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Corporate culture and long-term survival of Spanish innovative firms

Manuel Ramón Tejeiro Koller (Department of Business Administration, Comillas Pontifical University, Madrid, Spain)
Patricio Morcillo Ortega (Department of Business Organization, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain)
José Miguel Rodríguez Antón (Department of Business Organization, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain)
Luís Rubio Andrada (Department of Applied Economics, Autonomous University of Madrid, Madrid, Spain)

International Journal of Innovation Science

ISSN: 1757-2223

Article publication date: 4 December 2017

590

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze how firms can enhance their innovative capabilities and become more resilient. The current business environment requires a specific type of management for companies to remain competitive and innovation plays a key role in this respect. However, this means that a particular kind of corporate culture must promote innovation in the firm. This innovation culture is likely to be present in innovative companies that have survived in the long term (at least 50 years) and be the source of an adaptive advantage.

Design/methodology/approach

Using innovative Spanish firms, which were established at least 50 years ago, an exploratory factorial analysis was conducted to verify the existence of an innovation culture. Thereafter, a cluster analysis was undertaken to study differences in performance to be able to detect and identify their adaptive advantage.

Findings

The findings offer a detailed profile of old and innovative firms created in Spain. Results show that most of the studied firms (88 per cent) have an innovation culture. Furthermore, two separate groups were identified, in which one showed higher profitability and a lower adjustment to an innovation culture, while the other showed the reverse results. This suggests that innovation culture helps companies be more resilient but does not necessarily lead to higher returns.

Practical implications

Corporate culture is identified as a useful management tool in the search for more resilient enterprises. Specific cultural traits are recommended and a benchmarking tool is applied and made available upon request.

Originality/value

Although there are a number of studies which consider the concept of adaptive advantage and resilience on the one side, and on corporate innovation culture on the other, this paper seems to be the first to empirically explore the relationship of both these concepts.

Keywords

Citation

Tejeiro Koller, M.R., Morcillo Ortega, P., Rodríguez Antón, J.M. and Rubio Andrada, L. (2017), "Corporate culture and long-term survival of Spanish innovative firms", International Journal of Innovation Science, Vol. 9 No. 4, pp. 335-354. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJIS-11-2016-0053

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited

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