Perceptions of Extremaduran Firms Towards Innovation

Author(s):  
Beatriz Corchuelo Martínez-Azúa ◽  
Francisco J. Mesías ◽  
Ahmed Elghannam

Innovation is an important source of economic growth and a key to the competitiveness of firms, which are the main agents of innovation systems. The main objective of this chapter is to analyse, in a deep sense, the perceptions of Extremaduran towards innovation and their relation with the financial public support received and the main public actions that firms demand in order to reduce such obstacles differentiating by manufacturing firms and Knowledge Intensive Business Sector (KIBS). To do this, we analyse specific questions of an ad hoc survey focused on issues not covered by other Spanish or international surveys about innovation. Data were collected in 2013 from a representative sample of manufacturing and KIBS companies in Extremadura. Among different sectors, certain differences were observed in the perceived obstacles and public actions sought by companies that can be considered to carry out modifications in current innovation policies, especially on a regional scale.

Author(s):  
Beatriz Corchuelo ◽  
Francisco J. Mesías

Innovation is an important source of economic growth and a key to the competitiveness of firms, which are the main agents of innovation systems. The main objective of this chapter is to analyze entrepreneurial innovation in Extremadura (Spain), exploring, specially, the barriers that firms find and the actions (public policies) that firms demand from Government to reduce such obstacles. To do this, the authors have elaborated an ad hoc survey with some specific questions and focused on issues not covered by other Spanish or international surveys about innovation. Data were collected in 2013 from a representative sample of manufacturing and KIBS companies in Extremadura. Results show that although innovation is considered an essential source of competitiveness, there is an important unwillingness to innovate in non-innovative firms. Both innovative and non-innovative firms detect the presence of barriers to innovation highlighting the perceived lack of support from government.


Author(s):  
Anna Wziątek-Kubiak ◽  
Marek Pęczkowski

AbstractThis study examines factors that increase resilience in innovation of Polish manufacturing firms in an unstable environment. Organizational resilience in innovation is the ability to continuously perform innovation in a turbulent environment and increase knowledge accumulation. In 2008–2012, Poland did not have crisis itself. Short-term slowdown of the economy was accompanied by a breakdown of innovation activities, with a medium-term effect. Based on the Polish Community Innovation Survey panel data for two periods: the innovation crisis (2008–2010), and the innovation pessimism period (2010–2012), this study shows which innovative resources change the probability of innovation continuity in the second period. In our probit model, we explore 42 factors of innovations. We found that financing, R&D and marketing increased the probability of continuity of innovation, but the influence of financing was the strongest. Persistence in innovation in turbulent times hence requires a change in the structure of innovation resources used. Due to the fact that public support on innovation did not increase the likelihood of the continuity of the innovation, a policy change is required. Reliability of our estimation is confirmed by accuracy of prediction of firms, which was 78.2%.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 91
Author(s):  
Triantafyllia-Maria Perivolioti ◽  
Antonios Mouratidis ◽  
Dimitrios Terzopoulos ◽  
Panagiotis Kalaitzis ◽  
Dimitrios Ampatzidis ◽  
...  

Covering an area of approximately 97 km2 and with a maximum depth of 58 m, Lake Trichonis is the largest and one of the deepest natural lakes in Greece. As such, it constitutes an important ecosystem and freshwater reserve at the regional scale, whose qualitative and quantitative properties ought to be monitored. Depth is a crucial parameter, as it is involved in both qualitative and quantitative monitoring aspects. Thus, the availability of a bathymetric model and a reliable DTM (Digital Terrain Model) of such an inland water body is imperative for almost any systematic observation scenario or ad hoc measurement endeavor. In this context, the purpose of this study is to produce a DTM from the only official cartographic source of relevant information available (dating back approximately 70 years) and evaluate its performance against new, independent, high-accuracy hydroacoustic recordings. The validation procedure involves the use of echosoundings coupled with GPS, and is followed by the production of a bathymetric model for the assessment of the discrepancies between the DTM and the measurements, along with the relevant morphometric analysis. Both the production and validation of the DTM are conducted in a GIS environment. The results indicate substantial discrepancies between the old DTM and contemporary acoustic data. A significant overall deviation of 3.39 ± 5.26 m in absolute bottom elevation differences and 0.00 ± 7.26 m in relative difference residuals (0.00 ± 2.11 m after 2nd polynomial model corrector surface fit) of the 2019 bathymetric dataset with respect to the ~1950 lake DTM and overall morphometry appear to be associated with a combination of tectonics, subsidence and karstic phenomena in the area. These observations could prove useful for the tectonics, geodynamics and seismicity with respect to the broader Corinth Rift region, as well as for environmental management and technical interventions in and around the lake. This dictates the necessity for new, extensive bathymetric measurements in order to produce an updated DTM of Lake Trichonis, reflecting current conditions and tailored to contemporary accuracy standards and state-of-the-art research in various disciplines in and around the lake.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yasin Sahhar ◽  
Raymond Loohuis ◽  
Jörg Henseler

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to identify the practices used by service providers to manage the customer service experience (CSE) across multiple phases of the customer journey in a business-to-business (B2B) setting.Design/methodology/approachThis study comprises an ethnography that investigates in real time, from a dyadic perspective, and the CSE management practices at two service providers operating in knowledge-intensive service industries over a period of eight months. Analytically, the study concentrates on critical events that occurred in phases of the customer journey that in some way alter CSE, thus making it necessary for service providers to act to keep their customers satisfied.FindingsThe study uncovers four types of service provider practices that vary based on the mode of organization (ad hoc or regular) and the mode of engagement (reactive or proactive) and based on whether they restore or bolster CSE, including the recurrence of these practices in the customer journey. These practices are conveniently presented in a circumplex typology of CSE management across five phases in the customer journey.Research limitations/implicationsThis paper advances the research in CSE management throughout the customer journey in the B2B context by showing that CSE management is dynamic, recurrent and multifaceted in the sense that it requires different modes of organization and engagement, notably during interaction with customers, in different phases of the customer journey.Practical implicationsThe circumplex typology acts as a tool for service providers, helping them to redesign their CSE management practices in ongoing service and dialogical processes to keep their customers more engaged and satisfied.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to infuse a dyadic stance into the ongoing discussion of CSE management practices in B2B, in which studies to date have deployed only provider or customer perspectives. In proposing a microlevel view, the study identifies service providers' CSE management practices in multiple customer journey phases, especially when the situation becomes critical.


Author(s):  
V. Pchelintsev

The paper examines governmental strategies, main actors and instruments of innovation policies shaping innovation-driven economy in Finland, with particular attention to the regional scale. The analysis focuses on how the regional innovation systems approach became a framework for the design of innovation policies. An innovation system involves cooperation between firms and knowledge creating and diffusing organizations, – such as universities, colleges, training organizations, R&D-institutes, technology transfer agencies. Innovations are considered as interactive learning process. Cooperation and interaction between regional/local and national/international actors is necessary to combine both local and non-local knowledge, skills and competences. The key elements of the policy environment, as well as implementation of the main regional innovation policy instruments – the Centers of Expertise Programme and Regional Centre Programme – are described.


Author(s):  
M. Gordon Hunter

The subject area of the application of information systems to small business is a thoroughly interesting, yet relatively under-researched topic. Small business is an important part of any economy. In the United Kingdom, 25% of the gross domestic product is produced by small business, which employs 65% of the nation’s workers (Ballantine et al., 1998). In Canada, 43% of economic output is accounted for by small business, employing 50% of private sector employees (Industry Canada, 1997). Further, governments view the small business sector as that component of the economy that can best contribute to economic growth (Balderson, 2000). Given the importance of this sector of the economy, it is incumbent upon researchers and managers of small business to develop a better understanding of how information systems may contribute to the operation and growth of individual businesses as well as the overall sector. The objective of this article is to provide an overview of information systems used by small business. Research projects are presented that describe the current situation. Recommendations are then proffered for various stakeholders who should contribute to a more effective use of information systems by small business.


Author(s):  
Özlem Karadağ Albayrak

Making the use of renewable energy sources widespread is of paramount importance for Turkey as for all countries. In this regard, the determiners of renewable energy consumption have been investigated. The effect of determining or factors affecting the use of renewable energy sources on a regional scale to Turkey were examined with different qualitative and quantitative research techniques. In this study, the factors of economic growth, public investments, and population are analyzed by considering regional differences on the consumption of renewable energy resources. The effect of regional economic growth, regional public investments, and regional population on the amount of regional renewable energy consumption were investigated by using panel data of 26 statistical regions of Level-2 classification in the period between 2010-2018 in Turkey. The results obtained by the dynamic panel data analysis concluded that economic growth and public investments at the regional level increased renewable energy consumption while the population growth decreased.


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