The importance of quality in the consolidation of textile in Minho

The textile industry has a long tradition in Portugal and it is one of the most important sectors, despite the current economic crisis. It has always assumed a prominent role in terms of employment and a relevant position within the Portuguese economy. The lack of quality and the lower prices that other countries offer causes the loss of clients. Quality is a main tool to survive nowadays in the textile sector. To undertake our analysis, we made use of an existing database where 55 firms belonged to the textile industry, namely to the manufacturing sector. A new survey was created based on the original survey and was sent to 5 firms. Besides the survey, we also sent a few questions to the firms in order to retract more information about the actually situation in our country, concerning the textile industry. Several tables, graphs and pie charts were made to help shed light on our findings. This research was conducted in order to determine the importance of quality in the consolidation of textile firms in the north of Portugal. Most firms in our sample feel that quality improvement, business benefits, mobilizing employees’ knowledge and business image were important and that competition is very intense and is mainly by price and not by differentiation of product or service. The quality program has contributed to improve their competitive position and the improvement of their overall performance. The majority of the firms in our sample undertake TQM measures for quality purposes to meet customer expectations and prevent errors. Of all firms surveyed, the quality is certainly very important for its survival.

Society and technological evolution: challenges and opportunities

Starting from the assumption that, the organizational learning process influences, in a positive way, the innovative environment and that it shows positive effects on individual, group and organizational performance, this paper deals with the analysis of companies that provide knowledge-intensive products. Referring to the initial information obtained through an adequate survey that is still being performed since May 2009, the main goal is to identify the ways to an organizational learning, measure its importance and identify the effects on the social and economic development. Our reflexion study handles two Portuguese knowledge-rich-organizations, based on the metropolitan area of Lisbon. The paper has the following methodological structure: in the first chapter we will make a theoretical contextualization about the organizational learning; in the second chapter we will handle the data recovered using the SPSS statistics software and, afterwards, presenting the main results. Finally, starting from the main conclusions achieved, we willgive clues to an ongoing reflection.

Modelo de gestão de uma associação empresarial

Dissertação de Mestrado em Ciências Económicas e Empresariais.

Methodology for collaborative enterprise reference ontology building

Dissertation presented at Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia of Universidade Nova de Lisboa to obtain the Master degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Barriers to micro-enterprise development

A Work Project, presented as part of the requirements for the Award of a Masters Degree in Management from the NOVA – School of Business and Economics

Asking why

The growth of a solid, knowledge-intensive firm, OutSystems—an IT company recognized in 2003 by Fortune magazine as one of the most promising start-ups in the world—is accompanied by efforts to create a strong culture that preserves the traits that have driven OutSystems’ success and that drives innovation, adaptability, high performance, and accountability. The lessons OutSystems learned from previous international experiences are presented along with its latest growth model of branded local partners. The case study is intended to introduce concepts related to organizational culture, traits of cultures that drive innovation, national versus organizational culture, and the challenges of globalization. It is designed to be used in Organizational Behavior classes and is appropriate for MBA- and Master’s-level courses in the area of management. It is suggested as a guideline for 60- to 90-minute classes. Participants are invited to discuss the importance of organizational cultures and their fit with the company strategy. Participants are also encouraged to brainstorm about the best approach to face OutSystems’ new stage of growth, specifically the advantages and consequences of growing as a metanational company. Finally, in the conclusion, the most relevant findings taken from the discussions proposed are revisited: The importance of an organizational culture adapted to the market needs and the potential of innovation behind metanational companies. Other considerations are made about: how the case illustrates the importance of leadership, group age, and group size in the process of building a culture; and how OutSystems’ culture solves the apparent contradiction behind adaptable culture.

Innovation sources and productivity in Catalonian firms: a quantile regression analysis

This paper explores the effects of two main sources of innovation -intramural and external R&D- on the productivity level in a sample of 3,267 Catalonian firms. The data set used is based on the official innovation survey of Catalonia which was a part of the Spanish sample of CIS4, covering the years 2002-2004. We compare empirical results by applying usual OLS and quantile regression techniques both in manufacturing and services industries. In quantile regression, results suggest different patterns at both innovation sources as we move across conditional quantiles. The elasticity of intramural R&D activities on productivity decreased when we move up the high productivity levels both in manufacturing and services sectors, while the effects of external R&D rise in high-technology industries but are more ambiguous in low-technology and knowledge-intensive services. JEL codes: O300, C100, O140. Keywords: Innovation sources, R&D, Productivity, Quantile regression

Barriers to innovation and public policy in Catalonia

The present paper analyses the link between firms’ decisions to innovate and the barriers that prevent them from being innovative. The aim is twofold. First, it analyses three groups of barriers to innovation: the cost of innovation projects, lack of knowledge and market conditions. Second, it presents the main steps taken by Catalan Government to promote the creation of new firms and to reduce barriers to innovation. The data set used is based on the 2004 official innovation survey of Catalonia which was taken from the Spanish CIS-4 sample. This sample includes individual information on 2,954 Catalan firms in manufacturing industries and knowledge-intensive services (KIS). The empirical analysis reveals pronounced differences regarding a firm’s propensity to innovate and its perception of barriers. Moreover, the results show that cost and knowledge barriers seem to be the most important and that there are substantial sectoral differences in the way that firms react to barriers. The results of this paper have important implications for the design of future public policy to promote entrepreneurship and innovation together.

Firms in Scottish High Technology Clusters: software, life sciences, microelectronics, optoelectronics and digital media – preliminary evidence and analysis on firm size, growth and optimality

This paper reports on: (a) new primary source evidence on; and (b) statistical and econometric analysis of high technology clusters in Scotland. It focuses on the following sectors: software, life sciences, microelectronics, optoelectronics, and digital media. Evidence on a postal and e-mailed questionnaire is presented and discussed under the headings of: performance, resources, collaboration & cooperation, embeddedness, and innovation. The sampled firms are characterised as being small (viz. micro-firms and SMEs), knowledge intensive (largely graduate staff), research intensive (mean spend on R&D GBP 842k), and internationalised (mainly selling to markets beyond Europe). Preliminary statistical evidence is presented on Gibrat’s Law (independence of growth and size) and the Schumpeterian Hypothesis (scale economies in R&D). Estimates suggest a short-run equilibrium size of just 100 employees, but a long-run equilibrium size of 1000 employees. Further, to achieve the Schumpeterian effect (of marked scale economies in R&D), estimates suggest that firms have to grow to very much larger sizes of beyond 3,000 employees. We argue that the principal way of achieving the latter scale may need to be by takeovers and mergers, rather than by internally driven growth.

Innovation sources and productivity in Catalonian firms: a quantile regression analysis

This paper explores the effects of two main sources of innovation - intramural and external R&D— on the productivity level in a sample of 3,267 Catalonian firms. The data set used is based on the official innovation survey of Catalonia which was a part of the Spanish sample of CIS4, covering the years 2002-2004. We compare empirical results by applying usual OLS and quantile regression techniques both in manufacturing and services industries. In quantile regression, results suggest different patterns at both innovation sources as we move across conditional quantiles. The elasticity of intramural R&D activities on productivity decreased when we move up the high productivity levels both in manufacturing and services sectors, while the effects of external R&D rise in high-technology industries but are more ambiguous in low-technology and knowledge-intensive services. JEL codes: O300, C100, O140 Keywords: Innovation sources, R&D, Productivity, Quantile Regression

Implantació d'una eina de gestió de xarxes i sistemes

A partir d'un escenari d'una organització fictícia organitzada en diverses seus, en la qual els sistemes d'informació són distribuïts per a poder organitzar grups de treball, compartir recursos o comunicar la informació ràpidament, hem justificat la necessitat de disposar d'una eina de gestió.

Young innovative firms and R&D strategies: is the Spanish case different?

This paper analyzes the profile of Spanish young innovative companies (YICs) and the determinants of innovation and imitation strategies. The results for an extensive sample of 2,221 Spanish firms studied during the period 2004–2010 show that YICs are found in all sectors, although they are more concentrated in high-tech sectors and, in particular, in knowledge-intensive services (KIS). Three of every four YICs are involved in KIS. Our results highlight that financial and knowledge barriers have much impact on the capacity of young, small firms to innovate and to become YICs, whereas market barriers are not obstacles to becoming a YIC. Public funding, in particular from the European Union, makes it easier for a new firm to become a YIC. In addition, YICs are more likely to innovate than mature firms, although they are more susceptible to sectoral and territorial factors. YICs make more dynamic use of innovation and imitation strategies when they operate in high-tech industries and are based in science parks located close to universities. Keywords: innovation strategies, public innovation policies, barriers to innovation, multinomial probit model. JEL Codes: D01, D22 , L60, L80, O31

Tietointensiivisen palvelutuotannon kehittäminen: case televiestintäyrityksen vianhallinta

Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli luoda tavoitemalli TeliaSonera Finland Oyj:n vianhallintapalveluille. Tavoitemalli tuli muodostaa niin, että se tukee laadukasta ja tuottavaa teollista palvelutuotantoa. Tavoitemalli muodostettiin suhteellisen laajan teoriakatsauksen perusteella, joka tehtiin tiedon näkökulmasta. Palvelujen hallinnan viitekehyksessä tutkittiin palvelujen suorituskykyä, jossa erityisesti paneuduttiin laatuun, tuottavuuteen ja palvelutuotannon psykososiaaliseen työympäristöön. Tähän kokonaisuuteen yhdistettiin tutkimustietoa palvelujen teollistamisesta, sekä otettiin huomioon tietointensiivisen organisaation yleiset menestystekijät. Näin muodostettiin tietointensiivisen palvelutuotannon hallinnan ja kehittämisen viitekehys, jota sovellettiin vianhallintapalvelujen tavoitetilan muodostamiseen. Vianhallinnan tavoitetila testattiinosin empiirisesti, mutta lisätutkimusta tarvitaan työssä muodostetun teoreettisen viitekehyksen arviointiin.

Analyzing dynamic intellectual capital: System-based theory and application

This research report presents an application of systems theory to evaluating intellectual capital (IC) as organization's ability for self-renewal. As renewal ability is a dynamic capability of an organization as a whole, rather than a static asset or an atomistic competence of separate individuals within the organization, it needs to be understood systemically. Consequently, renewal ability has to be measured with systemic methods that are based on a thorough conceptual analysis of systemic characteristics of organizations. The aim of this report is to demonstrate the theory and analysis methodology for grasping companies' systemic efficiency and renewal ability. The volume is divided into three parts. The first deals with the theory of organizations as self-renewing systems. In the second part, the principles of quantitative analysis of organizations are laid down. Finally, the detailed mathematics of the renewal indices are presented. We also assert that the indices produced by the analysis are an effective tool for the management and valuation of knowledge-intensive companies.

Yrityksen sisäisen kilpailun ja yhteistyön innovaatiovaikutus ja johtaminen t&k-toiminnassa

Tiedon luomiseen ja hyödyntämiseen perustuvassa liiketoiminnassa yrityksen kyky luoda tietoa ja käyttää hallussaan olevaa tietoa muodostaa perustan kilpailukyvylle ja kilpailueduille. Tutkielmassa rakennetaan konstruktiivista tutkimusotetta käyttäen innovaatioiden synnyn johtamiseen soveltuva toimintamalli Teecen tietoprosesseihin, Nonakan tiedonkonversioprosesseihin ja Ståhlen tietoympäristöihin perustuen. Tietoa syntyy esimerkiksi innovaatioissa. Innovaatioiden voidaan katsoa syntyvän vastakkaisten voimien jatkuvassa vuorovaikutuksessa. Tämä innovaatioita tuottava mekanismi rakentuu tietoa lisäävistä ja tietoa järjestävistä prosesseista, joita voidaan kuvata sekä seci-prosessin että kolmitasoisen tietoympäristön avulla. Sisäinen kilpailu ja yhteistyö vaikuttavat tämän mekanismin toimintaan. Yhteistyö lisää tiedon jakamista ja mahdollistaa radikaalien innovaatioiden ja tuoteinnovaatioiden synnyn. Kilpailun lisääminen vähentää keskinäistä tiedon jakamista ja siirtää innovaatioita fokuksen mukaisiin prosessi-innovaatioihin. Kilpailun ja yhteistyön määrään ja keskinäiseen suhteeseen voidaan vaikuttaa kolmitasoisesta tietoympäristömallista johdettujen kolmen erillisen, joskin toisiinsa vaikuttavan, johtamistavoitteen avulla. Mahdollistava johtaminen rakentaa luottamuksen ja yrityksen toiminnan perustaa. Valtuuttava johtaminen houkuttaa yhteistyöhön mahdollistaen tiedon lisääntymisen. Ohjaavan johtamisen prosessit vievät yritystä strategian mukaiseen suuntaan hyödyntäen sisäistä kilpailua.