthy population and its initiatives support and help a large population which is essential for future growth and success. Creativity and innovation at puregym are portrayed through the class categories. There are numerous classes with different routines for individuals who want to lose weight, tone up, maintain stamina or acquire muscle strength. All this happens in a friendly environment under the supervision of capable instructors to motivate clients and ensure that they achieve their fitness goals.

Introduction

Innovation and creativity are essential for the progress and growth of organizations. It is the process through which changes are made, products and services are offered, and management of operations occur. Creativity pertains to how ideas are generated while innovation is the key to implementing these ideas (Drucker 2014). Copying the ideas of others is a common practice, and although necessary, it can enhance monotony in the workplace and attract less client while employees may become unmotivated. It also minimizes competition in the market meaning that people will be no longer interested in creating new and better things for the benefit of the community. It is, therefore, necessary for organizations to leverage the creativity of their employees and use these abilities to create new things that lead to future success (Dodgson & Gann 2015). This is the case at puregym-Glasgow where the organization is a pillar of creativity and innovation in society. Fitness and general body health are essential to the growth and prosperity of communities worldwide. It determines how one feels about themselves, how people conduct their daily activities, and many more other important things. Since Puregym was founded with the purpose of accomplishing specific goals, this can only happen with the management of creativity and innovation.

Company Background

Puregym is an organization that offers the most extensive choice of gyms in the UK to help people attain their fitness goals. It has eight gyms which provide a variety of flexible fitness regimes for clients to choose from. The organization also boasts of over 220 fitness equipment meaning that clients do not have to wait for gym access and that there is something new to avoid monotony making for a great workout experience. This coupled with fun, and healthy workout routines have been the main drivers of success which have led to the establishment of numerous membership for people willing to experience revolutionized fitness. From one day workouts to monthly memberships, people can hop into the gyms and make flexible schedules tailored as per their preferences. It also means that clients can start and stop the fitness routines at any time (Gym 2019).

The organization's mission is to inspire a healthier nation. Through this, the organization can help individuals achieve their goals, live a healthy life and encourage change and progress. There is stiff competition in the UK fitness industry due to the establishment of numerous health clubs and sports and fitness facilities all over the country. Additionally, the market size is projected to exceed 22 billion pound by the year 2020 meaning that more fitness entities are expected to be developed due to increased revenue and employment opportunities in the industry (Fitness Industry in the United Kingdom UK 2019).

Innovation within the organization

Paradigm innovation

Creativity also comes from developing unique products or services that could be seemingly unrelated to the problem. However, as Trott 2017 noted “Creativity is the process of bringing something new into being. Creativity requires passion and commitment and this is a form of paradigm innovation. It brings to our awareness what was previously hidden and points to new life. The experience is one of heightened consciousness: ecstasy.” This means that one has to assume that something was already invented, make changes to it is what is called innovation (Tidd and Bessant 2013). The unique nature of the product or service is part of the innovation, and it can also create lasting changes that are more effective by simply adding an idea that was initially not present leading to the development of a new method of approach (Gronum, Verreynne and Kastelle 2012).

Product Innovation

Pure gym offers a variety of quality kits managed by a team of experienced trainers to improve general fitness and make it possible for people to undertake their daily activities comfortably. However, the business recognizes that overall health requires physical, mental and emotional aptitude and has reacted by acquiring modern and technology-driven equipment such as cardio equipment. Treadmills, cross trainers, exercise bikes are among the products on offer. These products and service enhance endurance and stamina which help improve the general wellbeing of its clients (Kennedy-Armbruster, Marquette and Williams 2011). This an aspect of product innovation since it has allowed the organization to stay competitive and maintain its control of the market (Tidd and Bessant 2014). On the part of management, this shows there focus and will to drive product development which is an aspect of creativity and innovation. It creates evolutionary integration of the fitness process and products, and the incorporation of technology enhances their ability to meet customer needs. It is also an exhibition of the organizations willingness to search for, select and implement innovative products and services which is a key aspect in the process of innovation management (Innovation Management, 2019). Moreover, in the current market environment, technology is the primary driver of innovation since it allows businesses to transform, become sustainable, and create avenues for networking by combining the implicit and explicit knowledge and needs of all its stakeholders (Bateson, Bateson & Martin 2013).

Management of the Innovation process

Innovation management refers to how the process of developing and implementing ideas is governed. This includes decision making on products, business activities, and changes to make to help the organization achieve its goals. It helps all the people in the organization from office workers, technicians to clients to have a common understanding of essential processes, these goals of these processes and the subsequent goals they are intended to accomplish (Tidd and Bessant, 2014). This, in turn, allows the business hierarchy to respond to internal and external opportunities as a means to create new ideas either through its key process or products offered. At puregym, innovation management has been achieved through the establishment of a strong fitness community.

Innovation strategies

Inclusivity to gains a competitive edge in the fitness industry

When it comes to business, being creative requires guts to take on risks that will affect the operations of the business. However, how do we know a product is creative? According to Jasra et al., 2017, “A product is creative when it is (a) novel and (b) appropriate. A novel product is original, not predictable. The bigger the concept and the more the product stimulates further work and ideas, the more the product is creative.” ‘Will its idea sell?’ is the question most people have to wonder and have to support especially once it hits the market. If it does not sell, however, innovation comes into play to improve on it by either creating a new product that could be based on the previous one or creating another significantly new product that could be solving the same problem. It could also come into play by the implementation of a new approach to the service or process that will offer value addition more than the previous approach. This indicates that innovation is part and parcel of creativity and both aspire to create value. In this regard, Inclusivity has been key which has led to a diverse community that can positively contribute to the success and growth of the organization. It has boosted the experience levels, increased the size of its market range, enhanced competition creating a civil and professional market place and initiation of new fitness that aligns with modern needs of its clients and members (Somech and Drach-Zahavy 2013). For instance, over the years the organization has been in operation, it has managed to open up over 240 all over the UK, 24-hour access to its facilities and equipment, and the formulation of over 200 fitness clientele to suit the specific needs and abilities of its members.

Collaboration to capture the benefits of innovation

In any successful business, collaboration is essential for growth and success, and this can only happen if there is continuous learning that encourages cross-functional innovations and organizational networking (Dawson and Andriopoulos 2014). It is also vital to relay innovative techniques and practices to the population, and pure gym has managed this by effective branding. For instance, it employs distinguished personalities such as Sir Chris Hoy an Olympian for its marketing and awareness ventures (Gym 2019).

Customer needs awareness as a tool for sustainable business

It is important to understand the purpose of innovation theory and how organizations use it as a platform for change and growth (Rahim and Mohtar 2015). In any industry, it has three main goals. One, to ensure that products and services gain traction, secondly they are effective, and finally, they help a specific population. In this regard, pure gym has accomplished all of the above since it offers modern and diverse services that have helped general attain physical, emotional and mental welfare. Additionally, based on the growth of its presence in the UK, it can be ascertained that the adoption rate has been high among the population and possibility of future growth and progress is high (Rosado et al., 2014). As new game-changing gyms, fitness routines and work out practices continue to be developed; the organization recognizes that change is necessary, and has established a system that creates value to its clients. These include enjoyable fitness routines from yoga, weight lifting to outdoor competitive cycling classes that have reinvented the traditional conservative approach to fitness. Moreover, studios are spread all over the country to ensure that clients have access to their fitness classes anytime and anywhere (Gym 2019).

Management for Innovation

Puregym prides its self with a collaborative organizational culture that influences the interaction between the management and the clients. This ensures that all processes from the point of joining the gym to achieving the fitness goals are streamlined through the thorough support of the trainers in the workout regimen. The clients are advised on how to meet their individual goals and seen through the process with swift resolve on any challenges they may encounter. For example, clients with the goal of losing weight will have a different regimen than clients who are working out to be fit for a sports activity. Through the open communication that has been entrenched in the culture, the trainers creatively come up with different goals for each individual based on their assessment to formulate a plan that suits their needs. According to Stefanides-Savva (2012), this ensures that there is an increased client satisfaction consequently retaining and gaining more clients. For example, Puregym workouts are structured innovatively so that the clients can vary the daily routines since there is a large number of state-of-the-art training equipment that gives them the opportunity to have a wholesome workout or fitness plan.

The structure of the management has ensured a hierarchical balance that does not interfere with the operations of individual gyms hence delegating the management and operations of the individual gyms to the designated managers. However, the central management at the headquarters still makes decisions that affect the organization as a whole. According to (Bailey et al. (2017), the open system structure of governance at Puregym enables the managers of the individual gyms to be more flexible in delegating responsibilities to the trainers based on the requirements of the specific gym. It also assists them in managing the operations of the gym efficiently by allocating trainers to the clients based on the number of clients and season (MacIntosh and Walker 2012). For example, by delegating responsibilities to individual manager the Puregym executive management gets the opportunity to concentrate on marketing as well as expanding the business. The success of Puregym is the transparent and cooperative mode of organization which specific goals and strategies on performance and growth.

The leadership style of Puregym is based on transformational leadership that is enshrined on motivating the follower to be a leader. Motivation is one of the inherent quality that is utilized frequently to help clients achieve their fitness goal. The same is echoed in the management of the gym so that even the trainers get motivated to improve their performance and accomplish the mission of the organization. The executive leaders also have to be role models in order to inspire the workers across the various establishments (Taylor and Nichols 2010). For example, the workers of Puregym will need a lot of motivation since the operations are very strenuous such as lifting weights and coping with discouraged clients. Consequently, the Puregym leaders, with consideration to the work involved, have to creatively innovate a “give and take” relationship that offers the opportunity to not only take care of the clients but also the employees.

The success of Puregym can also be attributed to their values of affordability, flexibility and convenience. The gym has invested in a wide range of state-of-the-art fitness equipment that ensures that all clients can access the equipment without waiting in line. Their 24-hour operation makes it convenient for the clients since they can visit the gym at any time they want. This ensures that clients with busy business schedules can create time when they are free to train at the gym (Smith et al., 2014). The gym does not have an annual contract with the clients giving them various flexible membership options that are based on the availability of the clients. The flexibility and convenience of the gym is an innovative way of creating loyalty of the clients since they have an assurance of being served all the time.

Recommendations

• It is important for pure gym to realize that innovation is unpredictable. This means that the services offered may inspire unexpected changes leading to unexpected outcomes (Entrepreneurial-spark.com, 2019). Additionally, people may not be familiar with new trends, and it is important to allow people to be conversant with any changes to avoid problems in the fitness classes and the studio.
• As organizations aim to become more competitive and productive, it is often the case that they may become too much engaged in the development of new ideas and miss out on innovations developed by other people (Narula 2004). As such, pure gym needs to maintain cordial and professional relationships with other businesses in the fitness industry to ensure that its clients always have access to new practices and techniques.
• Leadership and management are two intertwined aspects that require the establishment of links between internal and external stakeholders (Harvey, Vachhani and Williams 2014). This means that knowledge creation is central to effective leadership and management. Although the organization has an effective networking base in the UK, it is essential to continue networking and have a global following. This will guarantee long-term success and growth, perpetual sharing of explicit knowledge on fitness practices and routines and there is always a new knowledge creation platform to drive creativity and innovation.
• As Tidd & Bessant (2014) noted, innovation requires continuous implementation of ideas in the marketing of new methods, organizational operations, and external relations. However, for a process, product or service to be termed as innovative, it has to be new or incorporative of improved changes. This can be observed from a coupled perspective from which its daily operations are carried out. For instance, its facilities are closer to the marketplace which means that people have access to their products and services. Secondly, with advancements in technology, the organization's technology push has established a market push leading which subsequently translates to an integration of the fitness processes and fulfillment of market needs.
• More often than not innovation is fueled by the need to solve a problem. It is achieved when one can find hidden patterns and can connect them to generate solutions to the problem. Due to the effects of globalization and technology, the health and wellbeing of communities have become a global necessity, and the organizations need to offer affordable practices and packages since not all people can afford the organizations fitness programs and classes.

Conclusion

The effectiveness of innovation management has led to the creation of a friendly and supportive workplace where people can accomplish their fitness goals in a judgment-free zone. Often people neglect there fitness due to lack of facilities, expertise, and support and through creativity and innovation, pure gym has helped revolutionize fitness and enhance the abilities and experiences of its clientele. It has also engaged a diverse and experienced workforce to enhance not only the health and fitness of its members but also the social wellbeing though free workouts, and provision of other basic sources of information such as nutritional hints and fitness tips which have helped fast track the achievement of its objectives.

They say necessity is the mother of invention and to invent something; imagination is needed to come up with an idea. Turning this idea into reality is a tenet of creativity, and this has been the case at puregym. The organization has accomplished this, and it shows that if you have an idea and you do not create something out of it, then you are merely just imaginative and not a tad close to being creative. This is characterized through the flexible schedules, modern training techniques, expert knowledge on training regimes and the unrelenting will to become among the world’s best fitness providers. It is also noteworthy that creativity is a two-part process comprising of thinking or imagining and then producing the desired effect. In this case, the objective to promote health and social welfare has been achieved over the eight years the organization has been in operation, and future progress is guaranteed if the leadership and management processes are maintained or perfected.

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