Organizational practices required for innovation: a study in an information technology company

Vargas, Sandra Martins Lohn; Gonçalo, Cláudio Reis; Ribeirete, Fábio; Souza, Yeda Swirski de

doi:10.1590/0104-530X2161-16

Brasil

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Articles • Gest. Prod. 24 (2) • Apr-Jun 2017 • https://doi.org/10.1590/0104-530X2161-16 linkcopy

Organizational practices required for innovation: a study in an information technology company

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Abstract:

This study aims to identify organizational practices required to generate innovation in an information technology company. The research investigated how the development of capabilities considered critical for activities related to innovation take place from both specific organizational characteristics and joint resources. Two structural practices for innovation were valuable: the development of technology and market targeting. The research had qualitative approach and was carried out through an exploratory and descriptive case study. The case was developed in the Softplan company, one of the largest system management companies in Brazil that develops softwares for building industry, infrastructure activities, transportation and construction works, judiciary system and general public administration. The company has over 1.500 customers in Brazil and abroad and maintains alliances with global technology suppliers and agreements with several universities, laboratories and research institutions, supported by research and development activities. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with managers, along with documentary research and on-site observation. The analysis of the Softplan company showed incentives to creating and maintaining an organizational attitude favoring innovation as a routine process. Practices developed in organizational programs were identified aiming at creation and selection of ideas, acquisition of knowledge, and incentive to integration between professionals for emergence of organizational learning.

Keywords: Innovation; Strategic capacity; Organizational practices; Information technology company

Innovation Model	Definition	Author
Radical	Creation of a new set of characteristics.	Gallouj & Weinstein (1997); Gallouj (2002)
Ameliorative	Improvement of the quality of a product or process.	Gallouj & Weinstein (1997); Gallouj (2002)
Incremental	Addition or elimination of characteristics.	Gallouj & Weinstein (1997); Gallouj (2002)
Ad hoc	Production or codification and formalization of new competencies.	Gallouj & Weinstein (1997); Gallouj (2002)
Recombinative	Combination or fragmentation of a group of characteristics.	Gallouj & Weinstein (1997); Gallouj (2002)
Formalization	Formatting and standardization of characteristics.	Gallouj & Weinstein (1997); Gallouj (2002)
Barras’model	Theory focused on technological innovation derived from the service industries. This model is primarily concerned with materials technologies.	Gallouj (1998)
Linear innovation	Linked to the inputs dedicated to research and development: the greater the human, material and financial resources allocated to the process, the greater will be the production of inventions and innovations.	Viotti (2003)
Linear innovation	Innovation starting with basic research, followed by applied research and development, and ending with production and distribution.	Moreira & Vargas (2009)
Chain-Linked	The result of a process of interaction between market opportunities and a firm’s knowledge and training base, involving sub-processes within the stages of marketing and invention and design.	Viotti (2003)
Chain-Linked	There is not just one single path of activity, but five, which are the possible routes to development of innovations.	Moreira & Vargas (2009)
Systemic model of Innovation	Firms do not innovate in isolation, they are part of a system of direct or indirect relationships with other firms, and efforts are centered on measurement of flows of HR, information and knowledge.	Viotti (2003)
Systemic model of Innovation	Firms do not innovate in isolation, but in the context of a system of networks of direct or indirect relationships.	Moreira & Vargas (2009)
Technological Learning	Absorbs the technological capacity of production and acquire mastery over the technology assimilated when the capacity for improvement is developed.	Viotti (2003)

Capacity	Definition	Contributions to an Innovative Environment
Technological (Balbinot & Marques, 2009; Gradvohl et al., 2011).	Encompasses all practices related to research and development, utilization and acquisition of new technologies.	Enables development of new technologies in products, processes and services; generates innovation and promotes continual improvement of internal processes.
Market orientation (Llonch et al., 2011; Diaconu, 2011).	Encompasses targets, directives and market positioning that are designed to direct the overall behavior of the firm.	Enables the firm to rapidly identify customer needs, prospect innovation and direct its actions to ensure the characteristics of an innovative firm.

Constructs	Dimensions Investigated	Authors
Innovation	- Innovation types and characteristics; - Planning, creation and development; - Exportation of the product; - Criteria for innovation in product or service; - Efficacy of the innovation process.	Gallouj & Weinstein (1997); Gallouj (2002); Viotti (2003); Moreira & Vargas (2009).
Technological Capacity	- Physical System; - Organizational System; - Human Capital; - Products and Services.	Figueiredo (2005); Balbinot & Marques (2009); Gradvohl et al. (2011)
Market Orientation Capacity	- Partnerships; - Business Opportunities; - Relational Networks; - Market orientation.	Llonch et al. (2011); Diaconu (2011).

Projects Run by Softplan	Objectives
Candidate Referral Project	To reward employees who suggest candidates to work at the firm.
Learning Program	To retain talent.
English Course	To offer employees the opportunity to take classes three times a week, given by teachers who are also employees.
Ballroom Dancing Course	To offer employees the opportunity to take classes given by external instructors.
Popcorn Cinema Project	To provide a space that employees can use at lunchtime to take advantage of their free time while at work.
New Talents Project	To recruit young people from universities.
Young Learner Project	To prepare secondary school pupils for a career at IT firms.
Training Program	To train employees.
Ideas in Action Program	To encourage employees to suggest creative and different ideas.

Communications Channels at Softplan	Description
Between You and Me	Software through which employees can receive messages from the firm.
Delightometer	Software to measure internal employees’ degree of satisfaction with a given benefit.
Count Me In!	Software designed to poll employees’ opinions about actions taken by the company, acquiring information for decision-making.
Colabore	Tool providing information that encourages employees to collaborate with each other.
Intranet	Software used to provide information about subjects related to the firm.
Customer Services	Software that provides information about the number of hours of courses taken and training sessions attended by each employee, with individual, password-protected accounts.

Gallouj (2002) Models	Definition	Evidence found at Softplan
Radical	Creation of a new set of characteristics.	- Ideas in Action Program.
Ameliorative	Improvement of the quality of a product or process.	- Ideas in Action Program; - SIENGE, SIDER, SAJ, SAFF and SOLAR systems.
Incremental	Addition or elimination of characteristics.	- Ideas in Action Program; - SIENGE, SIDER, SAJ, SAFF and SOLAR systems.
Ad hoc	Production or codification and formalization of new competencies.	- SAJ.
Recombinative	Combination or fragmentation of a group of characteristics.	- Ideas in Action Program; - SIENGE, SIDER, SAJ, SAFF and SOLAR systems.
Formalization	Formatting and standardization of characteristics.	- Ideas in Action Program; - SIENGE, SIDER, SAJ, SAFF and SOLAR systems.

SOFTPLAN’S STRATEGIES FOR INNOVATION
Dimensions	Organizational practices
Creation and Selection of Ideas	Ideas in Action Program Count Me In! Program
Knowledge Acquisition	Training Programs Partnerships with Universities and Research Centers Alliances with Suppliers
Organizational Learning	Young Learner Project New Talents Project Candidate Referral Project Delightometer Project

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Universidade Federal de São Carlos Departamento de Engenharia de Produção , Caixa Postal 676 , 13.565-905 São Carlos SP Brazil, Tel.: +55 16 3351 8471 - São Carlos - SP - Brazil
E-mail: gp@dep.ufscar.br

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[1] Source: Adapted from Gallouj & Weinstein (1997), Gallouj (1998), Gallouj (2002), Viotti (2003) and Moreira & Vargas (2009).