scholarly journals Obstacles of innovation and institutional support in the cooperation agreements

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 696-712
Author(s):  
N. Arranz ◽  
Marta F. Arroyabe ◽  
Juan Carlos Fernandez de Arroyabe

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the effects of obstacles and institutional factors on the cooperation for innovation. The collaboration between different types of organizations has been seen as a strategy that allows the firms to obtain reciprocal benefits, and that incentivises innovation. However, following D’Este et al. (2012) and Antonioli et al. (2017), the authors assume that the decision to cooperate is perceived as a strategy to overcome the obstacles and barriers of the innovation process. Design/methodology/approach The authors analyze these questions in the frame of the PITEC-2013 data that covers the period 2012–2013 and includes 5,461 Spanish innovative companies. Findings The results support that an important drive for the firm’s cooperation is to overcome the obstacles of the innovation process. Moreover, the type of partner for cooperation is influenced by the different perception that those companies have on the obstacles to innovation. Additionally, results contribute to the regional literature with new empirical evidence to characterize regions in terms of innovation. Such factors shed new light about the intensity of regional innovation and variables of the cooperation pattern. Originality/value Considering that a fourth of the Spanish companies develop technological cooperation agreements (PITEC, 2013), it is still observed that the level of cooperation and their results are lower with respect to other countries in the environment, therefore to analyze the role of cooperation agreements, evaluating the factors that characterize the dynamics of these agreements, is a critical research question for the Spanish economy.

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Archana Waller ◽  
Chiara Paganini ◽  
Katrina Andrews ◽  
Vicki Hutton

PurposeThe aim of the study is to explore the experience of eating disorder support group participants. The research question is “What is the experience of adults recovering from an eating disorder in a professionally-led monthly support group?”Design/methodology/approachThis qualitative study explored the experience of adults recovering from an eating disorder in a professionally-led monthly support group. Participants were 18 adults recovering from an eating disorder who attended a monthly support group. The data were collected using an online anonymous survey and then analysed using a thematic analysis.FindingsThe main themes that emerged were: (1) sharing the pain and promise, (2) cautions and concerns and (3) facilitators have influence. The findings indicate that the support group provided a safe space to share their lived experience, that it reduced stigma and isolation, and improved participants' motivation and engagement. Moreover, the results revealed some challenges to the functioning of the group. These included management of discussions and dominant members, need for psycho-educational information and managing intense feelings, relating to body-related comparison and other mental disorder comorbidities.Originality/valueThis is the first study highlighting the valuable role of the facilitator in balancing content with compassion, in ensuring safety in the group, and potentially fulfilling a valuable education function in supporting participants in their eating disorder recovery journey.


2015 ◽  
Vol 71 (2) ◽  
pp. 358-386 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isto Huvila

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate how archivists, records managers and scholarly literature in the field(s) analyse how “participation” is discussed in the context of archives and records management, and to explore practical and theoretical implications of the disclosed discursive practices. Design/methodology/approach – The analysis is based on a discourse analysis of a body of archival literature and a sample of posts collected from the archival and records management blogosphere. Findings – The analysis shows that instead of discussing one notion of participation, the archival science literature is referring to nine different and partly conflicting types of participation from three broad perspectives: management, empowerment and technology. The discourses have also conflicting ideas of the role of engagement and enthusiasm, and of that what do the different stakeholder communities see as real options. Research limitations/implications – The analysed material consists of a limited sample of mainly English language texts that may not capture all the nuances of how participation is discussed in the archival literature. Practical implications – A better understanding of how different claims of the benefits and threats endorsing “participation” in archives helps to develop effective and less contradictory forms of collaboration between different stakeholders. Originality/value – In spite of the popularity of the notion of “participation”, there little, especially critical, research on how participation is conceptualised by archives professionals and researchers.


2016 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 270-287 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catharina von Koskull ◽  
Tore Strandvik ◽  
Bård Tronvoll

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to shed light on an aspect of service innovation processes that has remained fairly hidden so far, namely, the role of emotions. Design/methodology/approach – The authors use the strategizing approach from strategy research, which focusses on detailed processes, practices, and discourse, to understand the influence of emotions on service innovation processes. The empirical data stem from a longitudinal ethnographic study of a service innovation process. Findings – In the investigated case, the dominant emotion of anxiety is revealed. The authors focus on this emotion in order to explore how it affects the innovation process itself and the outcome. The authors identify five emotion-driven practices that form elements of what the authors label emotional strategizing. Practical implications – Emotion seems to give energy and direction to the service innovation process. This is both positive and challenging for top-level managers. Originality/value – The authors reveal a hidden aspect of service innovation processes – the effect of emotions. Furthermore, the authors show that emotions are important because they give energy and direction to the innovation work, and emerge in practices. Emotional strategizing, as a new term, gives visibility to this important issue.


2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph Cleary

PurposeWhy did a powerful department of hospital doctors support a merger with a rival hospital that they knew would ruin their beloved workplace?Design/methodology/approachThis ethnographic study draws on 12 months of fieldwork consisting of 24 one-on-one interviews as well as 26 h of observations, informal conversations and archival records research to answer its research question. Grounded theory and the discourse analysis were employed to analyze all data.FindingsData reveal how participants' belief in a “merge or go bankrupt” narrative contributed to widespread support for a merger that seemed unthinkable on the surface. Although each doctor believes the merger will jeopardize or ruin their workplace culture, none resisted the merger nor did any ask hospital executives to provide evidence in support of their claims regarding the benefits of the merger (namely, that it would save their organization from inevitable bankruptcy).Research limitations/implicationsThe author relied on a family relative to introduce the author to and gain entry into this workplace. One potential consequence is biased interpretations of data. To address this, the author constantly revisited the data and compared the author’s interpretations with interviewees' words (i.e. “grounded” theory).Originality/valueThis study provides empirical and theoretical contributions to organizational storytelling scholarship.


Author(s):  
María Engracia Rochina-Barrachina ◽  
Jorge Antonio Rodríguez

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study which are the drivers of different types of innovations for manufacturing firms. The considered innovation types are product, process, organizational and marketing innovations. In addition, this study also aims to understand why most types of innovation (with the exception of organizational innovation) have decreased over time. Design/methodology/approach The two non-overlapping waves of the Ecuadorian National Innovation Activities Survey 2013 and 2015 (NIAS) are used. To identify the determinants of the different types of innovations and to check whether the decisions to innovate are correlated, a tetravariate probit model is used. Findings The results obtained point to some relevant differences in terms of the drivers of the different types of innovation. In addition, it is also evident that with the passage of time, certain problems that may be reducing the incentives to innovate have become more acute. Originality/value The study adds new empirical evidence to the literature on the role of investments in incorporated technology in innovation in developing countries. In particular, for Ecuadorian firms, the acquisition of incorporated technology in capital goods seems to be very relevant. This highlights the existence of a supply-driven innovation strategy. However, there is also room for innovation strategies driven by demand conditions.


2020 ◽  
Vol 123 (1) ◽  
pp. 143-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Ferraris ◽  
Demetris Vrontis ◽  
Zhanna Belyaeva ◽  
Paola De Bernardi ◽  
Hande Ozek

PurposeThis is one of the first empirical studies aimed at analyzing the interrelation between creative partnerships (CPs), absorptive (AC), knowledge application (KA) capacities and innovation performance in food companies.Design/methodology/approachWe tested this on a sample of 112 Italian medium-sized food firms that established CPs through a partial least square (PLS) structural equation model (SEM) approach.FindingsResults are in favor of an important role of CPs in the innovation process of food firms analyzed only if combined with the development of the two internal capacities investigated (AC and KA).Research limitations/implicationsImplications are provided in order to stimulate new and more forms of collaboration between CIs and food firms as well as more empirical studies on this topic.Originality/valueFew studies in food companies keep into account the role of internal capacities that firms have to build with the aim of acquiring external knowledge through partnerships, in particular in the specific context of CPs. These specific kinds of partnerships are becoming increasingly important because they provide key nonoverlapping knowledge and propose new creative methods, ways and answers that differentiate the innovation process of food firms.


2015 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Modar Abdullatif ◽  
Shatha Kawuq

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the current practices of internal auditors in banks in Jordan regarding risk management, especially the risks they are most involved in dealing with, the nature of their responses in the presence of these risks, and appropriateness (according to the Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA), 2009a) of these responses. Design/methodology/approach – A questionnaire surveyed views of internal auditors about their roles in risk management. It asked about 20 different types of risks, and, for each individual risk, how internal auditors would respond in its presence. Findings – The role of internal auditors in risk management in banks in Jordan was found to be limited. The risks that internal auditors were most involved in managing were those related to compliance, while the risks least dealt with by internal auditors included those related to the Jordanian economy and culture. Also, most of the respondents reported that they did undertake some inappropriate roles in dealing with the risks. Practical implications – The findings suggest the possibility that internal auditors are not aware of the importance of several types of risks and of the appropriate roles for internal auditors in risk management. Therefore, increasing awareness of these issues is very important. Originality/value – The research topic is relatively new and very under-researched in the Jordanian environment. This study is therefore likely to significantly contribute to the knowledge about how internal auditing operates in a developing country context that differs significantly from the contexts where professional internal auditing standards were issued.


2015 ◽  
Vol 30 (7) ◽  
pp. 830-841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yong-ki Lee ◽  
Sally Kim ◽  
Min-Seong Kim ◽  
Jae-Han Lee ◽  
Ki-Taek Lim

Purpose – This paper aims to examine the effect of different relational bonding strategies on franchisees’ perceptions of benefits. The duration of the relationship is framed as a moderator between three types of relational bonds and the perceived benefits. Design/methodology/approach – The data are collected via a survey from foodservice franchisees in South Korea. To test the study’s hypotheses, the research model was estimated with two-stage least squares. Findings – The result shows that social and structural bonds have a significant impact on franchisees’ perceptions of benefits. There are some significant interactions between different types of relational bonds and the duration of the relationship. Perceptions of benefits are found to influence satisfaction, intentions to recommend, intentions to renew the contract and long-term orientation. Practical implications – The study suggests that franchisors may want to focus on developing and strengthening social bonds, and also customize their relational approaches based on the duration of the relationship with the franchisees. Originality/value – This research illustrates the impact of three types of relational bonding strategies on franchisees’ perceptions of the benefits and also examines the significant moderating role of the duration of the relationship.


2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 2-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wondwossen Mulualem Beyene ◽  
Thomas Godwin

Purpose Some of the usability and accessibility problems of search interfaces emanate from poorly organized search results, where different types of metadata are employed. Metadata is important to make well-informed selection of resources. However, putting too much of it on search interfaces could be counterproductive. Therefore, studies suggest that metadata-related decisions need to be informed by user requirements. The purpose of this paper is to explore library metadata from usability and accessibility perspectives. It identifies search-related problems users with print disability face and explores how metadata-related decisions could be tailored to improve their experience in resource discovery and access. Design/methodology/approach A questionnaire was posted online for two months. It targeted people with print disability who are using the audiobook app Lydhør. It was finally possible to gather responses from 113 respondents. Two open-ended questions dealing with search and metadata issues were selected for qualitative analysis. Findings Most respondents mentioned the Lydhør’s intolerance to spelling errors as a problem. Some suggested the use of faceted metadata, such as genres, for exploratory search to offset frustration caused by spelling errors. Most respondents indicated the importance of summaries to be shown among search results, implying their significance for lookup searches. There have been few demands related to accessibility metadata. Originality/value This study could be a valuable input for inclusive/universal design of library search interfaces.


2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (8/9) ◽  
pp. 669-676
Author(s):  
Nathalie Colasanti ◽  
Valerio Fiori ◽  
Rocco Frondizi

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to investigate the impact of nudges and considerations stemming from behavioural economics on the promotion and enhancement of knowledge circulation in public libraries. In fact, literature indicates that an approach based on nudging individuals towards desired behaviours may be more effective than top-down policy actions that may be perceived as excessive.Design/methodology/approachIn order to answer the research question, the paper analyses an exploratory case study regarding the network of public libraries in Rome, called Biblioteche di Roma (BdR). BdR launched its online platform in 2009, but it was never able to create a strong connection with offline activities, and contributions by readers (such as comments and book ratings) remained very low. In 2018, BdR introduced a gamification section in its website, with the goal of increasing users' interactions and book circulation. Data resulting from the use of gamification, both at city level and within different neighbourhoods, will be presented and analysed.FindingsResults indicate that the introduction of gamification was successful in increasing users' interactions and engagement, both online and offline.Originality/valueThe paper is valuable as it explores the introduction of nudge theory and gamification in the public library system.


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