Innovation has been and continues to be an important topic of study for a
number of different disciplines, including economics, business, engineering,
science, and sociology. Despite the fact that innovation has been studied
in a variety of disciplines, the term is often poorly understood and can
be sometimes confused with related terms such as change, invention, design,
and creativity. Most people can provide examples of innovative products
such as the iPod or the PC, but few can clearly define the innovative
aspects of these products. Among academics there is a difference of opinion
about what the term innovation really means. One definition of innovation
taken from the dictionary that fits the ideas and concepts used in this
book is the following