Like anything, often it's just a matter of selling it properly, even without "authority". Even at an established shop, if something will make a difference in the bottom line, it will likely gain traction.

I've been at a company with thousands of developers, where a guy that was just hired came in, saw a need for a tool that had been missing, prototyped something, and showed how useful it could be.

When there are missing needs like this, it's a tremendous opportunity for someone who is sufficiently motivated.

Of course, there's a balance between a good company that is just missing some things here and there, and a very bad company that is missing just about everything...