Making sense of innovation by R&D and non-R&D innovators in low technology contexts: a forgotten lesson for policymakers

This paper attempts to use an integrated theory based on a firm’s internal and external sources of knowledge framework to analyze how different are R&D from non-R&D activities to innovate, specially in a context of low and medium low tech (LMT) sectors where most of the firms are SMEs. Simultaneously, the paper also explores the key differences between R&D and non-R&D innovators. The empirical analysis is based on a representative panel of 2023 Spanish manufacturing firms for 2005 and 2006 from the Spanish Ministry of Industry. Innovation in product and process is explained using non-R&D variables such as in Marketing, Design or hiring tertiary degree employees. Only innovation in product is explained by R&D expenditures. Addressing innovation in process, R&D variables work in few cases and neither R&D expenditures but occasionally R&D employees and are specially relevant the non-R&D variables. The interaction (moderating) effect is specially negative and significant, addressing the substitution effect with different implications regarding product or process innovation. Therefore, innovation can be explained using non-R&D variables such as investments in Marketing, Design, and other routines linked to human resources, technology monitoring committees or the existence of a formal plan to innovate. The firms with more internal resources, those which conduct R&D activities present a better AC and it leads to engage in cooperation agreements and access to external flows of knowledge. The paper has important implications for policymakers due to the fact that most of policies for R&D are based on R&D programmes, while there are other realities: non-R&D factors which also explain innovation, specially when considering low tech sector contexts. El presente artículo usa la teoría de recursos y capacidades para, a través de los recursos internos y externos de las empresas, analizar las actividades de R&D y las actividades de no-R&D en su impacto sobre la performance de innovación de la empresa, en un contexto sectorial de baja y media tecnología. Asimismo, el artículo explora el rol innovador de las empresas que hacen R&D y las que no lo hacen. Con una muestra de 2023 empresas manufactureras españolas, obtenemos un comportamiento innovador para la innovación en producto y en proceso y, sobre todo, observando que las actividades de R&D tienen muy poco peso explicativo sobre el resultado de innovación. El artículo presenta implicaciones para la Academia y los policymakers, sobre todo por el hecho de que la mayoría de las políticas de innovación se basan en actividades de R&D.fuentes de innovación, estrategias de búsqueda de conocimiento externo, cooperación tecnológica, capacidad de absorción. innovation sources, technology cooperation, absorptive capacity, search strategies.

Positioning in the Global Value Chain as a Sustainable Strategy: A Case Study in a Mature Industry

As a result of the development of new industrialized countries, such as Brazil, China and other Southern Asian economies, as well as a globalized economy, traditional competitive paradigms based on advantages associated with costs and quality efficiencies or even innovation are no longer sufficient. These previous classical paradigms related competitiveness either to costs or technology innovation and the resources of industry incumbents. However, the combination of adequate knowledge and relationship management with marketing efforts brings forth a reconsideration of the present competitive models that go beyond those analyses from the point of view of global value chains. The objective of this investigation will analyze the governance structure of the territorial value chain in the Spanish and Italian ceramic tile industry, through the understanding of the previous and current roles of several industries involved in the value creation system. By way of both a case study and quantitative methodology approach, we will explore the paradigm change where traditional chain actors are losing their grip on their contribution to the territorial value creation system as new actors appear with a more stable status. The article concludes that proper positioning in the global value chain is a key strategy for the sustainability of the involved firms, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SME).Albors Garrigós, J.; Miguel Molina, MBD.; De-Miguel-Molina, M. (2014). Positioning in the Global Value Chain as a Sustainable Strategy: A Case Study in a Mature Industry. Administrative Sciences. (4):155-172. doi:10.3390/admsci4020155S1551724Cooke, P., Gomez Uranga, M., & Etxebarria, G. (1997). Regional innovation systems: Institutional and organisational dimensions. Research Policy, 26(4-5), 475-491. doi:10.1016/s0048-7333(97)00025-5Johannisson, B., Ramírez-Pasillas, M., & Karlsson, G. (2002). The institutional embeddedness of local inter-firm networks: a leverage for business creation. Entrepreneurship & Regional Development, 14(4), 297-315. doi:10.1080/08985620210142020Albors, J. G. (2002). The Journal of Technology Transfer, 27(3), 263-273. doi:10.1023/a:1015600521407Oliver, J. L. H., Garrigós, J. A., & Porta, J. I. D. (2008). External Ties and the Reduction of Knowledge Asymmetries among Clusters within Global Value Chains: The Case of the Ceramic Tile District of Castellon. European Planning Studies, 16(4), 507-520. doi:10.1080/09654310801983308Pavitt, K. (1984). Sectoral patterns of technical change: Towards a taxonomy and a theory. Research Policy, 13(6), 343-373. doi:10.1016/0048-7333(84)90018-0Asociación Española de Fabricantes de Azulejos y Pavimentos Cerámicoshttp://www.ASCER.esInternational online directory of ceramic tile, stone and allied products and manufacturershttp://www.Infotile.comManual for Value Chain on Homeworkers in the Garment Industryhttps://www.ids.ac.uk/idspublication/manual-for-value-chain-research-on-homeworkers-in-the-garment-industryHumphrey, J., & Schmitz*, H. (2001). Governance in Global Value Chains. IDS Bulletin, 32(3), 19-29. doi:10.1111/j.1759-5436.2001.mp32003003.xA commodity chains framework for analysing global industries, in Institute of Development Studies, 1999, Background Notes for Workshop on Spreading the Gains from Globalisationhttp://www.ids.ac.uk/ids/global/conf/wkscf.htmlSchmitz, H. (2000). Does Local Co-operation Matter? Evidence from Industrial Clusters in South Asia and Latin America. Oxford Development Studies, 28(3), 323-336. doi:10.1080/713688314Albors Garrigós, J., Márquez Rodríguez, P., & Hervás Oliver, J. L. (2008). Las relaciones fabricante distribuidor como elementos básicos de un modelo competitivo en el caso del cluster cerámico español. Análisis empírico de los factores moderadores. Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Cerámica y Vidrio, 47(6), 339-344. doi:10.3989/cyv.2008.v47.i6.159European Patent Officehttp://www.epo.org/searching/free/espacenet.htm

BREAKING THE GLASS CEILING IN HAUTE CUISINE: THE ROLE OF ENTREPRENEURSHIP ON THE CAREER EXPECTATIONS OF FEMALE CHEFS

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the critical elements for female chefs in overcoming the glass ceiling in a relevant sector of the hospitality industry: haute cuisine. Design – It is based on an empirical study. We surveyed 202 cooks and chefs from France, the US and Spain. Methodology – The data were analysed using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA). The fsQCA identifies patterns or combinations of causal conditions that lead to an outcome to evaluate the variety of conditions that produce high career expectations among female professional chefs. Approach – Although the status of women in the hospitality industry has received academic attention, there is still a gap in research on gender discrimination in haute cuisine, specifically regarding the factors that enable for women’s advancement to chef. Findings – Six variables were identified that impact female chefs\u27 career advancement (entrepreneurial attitude, mentoring, career expectations, workplace environment, skills learned on the job, and their perception of a glass ceiling). The results show that entrepreneurial attitude is a critical enabler for the career advancement of female chefs. This factor is moderated by incumbents\u27 skills acquired in the workplace, combined with adequate mentoring, which facilitates the absence of a harsh environment perception by female chefs. Originality of the research – The theoretical framework developed for this study contributes to the literature on female entrepreneurship in haute cuisine and its contribution to overcoming gender barriers to advancement in the sector

Worldwide Research on Open Innovation in SMEs

Research on open innovation (OI) has increased in recent years, showing its potential in various areas of knowledge. Its relation to small and medium-sized enterprises has attracted the attention of academics. This article aims to evaluate the intellectual structure of the scientific study of OI, and its close relationship with various scientific fields, through a bibliometric analysis of this academic field using the Scopus database and the application of the VOSviewer software. The methodology comprises a rigorous systematic and transparent process divided into four phases: (i) the establishment of search criteria for the research field, through a literature review for its selection; (ii) the selection of the database, the establishment of the search equation and extraction of information; (iii) the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria for the selected documents and an explanation of the usefulness of the software; and (iv) the analysis of the results through the approaches of scientific output performance and bibliometric mapping. The results show an increasing trend of IO publications in SMEs, consolidated in 396 articles with contributions from 65 countries and 947 authors. The intellectual structure shows seven themes related to firm performance, R&D networks, business management, business models, capabilities and knowledge transfer. This study contributes to the field by providing an overview of IO in SME contexts. It also provides insightful information to policymakers for developing policies for firm economic growth

The role of a firm's absorptive capacity and the technology transfer process in clusters: How effective are technology centres in low-tech clusters?

This paper analyses how the internal resources of small- and medium-sized enterprises determine access (learning processes) to technology centres (TCs) or industrial research institutes (innovation infrastructure) in traditional low-tech clusters. These interactions basically represent traded (market-based) transactions, which constitute important sources of knowledge in clusters. The paper addresses the role of TCs in low-tech clusters, and uses semi-structured interviews with 80 firms in a manufacturing cluster. The results point out that producer–user interactions are the most frequent; thus, the higher the sector knowledge-intensive base, the more likely the utilization of the available research infrastructure becomes. Conversely, the sectors with less knowledge-intensive structures, i.e. less absorptive capacity (AC), present weak linkages to TCs, as they frequently prefer to interact with suppliers, who act as transceivers of knowledge. Therefore, not all the firms in a cluster can fully exploit the available research infrastructure, and their AC moderates this engagement. In addition, the existence of TCs is not sufficient since the active role of a firm's search strategies to undertake interactions and conduct openness to available sources of knowledge is also needed. The study has implications for policymakers and academia

Offshoring innovation: an empirical investigation of dyadic complementarity within SMEs

Despite scholarly agreement that complementary capabilities are essential to successful collaborations, little is known about how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) manage collaborative innovation through offshoring. Besides, the innovation management literature remains generally silent about when supplier joint actions could work in enhancing offshoring innovation (OI) performance. The purpose of this study is twofold. First, we aim to delineate why supplier's asset specificity and goal compatibility predict supplier's complimentary capabilities in OI. Second, we empirically explore the role of supplier joint actions in enhancing OI performance. Based on data collected from 200 SMEs having active OI relationships spanning four developed European countries, our results propose that supplier's complementary capabilities mediate the relationship between critical relational antecedents (supplier's asset specificity and goal compatibility) and OI performance. It should be noted, however, that despite their incentivising power, supplier joint actions can be a “double-edged sword” in SMEs’ OI relationships

The economic geography of the meso-global spaces: integrating multinationals and clusters at the local-global level

This is an author's accepted manuscript of an article published in: “European Planning Studies"; Volume 21, Issue 7, 2013; copyright Taylor & Francis; available online at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2013.733853[EN] The local global phenomenon literature is fragmented between the fields of international business and economic geography (EG). In the case of the latter, the literature, produced within the global production networks (GPNs) and global value chain frameworks, does not address the central role of firms, especially multinationals which co-locate and connect territories along GPNs. This paper develops a cross-field conceptual integration in order to enrich the EG perspective, using qualitative research methodology to test the framework. The results have important implications for scholars and policymakers.We are very thankful to the “Ministry of Economics” funding ECO2010:17318 and “Generalitat Valenciana” for its support in visiting the London School of Economics and Political Science (BEST 2011 grants)Hervás Oliver, JL.; Boix Domenech, R. (2012). The economic geography of the meso-global spaces: integrating multinationals and clusters at the local-global level. European Planning Studies. 21(7):1064-1080. https://doi.org/10.1080/09654313.2013.733853S1064108021

Determinants of Agri-food Firms Participation in Public Funded Research and Development

A database of over 2,700 agri-food businesses in the region of Valencia, Spain was used to test the influence of internal characteristics of the firm and of external characteristics linked to local systems on the willingness to participate in R&D activities promoted by knowledge supporting institutions. A Probit model was estimated, correcting possible intragroup correlations when group variables are combined with individual data. Results show that R&D activities are enhanced in medium and large firms, co-ops, experienced firms and better physical access to technological centers.The authors gratefully acknowledge the support received from the projects AGL2012-39793-C03-01 and 02, funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Spain).García Alvarez-Coque, JM.; Mas Verdú, F.; Sanchez Garcia, M. (2015). Determinants of Agri-food Firms Participation in Public Funded Research and Development. 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Positioning in the Global Value Chain as a Sustainable Strategy: A Case Study in a Mature Industry

As a result of the development of new industrialized countries, such as Brazil, China and other Southern Asian economies, as well as a globalized economy, traditional competitive paradigms based on advantages associated with costs and quality efficiencies or even innovation are no longer sufficient. These previous classical paradigms related competitiveness either to costs or technology innovation and the resources of industry incumbents. However, the combination of adequate knowledge and relationship management with marketing efforts brings forth a reconsideration of the present competitive models that go beyond those analyses from the point of view of global value chains. The objective of this investigation will analyze the governance structure of the territorial value chain in the Spanish and Italian ceramic tile industry, through the understanding of the previous and current roles of several industries involved in the value creation system. By way of both a case study and quantitative methodology approach, we will explore the paradigm change where traditional chain actors are losing their grip on their contribution to the territorial value creation system as new actors appear with a more stable status. The article concludes that proper positioning in the global value chain is a key strategy for the sustainability of the involved firms, especially Small and Medium Enterprises (SME)

Disruptive Innovation in Traditional Clusters: The Case of the Kerajet Ceramic Tile Cluster in Spain

Academic literature has often emphasized how firms in regional clusters exploit both place-specific local resources and external, world-class knowledge to strengthen their competitiveness by expanding the influence of regional systems of innovation. Innovation based on more complex and disruptive technologies tends to also be based on more open systems that utilize the clusters’ external networks. However, most of the literature has associated clusters with incremental innovation. This paper will analyze the determinants of disruptive innovation development in traditional (low and medium tech) clusters caused by high-tech entrepreneurs. It will analyze the case of the development of breakthrough innovation, its diffusion in the Spanish ceramic tile cluster, and its consequent diffusion in the industry worldwide. It will examine how market demands, customer orientation, technology diffusion from other industries, industry competitiveness, as well as internal and external networking of clusters can facilitate the development of complex technology within a common set of social capital goals, cognitive schemes, and knowledge. The paper is based on a case study and field work carried out over10 years in the field in the Italian and Spanish tile ceramic clusters. The main contribution of this paper to technology strategy theory will be thorough the utilization of the disruptive technology paradigm in explaining industry changes and sustainability