Silvia Fernandes

Interaction between innovation in small firms and their environments: An exploratory study

Abstract Small food firms make up an important sector in the European economy and are particularly significant in rural areas where they are potential sources of employment and growth. Despite this, their behaviour as regards innovation has been relatively little studied to date. This exploratory investigation finds different types of innovative behaviours among small agro-food firms in peripheral regions and identifies some of the factors with which they are associated. The research reported here is based on a sample of 323 small and very small food and drink (hereafter “food”) firms drawn from 11 regions in six European countries. The food industry is generally regarded as a mature, low-technology industry, but this study identifies different clusters of small food firms according to innovative behaviours. It finds that, although a substantial number of firms may be defined as non-innovators, by far the largest cluster of food firms is involved in multiple forms of innovative activity. Recent studies have demonstrated the complexity of the determinants of technological progress. This may be modelled as a learning process in which small innovative firms tend to draw on internal and external sources of expertise and are both influenced by and influence the broader socio-economic environment in which they operate. This study uses cluster analyses to identify four types of innovative behaviours and examines the factors influencing these. It takes first steps to incorporate both measures of innovative capacity at the firm level as well as of the local development environment in order to explore links between the innovative capacity of small food firms and the characteristics of their regional contexts.

Sources of Innovation: The Case of Portuguese Consultancy Sector

This study addresses the effects of external environments on types of innovation introduced by Portuguese consultancy firms (PCs) in computer, technical, and management areas. It distinguishes the most determinant factors for innovation regarding product, process, organization, and marketing. The assessment framework followed three steps: 1) evaluation of propensity to use external sources of information and cooperation with agents, 2) identification of factors used most often during innovation, and 3) derivation of profiles of firms under study. The method generated tree-based classification models that segmented the sample into innovative and non-innovative firms, and distinct profiles that emphasized specificities concerning use of external sources and agents for innovation.

How Small and Medium Enterprises Are Using Social Networks? Evidence from the Algarve Region

The evolution of internet created new opportunities for small and medium enterprises (SME), among which are social networks. This work aims at analyzing the potential of these networks for the SME in Algarve, creating a questionnaire for the purpose. The empirical study revealed that some firms have already an integrated business strategy with social networks, as well as a group in the firm responsible for it. Most of their managers consider that social networks enhance performance, but few really measure these results. A categorical principal component analysis identified two dimensions of social networks’ use: social networks for product-client interaction and knowledge; and social networks with potential for marketing. A supplementary analysis (hierarchical clustering) identified three patterns of SME’s involvement in social networks: cluster Social Net Level 1, cluster Social Net Level 2 and cluster Social Net Level 3. These groups validated the results described above, indicating a sustainable methodological approach.

An empirical approach of the distinctive aspects for socioeconomic development

Purpose – This paper aims to present an integrative approach for examining key aspects, and their associations, of economic development. Design/methodology/approach – After a cross-country cluster analysis of profiles related to select indicators, discriminant analysis of the clusters identified variables that most differentiate them. This assessment acknowledges that their level of capital endowment, and the ability to exploit it, is crucial to economic performance. Intangible aspects are the elements necessary for creation and maintenance of distinct economic development. Findings – Economies with lower skills and knowledge activities lose governance and cohesiveness, explaining unemployment and inequalities and influencing the consumer-confidence index. Economies with higher confidence use new communication technologies. E-government and knowledge media play an important role since collective learning occurs through active social communication. As the learning environment matures, its elements gain new...

Social Networks as Enablers of Enterprise Creativity: Evidence from Portuguese Firms and Users

The present work analyzes the profiles of social networks’ users, individuals and enterprises in Algarve (Portugal), having accomplished online questionnaires. Samples of 230 users and 70 firms were collected. According to data obtained there are different behaviors. Users’ results highlight the need of harnessing the potential of recruitment and business projects through social networks, as searching for knowledge, communication and professional relations are expressive. Firms’ results reveal two types of social networks’ use: 1) knowledge search, interact with customers, launch new products; and 2) potential for marketing. Users’ desire of expressing own ideas and being creative had low importance. In social networks they auscultate more about what others are doing than revealing own aspirations. Here firms can act in order to shape users’ attitudes and preferences to their creativity. Thus, enterprises can use the first level of social networks (knowledge and product-customer interaction) in order to enhance the second level (marketing and innovation).

Sistemas e Tecnologias de Informação Processo de Difusão nas Organizações

In recent years the fast growing adoption of the Internet as a tool to link companies for business purposes has appeared to be one of the major forces able to shape competition and the whole economy in 21st century. More specifically, the agreements between buying firms and supplying firms seem to head towards new scenarios, with possible consequences with regard to the time span of the relationship and the amount of information exchanged between business partners. This paper aims to present some research issues concerned with the adoption of interorganizational information systems and with the innovative relations allowed by the Internet as enabling infrastructure, and to point out the main theoretical hypothesis about buyer-suppliers relationships which emerge from the literature in the field. As a result, a definite set of statements will be provided. Furthermore, by considering the case of two of the leading food retailing companies in Britain, some web-based information systems will be discussed, in order to understand in which terms the speculative findings of the literature apply in the given cases.Na sociedade actual, o conhecimento existente nas empresas e uma forte arma competitiva quando gerido adequadamente. Os factores determinantes da sobrevivencia de uma grande parte das organizacoes reflectem-se na forma como a organizacao aprende e responde a mudanca atraves da partilha, distribuicao e criacao de conhecimento organizacional. O termo que vem sendo usado para referir a criacao, partilha e distribuicao de conhecimento e “gestao de conhecimento”.Neste artigo sao apresentados os resultados de um estudo exploratorio que pretende caracterizar o estado da gestao de conhecimento em Portugal. Pretendeu-se medir a sensibilidade das organizacoes para a necessidade e vantagens da gestao de conhecimento, bem como identificar projectos desenvolvidos ou em curso, ferramentas utilizadas e o conhecimento manuseado.O artigo comeca com uma breve contextualizacao historica e descricao da situacao actual. Em seguida introduz as principais alteracoes que o desenvolvimento tecnologico vem trazer as cadeias de valor das organizacoes. A abordagem seguinte, relativa a aprendizagem de Sistemas de Informacao (SI), debate a insuficiencia do factor tecnologico para estas mudancas, se nao houver, por parte das organizacoes, um esforco sistematico de tirar o maximo partido desse factor, apostando na valorizacao dos seus profissionais e, em particular, na aprendizagem dos SI na perspectiva da criacao de novo conhecimento organizacional nesta area. Ainda antes da apresentacao do modelo, e feita uma descricao mais exaustiva dos principais conceitos desta area do conhecimento organizacional. Finalmente e apresentado o modelo que propomos para ser utilizado na caracterizacao da aprendizagem dos SI.O objectivo desta comunicacao consiste em fazer uma abordagem generica aos sistemas de informacao e a tecnologia de suporte no âmbito da gestao das organizacoes ligadas a Cadeia de Valor do Turismo e Hotelaria. Pretende-se ainda reflectir sobre as conclusoes de um estudo efectuado pelos autores a utilizacao de Sistemas do tipo ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) nas unidades hoteleirasNos ultimos anos, congregaram-se alguns factores, pressionando os decisores da Saude para mudancas de fundo nas suas politicas: a dificuldade do controlo orcamental, o aumento do grau de exigencia dos utentes, o envelhecimento da populacao e a necessidade de comparacao e disseminacao de boas praticas. Estas mudancas de fundo implicam a existencia de sistemas de Qualidade, que nao podem existir sem recolha e tratamento de grandes volumes de dados. Os Sistemas de Suporte a Decisao tem sido, com sucesso, aplicados noutros dominios para resolver este problema. O autor propoe o uso de sistemas ja implementados em Portugal como base de trabalho para a criacao de uma Base de Dados Nacional de Indicadores.