Governance structures and the coffee roasting and ground industry's innovative capabilities

• Grant number: 11/17578-0
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: May 01, 2012
• End date: April 30, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Applied Social Sciences - Administration - Business Administration
• Principal Investigator: Maria Sylvia Macchione Saes
• Grantee: Maria Sylvia Macchione Saes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade (FEA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Gabriela Feresin Jardim

Abstract

The object of this research project is to investigate into combinations of governance structures (internal and external) that allow for the greatest possibilities of developing a firm's innovative capabilities. This work draws on the studies by Grandori and Furnari (2008, 2010) that stress the importance of combining internal organizational forms as a source of innovation. Moving beyond the approach of Grandori and Furnari, this project also incorporates on the external framework, as it admits, as according to Barbieri and Alvares (2004), the innovation process also involves interactions between the governance structures external to the firm. These issues will be addressed from the literature of the New Instituional Economics and tested through a survey of Brazilian 200 Brazilian firms in the coffee roasting and ground industry. Two types of innovation are investigated: i. product/service; ii. Process/method. It has been hypothesized that the capacity of innovate is more present in firms that adopt a mix of governance structures (internal and external) than those with singular structures. In addition to testing the hypothesis proposed empirical analysis seeks to present the mix of governance structures have greater capacity of innovation. These results, which allow identifying the organizational requirements that produce the greatest possibilities of innovation, this work can help trace the actions of public and private policies for Brazilian companies to improve their rate of innovation and be more competitive in their markets, it also aids in the development of public and private policies. (AU)