Relationship between innovativeness and competitiveness in networked organizations: A perspective from the electric and electronic industry in Brazil

Abstract

The construction of innovative environments has been understood as one of the basic conditions for sustaining and expanding the competitive capacity of organizations. This work proposes to fill gaps in the studies about innovativeness effects on competitiveness in emerging countries specifically from the electric and electronic industry perspective. The innovativeness was analysed from three first‐order constructs: organizational learning, predisposition for innovation and innovation diffusivity. Competitiveness was studied by performance. The cross‐section data were collected through a survey with 102 executives from the supply network of the Brazilian electrical and electronic industry and were analysed using descriptive statistics and partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS‐SEM) techniques. The results indicate that there is a significant positive relationship between innovativeness and competitiveness, highlighting the robustness of two factors (predisposition for innovation and innovation diffusivity), and the three first‐order constructs are significant predictors of competitiveness. The theoretical and managerial implications recommend knowledge‐sharing practices, technical qualification and management incentive to people's innovative attitude as a basis for building innovative environments and expanding competitiveness.