Abstract
The agri-food industry plays an important role in the manufacturing industry in the Autonomous Community of Extremadura (Spain). The main objective of this study is to identify which business factors influence the success of the innovative performance in this regional industry. We proposed a novel theoretical model in which we analyzed the effect of six business variables. Using a multiple-case study, five in-depth interviews were carried out to measure the level of importance that managers gave to each of the variables. The study validated the proposed model in which all the contrasted variables (Management, Strategy, Structure, Culture, Climate, and Market Orientation) had a great weight for the achievement of the innovative performance. The study contributes to the promotion of the capacities and competences of the agri-food companies’ managers for the development of innovative activities favoring the knowledge, the external visibility, and the competitiveness of the companies. It is also useful for Public Administrations when developing policies to promote and encourage innovation in a sector of vital importance in the rural and regional development of this Spanish region.
Highlights
The agri-food industry groups a set of very heterogeneous activities, ranging from the first transformation of animal and vegetable raw materials to the production of sophisticated products such as functional foods
We found that all the contrasted variables (Management; Culture; Structure; Strategy; Market Orientation; and Organizational Climate) had a great weight for the achievement of the innovative performance, all six of the proposed premises having been validated
Reference [42] outlined that the contextual factors related to the Organizational Climate and the Innovative Culture are vital for the success of the company, adding that the biggest performance is positively related to higher levels of Innovative Culture
Summary
The agri-food industry groups a set of very heterogeneous activities, ranging from the first transformation of animal and vegetable raw materials to the production of sophisticated products such as functional foods. The importance of the agri-food sector goes beyond the quantitative indicators of economic activity and job creation. The first function of the sector is to respond to the needs of obtaining enough food to meet the demands of citizens. The agri-food activity is distributed throughout the territory, and especially in rural areas, which helps to avoid depopulation and to achieve an adequate territorial balance. It has a direct impact on the environment, playing a very important role in the sustainable management of natural resources and in the adaptation and mitigation of the effects of climate change
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