Quest For Innovation Research Articles

Innovative Marketing Services in Business Practice

Businesses embrace a tremendous shift towards service-dominant logic in order to achieve and sustain advantage. To expand its influence, marketing needs to take on a service lens as well. The customer-centric approach tries to position value generation with processes that al-low customers to „get things done”, which is linked with a quest for innovation. Modern marketing takes an integrative approach – by trying to link various channels, touchpoints, and customer relationships – which both caters to organizational goals and fulfils customer expec-tations and aims at persuading and affecting behaviors rather than attitudes. The paper reports the theory of marketing service innovation and examines research data on how enterprises use marketing services, how they define their innovativeness, and perceive them as value generators. The authors break marketing services into advertising ser-vices and market-research services. Intense competition characterizes both. The analysis co-vers small, medium, and large companies in Poland. The main conclusions are: (a) the level of service innovativeness depends on a company context (its size, scope of operations, and busi-ness locations); (b) enterprises evaluate marketing services which they can access as generally innovative and potentially beneficial.

BlastAsia – its quest for innovation in enterprise software application development

ABSTRACT The case sheds light on the rapid evolution in the no-code application development space. It presents opportunities for entrepreneurs looking to support customers with their digital transformation journeys. The protagonist of the case, Arup Maity, is the founder of a traditional software development company, BlastAsia. He is contemplating launching a no-code application development platform, given evolving market preferences and customer expectations. The case outlines the emergence of no-code application development platforms as a potent alternative to traditional software development techniques. It highlights exactly how business uncertainty coupled with rapidly evolving technology requirements demands shorter software development lifecycles, which traditional methods might not be able to cater to. It also explores evolving customer and employee expectations to engage in applications which are intuitive, work across devices seamlessly, and deliver real-time project status and data. The case also discusses budgetary considerations, which companies looking to deploy enterprise software have to grapple with. The landscape is further complicated by cutthroat competition in the industry, start-ups offering enhanced value propositions at competitive prices, and black-swan events like the COVID-19 pandemic, which pose existential challenges for organizations.

A Survey of Information-Centric Networking: The Quest for Innovation

A Survey of Information-Centric Networking: The Quest for Innovation

N-Edited Guanine Isosteres.

Guanine is one out of five endogenous nucleobases and of key interest in drug discovery and chemical biology. Hitherto, the synthesis of guanine derivatives involves lengthy multistep sequential synthesis of low overall diversity, resulting in the quest for innovation. Using a "single-atom skeletal editing" approach, we designed 2-aminoimidazo[2,1-f][1,2,4]triazin-4(3H)-one as a guanine isostere, conserving the biologically important HBA-HBD-HBD (HBA = hydrogen bond acceptor; HBD = hydrogen bond donor) substructure. We realized our design by a simple one-pot two-step method combining the Groebke-Blackburn-Bienaymé reaction (GBB-3CR) and a deprotection reaction to assemble the innovative guanine isosteres in moderate to good yields. Our innovative, diverse, short, and reliable multicomponent reaction synthesis will add to the toolbox of guanine isostere syntheses.

Impact of Job Crafting on Employee’s Innovative Work Behaviour in Renewable Energy Companies in Amman

Employees that are highly engaged are more likely to put out effort in their given responsibilities, solve problems creatively and innovatively, and show initiative and enthusiasm at work. The service company has become innovative. Due to the obvious short product life cycle and globalization, companies cannot imagine growing without innovation. Unlike in the past, when the quest for innovation was limited to a select few, today’s search for innovation involves all of the company’s employees. Hence, this study examined impact of job crafting on employee’s innovative work behavior in Renewable Energy Companies in Amman. The data were collected from 200 managers, heads of departments, production supervisors and workers in renewable energy companies. In addition, the study employed Multiple Regression Analysis. The results of this study showed that task crafting, cognitive crafting and relation crafting have significant and positive effect on innovative work behavior in Renewable Energy Companies in Amman. This research is aimed to get a deeper understanding of job crafting and its micro level investor consequences, which have never been studied previously.

Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray and Quest for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Colonial India

Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray (1861-1944) was a legendary scientist born in India. Acharya PC Ray, as he was popularly known, was an enthusiastic entrepreneur wholeheartedly devoted to chemical research and innovation. He became a pioneer in chemical innovations in modern India. His innovations led to successful entrepreneurship. While the country is celebrating "Aatmanirbhar Bharat" initiatives in 2020-22, no big bash celebration was offered to mark his 160th birthday last year. He was also an outstanding scholar who wrote a seminal monograph titled "A History of Hindu Chemistry: From the Earliest Times to the Middle of Sixteenth Century," published in two volumes, the first in 1902 and the second volume in 1909. In this book, he introduced the chemical heritage of India to the global scholars from original Sanskrit texts. He translated several Sanskrit texts into English for the readers. He was also at the forefront of the new education movement for producing scientists and entrepreneurs with a Swadeshi bent of mind. His autobiography is a testimony of a Swadeshi entrepreneur who worked in an adverse environment during the colonial British Raj to promote locally manufactured chemical and pharmaceutical products. He had entrepreneurial vigour and necessity; at the same time, he was an outstanding teacher producing brilliant chemists and scientists for the country. This paper explores his thoughts and approaches to the integration of innovation and entrepreneurship while conceptualising a Swadeshi enterprise during the British Raj.

Factors Affecting Financial Literacy among Budding Entrepreneurs

An entrepreneur is often driven by a quest for innovation and creativity in a market, thus creating competition. The competition will create wealth, leading to improved living standards for individuals and the economy at large. Moreover, innovation and creation result in new and superior products that enable modern markets to be developed. However, the enthusiasm to become an entrepreneur is not the sole driving factor. One must know the importance of financial literacy. Besides, the negative stigma due to the COVID-19 pandemic ruined many lives and impacted businesses with less money due to the reduction of clientele; also, it had impacted budding entrepreneurs (at early start-up stages, and hardly have had experience between 1-3 years) with fewer opportunities to make money. That reduced the willingness of entrepreneurs to invest capital in the business due to raging losses. The current article presents the importance of financial literacy for budding entrepreneurs. To find and measure the financial literacy among budding entrepreneurs, the data were distributed to 223 entrepreneurs; however, 179 were finally used for analysis due to several reasons mentioned in the research methodology. The data was collected from five districts of the South region of India (Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, and Tamil Nadu) and the snowball technique is used in the analysis. The study revealed that most budding entrepreneurs lack proper financial literacy. The study found that Financial Skills, Financial Knowledge, Financial Attitude, Social Interactions & Past Experiences, Financial Support & Guidance directly influenced Financial Literacy levels among entrepreneurs. The study also suggests that aspiring entrepreneurs should be given practical financial training sessions; it should be made mandatory.

Production of Biossurfactant by Candida Guillhermondii and Application in a Mayonnaise Emulsion

In the era of globalization, many classic industries in the quest for innovation have increasing turned to biotechnology, which has enabled diverse research opportunities without exerting a negative effect on productivity. Considering the growing interest in alternative products that minimize environmental impacts natural additives produced by microorganisms, known as bioemulsifiers (surfactants with excellent emulsifying properties) have attracted the attention of researchers. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the production of biosurfactant by Candida guilliermondii (UCP0992) grown in low-cost medium containing 5% molasses, 5% corn steep liquor and 5% residual frying oil, for 120 hours at 200rpm. Tests were carried out to evaluate the properties of the biosurfactant and then were analysed seven formulations of mayonnaise, evaluating the stability with the addition of guar gum and the biosurfactant isolated in the formulation of mayonnaise. After 30 days of refrigeration, the samples were evaluated for phase separation and the growth of pathogens. According to the results obtained, it was observed that the biosurfactant obtained by C. guilliermondii, had the capacity to reduce the surface tension of water from 71 mN/m to 28 mN/m and a yield of 21 g/L with a Critical Micellar Concentration of 0.7 g/L. All the mayonnaise analysed using the biosurfactant remained stable, with no pathogenic microorganisms. With that, it can be concluded that the biosurfactant has potential for application in the food industry.

Innovations in the Micro - Small to Medium Enterprises Sector Towards Economic Development in Zimbabwe

Innovation has many enablers that are related to both internal and external environments. The internal environment covers the company’s operations, market strategy and vision, skills, creativity, and quest for innovation, among others. This paper investigated opportunities and challenges for Micro-Small to Medium Enterprises in Zimbabwe to successfully emerge as agents of economic development through innovation. The analysis includes the personal characteristics that make up MSMEs as well as the contemporary environments in which MSMEs operate. This paper is grounded on Schumpeter’s notion that entrepreneurship contributes to economic development through the interplay of new firm creation, innovation and competition. The study adopted a case study research design as Bulawayo was utilized as the case in Zimbabwe. Purposive sampling was utilized in identifying study participants for focus group discussions and random sampling was utilized in identifying 142 respondents for questionnaires. The study's findings revealed that the MSME's sector is motivated to innovate so as to improve the way and speed in products formation. Interactions and multiple social networks are also established in the MSMEs sector in the process of innovation based on kinship, friendship ties and manufacturer- client relationship. The MSMEs studied focused on adapting, imitating and modifying existing innovations rather than pursuing genuine Schumpeterian innovation. The study notes that innovation is happening but it is not a priority for the MSME sector and therefore policies aimed at catching up with modern technology should be the central focus in providing assistance for entrepreneurs and these are suggested in this paper. The results also revealed that while economic profit is a priority for most entrepreneurs, MSMEs exists mainly to alleviate poverty through income generating activities and contribute to economic development by providing employment and income for the poor. The study concludes that innovation is a results of demand driven synergies which are prevalent in the society and the MSMEs' sector skills and knowledge, which therefore means that there are many opportunities to be tapped but however there is lack of investment and robust policy which need to be unlocked. The study recommends that innovations in the MSMES' sector need a holistic attention from stakeholders of the country's industrialization plans not to be merely seen as rhetoric and politicking. Modernization and technology upgrading along with innovative methods of capacity building and marketing of products are necessary. A holistic innovation policy for the MSME sector can also be made to promote innovation. The policy, institutions, and supporting framework have to be improved to remove MSMEs’ perception that government is limiting their success. Over time, this can be done with the proactive participation of experts and policy makers to benefit Zimbabwe's MSMEs.

Research Perspectives: The Quest for Innovation in Information Systems Research: Recognizing, Stimulating, and Promoting Nkovel and Useful Knowledge

Research in information systems (IS) is often challenged during the review process with “what’s new” and the “so what” questions. While we believe that there is innovation in IS research, constituents in the field do not have a good or at least consistent understanding of what this entails. This creates a problem for editors, authors, and reviewers in assessing how innovative a study is or what aspects of the work are indeed innovative. This paper is a response to this concern that takes on the challenging task of recognizing innovation in IS research. At the most basic level, we offer a structure that examines a variety of ways that innovation may be manifested in our research output. We describe, illustrate, and discuss the challenges of using our categories of innovative research. We hope that such identification can stimulate and expand our capacity to generate innovative research and to recognize (and promote) it when it is forthcoming.

Dual Networking: How Collaborators Network in Their Quest for Innovation

Organizations typically employ a division of labor between specialist creator roles and generalist business roles in a bid to orchestrate innovation. We seek to determine the extent to which individuals dividing the work across roles can also benefit from dividing their network. We argue that collaborating individuals benefit from connecting to the same groups but different individuals within those groups—an approach we label dual networking—rather than from a pure divide-and-conquer approach. To test this argument, we study a dual career-ladder setting in a large multinational in which R&D managers and technologists partner up in their quest for innovation. We find that collaborators who engage in dual networking attain an innovation performance advantage over those who connect to distinct groups. This advantage stems from the opportunity to engage in the dual interpretation of input the partners receive, as well as from dual influencing that helps them to gain momentum for their proposed innovations, and it leads to more effective elaboration and championing of their ideas. In demonstrating these effects, we advance understanding of how collaborators organize their networking activities to best achieve innovative outcomes.

Barriers and drivers of innovation in higher education: Case study-based evidence across ten European universities

The paper advances current knowledge on factors affecting higher education institutions in their quest for innovation in education. Based on an analysis of ten institutional cases from five European countries, a comprehensive description and classification of barriers and drivers of innovation are provided. Results indicate certain “disengagement” in relation of higher education institutions and education policy makers, business, and students as well as between higher education institutions’ managers and their subordinates. Based on the findings, major innovation-related challenges in the higher education are discussed and related practical recommendations are presented.

Synthesis Approaches of Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles: The Dilemma of Ecotoxicity

Human’s quest for innovation, finding solutions of problems, and upgrading the industrial yield with energy efficient and cost-effective materials has opened the avenues of nanotechnology. Among a variety of nanoparticles, zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO) have advantages because of the extraordinary physical and chemical properties. It is one of the cheap materials in cosmetic industry, nanofertilizers, and electrical devices and also a suitable agent for bioimaging and targeted drug and gene delivery and an excellent sensor for detecting ecological pollutants and environmental remediation. Despite inherent toxicity of nanoparticles, synthetic routes are making use of large amount of chemical and stringent reactions conditions that are contributing as environmental contaminants in the form of high energy consumption, heat generation, water consumption, and chemical waste. Further, it is also adding to the innate toxicity of nanoparticles (NPs) that is either entirely ignored or poorly investigated. The current review illustrates a comparison between pollutants and hazards spawned from chemical, physical, and biological methods used for the synthesis of ZnO. Further, the emphasis is on devising eco-friendly techniques for the synthesis of ZnO especially biological methods which are comparatively less hazardous and need to be optimized by controlling the reaction conditions in order to get desired yield and characteristics.

Análise da gestão de licenciamento de patentes: estudo multicasos de Instituições Federais de Ensino Superior

A busca da inovação pelas empresas torna-se necessária devido ao aumento da competitividade e as universidades têm papel importante quando são parceiras na geração de tecnologia e inovação. Sendo assim, a proposta desse estudo consistiu em discutir o modo como as universidades de ponta brasileiras fazem a gestão das patentes geradas a fim de transferir a sociedade. As análises foram baseadas em pesquisas feitas nas universidades da amostra e para ilustrar esse gerenciamento foram utilizadas as ferramentas 5W1H e fluxogramas para melhor organização e apresentação dos dados obtidos. A análise permitiu concluir que as universidades pesquisadas atendem ao requisito da Lei da Inovação onde exigem que elas disponham de um núcleo de inovação tecnológica a fim de gerir a tecnologia produzida. Porém cada universidade possui peculiaridades a respeito de seus processos devido ao ambiente institucional formado e regimentos internos o que acarreta em burocracia para que as empresas tenham acesso à tecnologia.

The Musical Legacy of Karlheinz Stockhausen: Looking Back and Forward. Ed. by M. J. Grant and Imke Misch

The editors of this brief volume, M. J. Grant and Imke Misch, caution the reader from the outset that its contents, derived from the 2011 conference whose title the volume shares, represent the work in progress of individual researchers (p. 7). As such the volume makes no claims to comprehensiveness, nor promises a lack of loose ends. The contents broadly follow a chronological order, with particular weight given to the ‘classically’ serial Stockhausen of the 1950s and to LICHT (1977–2003), a trajectory highlighted in Misch’s introductory essay, which, too, draws out important themes for Stockhausen, many of which the volume returns to: the quest for innovation, the question of the parameter and its subdivision, the musicalization of text and action, and the relation of music to faith. The volume begins in fine form, with a set of excellent contributions from Mark Delaere, Maarten Quanten, Marcus Zagorski, and You Nakai. Delaere’s contribution develops his recent work on the history of early serialism and, in particular, Karel Goeyvaerts’s influence on Stockhausen as revealed through the correspondence between the two composers. As Delaere observes, the correspondence is revealing in biographical terms, showing Stockhausen’s rapidly developing technical abilities, the evolving compositional work of both composers, and their (sometimes biting) judgements of the work of their contemporaries. Perhaps most significantly, it allows a richer assessment of the early aesthetics of post-war European serialism, particularly in the ways in which the categories of the static, the pure, the truthful, and the spiritual were negotiated by the two composers.

FOREIGN MARKET KNOWLEDGE, COUNTRY SALES BREADTH AND INNOVATIVE PERFORMANCE OF EMERGING ECONOMY FIRMS

We examine the impact of foreign market knowledge on innovative performance in emerging economy firms. We also study how this relationship is moderated by country sales breadth, i.e., the diversity of countries in which the firm derives sales. We test two competing theoretical perspectives on this relationship: diversity logic suggesting country sales breadth is beneficial to innovative performance, and time compression diseconomies logic suggesting the opposite. Drawing from a sample of 92 Chinese firms, we show that foreign market knowledge has a positive impact on innovative performance, and that this relationship is positively moderated by country sales breadth. Our study suggests that managers in Chinese firms develop effective capabilities in accessing, integrating and utilising foreign market knowledge from a breadth of international sources in their quest for innovation.

Istorika ir istoriografija Lietuvoje 1904–1915 metais: istoriografinių manifestų laikotarpis?

Apie istorikos situaciją Lietuvoje XX a. pradžioje (iki 1918 m.), kaip ir bendriau apie to meto istoriografijos būklę, rašyta nedaug ir gana fragmentiškai. Iš esmės neturime nė vieno specialaus istoriografijos srities straipsnio, kuriame į minimą istoriografijos raidos laikotarpį būtų žvelgiama kaip į savarankiško tyrimo vertę turintį tyrinėjimo objektą. Šiuo straipsniu minimo laikotarpio procesai atskleidžiami kaip svarbiausi Lietuvos istoriografijos ir istorikos raidoje. Pasitelkus idėjų istorijos teikiamas galimybes, analizuojant programinius XX a. pradžios tekstus, recenzijas ir polemikas, programas, pamfleto žanro istoriografijos kritikai panaudojimą, formuluojama paradigminė istoriografijos kaitos situacijos samprata, kuriai nagrinėjamo laikotarpio besikeičiančios istorikos orientacijos istoriografijos raidos požiūriu darosi neapeinamos ir būdingos. 1904–1915 m., kaip savotiško manifestų laikotarpio, pažintinė vertė išryškėja, kai į Lietuvos istoriografijos ir istorikos raidą žvelgiama platesnėje periodizacinėje perspektyvoje, akcentuojant amžiaus pradžios istorijos institucionalizacijos ir konsolidacijos problemas kaip ypatingą ieškojimų ir intelektualinių manifestacijų prielaidą. Rinktinių laikotarpio tekstų analizė leidžia pagrįsčiau svarstyti apie nagrinėjamu laikotarpiu lietuviškojoje istoriografijoje ir istorikoje susiklosčiusį ir tam tikrus kelius tolesnei istorijos mokslo raidai Lietuvoje nutiesusį istoriografinių manifestų laikotarpį.

Strategies for business excellence under an economic crisis

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to reveal the appropriate course of actions of any executive toward attaining business excellence, under the limitations and particular conditions that arise in an economic crisis environment.Design/methodology/approach– This paper takes the approach of an extended literature review.Findings– Business excellence is an ideal path for any enterprise which seeks the attainment of a strong competitive advantage in times of economic crisis. This path, through the implementation of the principles of Total Quality Management, leads to a strategic plan that helps the enterprise not only to survive but also to strengthen its position while exploiting opportunities that arise during the recession. The basic elements of such a plan are the satisfaction of all customers and stakeholders, the quest for innovation and the implementation of an aggressive policy in marketing and investments. Toward this target, the most crucial elements are the involvement of the management and, second, the commitment and efforts of all human resources.Practical implications– The business community and specifically the higher management of any company could reformulate its strategic plan according to the findings of this survey, in order to gain a sustainable competitive advantage over competition.Originality/value– On the basis of extended literature review, there has been no research work to connect the strategic thinking of enterprises and their management with business excellence in times of economic crisis, which is attempted in this paper. The added value of attaining this goal during harsh times should be a beacon for the higher management in its quest for sustainable competitiveness.

Success factors for upgrading and innovation in the electronics industry: an analysis of private small and medium-sized enterprises in the Pearl River Delta

China’s quest for innovation and upgrading has motivated a growing number of analyses of innovation and upgrading processes, their main drivers and typical outcomes in China. Most of these studies are concerned with large foreign-invested and state-owned firms. They have found integration into global production networks (GPN) as well as strong governmental support to be important success factors. In contrast, little has been published about the innovation and upgrading behaviour of private small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This paper addresses the upgrading of private SMEs based on a sample from the electronics industry of the Pearl River Delta (PRD). We find that a number of success factors usually assumed to stimulate upgrading in China have no influence. These include GPN integration, government contacts and other inter-personal linkages. The upgrading of private SMEs can instead be best explained through a focus on the growing domestic market, overcoming typical resource constraints and a reliance on internal capabilities.

Public health management in Brazilian small municipalities with low municipal human development indices (HDI-M): a quest for innovation

This study deals with public health management in small Brazilian municipalities with low HDI-M through analysis of financial resources. Findings indicated some innovations, but not enough, with managers needing specific administration learning, although they state their desire to improve services. Unstructured reports do not contribute to health planning, showing no relationship between the scope of health actions and financial resources. Management needs to evolve to intersectoral decisions, with social participation in planning. This would make it possible to solve more health problems and provide a universal and equitable service to the population in the process of National Health System decentralisation.