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Resource and Capability Constraints to Innovation in Small and Large Plants

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  • Nola Hewitt-Dundas

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    Abstract

    In an attempt to enhance firm’s competitiveness, policy initiatives have sought to encourage more firms to innovate, with a particular focus on small firms. The success of such initiatives, however, depends on a clear understanding of the factors that are constraining innovation activity, and whether these differ for firms of different sizes. This paper examines those resources and capabilities that firms identify as constraining their innovation activity, the difference in these for small and larger plants and the actual impact of these perceived constraints on the probability of innovating and the degree of innovation success. Drawing on longitudinal data the paper demonstrates that innovation is an evolutionary process with the constraints to innovation being different for small and larger plants. From a policy perspective, initiatives to overcome constraints to innovation in small plants should extend beyond those of finance to include greater networking opportunities, cost reduction programmes and marketing strategies to increase the profit margin on new products, human resource management practices on implementing change and easier access to information about new technologies. In contrast policies to promote innovation in larger plants should focus on minimising the risk of development and enhancing access to specialist expertise. Copyright Springer 2006

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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1007/s11187-005-2140-3
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    Bibliographic Info

    Article provided by Springer in its journal Small Business Economics.

    Volume (Year): 26 (2006)
    Issue (Month): 3 (04)
    Pages: 257-277

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    Handle: RePEc:kap:sbusec:v:26:y:2006:i:3:p:257-277

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    Web page: http://www.springerlink.com/link.asp?id=100338

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    Cited by:
    1. Stephen Roper & James H Love & Priit Vahter, 2012. "The Value Of Design Strategies For New Product Development: Some Econometric Evidence," University of Tartu - Faculty of Economics and Business Administration Working Paper Series 85, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, University of Tartu (Estonia).
    2. María Rochina-Barrachina & Juan Mañez & Juan Sanchis-Llopis, 2010. "Process innovations and firm productivity growth," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 34(2), pages 147-166, February.
    3. Vladimirov, Zhelyu & Simeonova-Ganeva, Ralitsa & Ganev, Kaloyan, 2012. "Interaction of leading and supporting factors for the SME competitiveness," MPRA Paper 37251, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    4. van Praag, Mirjam & Versloot, Peter H., 2007. "What Is the Value of Entrepreneurship? A Review of Recent Research," IZA Discussion Papers 3014, Institute for the Study of Labor (IZA).
    5. Filipe Silva & Carlos Carreira, 2012. "Do financial constraints threat the innovation process? Evidence from Portuguese firms," Economics of Innovation and New Technology, Taylor and Francis Journals, vol. 21(8), pages 701-736, November.
    6. de Jong, Jeroen P.J. & Freel, Mark, 2010. "Absorptive capacity and the reach of collaboration in high technology small firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 39(1), pages 47-54, February.
    7. Wilfried Zidorn & Marcus Wagner, 2012. "Too Much of a Good Thing: The Role of Alliance Portfolio Diversity for Innovation Output in the Biotechnology Industry," DRUID Working Papers 12-10, DRUID, Copenhagen Business School, Department of Industrial Economics and Strategy/Aalborg University, Department of Business Studies.
    8. Barrett, Alan & Kearney, Ide & O'Brien, Martin, 2008. "Quarterly Economic Commentary, Summer 2008," Forecasting Report, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), number QEC20082, January -.
    9. Andrew Copus & Dimitris Skuras & Kyriaki Tsegenidi, 2006. "Innovation and Peripherality: A Comparative Study in Six EU Member Countries," ERSA conference papers ersa06p295, European Regional Science Association.
    10. Hewitt-Dundas, Nola & Roper, Stephen, 2008. "Ireland's Innovation Performance: 1991 to 2005," Quarterly Economic Commentary: Special Articles, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), vol. 2008(2-Summer), pages pages 46-68.
    11. Gary Akehurst & José Comeche & Miguel-Angel Galindo, 2009. "Job satisfaction and commitment in the entrepreneurial SME," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 32(3), pages 277-289, March.
    12. Pilar Beneito & María E. Rochina-Barrachina & Amparo Sanchis, 2013. "Learning through experience in Research & Development: an empirical analysis with Spanish firms," Working Papers 1302, Department of Applied Economics II, Universidad de Valencia.
    13. Maria Jesus Nieto & Lluis Santamaria, 2006. "Technological Collaboration: Bridging The Innovation Gap Between Small And Large Firms," Business Economics Working Papers wb066620, Universidad Carlos III, Departamento de Economía de la Empresa.
    14. Rahmouni, Mohieddine, 2011. "Perception des obstacles aux activités d'innovation dans les entreprises tunisiennes
      [Perception of obstacles to innovation activities in Tunisian firms]      ," MPRA Paper 18306, University Library of Munich, Germany.

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