Raoni Barros Bagno

Innovation as a new organizational function: evidence and characterization from large industrial companies in Brazil

Abstract Although innovation has acquired increasing importance for companies, achieving regular innovation capability imposes huge challenges for managers. Recent studies analyzed the experience of some large companies in setting up a dedicated team with the specific mission of conducting innovation management activities. Based on this analysis, innovation has been pointed to as a distinct and emerging organizational function. In this context, the central question posed in this study arises: what are the characteristics of such a function? Case studies were conducted in fifteen large industrial companies in Brazil that, except for two control cases, have established dedicated teams for innovation management activities. The analysis revealed key characteristics of the Innovation Function (IF), divided into six perspectives: general purpose, origins, legitimacy and guidance, people, assignments and future perspectives. The characterization of IF adds new elements to existing knowledge about how companies can build and maintain regular and systemic innovation capability.

A methodology to build an initial R&D portfolio for industry-university cooperation

How to build an initial portfolio of R&D projects to start industry-university cooperation? This paper reports an attempt to answer this question. Particularly, it presents a methodology devised from a 18-month action-research program held between a large multinational automotive manufacturer and the engineering school of a top-ranked Brazilian university. The paper proposes a 3-stage process oriented by the construction of QFD-like correlation matrices. A first matrix is built in order to correlate industry product performances and product components. Clusters of high correlations are identified and analyzed in order to define broad research strands of interest. These are, then, correlated with engineering competences to highlight the main types of know-how that are associated with each of the identified research demands. University experts in these competences are finally interviewed in order to fill a roadmap-like layer with possible cooperative R&D deliverables over time. Techniques used for data collection, analysis and visualization in each stage are presented. Possibilities of customizing the process are suggested when appropriate. Finally, based on the results, more general theoretical and methodological reflections are proposed in order to help managers tackling the long-standing problem of setting a shared R&D agenda between industry and university.

In search of the elements of an Intra-organizational Innovation System for Brazilian automotive subsidiaries

The present study provides a theoretical basis for the development of product technological competence in global automotive organizations in Brazilian subsidiaries. It is argued that the necessary knowledge is fragmented in literature among studies on new product development, knowledge management and organizational learning, organizational competences and technological innovation.