Fostering technological innovation through management and marketing innovation. The human and non-technological linkage

Abstract

PurposeThis paper aims to analyse the relationships between management innovation, marketing innovation, technological innovation and the personnel involved in science, technology and innovation activities.Design/methodology/approachThe work used data from the Technological Development and Innovation Survey – Colombian Industry VII 2013–2014. Six logistic regression models are tested for the analysis with 2,045 manufacturing firms.FindingsThe results suggest that the probability to pursue technological innovation diminishes in those firms that introduce management and/or marketing innovations. The same happens in firms seeking non-technological innovations with the introduction of product and process innovations. The human side, administrative and technical staff, working on innovation projects plays a key role in the success of different types of innovations.Originality/valueAt this time, there is a need for research studies with new approaches that look at innovation beyond the technological domain and focus on the human side of innovation and other important aspects such as the managerial contribution to innovation. Theoretically, the work contributes to expanding the scarce literature on the proposed relationship and, as far as is known, it is the only one with empirical data for an emerging economy such as the Colombian one. Empirically, useful information is provided for the design of strategies that seek to improve firms' innovation performance.