Recent innovation research has paid more attention to investigating innovation in KIBS. The KIBS sector is widely reported to be more innovative than most other services. However, many past studies in this area have focused on R&D when analysing service innovation in KIBS. While some KIBS (typically those classified as Technological-KIBS or T-KIBS) do made substantial investment in R&D, this is however much less the case in many other KIBS (especially in Professional-KIBS/P-KIBS and Creative-KIBS/C-KIBS). This implies that other activities –apart from conventional R&D– may be applicable to understanding service innovation in KIBS. Knowledge management approaches have been introduced in several previous studies of service innovation in KIBS - but these typically see ‘knowledge’ as an object or property. This study argues for, and develops, an alternative ‘knowing’ perspective, which viewing knowledge as embedded in practice. This approach is underpinned by the interactivity and knowledge-intensity characteristics of KIBS. Their services are typically solutions to specific client problems. Knowledge is thus context-dependent and much relevant knowledge is learned in the very local context of practice. This theoretical standpoint is applied in this qualitative research study, exploring the role of knowing in service innovation in KIBS. In so doing, we employ four data sources (i.e. in-depth semi-structured interviews, expert interviews, observation and archival data) and apply the techniques of template analysis to the rich qualitative data that has been generated. We then delve into three analytical exercises. First, we depart from the current theories of service innovation, framing the exploration in the light of the concepts of service innovation dimensions and dynamic capabilities (introduced in the literature review). Second, we analyse what forms of knowing are involved in the process of service innovation. Third, we synthesise the first two analytical exercises to probe on the interrelation between service innovation and knowing in KIBS - what roles do forms of knowing play in service innovation?One major finding of this research is that service innovation and managing knowing in KIBS are interrelated by the fact that knowing is seen as enacted capability, forms of knowing are constituted in the process of service innovation, and this requires particular capabilities. We identify four ways of knowing in which KIBS engage for service innovation. Here, we incorporate the knowledge relatedness factor and the strategic focus to knowing (i.e. exploration or exploitation). These aspects enable this research to put forth the argument that the more the members of KIBS enact their knowing in practice, the better understanding they have towards the practice, the firm and the environment. Such ultimately becomes important for the sustainability of KIBS, not only to meet current market demands, but also to be able to construct new frameworks and thus to influence market development.

As transformações no capitalismo mundial nos últimos 30 anos geraram condições significativas para o crescimento de atividades de serviços, principalmente aquelas voltadas às empresas e em especial as chamadas intensivas em conhecimento. O objetivo geral do trabalho é contribuir para o estabelecimento do debate sobre knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) ou serviços empresariais intensivos em conhecimento (SEIC) no Brasil. Trata-se de enquadrar a discussão da literatura internacional em uma economia periférica e avaliar sua pertinência. A hipótese é que este grupo de atividades se torna necessário para o desenvolvimento dos países nesta nova era do capitalismo, especialmente por sua atuação na difusão de conhecimento e sua participação positiva em processos de inovação. Neste sentido, os propósitos do texto são: 1) fazer uma revisão da literatura sobre KIBS; 2) definir os KIBS no Brasil em comparação com os outros setores da economia, mostrando sua participação significativa em termos de geração de receita, sua dinâmica de crescimento acima da média nos últimos anos e sua capacidade de empregar mão-de-obra de mais alta qualificação; 3) investigar em que medida este grupo é importante na difusão de conhecimento e em processos de inovação; 4) discutir a concentração destas atividades em áreas metropolitanas. Pelo fato de atuarem como difusores de conhecimento e pelo seu enredamento vasto na cadeia produtiva, os KIBS podem representar uma tendência analítica promissora, especialmente em um momento em que atores públicos têm pensado políticas de desenvolvimento de escopo transversal, nas quais a inovação é elemento central. / The changes in capitalism in the last thirty years created conditions to service industries growth, especially those ones related to knowledge-intensive activities. The main objective of this master thesis is to contribute to build a knowledge-intensive business services debate in Brazil. It means that this thesis tries to bring an important debate from the developed countries academia to a developing country in order to analyze if it could be applied in other context. The hypothesis is that KIBS are necessary to increase economic development in Brazil in the new era of capitalism, also known as knowledge-based economy or informational society. The relevance of these activities is due to their role as sources, carriers and diffusers of knowledge that can generate externalities to innovation processes. The aims of this text are: 1) make a literature review of KIBS debate; 2) define KIBS in Brazil comparing to the rest of service sector, showing how important they are in terms of growth in the last years, high value added generation, and qualified labor force employment; 3) investigate how these industries are important to knowledge diffusion and to innovation processes; 4) discuss the reasons why KIBS are agglomerated in metropolitan regions. Once KIBS are known as sources, carriers and diffusers of knowledge and as they are connected to many of others activities, I assume that they can be an interesting and promising approach. This becomes even more important nowadays, in a context in which innovation takes place as a central issue of the development policies debate.

As transformações no capitalismo mundial nos últimos 30 anos geraram condições significativas para o crescimento de atividades de serviços, principalmente aquelas voltadas às empresas e em especial as chamadas intensivas em conhecimento. O objetivo geral do trabalho é contribuir para o estabelecimento do debate sobre knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) ou serviços empresariais intensivos em conhecimento (SEIC) no Brasil. Trata-se de enquadrar a discussão da literatura internacional em uma economia periférica e avaliar sua pertinência. A hipótese é que este grupo de atividades se torna necessário para o desenvolvimento dos países nesta nova era do capitalismo, especialmente por sua atuação na difusão de conhecimento e sua participação positiva em processos de inovação. Neste sentido, os propósitos do texto são: 1) fazer uma revisão da literatura sobre KIBS; 2) definir os KIBS no Brasil em comparação com os outros setores da economia, mostrando sua participação significativa em termos de geração de receita, sua dinâmica de crescimento acima da média nos últimos anos e sua capacidade de empregar mão-de-obra de mais alta qualificação; 3) investigar em que medida este grupo é importante na difusão de conhecimento e em processos de inovação; 4) discutir a concentração destas atividades em áreas metropolitanas. Pelo fato de atuarem como difusores de conhecimento e pelo seu enredamento vasto na cadeia produtiva, os KIBS podem representar uma tendência analítica promissora, especialmente em um momento em que atores públicos têm pensado políticas de desenvolvimento de escopo transversal, nas quais a inovação é elemento central. / The changes in capitalism in the last thirty years created conditions to service industries growth, especially those ones related to knowledge-intensive activities. The main objective of this master thesis is to contribute to build a knowledge-intensive business services debate in Brazil. It means that this thesis tries to bring an important debate from the developed countries academia to a developing country in order to analyze if it could be applied in other context. The hypothesis is that KIBS are necessary to increase economic development in Brazil in the new era of capitalism, also known as knowledge-based economy or informational society. The relevance of these activities is due to their role as sources, carriers and diffusers of knowledge that can generate externalities to innovation processes. The aims of this text are: 1) make a literature review of KIBS debate; 2) define KIBS in Brazil comparing to the rest of service sector, showing how important they are in terms of growth in the last years, high value added generation, and qualified labor force employment; 3) investigate how these industries are important to knowledge diffusion and to innovation processes; 4) discuss the reasons why KIBS are agglomerated in metropolitan regions. Once KIBS are known as sources, carriers and diffusers of knowledge and as they are connected to many of others activities, I assume that they can be an interesting and promising approach. This becomes even more important nowadays, in a context in which innovation takes place as a central issue of the development policies debate.

La connaissance étant au coeur de la création et du développement d’un avantage concurrentiel à travers l’innovation, la capacité des organisations à absorber les connaissances en provenance de l’extérieur est aujourd’hui devenue critique. Cette recherche soutient que le déclenchement et le développement d’un processus d’absorption ne peuvent résulter des seuls efforts organisationnels internes. Elle vise à comprendre la façon dont les services marchands à forte intensité de connaissances (Knowledge-Intensive Business, KIBS) peuvent améliorer le processus d’absorption de leurs clients.En se basant sur l’approche par les capacités dynamiques, cette recherche met en évidence la nécessité de prendre en compte : (1) les conditions d’émergence et du développement de la capacité d’absorption ; (2) le rôle des organisations externes dans le processus d’absorption. Cette thèse sur travaux repose sur un article théorique et trois articles empiriques qui s’appuient sur une méthodologie qualitative d’études de cas multiples dans le secteur du conseil en conception innovante.Cette thèse donne lieu à trois contributions majeures en faisant émerger : (1) la notion de « capacité d’insémination » du KIBS qui adopte, sélectionne,contextualise et préserve les connaissances afin de faciliter le déclenchement et le développement d’un processus d’absorption de la part de son client ; (2) les correspondances entre la capacité d’insémination des KIBS et la capacité d’absorption de leurs clients ; (3) l’accompagnement par le KIBS des activités de co-production du client, critiques en conception innovante. Au final, cette recherche contribue à la littérature en sciences de gestion et en management stratégique sur la capacité d’absorption et l’innovation. Les résultats débouchent sur des recommandations managériales visant à développer la capacité d’absorption des entreprises au travers de la relation de service et de conseil. / With knowledge at the heart of the creation and maintenance of competitive advantage through innovation, an organization’s ability to absorb external knowledge is critical. This research supports the idea that the initiation and perpetuation of a knowledge absorption process are not only the result of internal organizational efforts. It aims to improve understanding of how Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS) can enhance their clients’ absorption process. Based on the dynamic capabilities approach, this research highlights the need to take into account: (1) the conditions that will enable the initiation and perpetuation of a knowledge absorption process; (2) the role of external organizations into absorption process. This Multi-Monograph Thesis is composed of one theoretical article and three empirical articles utilizing qualitative multiple-case study methodology in the field of innovative design consulting. This thesis leads to three major contributions: (1) the notion of the “insemination capacity” of KIBS, which is the ability to adopt, select, contextualize and preserve knowledge so as to initiate and perpetuate a knowledge absorption process; (2) the connections between absorptive and insemination capacities; (3) the guidance provided to a client’s co-production activities in the context of innovative design. Ultimately, this research contributes to Management Sciences and Strategic Management literature on absorptive capacity and innovation. It also provides recommendations to managers on how to develop absorptive capacity through the service and consulting relationship.

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo investigar as externalidades positivas geradas pelas regiões diversificadas através de uma análise dos serviços de Tecnologia da Informação (TI) presentes na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP). Ou seja, busca apresentar os elementos da diversificação e evidenciar as formas como essas vantagens se manifestam no ambiente. Essa análise se fundamenta no pressuposto de que tais espaços devem ser entendidos de forma distinta dos ambientes especializados, já estudados no Brasil. Nos ambientes diversificados as formas mais importantes de transferência de conhecimento estão fora da indústria. Nessas localidades, a heterogeneidade promove benefícios que incluem: oportunidades para imitar, compartilhar e recombinar ideias e práticas através da indústria e a possibilidade de troca e fertilização cruzada de ideias. Além disso, o melhor funcionamento da infraestrutura, a proximidade dos mercados, o acesso aos serviços especializados são fatores adicionais que geram benefícios para os agentes. Dentro desses ambientes o contato face a face é um dos elementos fundamentais para o entendimento dessas regiões. O contato face a face é uma forma de tecnologia de comunicação que resolve problemas de incentivos, confiança e socialização. Esse contato, além de transferir conhecimento, permite observar e selecionar indivíduos. Adicionalmente, um fenômeno importante da análise das regiões diversificadas são as buzz cities. Estas são cidades com grande diversidade produtiva e social, altamente urbanizadas. Essas cidades colocam indivíduos qualificados em contato uns com os outros. Dessa forma, para atingir o objetivo proposto dois passos foram realizados. Em primeiro lugar, foi apresentada uma revisão sobre as principais características de formação e desenvolvimento das atividades de serviços de TI no Brasil, conjuntamente com um levantamento de informações e dados sobre o setor. Essa análise permitiu observar uma forte concentração das atividades na microrregião de São Paulo. A concentração das atividades de TI é entendida como parte do processo de formação histórica da indústria. No Brasil, as atividades de TI se desenvolveram a partir da associação com os setores econômicos que demandavam capacitações tecnológicas cada vez mais complexas de seus fornecedores. Em segundo lugar, foi realizada uma pesquisa de campo com o propósito de evidenciar algumas das principais vantagens da diversificação industrial. A partir dos resultados alcançados observa-se a presença de externalidades próprias da diversificação industrial, que envolvem trocas de conhecimento entre diferentes agentes e possuem importantes implicações para empresas, como as oportunidades de acesso à mão de obra especializada e altamente concentrada na região e as redes de relacionamentos geradas entre as empresas de TI, os usuários e os fornecedores de tecnologia. Nesses ambientes, o contato face a face é um dos fatores fundamentais para a consolidação das empresas em um mercado altamente pulverizado, que envolve conhecimentos complexos. Além disso, percebe-se que as buzz cities geram importantes elos para a consolidação das empresas, fazendo com que as forças de aglomerações sejam reforçadas pela transmissão de conhecimento intersetoriais. / This master dissertation aims to investigate the positive externalities generated by the diversified regions through an analysis of the Information Technology Services (IT) in Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP). In other words, it seeks to present the elements of diversification and highlight the ways in which these advantages are manifested in the environment. This analysis is based on the assumption that such spaces must be understood differently of specialized environments, already studied in Brazil. In diverse environments, there is the idea that the most important forms of knowledge spillovers are outside the industry. In these locations, the heterogeneity promotes benefits that include: opportunities to imitate, to share and to recombine ideas and practices across the industry, and the possibility of exchange and cross-fertilization of ideas. Moreover, the better functioning of infrastructure, proximity to markets, and access to specialized services are additional factors that generate benefits for agents. Within these environments, face to face contact is a key element for the understanding of these regions. Face to face contact is a form of communication technology that solves problems of incentives, confidence and socialization. This contact, beyond transferring knowledge, allows to observe and to select individuals. Additionally, an important phenomenon of analysis of diversified regions is the buzz cities. These are cities with large production and social diversity, highly urbanized. These cities places qualified individuals in contact with each other. Thus, to achieve the proposed goal two steps were performed. Firstly, a review of the main features of formation and development of IT in Brazil, together with a data about the sector was presented. This analysis allowed us to observe a large concentration of activities in the microregion of Sao Paulo. The concentration of IT activity is understood as part of the industrial formation historical process. In Brazil, the IT activities were developed from the association with economic sectors that demand increasingly complex technological capabilities. Secondly, a field research was performed, in order to highlight some of the major advantages of industrial diversification. From the results obtained it is possible to observe the presence of externalities diversification, involving knowledge exchange between different agents and important implications for businesses, such as the opportunities for access to skilled labor highly concentrated in the region and the networks generated between IT companies, users and technology providers. In these environments, the face to face contact is one of the key factors for the consolidation of IT companies in a highly fragmented market, which involves complex knowledge. Furthermore, in the buzz cities are produced important links to the consolidation of companies, strengthening the forces of clusters through inter-industry knowledge spillovers.

Esta dissertação tem como objetivo investigar as externalidades positivas geradas pelas regiões diversificadas através de uma análise dos serviços de Tecnologia da Informação (TI) presentes na Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP). Ou seja, busca apresentar os elementos da diversificação e evidenciar as formas como essas vantagens se manifestam no ambiente. Essa análise se fundamenta no pressuposto de que tais espaços devem ser entendidos de forma distinta dos ambientes especializados, já estudados no Brasil. Nos ambientes diversificados as formas mais importantes de transferência de conhecimento estão fora da indústria. Nessas localidades, a heterogeneidade promove benefícios que incluem: oportunidades para imitar, compartilhar e recombinar ideias e práticas através da indústria e a possibilidade de troca e fertilização cruzada de ideias. Além disso, o melhor funcionamento da infraestrutura, a proximidade dos mercados, o acesso aos serviços especializados são fatores adicionais que geram benefícios para os agentes. Dentro desses ambientes o contato face a face é um dos elementos fundamentais para o entendimento dessas regiões. O contato face a face é uma forma de tecnologia de comunicação que resolve problemas de incentivos, confiança e socialização. Esse contato, além de transferir conhecimento, permite observar e selecionar indivíduos. Adicionalmente, um fenômeno importante da análise das regiões diversificadas são as buzz cities. Estas são cidades com grande diversidade produtiva e social, altamente urbanizadas. Essas cidades colocam indivíduos qualificados em contato uns com os outros. Dessa forma, para atingir o objetivo proposto dois passos foram realizados. Em primeiro lugar, foi apresentada uma revisão sobre as principais características de formação e desenvolvimento das atividades de serviços de TI no Brasil, conjuntamente com um levantamento de informações e dados sobre o setor. Essa análise permitiu observar uma forte concentração das atividades na microrregião de São Paulo. A concentração das atividades de TI é entendida como parte do processo de formação histórica da indústria. No Brasil, as atividades de TI se desenvolveram a partir da associação com os setores econômicos que demandavam capacitações tecnológicas cada vez mais complexas de seus fornecedores. Em segundo lugar, foi realizada uma pesquisa de campo com o propósito de evidenciar algumas das principais vantagens da diversificação industrial. A partir dos resultados alcançados observa-se a presença de externalidades próprias da diversificação industrial, que envolvem trocas de conhecimento entre diferentes agentes e possuem importantes implicações para empresas, como as oportunidades de acesso à mão de obra especializada e altamente concentrada na região e as redes de relacionamentos geradas entre as empresas de TI, os usuários e os fornecedores de tecnologia. Nesses ambientes, o contato face a face é um dos fatores fundamentais para a consolidação das empresas em um mercado altamente pulverizado, que envolve conhecimentos complexos. Além disso, percebe-se que as buzz cities geram importantes elos para a consolidação das empresas, fazendo com que as forças de aglomerações sejam reforçadas pela transmissão de conhecimento intersetoriais. / This master dissertation aims to investigate the positive externalities generated by the diversified regions through an analysis of the Information Technology Services (IT) in Metropolitan Region of São Paulo (MRSP). In other words, it seeks to present the elements of diversification and highlight the ways in which these advantages are manifested in the environment. This analysis is based on the assumption that such spaces must be understood differently of specialized environments, already studied in Brazil. In diverse environments, there is the idea that the most important forms of knowledge spillovers are outside the industry. In these locations, the heterogeneity promotes benefits that include: opportunities to imitate, to share and to recombine ideas and practices across the industry, and the possibility of exchange and cross-fertilization of ideas. Moreover, the better functioning of infrastructure, proximity to markets, and access to specialized services are additional factors that generate benefits for agents. Within these environments, face to face contact is a key element for the understanding of these regions. Face to face contact is a form of communication technology that solves problems of incentives, confidence and socialization. This contact, beyond transferring knowledge, allows to observe and to select individuals. Additionally, an important phenomenon of analysis of diversified regions is the buzz cities. These are cities with large production and social diversity, highly urbanized. These cities places qualified individuals in contact with each other. Thus, to achieve the proposed goal two steps were performed. Firstly, a review of the main features of formation and development of IT in Brazil, together with a data about the sector was presented. This analysis allowed us to observe a large concentration of activities in the microregion of Sao Paulo. The concentration of IT activity is understood as part of the industrial formation historical process. In Brazil, the IT activities were developed from the association with economic sectors that demand increasingly complex technological capabilities. Secondly, a field research was performed, in order to highlight some of the major advantages of industrial diversification. From the results obtained it is possible to observe the presence of externalities diversification, involving knowledge exchange between different agents and important implications for businesses, such as the opportunities for access to skilled labor highly concentrated in the region and the networks generated between IT companies, users and technology providers. In these environments, the face to face contact is one of the key factors for the consolidation of IT companies in a highly fragmented market, which involves complex knowledge. Furthermore, in the buzz cities are produced important links to the consolidation of companies, strengthening the forces of clusters through inter-industry knowledge spillovers.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-12-23T14:00:38Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Dissertacao Completa.pdf: 812259 bytes, checksum: 617ede639d3619942c44e2022f33f5ad (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-06-03 / O atual paradigma técnico-econômico das tecnologias da informação e das comunicações (PTE-TICS) abriu uma janela de oportunidades, da qual os knowledgeintensive business services, ou KIBS, têm feito largo uso. Esta dissertação tem como foco de discussão o desenvolvimento de KIBS em regiões periféricas. Para tanto, além de se apresentar a abordagem teórica que envolve KIBS, incluindo suas 4 dimensões características, o estudo apresenta a composição e a dinâmica do setor de serviços e das atividades KIBS no Brasil e no Espírito Santo, oferecendo um estudo de caso sobre as empresas de engenharia de projetos e de tecnologia da informação, participantes de um programa de desenvolvimento de fornecedores. A linha mestra de raciocínio é a proposição de que KIBS possuem uma quinta dimensão que lhe é característica: sua dimensão institucional e sua importância em regiões periféricas. Dentro dela, o destaque, no caso do Espírito Santo, vai para as instituições relacionadas à capacitação de pessoal. / The current information technologies and communications technical-economic paradigm (TEP-ICT´S) has opened many opportunities which have been widely used by knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS). This paper aims at discussing KIBS development in peripheral regions. Therefore, it will not only present the theoretical approach which involves KIBS including its 4 distinctive dimensions but also the formation and dynamics of service rendering segments and KIBS activities in Brazil and Espírito Santo, offering a case study on project engineering and information technology companies which took part in a suppliers development program. The major line of reasoning is to propose KIBS has a 5th-distinctive dimension (the institutional dimension) and its importance in peripheral regions. Particularly in Espírito Santo case, said 5th dimension focuses on collaborator qualification institutions.

Collaborative value creation (otherwise known as value co-creation) is a concept that has been explored over the years in the context of knowledge - intensive business services (KIBS) such as management consulting, engineering services, etc. A body of studies has investigated how to foster value co-creation among KIBS providers, clients, and partners during KIBS engagements. Knowledge processes have been identified as an important enabler of value co-creation. In organizations more generally, knowledge management systems and related ICT tools (referred to as KM tools in this research) have been identified to support knowledge processes. However, the support provided to knowledge processes in the specific context of KIBS engagements is yet to be explored. Through the development of a conceptual framework that examines the linkages between KM tools, knowledge processes, and value co-creation in the context of KIBS engagements, this research investigates how knowledge management systems provide support to value co-creation in KIBS engagements. We adopt a multiple case study research design. Using eight semi-structured interviews, we obtained data on knowledge processes and KM tools in KIBS engagements. The result is a refined framework that illustrates the type of KM tools currently used in KIBS engagements, the knowledge processes they support, and their relationship to value co-creation. We also present a discussion of how this framework can be applied practically. At a conceptual level, this study contributes to the field of KIBS by identifying how exactly knowledge processes provide support to value co-creation processes in KIBS engagements, and how KM tools provide support to knowledge processes. At a practical level, this study contribute s to the field of knowledge management systems design by providing guidance on the KM tools that can meet the specific needs of service providers, clients, and partners in the domain of knowledge-intensive services.

Submitted by JOSIANE SANTOS DE OLIVEIRA (josianeso) on 2018-07-11T16:18:22Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Fabiano Cardoso De Oliveira_.pdf: 3369336 bytes, checksum: b4dbb34d07459c52ebd7feff4185c041 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-07-11T16:18:22Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Fabiano Cardoso De Oliveira_.pdf: 3369336 bytes, checksum: b4dbb34d07459c52ebd7feff4185c041 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-02-28 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Prover serviços públicos com qualidade e eficiência tem levado o governo a interferir nas operações de empresas privadas através de programas, contratos e parcerias. No entanto, estudos sobre os impactos destas intervenções sobre a eficiência em operações não foram encontrados na literatura. Esta pesquisa analisa os impactos do programa PRONATEC na eficiência de duas empresas de serviços intensivos em conhecimento, uma participante do programa e outra que não participante. Os impactos foram analisados longitudinalmente por um período de sete anos utilizando de maneira associada à Análise Envoltória de Dados e Análise de Variância em um estudo de caso em duas empresas do ramo de ensino técnico profissionalizante do Rio Grande do Sul, do período de 2009 a 2015, com foco em analisar a produção de resultado operacional e formação de alunos. A partir dos resultados comprovam-se os impactos da ação do Governo sobre a eficiência nas operações de empresas privadas. Finalmente, o estudo demonstra e suporta empiricamente a relação entre a participação ou não em programas governamentais e a eficiência em operações de empresas prestadoras de serviços intensivos em conhecimento. / Providing public services with quality and efficient has induced the government to interfere in the private companies’ operations by programs, contracts and partnerships. However, researches about the impacts of these interventions about the efficiency in operations were not found in the literature. This project studies the impact of the PRONATEC program in the efficiency of two knowledge-intensive services companies, one of them is a program participator, and the other it is not a program participator. The impacts were longitudinally analyzed for seven years, using an associated way the Data Envelopment Analysis and the Analysis of Variance in a case study in two companies which are focused in vocational technical education from Rio Grande do Sul, from 2009 to 2015, focused on analyze the production of operational result and training of students. From the results, it is verified the impact of the Government action on the efficiency in the operations of companies that provides knowledge-intensive services.

Interactions are of critical importance in business-to-business contexts, and value seems to be influenced by the interactions between the supplier, customer and other third parties where these interactions co-creates value. However, as the literature has mostly focused on the positive value co-creation, the interactions that result in failure is instead co-destroying value. This thesis is therefore going to study the negative interaction outcome, value co-destruction, in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) firms from a supplier perspective, where interactions are shown to be critical, to explore proactive practices that could be utilized in order to prevent value co-destruction between the customer and the KIBS firm as well as practices to recover from value codestruction. Through a qualitative multiple-case study, the data was collected from KIBS representatives in the IT-industry in Sweden, that provided empirical data to further nuance the phenomenon. Customer education, unveiling business opportunities, customer surveys, and business events was discovered to be used for proactively preventing value co-destruction, where the authors also found the time aspect of the relationship between value co-creation and value co-destruction to be of importance in preventing miscommunications that result in value co-destruction. Therefore, the authors of this thesis argue that miscommunications and acknowledgment of the miscommunication that co-destroys value often occurs at different time points, where the proactive practices might be targeted towards preventing the miscommunication or targeted towards the recovery from the value co-destruction.