A associação da tecnologia da informação com a inovação no contexto das pequenas e médias empresas brasileiras

Abstract

Information Technology (IT) and innovation are two relevant themes that are widely discussed in the literature. Understanding the association between IT and innovation is important, as many of the innovations that have been adopted in business practices are dependent on IT. The impact of IT on innovation depends on the type of IT tool used, the type of innovation activity performed, and the company's characteristics, but there is still a lack of studies that assess the effect of different IT resources on the innovative performance of companies. In addition, the main debates on innovation have still focused on large corporations, despite the agreement that Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) play an increasingly relevant role in innovation in the national context. The general objective of the work was to analyze the association of IT resources with the results of innovation in Brazilian SMEs. The method adopted had a qualitative approach, of exploratory descriptive nature, with an approach to small and medium-sized companies, finalists of the National Innovation Award. The research population consisted of 28 companies, 15 of which were analyzed in this study, thus forming the research sample. For data collection, documentary research, questionnaires and interviews were carried out. The results showed that the IT infrastructure of SMEs is considered an essential apparatus for innovation, through support and support for the execution of processes and activities necessary for innovation, with emphasis on the collection, transfer, flow and administration of data and information, and for purposes of internal and external collaboration, and interactions. IT HR had a positive association with innovation, and is seen as necessary to the innovative process, through the application of IT technical and managerial skills, which can help or directly result in product, process, organizational, and marketing innovation. The study contributed to the Information Technology literature by highlighting the understanding of the influence of IT resources on innovation, in the view of executives of Brazilian SMEs considered innovative, contemplated an individualized approach to IT resources and their respective subcategories and elements, and sought relate them to the results of innovation, addressed individually, rather than a joint analysis of IT and innovation, as is commonly found in the literature. With this, it was intended to fill a gap, which is the lack of studies that jointly address the themes of IT and Innovation in SMEs in Brazil.