The Gensler Research Institute has introduced a groundbreaking tool, the Culture of Innovation Diagnostic, aimed at helping organizations intentionally foster and measure innovation within their workplaces. The research, conducted by Gensler’s Culture Strategy Team, combined surveys of 2,700 U.S. professionals, literature reviews, and expert interviews across multiple industries.
The framework identifies six critical conditions for innovation — authenticity, autonomy, curiosity, imagination, thrill, and hope — and connects them with six organizational culture components: representations, structures, norms, regulators, resources, and workflows. Together, these elements provide a diagnostic approach for evaluating whether innovation is being systematically supported within an organization.
A key finding of the study highlights a disconnect between senior leadership and staff regarding innovation support. While executives are more likely to believe their organizations encourage risk-taking, managers and staff report lower perceptions of such support, revealing cultural gaps that hinder innovation.
The study also uncovered a strong link between innovation and employee engagement. Organizations with conditions that support innovation see higher engagement levels, which correlate with improved performance and long-term business success.
Moreover, direct investment in innovation resources — such as appointing a Chief Innovation Officer (CINO), providing dedicated spaces, and implementing tools for prototyping — significantly enhances an organization’s innovation culture. Notably, 58% of respondents from organizations with a CINO reported stronger alignment with innovative practices.
The report identifies three opportunity areas for building intentional cultures of innovation:
- Scaling practices across hierarchies to promote inclusivity in innovation.
- Bolstering engagement by aligning innovation conditions with employee needs.
- Prioritizing investment in innovation through visible, tangible commitments.
As organizations increasingly recognize culture as a driver of business success, Gensler’s Culture of Innovation Diagnostic provides leaders with a structured pathway to close perception gaps and activate a sustainable innovation ecosystem.
