Conditionning Factors for Innovative Performance of the Industrial Companies

Factores que influencian el desempeño en innovación de compañías industriales

Clandia Maffini Gomes* e Isak Kruglianskas**

Recibido: 13-07-09 - Aprobado: 25-09-09

Contenido

• 1. Introduction
• 2 Sources of Information for Innovation in Companies
• 3 Managing External Sources of Technology Information
• 4 Effectiveness of the Management of External Sources of Technology Information
• 5 Methodology
• 6 Analysis of the results
• 7 Conclusions
• 8 References

1 Introduction

This study has the aim of understanding the different processes for managing external sources of technology information, with a major focus on practices that companies actually adopt. The specific intention of the study is to construct a theoretical and practical frame of reference for developing processes of sustainable technological innovation.

Managing sources of information not only helps an organization harmonize the potential inside and outside sources of information. It also helps organizations broaden their activities geared to stimulating and bringing about innovation. Companies today are setting up more and more alliances in order to make use of external sources of information for innovation, but they still lack explicit management strategies.

This survey, quantitative in nature, was conducted at Brazilian industrial companies defined as having innovative characteristics. The aim of the survey was to contribute to greater knowledge about the relationships between the management of external sources of technology information and the innovative performance of the companies surveyed. To attain this objective ad multivariate analyze were carried out on the independent and dependent variables.

The analysis of the specific practices adopted by companies during the process of technological innovation is a strategic topic for competitiveness in a globalized market.

2 Sources of Information for Innovation in Companies

Processes for generating ideas can be developed anywhere and by any individual, inside or outside a company. Identifying sources of information is one of the most important methods of obtaining new ideas for developing products or processes (Fernandes, 1998).

A number of different studies have been carried out in the attempt to identify sources of information and their relationships with innovation. Hartman, Tower and Sebora (1994), for example, say that the topics of importance and frequency of using sources of information in companies are of growing interest in studies in the area. Reviewing different studies, the authors drew up a model consisting of twelve sources of information for innovation. These sources are: observation of clients' needs; problems related to products, services and processes; competitors; interaction with suppliers, as well as with families, friends, employees and trainees in the organization; newspapers, magazines and other publications; government; discussions on mistakes; and individual imagination.

Discussing learning and innovation in Brazilian industrial companies, A. Fleury and M. T. Fleury, (1997) describe the results of a study conducted on the eighteen leading companies in different sectors in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. In this study, industrial officers evaluated the relative importance of eight different sources of information used to structure companies with a view to becoming more competitive. Most of the leading companies base themselves on publications, a fact that may mean they are looking for standardized solutions. Visits and contacts with consultants were also considered very important, even indispensable, for synergy among companies involved in mutual learning processes.

Laursen and Salter (2004) analyzed sources of information and knowledge for innovation in British manufacturing companies. These sources were grouped into internal and external. The group of external sources was broken down further into market, institutional, specialized, and other sources. The results indicate that internal sources are the most often used, followed by outside market sources. The results also show that innovation activities at British companies are determined by their relationships with both suppliers and consumers, and by the way they organize their internal activities to back up innovation.

Sources of information for innovation were also identified in the approach taken by Salter and Gann (2003) at a large British company. The study, carried out on company employees, showed that the main sources used are internal and personal, consisting of conversations with fellow workers, projects, and prior experiences.

The various studies mentioned above indicate the existence of similarities in the sources of information used by companies. Thus, in order to draw up a frame of reference to be used in this survey, a chart is shown below, containing the main external sources of technology information identified, according to references mentioned in the literature, as can be seen in Figure 1.

Despite being somewhat different from one another and with conceptual specificities, the various studies examined show many similarities regarding the main types of sources of technology information used by companies, regardless of their nationalities and their contexts of operation. On the basis of theory and on the research presented, the reader can easily realize the importance of adequate management of the numerous sources. The complexity of the relationships established among partners in innovation activities must also be recognized in companies today. The next section discusses aspects related to the management of external sources of technology information.

[inicio] [siguiente]