Startups, SMEs and Institutional Arrangements in the Internet of Things Innovation Ecosystem in Brazil

Startups and Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), despite their importance to the local economy, generally have limited resources and face significant barriers to innovate and grow, such as lack of access to knowledge, human resources, and efficient forms of financing. This paper reports preliminary results of a research project that aims to analyze the institutional arrangements in the Brazilian Internet of Things (IoT) innovation ecosystem and how these arrangements support the innovation by startups and SMEs. The research method is a longitudinal case study. The preliminary research results show the main groups of actors and resources involved in the IoT innovation ecosystem in Brazil. The results also suggest that the institutional arrangements in this ecosystem usually favors the big players; several controversies exist regarding key elements of the institutional pillars elements related to the IoT development in the country. Besides, the knowledge diffusion about the IoT and its potential is still needed

A Framework for IoT-based Products and Services Value Proposition

The Internet of Things (IoT) has the potential to help firms to innovate and to address new business opportunities. However, many companies face difficulties in developing value propositions for products and services based on this technology. Considering this, we aimed to answer the following research question: which elements need to be considered to develop value propositions for IoT-based products and services? We used the Design Science Research (DSR) method to answer this question through the creation and testing of a specific framework to support the development of this type of value proposition. The framework was evaluated by 31 academic experts and practitioners and applied to two real businesses. It considers critical elements related to the value proposition and the relations between the main architecture layers of the IoT (including capabilities and challenges), the different types of values that can be generated for different actors, as well as the strategic positioning of IoT-based products and services

Inclusive Innovation Based on ICT: Lessons from the Maker Movement in Brazil

This research explores the concept of inclusive innovation based on ICT, examining collective practices and creations from the Maker Movement (MM) in Brazil. The research results show that this Movement, which exists as a network of overlapping practices based on the principle of \u27making\u27, tries to break through the black box around manufacturing items and open it up to look at innovation differently. However, although the main actors promote inclusiveness to the public, who, due to maker spaces, now have access to endless creative options, other actors, who have historically been ignored when discussing innovation, are still excluded from this Movement. Therefore, the very concept of inclusive innovation needs to be reconsidered

Digital entrepreneurship and institutional changes: Fintechs in the Brazilian mobile payment system

In mature and highly regulated markets, digital entrepreneurship may demand institutional changes to flourish. This paper aims to analyze institutional changes associated with the entry of new digital entrepreneurs (fintechs) into a national payment system. To achieve this goal, we conducted a case study in the Brazilian mobile payment system, with data collected from multiple sources, such as interviews with fintech entrepreneurs, document analysis, a survey with 580 users and non-users of mobile payments, and participant observations during a fintech summit. The Institutional Theory supported the understanding of institutional changes regarding the regulatory, normative, and cultural/cognitive pillars of the mobile payment system needed to support the new entrants (fintechs). The institutional work performed to carry on these changes is also analyzed

Mobile ERP systems adoption: case studies in Brazil

The use of ERP systems via mobile/wireless devices is a subject rarely studied in academic research. The aim of this paper is to explore how ERP systems have been used with mobility and what are the main consequences of this use for organizations. It used as research method multiple case studies in three companies located in the South of Brazil. The research results show that, in the analyzed companies, the use of ERP with mobility generated positive consequences such as increases in productivity, efficiency and effectiveness, and improvements for users´ quality of life. However, the use also generated negative consequences such as increased surveillance and control over employees

Os Dilemas Éticos da Transformação Digital

Ethical issues are involved in the increasing use of emerging technologies by organizations. Several business forums and academic research have been exploring the relationship between ethics and digital transformation, as digital technologies are essential for the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution, which combine the use of technologies, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, blockchain, and neuro and biotechnologies, to create numerous innovations in products, services, and business models. The issue is that these technologies advance at a much faster pace than human institutions, and clarifying how they can be applied to bring development for all, while preserving inalienable human rights, becomes necessary. Thus, in this editorial, we will address important aspects about the ethical issues of digital transformation and propose a series of issues for future studies. Questões éticas estão implicadas no uso crescente de tecnologias emergentes pelas organizações. Recentemente, diversos fóruns empresariais e pesquisas acadêmicas vêm explorando as relações entre ética e transformação digital, uma vez que as tecnologias digitais são cruciais para a chamada Quarta Revolução Industrial, que faz o uso combinado tecnologias, como a inteligência artificial, aprendizagem de máquina, robótica, blockchain, neuro e biotecnologias, para criar inúmeras inovações em produtos, serviços e modelos de negócios. A questão que se apresenta é que essas tecnologias avançam em um ritmo muito mais acelerado do que as instituições humanas, sendo necessário elucidarmos como elas podem ser aplicadas para gerar desenvolvimento para todos, ao mesmo tempo que preservamos os direitos humanos inalienáveis. Considerando esse cenário, neste editorial abordaremos importantes aspectos sobre os dilemas éticos da transformação digital, propondo uma série de questões para pesquisas futuras

Mobile Technology for Supply Chain Management: The Case of a Brazilian Beef Chain

The use of mobile technologies is important for Supply Chain Management (SCM) because these technologies allow for the ubiquitous flow of information, higher agility and risk reduction in supply chains. These issues are particularly relevant to avoid food safety risks in global food chains. The main goal of this paper is to analyse the diffusion of mobile technology for management and risk control in the Brazilian beef supply chain, since Brazil is one of the main producers and beef exporters in the world. The research method was a single case study in the beef chain of the state of Goias (one of Brazil’s main beef producers). Results show the actual level of mobile technology use and the main elements that affect the diffusion of mobile technology in the supply chain studied

COMUNIDADES DE PRÁTICA COMO MEIO DE DESENVOLVIMENTO PROFISSIONAL DE GRUPOS EM SITUAÇÃO DE VULNERABILIDADE SOCIAL

A criação de vínculos sociais em meio digital pode colaborar para a aprendizagem, apoio mútuo e valores compartilhados em determinados grupos sociais. Este artigo apresenta os resultados de um estudo que buscou compreender como uma comunidade de prática criada na mídia social Facebook® pode ser utilizada para o desenvolvimento profissional de indivíduos que pertencem a grupos em situação de vulnerabilidade social. O método de pesquisa empregado foi a Design Research, por meio da qual se criou e testou um artefato - uma metodologia para a criação de uma comunidade de prática em mídia social (Facebook®). A comunidade foi criada por um grupo de jovens com perfil sócio vulnerável que realizavam um curso técnico profissionalizante em uma unidade do SENAI. Os resultados do estudo apontam que o Facebook® possui as ferramentas necessárias para dar apoio à interação e aprendizagem em uma comunidade de prática, porém, outros fatores, como a ausência de lideranças, a necessidade do contato face a face e o uso de outras mídias (como aplicativos móveis) para interação, limitações na habilidade de escrita dos participantes e o narcisismo, comportamento característico no Facebook®, entre outros, afetaram o nível de desenvolvimento da comunidade de prática criada nessa mídia

The Creation of a Ubiquitous Business Community for an Agribusiness Cluster

Ubiquitous Business Communities (UBC) are information processing systems that offer people the possibility to connect to networks, any time independently from location and computing platforms, which are sensitive to the users´ contexts. UBC allow participants to exchange information and enhance business transactions. These systems may act as market organizers and may affect millions of producers and clients in developing countries. Our research-in-progress paper presents the creation of a UBC to enhance business transactions in an agribusiness cluster. We highlight some characteristics of the UBC under development, considering the main factors that influence the competitiveness of the cluster. We also describe aspects of the development process of the UBC and of the structuration process of the community (organization of a member and product catalog and of product quality standards). Finally we present expectations to be verified in the implementation process of the UBC