Agata Sudolska

Building a Model of Successful Collaborative Learning for Company Innovativeness

The aim of the paper is to develop a model of successful collaborative learning for company innovativeness. First of all, the paper explores the issue of inter-firm learning, focusing its attention on collaborative learning. Secondly, inter-firm learning relationships are considered. Thirdly, the ex ante conditions of collaborative learning and the intra-organizational enhancers of inter-firm learning processes are studied. Finally, a model of the critical success factors for collaborative learning is developed.

Social Innovations in Companies and in Social Economy Enterprises

Abstract This paper compares the way of perceiving and implementing social innovations in companies and social enterprises in Poland with those in Europe. Special attention is paid to internal social innovations, so-called workplace innovations (WPI), and the reasons and outcomes of their introduction in companies, both in Poland and in other European countries. Moreover, the paper investigates the relationship between the need for internal social innovations and positive employment relations in analyzed entities. The research findings prove that introducing innovations, including social innovations, is mainly driven by the need to improve a company’s performance. Among social innovations which both companies and social enterprises value is investment into improving employees’ work conditions. Moreover, for more than half of Polish companies and social enterprises the need for innovations is related to creating development opportunities, higher work flexibility, better social and life conditions of employees, as well as supporting employee’s reconciliation between work and family life. These reasons for introducing social innovations were also noted by both managers and employees in other European companies. The paper also shows the links between issues of internal social innovations and positive employment relationships. The presented research findings prove that positive relationships among employees are significantly and positively correlated with a broad approach to the need for introducing social innovations. Moreover, the paper points out that positive employment relations are perceived as an important outcome of workplace innovation practices in European companies.

Absorptive Capacity and Its Role for the Company Growth and Competitive Advantage: the Case of Frauenthal Automotive Toruń Company

The aim of the paper is to study the role of absorptive capacity for the company growth and competitive advantage through open innovations. The case of Frauenthal Automotive Torun is used to explore how the routines and best practices associated with the firm absorptive capacity contribute to its success. The case study is to validate the thesis that through developing skills to recognize valuable knowledge in the environment, acquire this knowledge, assimilate, transform and develop it companies are able to apply and benefit from open innovations in order to grow and strengthen their competitive advantages. In order to achieve the aim of the paper the following research objectives have been set: (1) to identify the lessons and best practices applied in Frauenthal Automotive Torun in relation to the company absorptive capacity; (2) to analyze the relationships between the concepts of absorptive capacity and open innovation; (3) to exemplify and discuss the outcomes of the company absorptive capacity in regard to innovations, company growth and competitive advantage.

Inter- and intra-firm learning synergy through integrating absorptive capacity and employee suggestion processes: The case study of Frauenthal Automotive Toruń company

The aim of the paper is to study relationships between the processes of absorptive capacity (inter-firm learning) and learning lessons through employee suggestions (intra-firm learning) and identify potential synergies between them. The research interest is focused on investigating the following problems: (1) How do organizations apply external knowledge to support intra-organizational learning processes? (2) How should the employee suggestion system be organized to increase (or build) absorptive capacity? The exploratory case study analysis is applied to answer research questions and achieve the aim of the study. The unit of analysis is constituted by inter-firm and intra-firm learning processes observed in the firm Frauenthal Automotive Torun (FTO).

Pro-Innovative Orientation of Polish Social Enterprises: The Empirical Perspective

Contemporary times require an entrepreneurial approach to social problems. As the consequence social enterprises have emerged as a new type of organization which despite its non-profit character is treated as a fully entrepreneurial organization. As social enterprises adopt business principles while providing social goods or services, it has to develop an orientation that enables not only to survive, but also to compete in the contemporary environment. The paper is an attempt to contribute to the research in the field of social enterprises activities by examining their attitudes towards innovations. The main purpose of the paper is an attempt to assess pro-innovative orientation of Polish social enterprises. The paper addresses two tasks. The first part of the paper provides short theoretical overview of the idea and nature of social enterprise. As the theoretical analysis presented in the paper is exemplified with the empirical study, the second part of the paper presents the research findings which indicate the manifestations of social enterprises pro-innovative orientation. Based on the conducted research, we attempt to identify how social enterprises understand innovations, what kind of innovations they introduce. Finally, we attempt to connect the fact of creating innovations with pro-innovative behaviors of social enterprise employees.