Knowledge-intensive business services and innovation performance in Brazil

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the way different economic sectors in Brazil use knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) and explore which features of KIBS use are associated with better innovation outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – Clusters and regression analyses were used to analyze data from the national innovation survey (PINTEC) from 2014. Findings – The results show that most of the 55 sectors of the Brazilian economy studied make little use of KIBS, but industries in which firms that interact with KIBS providers also have better innovation performance and offer more innovative offerings. The relationship with higher education institutions and research institutes proved particularly relevant, while the interaction with consultancy firms seems to be a strategy that leaves firms “stuck in the middle”. Originality/value – The outcomes confirm the arguments of the literature that the use of KIBS has positive outcomes for customer firms. More importantly, however, the paper complements the existing literature by showing that the type of KIBS used in each country is relevant to understand firms’ innovation performance. The outcomes can guide firms and public policy initiatives oriented at the articulation of the national innovation system

Are knowledge-intensive business services really co-produced?:overcoming lack of customer participation in KIBS

Customer participation is considered necessary for the delivery of effective Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS). However, for different reasons, KIBS customers are not always able to participate actively during the delivery process and providers have to compensate for this in order to deliver effective solutions. We conducted case-based research to understand how KIBS providers do this. The three cases studied suggest that, besides customer education, providers use preventive and problem-management strategies to counterbalance limited customer participation. These three strategies are used in a complementary way and are enabled by the expertise of KIBS providers. They also contribute to the delivery of effective KIBS. The research outcomes refine the existing knowledge of customer participation in KIBS, which has so far focused mainly on the causes and consequences of it and overlooked other related issues. Our results also suggest that practitioners could use the level of customers' ability and willingness to participate as segmentation criteria and then define their strategies and allocate their resources accordingly

Toward a Subjective Measurement Model for Firm Performance

Firm performance is a relevant construct in strategic management research and frequently used as a dependentvariable. Despite this relevance, there is hardly a consensus about its definition, dimensionality andmeasurement, what limits advances in research and understanding of the concept. This article proposes and testsa measurement model for firm performance, based on subjective indicators. The model is grounded instakeholder theory and a review of empirical articles. Confirmatory Factor Analyses, using data from 116Brazilian senior managers, were used to test its fit and psychometric properties. The final model had six firstorderdimensions: profitability, growth, customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, social performance, andenvironmental performance. A second-order financial performance construct, influencing growth andprofitability, correlated with the first-order intercorrelated, non-financial dimensions. Results suggest dimensionscannot be used interchangeably, since they represent different aspects of firm performance, and corroborate theidea that stakeholders have different demands that need to be managed independently. Researchers andpractitioners may use the model to fully treat performance in empirical studies and to understand the impact ofstrategies on multiple performance facets

Empoderamento na Recuperação do Serviço: Implicações na Percepção de Equidade e Lealdade do Cliente

Studies in Service Recovery (SR) demonstrate that equity in SR process is crucial to the customer’s satisfaction and loyalty. Front office employees are responsible for this process which, with their actions, they influence the perception in fairness. Thus, strategies focused on improving processes and the employees’ work performance, such as the empowerment, may expand qualities such as equity and, in turn, lead to customer loyalty. This work investigates these relationships through a survey on banking services. Data were analyzed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modelling. The results show that the empowerment brings greater equity to the SR process; consequently, it influences positively customer loyalty. In addition to proving these scenarios, this work contributes to the related literature, by integrating concepts from different fields of knowledge that benefit SR and studies in service management. Especially regarding empowerment (Operations), that involves human resources training and qualification (Human Resources Management), equity and loyalty in services (Marketing). From a managerial perspective, it is suggested that service organizations should implement specific SR training for their front-line employees, which promotes their empowerment.Estudos em Recuperação do Serviço (RS) mostram que a equidade no processo de RS é crucial para a satisfação e lealdade do cliente. Esse processo é realizado por funcionários de atendimento que, com suas ações, influenciam a sensação de equidade. Assim, estratégias ligadas ao processo e à gestão desses funcionários, como o empoderamento, podem expandir o nível de equidade que, por sua vez, pode estimular a lealdade dos clientes. Esse trabalho investiga tais relações através de um levantamento de dados, por meio de questionário com clientes em serviços bancários. Para analisar os dados, foram empregadas análises fatoriais exploratória e confirmatória e modelagem por equações estruturais. Os resultados mostram que o empoderamento traz maior equidade ao processo de RS e promove a lealdade dos clientes. Além de comprovar essas relações, esse trabalho contribui com a literatura, ao promover a integração de conceitos de diferentes campos de conhecimento que beneficiam a gestão de serviços. No caso deste estudo, o empoderamento (Operações), que depende da seleção adequada e treinamento do pessoal de atendimento (Recursos Humanos), a equidade e a lealdade em serviços (Marketing). Sob a perspectiva gerencial, sugere-se que as empresas de serviços implementem treinamentos específicos em RS para seus funcionários de atendimento, promovendo também o seu empoderamento.

Logística reversa no varejo: barreiras e motivações para retorno de produtos e embalagens

The objective of this research is to analyze the development of the relationships between the internal areas of a retail company, its suppliers and customers involved in the management of reverse logistics (RL) in two contexts: product return and return packaging used in moving product logistics. A single case study with two units of analysis was conducted in one of the leading supermarket retailers in Brazil to answer the research questions. The results show that there are conflicts between the external actors, i.e. suppliers, producers and partners, and within the focal firms, between the commercial and logistics departments. The lack of objective alignment between the actors and the perception that RL is a cost-generating process undermines the effectiveness of the reverse flows of products and packaging in retail. It was observed; however, that a more collaborative relationship, driven by voluntary action and not by legislation, resulted in economic and environmental benefits for the retailer, indicating the potential intra and interdepartmental has to enable the management of reverse logistics in retail.Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo analisar a construção das relações entre as áreas internas da empresa, fornecedores e clientes envolvidos na gestão da LR no contexto do varejo em duas modalidades: devolução de produtos e retorno de embalagens utilizadas na movimentação logística de produto. A metodologia escolhida foi o estudo de caso único com duas unidades de análise, sendo o caso analisado um dos principais varejistas supermercadista do Brasil. Os resultados mostram conflitos nas duas modalidades estudadas e barreiras para a colaboração intra e inter-organizacional. Eles estão presentes nas áreas externas, ou seja, fornecedores, produtores e parceiros; e internas, principalmente nas áreas comercial e logística. Em ambas as modalidades, a falta de alinhamento de objetivos entre as áreas e os parceiros de negócio e a visão da logística reversa como uma área geradora de custos prejudica a eficácia dos fluxos reversos de produtos e embalagens no varejista. Observou-se, no entanto, que uma relação mais colaborativa, impulsionada por ação voluntária e não por legislação, com um dos parceiros de negócio, trouxe benefícios econômicos e ambientais para o varejista, indicando o potencial positivo da integração intra e interdepartamental para a gestão da logística reversa no varejo

Relationship Between Firm's Performance and Factors Involved in the Selection of Innovation Providers

Innovation is the backbone of the product development in present era for the survival of the corporate organization in the respective market. Changing trends in every passing day are making the product development more competitive and innovative. This paper investigates the relationship between firm’s performance with respect to outsourcing innovations and factors affecting the selection of contract research organizations or innovation providers. The research is conducted by a self-designed instrument in the form of a survey form on 112 respondents internationally in 17 countries. The paper will give empirical relationship among firm’s performance, outsourcing innovations and six major factors, which play a vital role in the selection of CROs. Proposed hypotheses in this article are based on empirical relationship, which is validated by SPSS 24. The findings support the conceptual model and offer many managerial implications, which are described in detail at the end of the paper

Empoderamento na Recuperação do Serviço: Implicações na Percepção de Equidade e Lealdade do Cliente

Studies in Service Recovery (SR) demonstrate that equity in SR process is crucial to the customer’s satisfaction and loyalty. Front office employees are responsible for this process which, with their actions, they influence the perception in fairness. Thus, strategies focused on improving processes and the employees’ work performance, such as the empowerment, may expand qualities such as equity and, in turn, lead to customer loyalty. This work investigates these relationships through a survey on banking services. Data were analyzed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and structural equation modelling. The results show that the empowerment brings greater equity to the SR process; consequently, it influences positively customer loyalty. In addition to proving these scenarios, this work contributes to the related literature, by integrating concepts from different fields of knowledge that benefit SR and studies in service management. Especially regarding empowerment (Operations), that involves human resources training and qualification (Human Resources Management), equity and loyalty in services (Marketing). From a managerial perspective, it is suggested that service organizations should implement specific SR training for their front-line employees, which promotes their empowerment.Estudos em Recuperação do Serviço (RS) mostram que a equidade no processo de RS é crucial para a satisfação e lealdade do cliente. Esse processo é realizado por funcionários de atendimento que, com suas ações, influenciam a sensação de equidade. Assim, estratégias ligadas ao processo e à gestão desses funcionários, como o empoderamento, podem expandir o nível de equidade que, por sua vez, pode estimular a lealdade dos clientes. Esse trabalho investiga tais relações através de um levantamento de dados, por meio de questionário com clientes em serviços bancários. Para analisar os dados, foram empregadas análises fatoriais exploratória e confirmatória e modelagem por equações estruturais. Os resultados mostram que o empoderamento traz maior equidade ao processo de RS e promove a lealdade dos clientes. Além de comprovar essas relações, esse trabalho contribui com a literatura, ao promover a integração de conceitos de diferentes campos de conhecimento que beneficiam a gestão de serviços. No caso deste estudo, o empoderamento (Operações), que depende da seleção adequada e treinamento do pessoal de atendimento (Recursos Humanos), a equidade e a lealdade em serviços (Marketing). Sob a perspectiva gerencial, sugere-se que as empresas de serviços implementem treinamentos específicos em RS para seus funcionários de atendimento, promovendo também o seu empoderamento.

Alavancando a eficácia de serviços intensivos em conhecimento: O papel dos clientes e dos prestadores de serviço

This research develops a theoretical model that related the actions of customers' participation in knowledge-intensive services (KIS), the actions of service providers to stimulate the involvement of customers and the effectiveness of services. Five hypotheses were tested using structural equations, and data were collected by surveying a sample of 106 users of physical therapy services, personal trainers, pilates and global postural reeducation. The results show that educating customers is not enough; providers need to empathize and create an emotional bond with them. Additionally, customer education and emotional empathy differently influence the provision of feedback and the extent to which customers follow instructions. This study contributes to the literature, by promoting a holistic view on the factors that influence the client's participation and its effectiveness in KIS.Esta pesquisa desenvolve um modelo teórico que relacionou as ações de participação dos clientes emserviços intensivos em conhecimento (SIC), as ações dos prestadores de serviço para estimular o envolvimento dos clientes e a eficácia dos serviços. Cinco hipóteses foram testadas por meio de equações estruturais, e os dados foram coletados por meio do levantamento de uma amostra de 106 usuários de serviços de fisioterapia, personal trainers, pilates e reeducação postural global. Os resultados mostram que não basta educar clientes; prestadores precisam ter empatia e criar um vínculo emocional com eles. Adicionalmente, a educação dos clientes e a empatia emocional influenciam de maneira diferenciada o fornecimento de feedback e até que ponto os clientes seguem as instruções. Este estudo contribui para a literatura, ao promover uma visão holística sobre os fatores que influenciam a participação do cliente e sua eficácia em SIC.Esta investigación desarrolla un modelo teórico que relaciona las acciones de participación del clienteen los servicios intensivos en conocimiento (SIC), las acciones de los proveedores de servicios para estimular la participación del cliente y la efectividad de los servicios. Se probaron cinco hipótesis utilizando ecuaciones estructurales, y los datos se recolectaron encuestando a una muestra de 106 usuarios de servicios de fisioterapia, entrenadores personales, pilates y reeducación postural global. Los resultados muestran que educar a los clientes no es suficiente; los proveedores deben sentir empatía y crear un vínculo emocional con ellos. Además, la educación del cliente y la empatía emocional influyen de manera diferente en la entrega de comentarios y en el grado en que los clientes siguen las instrucciones. Este estudio contribuye a la literatura, al promover una visión holística sobre los factores que influyen en laparticipación del cliente y su efectividad en la SIC