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  • March 2022 (Revised January 2023)
  • Case
  • HBS Case Collection

Innovation at Moog Inc.

By: Brian J. Hall, Ashley V. Whillans, Davis Heniford, Dominika Randle and Caroline Witten
  • Format:Print
  • | Language:English
  • | Pages:23
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Abstract

This case focuses on the challenges of incentivizing innovation within Moog, an engineering company based in New York state that designs and builds guidance systems for space, air, and land-based travel. The case enables students to grapple with the challenges of using compensation to motivate and incentivize employees to create commercially successful innovations. Thick culture motivates employees to innovate in unique ways that money cannot. Students analyze the ways in which Moog’s unique culture and current incentive systems successfully, and unsuccessfully, drive innovation, considering Moog’s specific challenge of commercializing and scaling innovations. Throughout the discussion, students will understand the ways in which incentivizing innovation is a structurally challenging problem within large companies. Incentivizing innovation differs from incentivizing other types of performance, and students should realize that money alone cannot drive innovation because of the challenges of measuring performance, especially given the long time horizons and the fact that innovation necessarily involves risk and uncertainty.

Keywords

Innovation; Innovation Lab; Innovation Management; Motivation; Incentives; Culture; Compensation; Compensation And Benefits; Scalability; Business Growth and Maturation; Collaborative Innovation and Invention; Independent Innovation and Invention; Innovation and Management; Innovation Leadership; Innovation Strategy; Organizational Culture; Performance Consistency; Performance Effectiveness; Performance Efficiency; Performance Productivity; Performance Evaluation; Creativity; Motivation and Incentives; Aerospace Industry; Transportation Industry; United States

Citation

Hall, Brian J., Ashley V. Whillans, Davis Heniford, Dominika Randle, and Caroline Witten. "Innovation at Moog Inc." Harvard Business School Case 922-040, March 2022. (Revised January 2023.)
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About The Authors

Brian J. Hall

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
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Ashley V. Whillans

Negotiation, Organizations & Markets
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Related Work

    • March 2022 (Revised January 2023)
    • Faculty Research

    Innovation at Moog Inc.

    By: Brian J. Hall, Ashley V. Whillans, Davis Heniford, Dominika Randle and Caroline Witten
Related Work
  • Innovation at Moog Inc. By: Brian J. Hall, Ashley V. Whillans, Davis Heniford, Dominika Randle and Caroline Witten
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