IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v21y2024i10p1368-d1500218.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Examining the Complex Interaction Among Technological Innovation, Company Performance, and Occupational Safety and Health: A Mixed-Methods Study

Author

Listed:
  • Gaia Vitrano

    (Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy)

  • Guido J. L. Micheli

    (Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy)

  • Francesca Marazzini

    (Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy)

  • Valeria Panio

    (Department of Management, Economics and Industrial Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, 20133 Milan, Italy)

  • Angelo Castaldo

    (Department of Juridical and Economic Studies, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Roma, Italy)

  • Alessia Marrocco

    (Department of Juridical and Economic Studies, Sapienza Università di Roma, 00185 Roma, Italy)

  • Stefano Signorini

    (Department of Medicine, Epidemiology, Occupational & Environmental Hygiene, National Institute for the Insurance of Work-Related Injuries (INAIL), 00144 Roma, Italy)

  • Alessandro Marinaccio

    (Department of Medicine, Epidemiology, Occupational & Environmental Hygiene, National Institute for the Insurance of Work-Related Injuries (INAIL), 00144 Roma, Italy)

Abstract

Technological innovation and Industry 5.0 are gaining increasing attention among researchers as they offer companies a significant competitive advantage. On the other hand, introducing these technologies also brings new risks for workers. The current literature reveals a lack of studies that effectively integrate occupational safety and health (OSH) within this emerging technological context and analyse the impacts of their use. This study aims to explore how companies interact with macro-level interventions that promote technological innovation and to understand their impact on different dimensions of company performance, including aspects related to OSH. Based on the existing literature, a research framework is presented that identifies the stakeholders involved, the inputs facilitating their interaction, and the cascading effects and changes. A mixed-methods approach was adopted by employing an in-depth survey with 89 companies responding and composed of both open-ended questions, to capture rich, qualitative insights, and multiple-choice questions, to gather quantifiable data. Two change levels have been identified: general changes and specific changes related to OSH. The analysis also delved into the main drivers and barriers that lead companies to engage with technological improvements and the multiple changes these interventions generate across company dimensions.

Suggested Citation

  • Gaia Vitrano & Guido J. L. Micheli & Francesca Marazzini & Valeria Panio & Angelo Castaldo & Alessia Marrocco & Stefano Signorini & Alessandro Marinaccio, 2024. "Examining the Complex Interaction Among Technological Innovation, Company Performance, and Occupational Safety and Health: A Mixed-Methods Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 21(10), pages 1-17, October.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:10:p:1368-:d:1500218
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/10/1368/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/10/1368/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bamberger, Michael & Tarsilla, Michele & Hesse-Biber, Sharlene, 2016. "Why so many “rigorous” evaluations fail to identify unintended consequences of development programs: How mixed methods can contribute," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 55(C), pages 155-162.
    2. Radicic, Dragana & Petković, Saša, 2023. "Impact of digitalization on technological innovations in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 191(C).
    3. Vanessa Manni & Diego De Merich & Giuseppe Campo, 2023. "Management Approaches to Health and Safety at Work during Prevention Intervention Planning," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 20(24), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Emily J. Haas & Emanuele Cauda, 2022. "Using Core Elements of Health and Safety Management Systems to Support Worker Well-Being during Technology Integration," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(21), pages 1-17, October.
    5. D’Este, Pablo & Iammarino, Simona & Savona, Maria & von Tunzelmann, Nick, 2012. "What hampers innovation? Revealed barriers versus deterring barriers," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 41(2), pages 482-488.
    6. Guido J. L. Micheli & Enrico Cagno & Antonio Calabrese, 2018. "The Transition from Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Interventions to OSH Outcomes: An Empirical Analysis of Mechanisms and Contextual Factors within Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(8), pages 1-22, July.
    7. Segarra Blasco, Agustí, 1958- & Teruel, Mercedes, 2014. "High-growth firms and innovation: an empirical analysis for Spanish firms," Working Papers 2072/228402, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Department of Economics.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Gabriele Pellegrino, 2018. "Barriers to innovation in young and mature firms," Journal of Evolutionary Economics, Springer, vol. 28(1), pages 181-206, January.
    2. José García-Quevedo & Gabriele Pellegrino & Maria Savona, 2017. "Reviving demand-pull perspectives: The effect of demand uncertainty and stagnancy on R&D strategy," Cambridge Journal of Economics, Cambridge Political Economy Society, vol. 41(4), pages 1087-1122.
    3. Gabriele Pellegrino, 2015. "Barriers to innovation: can firm age help lower them?," Working Papers 2015/3, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    4. Enrico Guzzini & Donato Iacobucci, 2017. "Project failures and innovation performance in university–firm collaborations," The Journal of Technology Transfer, Springer, vol. 42(4), pages 865-883, August.
    5. Zouaghi, Ferdaous & Sánchez, Mercedes & Martínez, Marian García, 2018. "Did the global financial crisis impact firms' innovation performance? The role of internal and external knowledge capabilities in high and low tech industries," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 132(C), pages 92-104.
    6. Caloffi, Annalisa & Freo, Marzia & Ghinoi, Stefano & Mariani, Marco & Rossi, Federica, 2022. "Assessing the effects of a deliberate policy mix: The case of technology and innovation advisory services and innovation vouchers," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(6).
    7. Stefano Bianchini & Giulio Bottazzi & Federico Tamagni, 2017. "What does (not) characterize persistent corporate high-growth?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 48(3), pages 633-656, March.
    8. Lurdes Martins & Jorge Cerdeira & Aurora A.C. Teixeira, 2020. "Does corruption boost or harm firms’ performance in developing and emerging economies? A firm‐level study," The World Economy, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 43(8), pages 2119-2152, August.
    9. Jean Acheson & Rory Malone, 2020. "Respect Your Elders: Evidence from Ireland’s R&D Tax Credit Reform," The Economic and Social Review, Economic and Social Studies, vol. 51(1), pages 105-131.
    10. Mammadaliyev, Farid & Gilsing, Victor & Knoben, J., 2024. "How do firms adapt their portfolios of external collaborations to changing internal organizational attributes? The moderating role of firm age," Other publications TiSEM 56c854b7-ed86-4830-843e-c, Tilburg University, School of Economics and Management.
    11. Bernat, Gonzalo, 2017. "Innovación en la industria manufacturera argentina durante la post convertibilidad," Documentos de Proyectos 44132, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    12. Jose García‐Quevedo & Elisenda Jové‐Llopis & Ester Martínez‐Ros, 2020. "Barriers to the circular economy in European small and medium‐sized firms," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 29(6), pages 2450-2464, September.
    13. Faggio, Giulia & Silva, Olmo, 2014. "Self-employment and entrepreneurship in urban and rural labour markets," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 84(C), pages 67-85.
    14. Kashan, Alireza Javanmardi & Lay, Janine & Wiewiora, Anna & Bradley, Lisa, 2022. "The innovation process in mining: Integrating insights from innovation and change management," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    15. Broccardo, Laura & Tenucci, Andrea & Agarwal, Reeti & Alshibani, Safiya Mukhtar, 2024. "Steering digitalization and management control maturity in small and medium enterprises (SMEs)," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 204(C).
    16. van Criekingen, Kristof & Freel, Mark & Czarnitzki, Dirk, 2021. "Open innovation deficiency: Evidence on project abandonment and delay," ZEW Discussion Papers 21-006, ZEW - Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research.
    17. Gatto, Francisco, 2017. "Crecimiento productivo y tecnológico con expansión del empleo en el marco de una cadena manufacturera globalizada. El caso de la industria electrónica de consumo radicada en Tierra del Fuego," Documentos de Proyectos 44140, Naciones Unidas Comisión Económica para América Latina y el Caribe (CEPAL).
    18. Stefano Bianchini & Federico Tamagni & Gabriele Pellegrino, 2016. "Innovation strategies and firm growth," Working Papers 2016/10, Institut d'Economia de Barcelona (IEB).
    19. Blind, Knut & Krieger, Bastian & Pellens, Maikel, 2022. "The interplay between product innovation, publishing, patenting and developing standards," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 51(7).
    20. Marco Capasso & Tania Treibich & Bart Verspagen, 2015. "The medium-term effect of R&D on firm growth," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 45(1), pages 39-62, June.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:21:y:2024:i:10:p:1368-:d:1500218. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.