Work and technological innovation in organic agriculture

Organic agriculture is a sustainable cultivation ecologically, economically and socially. Several researches in organic agriculture have been made from technical perspectives, economic traits or related to ecological aspects. There are practically no investigations into the nature of the technology used in organic agriculture, especially from an ergonomic perspective. From the activity analysis, this study aimed to map the technology used in the production of organic vegetables. Properties producing organic vegetables were selected representing the State of São Paulo. It was applied an instrument (questionnaire and semi-structured interview) with their managers and it was made visual records to identify adaptations, innovations and technological demands that simultaneously minimize the workload and the difficulties in performing the tasks and increase work productivity. For some of the technological innovations a digital scanner was used to generate a virtual solid model to facilitate its redesign and virtual prototyping. The main results show that organic farmers have little technology in product form. The main innovations that enable competitive advantage or allow higher labor productivity occur in the form of processes, organization and marketing.

Innovation in pediatric surgery: the use of ultrasonic CVD tips: case report

The non-eruption of teeth due to highly keratinized gingival mucosa is a frequent event in the pediatric dentistry, which harms the oral aesthetics and function. A surgical excision of the involved area is indicated, exposing the non-erupted tooth. This procedure involves anesthesia and cutting instruments that may increase the fear and anxiety in young patients. The use of new technologies has avoided these instruments and has promoted more comfort to the patients. This study presents clinical cases in which gingivectomy was performed using the innovative method with an ultrasound-activated CVD tip. It was concluded that this method presented effectiveness, promoted more comfort, and less fear to the patients, making its use a viable alternative to pediatric surgery.

Environmental Innovation: in search of a meaning

The purpose of this paper is to propose a definition of the term “green/environmental innovation”, based on a systematic literature review. Design/methodology/approach– The literature review conducted in this research was based on papers published in ISI Web of Science and Scopus databases. Findings– Environmental innovations are organizational implementations and changes focusing on the environment, with implications for companies’ products, manufacturing processes and marketing, with different degrees of novelty. They can be merely incremental improvements that intensify the performance of something that already exists, or radical ones that promote something completely unprecedented, where the main objective is to reduce the company's environmental impacts. In addition, environmental innovation has a bilateral relationship with the level of proactive environmental management adopted by companies. Increasing of environmental innovation tends to come up against many barriers.

Innovation in industrial clusters: a survey of footwear companies in Brazil

The aim of this study is to characterize the relationships in innovation and business clustering processes in the productive chain of small and medium enterprises (SME) of Brazil. The object of study are SMEs the local procuctive cluster of the shoes in Franca, State of São Paulo. The conceptual model developed is based on the following constructs: vertical integration, innovation and characteristics of the cluster, and it is focused on identifying the agents that act predominantly in product innovation processes in the cluster. A survey was conducted. It was found that there is cooperation between the companies in the productive arrangement studied, and that shoe manufacturers are those who, predominantly, stimulate innovation within the cluster.

Green training supporting eco-innovation in three Brazilian companies: practices and levels of integration

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show results from the relationship between green/environmental training and the development of three projects of low-carbon eco-innovations in top Brazilian companies. Design/methodology/approach – This study includes three organizational projects for low-carbon eco-innovations in products (A, B and C) with the objective of reducing their impact on GHG emissions, the so-called low-carbon products. Data were collected from several sources of evidence, including in-depth interviews, document analyses and direct observations. Findings – The authors verified that the environmental training interface for mitigating climate change is relevant for the systematic development of low-carbon products in most of the cases studied. Originality/value – Low-carbon eco-innovations are a trend in the corporate world; however, there is not enough literature and practical evidence on this subject. Thus, this paper adds new evidence to the literature.

Organizational communication and innovation in micro and small companies: a study on the application of the Innovation Radar

This paper is a study on corporate communication and the ability to innovate in small businesses. The guiding question seeks to respond whether organizational communication is able to make progress and / or support innovation in micro and small companies, and the main objective is to analyze the relationship between innovation and organizational communication. It was applied the case study method and document research for interpreting a diagnosis instru- ment called “Innovation Radar” in a small business company located in the countryside of São Paulo state. The diagnosis is made based on assessment dimensions aimed at checking the maturity and the degree of innovation in micro and small companies. By evaluating these di- mensions it was possible to build analytical frameworks and highlight the influence of corporate communication in promoting innovation. The results indicate that every dimension of the “In- novation Radar” can improve their performance by means of corporate communication.