Maximizing Technology for the Energy Transition: An Organisational Innovation Adoption Culture Survey

Abstract

Accelerating our transition towards a net zero future is imperative for both the longer-term success of the energy sector and providing energy security for wider society. An integrated North Sea offers significant opportunities for working towards these targets but also represents challenges for the energy sector. Innovation has been the backbone of the oil and gas industry, continuing to provide many solutions for a smooth transition. Whilst there have been increasing efforts to facilitate innovation, the oil and gas industry has retained a reputation for being conservative and reluctant to adopt new technology with many companies preferring to be "fast followers". Consequently, it is essential for the success of the energy transition to address the resistance to innovation adoption. Our previous research has shown that that psychological factors impact on technology adoption decisions in the oil and gas industry, such as gatekeepers’ attitudes, motivations, and risk perception, as well as social influence – all with the potential to act as innovation barriers. Organisational culture was found to have a significant effect on how people respond to and introduce technology into their organisation. Whilst the role of organisational culture is recognised for key strategic priorities, such as safety, less is known about the culture that values and facilitates innovation uptake. In response to this gap, a pioneering organisational innovation adoption culture questionnaire was developed based upon our earlier findings and extant literatures. Having been successfully piloted with 12 operating companies in 2021, in this study it was refined and validated with one international oil company. The refined innovation adoption questionnaire consists of 36 items covering eight factors: Collaboration, Innovation Value, Leadership & Vision, Implementation Context, Open Communication, Organisational Learning & Competence, Rewards & Recognition, and Risk Taking for Technology adoption. The questionnaire was run in an online survey across the company with 455 participants (85%working onshore and 13% working offshore, 2% did not indicate). The results provided a valuable snapshot of this company's innovation adoption culture across multiple locations and business areas. To examine the link between innovation adoption culture and innovation adoption behaviour, two questions asked about the current technology innovation adoption status in the company. An overview of the development of the measure and results of a psychometric analysis (criterion validity) of the questionnaire will be given, as well as recommendations and best practices on how to support an innovation adoption culture. This novel survey tool can offer valuable insights for companies looking to strengthen their innovation uptake profile, maximising the potential of innovation as part of their energy transition.