The management of technological innovation in small and medium size firms in Cyprus

This thesis was submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy and awarded by Brunel University.The factors affecting innovation have been largely investigated in the context of industrialized or large developing countries. Innovation is, however, equally important for small developing countries also. It is argued in this thesis that the context of innovation in such small economies is sufficiently different to justify research into the relative potency of factors influencing innovation and the practice of innovation management. These differentiated innovation practices will also have repercussions for the national innovation policy of a small developing country. The present research was conducted in Cyprus, a small developing country. A large number of manufacturing small and medium sized firms (n =140), were surveyed, during 1995, via a questionnaire administered during personal interviews with the firms' owners or managers. The survey was complemented with more extensive case studies of a subset (n = 25) of the survey sample of firms. A research model based on the antecedents approach was used in the survey research and the data were subjected to various statistical analyses including multivariate techniques. The results indicate that the SME owner/manager plays a central role in innovation, influencing directly and indirectly the main variables affecting innovation. From the multivariate analysis these factors include: strategy, expenditure on R&D, cooperation with external technology providers, use of technological information sources and overall performance of the firm. The case material supports in general these findings and also emphasizes the importance of government policies for innovation. The importance of networking for innovation was partially confirmed, in terms of the cooperation with technology and information providers. However contrary to expectations and literature claims, horizontal networking (cooperation within the sector) was not found important for innovation. Based on these results a number of practical suggestions are offered to both industrial managers and policy makers. It is believed that these suggestions are relevant, not only for Cyprus, but also for other small developing countries

National innovation policy in Cyprus

This paper analyses the concept of national innovation policy (NIP) and puts forward arguments supporting the need for a NIP for small developing economies like Cyprus. A brief outline is given of the science/technology infrastructure and current innovation related policies in Cyprus while the attitudes of owners/managers of private manufacturing firms towards these policies, based on a research survey, are examined. The survey reveals an ambivalent attitude towards NIP, which is probably due to unrealistic expectations, as well as, inefficiency in design and implementation of innovation policy measures. Case research confirms these conclusions and highlights the importance of NIP for private firms despite the rhetoric of their managers against it. The formulation of a specific NIP for Cyprus is then considered, from which lessons for other developing countries are drawn

A CASE STUDY OF SME–UNIVERSITY RESEARCH COLLABORATION IN THE CONTEXT OF A SMALL PERIPHERAL COUNTRY (CYPRUS)

The issue of the cooperation of private industrial firms with universities and the relevant transfer of knowledge is discussed here with special reference to the problems and opportunities that small and medium size enterprises face in such cases. A typology of barriers and facilitators within a broad network framework provides a structural approach to the description of these problems and opportunities. The longitudinal investigation of a case study enables an in-depth consideration of the evolution of barriers and facilitators of collaboration over time. The case indicates a fluid pattern of knowledge generation, transmission and absorption, which is then compared to (and contrasted with) the findings of the existing literature.Absorptive capacity, barriers, research collaboration, knowledge transfer

Problematična stran Cipra

Applying the theoretical framework of the National Innovation System (NIS), this article analyses the innovation policy of Cyprus, a European Union accession country. The paper first introduces the concept of the National Innovation System and discusses its advantages, drawbacks and validity as an analytical tool in the context of a small industrialising country. Empirical research on recent innovation-related developments in the Cypriot economy and the evolution of relevant policies are outlined. The concept of innovation policy is relatively new to Cyprus, and the analysis reveals that there is no self-contained policy document or a guideline, and that the elements of innovation policy are included in the existing industrial policy. The article then presents the current state of the NIS in Cyprus, its deficiencies and the subsequent implications for innovation policy. The study concludes with some policy recommendations.S teoretičnim pristopom nacionalnega inovacijskega sistema (NIS) članek analizira inovacijsko politiko na Cipru, kandidatki za članstvo v Evropski uniji. Najprej predstavlja pojem NIS ter razpravlja o njegovih prednostih, slabostih in veljavnosti kot analitičnem orodju znotraj konteksta male industrializirajoče se države. Predstavljene so novejše empirične raziskave, vezane na inovacijsko pomembne razvojne tendence ciprskega gospodarstva, in razvoj spremljajočih politik. Sam pojem inovacijske politike je na Cipru relativno nov, pa tudi analiza kaže, da ni nobenega samostojnega dokumenta ali navodil na tem področju. Zato so elementi tovrstne politike vključeni v sedanjo gospodarsko politiko. Članek nato predstavlja sedanje stanje NIS na Cipru, njegove pomanjkljivosti ter posledice za inovacijsko politiko. Študija se zaključi s priporočili primerne politike, utemeljenimi na predhodni raziskavi

Family business background, perceptions of barriers, and entrepreneurial intentions in Cyprus

This paper investigates the influence of family business background, contextual barriers, and socio-demographic variables on career decisions, such as starting a new business or joining the family firm. A survey of 167 respondents was used embracing the two main communities of Cyprus, Greek and Turkish Cypriots. There is a low, but statistically significant, correlation between a family business background and the intention to start a new business. Entrepreneurial education is not correlated, while entrepreneurial self-efficacy has a positive correlation with the intention to start a new business. Factor analysis of perceived barriers to entrepreneurship identified six major underlying factors and correlated factor scores with the decision to start a new business or join the family business. Factor scores were not found to be significantly correlated with these decisions. Gender and entrepreneurial self-efficacy are not correlated with the decision to join the family business