Carla Susana Marques

SME Innovative Capacity, Competitive Advantage and Performance in a ‘Traditional’ Industrial Region of Portugal

This study aims to identify the factors that contribute to the building of a firm’s innovative capacity and to assess the way in which this contributes to our understanding of how much this contributes to improvements in the firm’s performance. A conceptual model is proposed consisting of five separate dimensions: the firm; the entrepreneur; the external business environment; the firm’s innovative capacity; and the firm’s performance. The study was based on questionnaire-based data from a sample of firms drawn from the manufacturing industry in the Beira Interior Region of Portugal. The results provided evidence regarding the factors influencing the innovative capacity of firms and permitted conclusions to be drawn regarding effects of superior innovative capacity on the construction of firms’ competitive advantage, which in turn contributes to improved performance.

Entrepreneurship Education: How Psychological, Demographic and Behavioural Factors Predict the Entrepreneurial Intention.

Purpose – Based on the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB), the purpose of this paper is to approach entrepreneurial intention (EI) and the factors preceding the founding of EI among secondary students, both studying general academic and specific professional programs, and thereby establish causal relationships between psychological, demographic and behavioural factors. Design/methodology/approach – A sample of secondary students, both studying general academic and specific professional programs, was chosen. Data were collected through questionnaires and analysed with resource to structural equation models (SEM) to measure the causal relationships among different constructs. Findings – The results show that the EI of secondary school students is influenced by such demographic, psychological and behavioural factors. However, the hypothesis of becoming entrepreneurs in the future remains independent of the fact of whether or not students had already experienced engagement with entrepreneurship‐related themes having no impact on EI. These results raise a series of pertinent questions and deserve being subject to a more profound reflection and not only among the scientific and academic community but also among political and government entities. Originality/value – The paper provides important evidence to expand entrepreneurship education specifically in the field of secondary school education. These students are already about to face choices over their professional careers. This remains valid whether or not students intend to proceed with higher education studies or to join the workforce. Therefore this research contributes towards meeting a better understanding of EI and the factors preceding the formation of this intention among secondary school students.

Psychological capital and performance of Portuguese civil servants: exploring neutralizers in the context of an appraisal system

The literature suggests that psychological capital (PsyCap: self-efficacy, hope, optimism, resilience) predicts work performance. Our case study, carried out in the context of a performance appraisal system (SIADAP) recently implemented in the Portuguese Public Administration, does not corroborate this prediction. In the research 278 civil servants self-reported their performance and PsyCap and their supervisor-rated performance scores according to the SIADAP procedures. The main findings are: (a) no PsyCap dimension predicts supervisor-rated performance; (b) PsyCap predicts 39% of the variance of self-reported performance; and (c) there is no significant relationship between self- and supervisor-rated performance. The findings call attention to SIADAP features that may neutralize the impact of PsyCap on individual performance, or even make it irrelevant. Alternatively, it is suggested that PsyCap influences performance, but the supervisor-rated performance scores do not reflect real worker performance, which means that the SIADAP may actually reward the ‘wrong’ workers.

Assessing credit risk of mortgage lending using MACBETH: a methodological framework

– Considered the largest investment for most households, buying a house requires careful and transparent analysis by all parties involved in the transaction. The aim of this paper is to propose a methodological framework allowing for the readjustment of trade-offs among risk evaluation criteria, considered of extreme importance in the lending decision process of mortgage loans. , – Multiple criteria decision analysis (MCDA) has proved over the years to be effective and versatile in handling compensations among criteria. Measuring attractiveness is applied by a categorical based evaluation technique (MACBETH) to a pre-established structure of credit-scoring criteria for mortgage lending risk evaluation. This pre-established structure is currently used by one of the largest banks in Portugal. , – The framework allowed the authors to provide the credit experts who participated in the study with a more informed, transparent and accurate mortgage-lending risk-evaluation system. The sensitivity and robustness analyses carried out also helped in promoting discussion and supporting the readjustments made. , – The study shows the usefulness of using the MACBETH approach to assist credit analysts in making better informed decisions, and opens avenues for further research. However, due to the dependence on the participants involved, extrapolations without proper caution are discouraged. , – The credit analysts who participated in this study considered the framework more discerning in terms of Basel directives. , – The integration of MACBETH and credit-scoring mechanisms holds great potential for risk assessment and decision support. No prior work reporting the application of MACBETH in terms of mortgage-lending risk-evaluation is known.

Determinants of the Innovation Process: An Empirical Test for the Portuguese Manufacturing Industry

The aim of this paper is to analyze the determinants of the main phases of the innovation process in Portuguese manufacturing firms. The analysis will adopt as its main frame of reference an interactive model of the innovation process, on which empirical tests will be carried out, making use of tobit and probit models and simultaneous equation systems. It is broadly concluded that the relationships shown between the main variables that are typical of the innovation process in the context of Portuguese manufacturing firms are tenuous and unsystematic.

The impact of continuous training in small and medium enterprises: Lessons from an industrial case analysis

AbstractIn the current competitive environment, great emphasis is placed on the knowl- edge and skills of the workforce as important elements in achieving organizational goals. As this focus on employee skills has increased, so have organizational programs and initiatives to ensure that the training in place to develop those skills is not sporadic, but rather part of a continuous effort toward keeping employee skills up to date. It becomes fundamental, in this context, to understand such programs and evaluate their impact, both within companies and externally, in terms of their decision making and business results. This paper aims to do that, through a study of the work-related training practices of in- dustrial firms in the Northern-Spanish region of Asturias. In addition, it develops a new variable – training intensity – and examines its impact on the planning, execution and evaluation of training programs in these firms. Among other findings, our study confirms that training-intensive firms have a more...

Knowledge, Learning and Innovation: Research into Cross-Sector Collaboration

This introductory chapter discusses the role of knowledge, learning and innovation in terms of research into cross-sector collaboration. An essential part of this collaboration is entrepreneurship, which links knowledge, learning and innovation. An overview of the main trends within the innovation field is examined that highlights the interdisciplinary perspective of studies around the learning organization and knowledge management. This helps to stress how firms and individuals need to be entrepreneurial when engaging in cross-sector collaboration. The chapter concludes with an overview of the chapters in this book and suggestions about the practical importance of knowledge, learning and innovation is cross-sector collaboration.

Contribution of local theories for regional development: an empirical study applied to technology-based firms

This research aims to identify the factors which influence the location of technology-based firms. For this purpose, a conceptual research model on the location of firms, based on the neoclassical, behavioural and institutional views is developed. In order to reach these objectives, an empirical study was developed based on a questionnaire filled by 203 technology-based firms located in the Beira Interior region (Portugal). The resulting data was subject to two types of statistical analyses: bivariate and multivariate analyses. It was possible to identify crucial factors that mostly influence the location of these firms. These factors were: founder’s wish to live in a particular locality, employees’ wish to live in that particular locality; proximity to the residence of the founder; birthplace of the founder; and the level of economic activity in the region.

Assessing the innovation capability of small- and medium-sized enterprises using a non-parametric and integrative approach

The aftermath of the recent financial crisis has shown that the ability to innovate is a vital management skill and that the methodologies used to evaluate innovation capability within small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) should be as holistic and integrative as possible. The purpose of this paper is to address this issue through the combined use of cognitive mapping and the analytic hierarchy process (AHP).,Cognitive mapping and multiple criteria decision analysis have proved over the years to be effective in handling a wide range of complex decision problems. Following a socio-technical approach, a non-parametric method of evaluating SME innovation capability – based on the results of group meetings with a panel of information technology entrepreneurs and SME chief executive officers – was created, tested and validated.,The methodological processes adopted in this study provide promising results for decision makers seeking to identify the most innovative SMEs. Furthermore, the sensitivity analyses carried out also supported the findings.,This study confirms the usefulness of integrating cognitive mapping and the AHP to facilitate evaluations of SME innovation capability. However, due to the process-oriented nature of the research, extrapolations without proper adjustments are not recommended.,The panel members who participated in this study consider the proposal extremely versatile and see great potential for further applications in the measurement of SME innovation capability.,The combined use of cognitive mapping and the AHP offers a holistic and well-informed perspective on the issue in question. The authors know of no prior work reporting this approach in the same research context.

A knowledge-based innovation assessment system for small- and medium-sized enterprises: adding value with cognitive mapping and MCDA

Purpose The 2008 global financial crisis showed that the ability to innovate is a key management skill and that approaches to assessing the innovation capability of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to be as realistic as possible. This study aims to address the latter practical need through a sociotechnical approach. Design/methodology/approach Based on a combined use of cognitive mapping and the Decision EXpert (DEX) technique, and grounded on the insights generated by a panel of SME managers and entrepreneurs in two intensive group meetings, a knowledge-based assessment system for evaluating SMEs’ innovation capability was created, tested and validated. Findings The knowledge-based assessment system identified the most innovative SMEs in a sample of companies. The “plus-minus-1” and dominance analyses carried out provided further support for the results. Research limitations/implications The proposed system is extremely versatile but process-oriented and idiosyncratic in nature, meaning that extrapolations to other contexts need to be done with due caution. Practical implications The panel of SME decision makers agreed that the system improves the current methods used to evaluate SMEs’ innovation capability, contributing to a more informed perspective on management issues. The panel members also noted that the proposed system functions as a learning mechanism, facilitating the development of well-focused suggestions for improvements SMEs can make. Originality/value The integrated use of cognitive maps and rule-base decisions contributes to a better understanding of how to assess SMEs’ innovation capability. No prior work reporting the integrated use of these two techniques in this study context has been found.