Organizational practices in the context of innovation to improve organizational competitiveness under the light of Complexity Theory

Abstract

The rapid and constant changes in the environment influence individuals and organizations. Under these pressures, organizations need continually to learn how to cope with fierce competition at both global and local level, which represents constant challenges to organizations and those working in them. In this context, the question is: How can organizational practices impact the innovation process to enable organizations to compete more effectively? In order to answer this question, our general objective is to study the organizational practices in the face of innovation concepts aimed at organizational competitiveness (1) to raise the conceptual meanings of innovation that contribute to the organization s competitiveness; (2) to characterize organizational practices in an institutional locus; and to make a confrontation between the meanings of innovation and practices (3). The theoretical basis chosen for this essay lies in Complexity Theory, considering the antagonistic concepts and, at the same time, complementary to the perspective proposed here. The research has a qualitative approach and was elaborated through the method of Content Analysis, aiming to analyze the core of innovation by focusing on organizational practices, observing the dynamic relationship between the organization’s many interdependent levels, assuming that this serves as a lens for understanding the phenomenon under review, how organizational practices can interfere in the process of innovation in organizations intended to improve organizational competitiveness. Keywords— Organizational Practices, Innovation, Organizational Competitiveness, Complexity Theory.