Innovation in the “forgotten businesses”

Glessia Silva,Luiz Carlos Di Serio

doi:10.1108/inmr-04-2019-0045

Glessia Silva, Luiz Carlos Di Serio

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1108/inmr-04-2019-0045

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Abstract

PurposeThe objective of this article is to discuss how the research on innovation in the small businesses may be operationalized. This paper discusses the field's concepts, typologies, units of analysis and the general basic assumptions pertaining to the operationalization of innovation research in small businesses.Design/methodology/approachThe article is an essay, whose format aims to provide the reader with reflections and multiple questions, by instigating the free thinking, the research as well as the construction of different ideas and/or perceptions in a logical and scientific way (Meneghetti, 2011). Thus, a conceptual approach for the operationalization of the innovation research in small businesses is proposed and discussed.FindingsMost of the innovation literature has ignored the small businesses, so that its core concepts and basic assumptions should be reviewed in an inclusive approach. The authors developed an analytical proposal that consists of a four-step logical approach to researching innovation in small businesses, starting from the innovation's concept as something important and then evolving to discussing how one has to try and see the small business as an object of study.Originality/valueThe value of this paper lies with the attempt to critically bring the small businesses into the spotlight, as study them has practical and theoretical implications that go beyond the field of innovation itself.

Highlights

The field of innovation has developed strongly in recent decades, guided by the initial precepts of Schumpeter (1939) and disseminated by authors who were interested in outlining those innovation criteria that are suitable for the reality of organizations (Berends, Jelinek, Reymen & Stultiëns, 2014)
The article is organized as follows: (1) first, some of the underlying assumptions found in the field of innovation research are revisited; (2) we look at small “forgotten” businesses in innovation literature, which is dominated by assumptions that are “borrowed” from the context of big, technology-based enterprises; and (3) we discuss what future research into innovation and small businesses should look to in order to have a more inclusive approach to small and “forgotten” businesses
In its attempt to contribute to the development of the field of innovation, especially in the context of small businesses, this article has discussed how research of the topic should be operationalized

Summary

Introduction

The field of innovation has developed strongly in recent decades, guided by the initial precepts of Schumpeter (1939) and disseminated by authors who were interested in outlining those innovation criteria that are suitable for the reality of organizations (Berends, Jelinek, Reymen & Stultiëns, 2014). Do not make this distinction (Crossan & Apaydin, 2010; Damanpour, 2014) and conclude that big businesses and high-technology enterprises are more innovative than companies from traditional sectors and small businesses, or that the latter do not innovate at all This is troublesome for the development of the innovation field related to the study of small businesses and leads to a second implication: if it is not possible to establish a unit of analysis that conceptualizes what innovativeness is, how can one define what innovation is, and what it is not? Typology (1) Introduction of a new good (2) Introduction of a few production method (3) Opening to new markets (4) Conquering a new source of raw materials (5) Establishing a new organization (1) Radical (2) Incremental (1) Innovation of product (2) Innovation of process (3) Innovation of position (4) Innovation of paradigm (1) Incremental (2) Architectural (3) Discontinuous (1) Closed innovation (2) Open innovation (1) Sustaining innovation (2) Disruptive innovation (1) As an accomplishment or achievement (2) According to consequences or impacts arising from its realization (3) Arising from the ability to innovate (1) Ad hoc innovation (2) Based on the supplier (3) Driven by the market (4) Strong internal R&D (5) Innovative science

Impact Strategy

Findings

Conclusion