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Analyzing the association between the entrepreneur’s background and product innovation, this paper aims to propose that some entrepreneur’s features are associated with the product innovation in incubated companies.

The study involved 95 technology-based firms incubated in Brazil. Questionnaires were sent to 461 technology-based incubated firms of the state, of which 112 have responded; however, only 95 met the established criteria, which was analyzed by logistic regression.

It was found that companies whose entrepreneurs have technical academic education closer to the Exact Sciences promote more innovation in products, regardless the size of their companies. In addition, in smaller firms, besides the technical background closer to the Exact Sciences, the entrepreneur's experience in the company also showed positive association regarding the intensity with which such firms innovate in products.

Results indicate that entrepreneurs who were selected taking into account their technical background closer to the Exact Sciences are more likely to contribute to the product innovation in their companies. Therefore, investing in their businesses will also increase the likelihood of success in the efficient allocation of the incubator resources.

The originality of this paper is reflected by the presentation of relations between entrepreneur’s background and product innovation in technology-based incubated firms in an emerging economy, highlighting the value of some characteristics of entrepreneur’s background to promote product innovation.

Analisando a associação entre o background do empreendedor e a inovação em produtos, este artigo propõe que algumas características do empreendedor estão associadas com a inovação de produtos em empresas incubadas.

O estudo envolveu 95 empresas de base tecnológica no Brasil. Questionários foram enviados para 461 empresas incubadas de base tecnológica no estado de São Paulo, das quais 112 responderam. Contudo, apenas 95 satisfizeram os critérios estabelecidos na pesquisa, as quais foram analisadas por meio da regressão logística.

Foi identificado que empresas cujos empreendedores possuem formações acadêmicas mais próximas das ciências exatas promovem mais inovações em produtos, independentemente do tamanho da organização. Além disso, em empresas menores, além da formação acadêmica próxima das ciências exatas, a experiência do empreendedor na empresa também mostrou associação positiva com relação à intensidade com a qual tais empresas inovam em produtos.

Os resultados indicam que os empreendedores selecionados, com formação técnica mais próxima das ciências exatas, têm maior probabilidade de contribuir para a inovação de produtos em suas empresas. Portanto, investir nesses negócios aumentará a chance de sucesso na alocação eficiente dos recursos da incubadora.

A originalidade do artigo consiste na apresentação de relações entre o background do empreendedor e a inovação de produtos, em empresas de base tecnológica incubadas, em um país emergente. Isto realça o valor de algumas características do empreendedor para promover a inovação de produtos.

Analizando la asociación entre el fondo del emprendedor y la innovación en productos, este artículo propone que algunas características del emprendedor están asociadas con la innovación de productos en empresas incubadas.

El estudio involucró a 95 empresas de base tecnológica en Brasil. Los cuestionarios se enviaron a 461 empresas incubadas de base tecnológica en el estado de São Paulo, de las cuales 112 respondieron. Sin embargo, sólo 95 cumplieron los criterios establecidos en la investigación, que se analizaron a través de la regresión logística.

Se ha identificado que las empresas cuyos emprendedores poseen formaciones académicas más cercanas a las ciencias exactas promueven más innovaciones en productos, independientemente del tamaño de la organización. Además, en empresas menores, además de la formación académica cercana a las ciencias exactas, la experiencia del emprendedor en la empresa también mostró asociación positiva con relación a la intensidad con la que dichas empresas innovan en productos.

Los resultados indican que los emprendedores seleccionados, tomando en consideración su formación técnica más cercana a las ciencias exactas, son más probables de contribuir con la innovación de productos en sus empresas. Por lo tanto, invertir en estos negocios aumentará la probabilidad de éxito en la asignación eficiente de los recursos de la incubadora.

La originalidad del documento es reflejada por la presentación de relaciones entre el fondo del emprendedor y la innovación de productos en empresas incubadas de base tecnológica en una economía emergente, resaltando el valor de algunas características del fondo del emprendedor para promover la innovación de productos.

The purpose of this paper is to understand a typology of eco-innovation that best characterizes an innovation incubator, with the aim of strengthening the management of this habitat to leverage the development of new eco-innovation technologies.

The typologies of 22 studies identified in the Web of Science, Scopus, Scielo and Science Direct databases were analyzed through a theoretical and descriptive study and method of systematic literature review. In the typologies analyzed, none were found that fit directly into the environment of an innovation incubator.

The most detailed typology, by Fernando et al. (2015), is characterized as a type of eco-innovation developed in a specific market, but it does not address the characteristics of this innovation habitat, which is the incubator.

Thus, based on the typologies presented, this paper demonstrates the construction of an instrument that contemplates the authors analyzed, with emphasis on its application in incubators.

This paper demonstrates the construction of an instrument that contemplates the authors analyzed, with emphasis on the application in incubators.

Innovation is a constant attribute in the management processes of technology-based companies (TBCs), mostly small and young, and plays a relevant role in their competitiveness and survival. However, the authors assumed that the characteristics of innovation practices differ between incubated and post-incubated companies, in such aspects as formality, type, posture and strategy. The purpose of this paper is to report the innovation practices identified in small TBCs in the incubation and post-incubation periods (graduate companies).

To achieve the purpose, the authors carried out a multiple case study with four TBCs, two incubated and two post-incubated (graduate); the study was qualitative and exploratory, and the authors collected data with their managers.

The results show that these companies have high levels of innovation, which is a determinant factor for their presence in the business market; they create technological innovations in products and services, mostly incremental, such as improvements in existing products or reduction of internal costs of manufacturing. In addition, the results also show important features of the innovations, such as the interaction with other incubated companies and with universities and research centers.

The authors conclude that there were changes in innovation practices, in the transition from incubated to graduate companies, such as the formalization of processes, a shift in focus toward the customer and an increase in resources and in projects’ relevance.

Technology-based incubators depend on high-level knowledge to constantly meet the demands of the market. Incubators offer a variety of specialized services to help startups increase the chances of crossing the valley of death. These services include infrastructure, access to a professional network of mentors and an intensive support of a consultant team to help with managerial and legal challenges. Therefore, it is critical to incubators to develop both highly skilled teams of consultants and social environment that facilitates communication. The purpose of this paper is to understand how innovation-oriented social networks created within technology-based incubators are shaped.

Data were collected in five incubators participating connected to federal universities from the state of Minas Gerais. The network attributes collected in the survey were placed in a matrix form. The mapping and measurement of the relationships between individuals were developed using the Ucinet software. Ucinet enables the analysis of attributes (attitudes, behaviors and characteristics) characterized as relational (contacts, ties and relationships). The software also includes the Netdraw network visualization tool, which enables the creation of matrices and graphical network maps. The measurements of centrality, closeness and intermediation were analyzed to assess the intra-organizational social network.

The results indicate that although the flow of communication does not follow the formal hierarchy, the interaction between team members to spontaneously exchange ideas, information and experiences is rare. The workers are so concerned about their timely tasks, that they have few opportunities to exchange information and knowledge. The coordination is carried out by university professors, who also perform other tasks (e.g. teaching, research and administration activities) besides those related to the incubators. The results also suggest that in the technology-based incubators studied, besides dealing in an innovative environment, the distribution of tasks and responsibilities are still rigid and traditional.

By analyzing the degree of the relationship between team members, the proximity and the level of intermediation of co-workers, it is possible to see how the incubators workers interact, thereby identifying the flow of information. This study offers implications for theory and practice. To the theory, this study adds to the discussion of intra-organizational social network of technology-based companies in the Brazilian context. To practitioners, this research sheds light on the importance of the social network built within the organization to promote effective communication and knowledge sharing.

This empirical and exploratory study analyzed the role of interaction with the innovation environment and of the organizational learning capacity (OLC) development stage in startups in Northeast Brazil based on the perception of managers of these companies.

This was a quantitative study. Questionnaires were sent electronically to the managers of startups in the nine states of Northeast Brazil. A total of 54 managers participated, composing a non-probabilistic sample. The data collected were analyzed by multiple linear regressions.

The results obtained seek to evidence whether the interaction of startups in Northeast Brazil with the startup ecosystem and the development stage in which these companies are found are associated with OLC. The results confirmed the hypothesis that higher startup development stages are positively associated with higher levels of OLC in the sample. A negative association was identified between the manufacturing startup type and the OLC level, and the level of interaction with the innovation environment was still infrequent.

This study contributes to the literature on the determinants of organizational learning and to startup managers who wish to more effectively promote this learning. Implications of the findings are discussed.

This study contributes to the literature on the determinants of organizational learning and to startup managers who wish to more effectively promote this learning. Implications of the findings are discussed.

Studies on Brazilian startups are still relatively scarce, especially studies that focus on learning capacity. No other studies addressing the hypotheses tested here were found.

The purpose of this paper is to propose a model to evaluate the degree of intellectual capital (IC) maturity into organizations.

This is a qualitative, applied research designed as an exploratory and descriptive investigation. It employs a case study to apply the intellectual capital maturity model, which is developed from the literature review. The Proknow-C method of systematic literature review is the procedure adopted for the literature review in Scopus, Science Direct and Web of Science databases. In total, 21 IC constructs were derived from such review and assessed by 18 reviewers (judges).

In the scientific literature, IC is mainly viewed as a resource or set of resources an organization for the creation of competitive advantage and value. Using the information gathered about different views on IC, this study proposes a construction of the theoretical model, based on the models of the capability maturity model–Software Engineering Institute and Asian Productivity Organization–Knowledge Management, the management model and the application protocol.

This research offers view on the nature of the concept of IC showing (IC) as a business asset through maturity scale. The analysis of the concept of IC is focused at organizational and dimensional levels.

This study contributes to the further development of the concept of IC regarding its measurement in organizations through the maturity scale.

To identify the instruments and organizational mechanisms that provide the development of the innovative capacities of companies that (i) no longer work with technology-based incubators, and (ii) are associated with the community universities of the state of Rio Grande do Sul.

Empirical research, qualitative approach and descriptive nature, conducted through multiple case studies in 21 companies from IEBTs in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. Data were organized and analyzed through content analysis.

Results show that the development of IC occurred through behaviors and skills, routines and processes and mechanisms of learning and knowledge governance that support the development of product, process and behavioral dimensions. It became evident that the companies that are emerging from IEBTs need innovation capacity to survive in the market. These innovations are related to product, process and behavioral innovations.

The study cannot be generalized to other segments, since it was restricted to a set of IEBT egress companies, with specific realities and based on the perception of the managers of these companies.

The mechanisms and instruments for the development of innovative capacity can be used by companies from different sectors to make them more competitive before the current economic scenario.

It is justified by the scarcity of studies related to the dynamic capacity component (DC) elements, constituting a theoretical gap regarding the innovative capacity.

The aim of this research is to analyze the knowledge transfer process in technological innovation clusters. The problem of the study addresses how organizations can act in a network to enhance experiences and gains, particularly in the aspect of knowledge management.

The study is qualitative, applied through a case study, cross-sectional and multiple sources of evidence – semistructured interviews, nonparticipant observation and analysis of documents and secondary institutional data. The case analyzed was the Technology Park of São José dos Campos, in Brazil, involving private companies, governmental organizations, universities and research institutions.

The results reinforce the arguments that the transfer of knowledge is influenced by factors, facilitators or inhibitors such as: cooperation, relationship with institutions, workforce mobility and geographical proximity, influencing the competitiveness and performance of the organizations in the cluster.

This study advances the knowledge management literature in network environments, especially in technological innovation clusters, systematizing and highlighting the facilitating and inhibiting dimensions of knowledge transfer.

The present work has a direct dialogue with the managers and actors involved in the governance of these organizational arrangements with regard to increasing the capacity for creation and the dissemination of knowledge among organizations, educational institutions, government and companies.

There is a presence of aspects indicating that knowledge goes beyond borders through dynamic and collaborative structures, reinforcing the premise that clusters must be perceived as an evolutionary system, whose result of interactions leads to a superior joint capacity.