Page 1 of 18 Warwick R (2016) Routine innovation: complex processes from policy development to implementation, International Journal of Business and Globalisation, Vol 17, No 4, p541-555 Routine innovation: complex processes from policy development to implementation Rob Warwick Centre for Sustainable Business University of Chichester Business School University of Chichester Upper Bognor Road Bognor Regis PO21 1HR UK E-mail: r.warwick@chi.ac.uk Keywords Routine innovation, change management, group dynamics, noticing, complexity, social process, narrative, policy development, process, temporal, power relations Biographical Notes: Rob Warwick is a senior lecturer at the University of Chichester Business School in the UK. His areas of interest include strategy and leadership, an interest borne form his role as Head of Stratgic Change for a large organisation within the UK’s National Health Service and latterly in a number of academic roles. He runs the Business School’s MA in Management and Leadership and the day release BA Business degree; he also supervises PhD students. His research approaches are largely qualitative and include reflexivity and action research. Abstract Routines of working relationships inhibit the noticing of group norms, behaviours and assumptions (Alvesson and Spicer, 2012). Changing those routines, with the formation of temporary organisational relationships such as a policy group, creates a social noticing whereby propositional themes are interpreted and new ways of working can be imagined. The paradox of stability/instability of such groupings enables an innovating process to develop leading to new routines and power relations. Complex responsive processes of relating (Stacey et al., 2000) draws attention to these processes in ways that are helpful for the policymaker. For example, in addition to the policymaker’s work in drafting policy, it encourages attention to be paid to the ongoing social interactions as policy is made and interpreted in different groups and in different contexts. Heightened awareness enables greater individual and social reflexivity and increases the potential for successful innovation. 1 Introduction In a review on innovation, Baregheh and colleagues (Baregheh et al., 2009) explain that it is a ‘multi-stage process whereby organisations transform ideas into new/improved products,