Ukrainian companies are slow to implement innovations due to management approaches that suppress initiative and experimentation. Fear of making mistakes, rigid hierarchies, and a lack of psychological safety remain key barriers to development, says Andriy Dligach, a professor at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv.
“Employees often avoid proposing new ideas because they fear criticism or punishment. Even simple changes require lengthy approval processes from management. This slows decision-making and kills motivation,” he writes in his column for ZN.ua, Humanitarian Media Hub reports.
In many companies, the mindset of “this is not how we do things here” persists, protecting outdated processes instead of encouraging the search for more effective solutions.
The scholar emphasizes that businesses need to shift from a culture of control to a culture of collaboration and development. One key step is the introduction of distributed leadership, where decisions are made closer to the operational level and responsibility for results rests with line managers.
Another important direction is the development of a culture of experimentation. Companies are encouraged to legitimize trial and error and to test ideas quickly with minimal risk. An essential condition is also the creation of a psychologically safe environment in which initiative is not punished but encouraged.
Only under these conditions will Ukrainian business be able to unlock the innovative potential of its teams and prepare for deeper changes in human capital management, the scholar believes.
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