O Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) é uma categoria de curso virtual aberto que tem como intenção fornecer educação gratuita de alta qualidade a um número ilimitado de estudantes. Originalmente desenvolvido em 2008, com relevância a partir de 2011, o fenômeno tem despertado a atenção de diversos estudiosos, pessoas ligadas ao ensino e à mídia, devido ao impacto que pode causar nas instituições de ensino superior. Quanto aos fatores relacionados à competitividade, Porter (2004) diz que é necessário analisar forças como as barreiras à entrada da Indústria, a ameaça de substitutos, o poder de negociação dos clientes e dos fornecedores e a rivalidade entre os atuais competidores, que, em conjunto, determinam a dinâmica da competição em uma Indústria. Identificar como se configuram essas forças competitivas para as instituições de ensino superior na Indústria do ensino superior com o advento dos MOOCs é o objetivo desse trabalho. Assim, uma pesquisa qualitativa por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com especialistas que conhecem o fenômeno e possuem conhecimentos da Indústria do ensino superior foi realizada. Os resultados apontam que os MOOCs tendem a beneficiar as instituições de ensino superior nas forças sobre clientes, substitutos, fornecedores e a fortalecer as barreiras à entrada. No entanto, esses benefícios, juntamente com os fatores de rivalidade interna, faz com que se intensifique a rivalidade entre as instituições de ensino. Os resultados também indicam que os MOOCs não estão inclinados a competir com as instituições de ensino, mas, sim, a reforçar aspectos importantes destas mesmas como Organizações. O que não significa dizer que com a ajuda dos MOOCs as melhores instituições de ensino não possam impelir instituições de ensino superior não tão boas para fora da Indústria em um processo de \"seleção natural\". Os resultados apresentados são relevantes para a comunidade científica, uma vez que expandem o conhecimento do MOOC e da Indústria do ensino superior com a chegada do mesmo. Podem também representar uma contribuição importante para os tomadores de decisão das instituições de ensino por possibilitar uma melhor compreensão do fenômeno MOOC e de suas implicações para suas instituições de ensino. / The Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) is an open virtual course category that is intended to provide high quality free education to an unlimited number of students. Originally developed in 2008, are relevant as of 2011, the phenomenon has aroused the attention of several scholars, people involved in teaching and the media, due to the impact it can have on higher education institutions. As for factors related to competitiveness, Porter (2004) says it is necessary to analyze forces and barriers to entry the industry, the threat of substitutes, the bargaining power of customers and suppliers and rivalry among current competitors, which in together determine the dynamics of competition in an industry. Identify how to configure these competitive forces to higher education institutions in the higher education industry with the advent of MOOCs is our aim. Thus, a qualitative research through semi-structured interviews with experts who know the phenomenon and have knowledge of the higher education industry was held. The results show that the MOOCs tend to benefit higher education institutions in the forces on customers, substitutes, suppliers and strengthen the barriers to entry. However, these benefits along with the internal rivalry factors, makes them intensify the rivalry between the educational institutions. The results also indicate that MOOCs are not inclined to compete with educational institutions, but rather to strengthen important aspects of these same as Organizations. Which is not to say that with the help of MOOCs the best educational institutions can not propel higher education institutions not as good out of the industry in a process of \"natural selection.\" The results presented are relevant to the scientific community, since they expand the knowledge of Mooc and higher education industry with the arrival of the same. They may also represent an important contribution to the decision makers of educational institutions for enabling a better understanding of Mooc phenomenon and its implications for their educational institutions.

No presente trabalho faz-se uma análise teórica sobre o financiamento da inovação tecnológica com ênfase para os países em desenvolvimento, ou em processo de catching up, com aplicação para a economia brasileira. Sua importância resulta da necessidade de se entender o papel que as inovações passaram a ter enquanto fator capaz de estreitar as diferenças existentes entre os países avançados e em desenvolvimento. Objetiva-se demonstrar que nesses países a dinâmica e o processo inovativo caracterizam-se por estruturar-se predominantemente sobre a difusão, absorção e uso de tecnologias, com implicações diferenciadas sobre o seu financiamento, e que, nesse contexto, o sistema financeiro e os mercados de capitais ganham destaques enquanto instituições integrantes do sistema nacional de inovação capazes de afetar as condições de exequibilidade do financiamento (finance) e de consolidação financeira das dívidas (funding) das empresas inversoras e/ou inovadoras. Para alcançar esses objetivos realiza-se uma incursão sobre as contribuições teóricas das abordagens pós-keynesianas e neoschumpeterianas com vistas a ressaltar os elementos que possibilitam entender a dinâmica inovativa e o papel do sistema financeiro em financiar as atividades inovativas das empresas desses países. O comportamento da firma bancária é analisado destacando suas implicações sobre o financiamento da inovação Faz-se ainda uma análise sobre as conexões entre crédito, ciclo econômico e financiamento e busca-se estabelecer as relações entre financiamento e processo de consolidação financeira das dívidas das empresas alavancadas. Analisa-se também o financiamento da inovação tendo em vistas as idiossincrasias em termos da dinâmica e do processo inovativo nos países em desenvolvimento ou em processo de catching up. Finalmente, a partir dos dados da PINTEC/IBGE, faz-se uma investigação sobre as relações entre a dinâmica e o processo inovativo das empresas brasileiras e o papel do sistema financeiro e dos mercados de capitais nacionais no seu financiamento. Conclui-se que nos país em desenvolvimento o sistema financeiro e os mercados de capitais desempenham papel diferenciado no financiamento da inovação tecnológica, dadas as especificidades concernentes ao risco e à incerteza que caracterizam seu processo inovativo, e que no caso brasileiro o Estado ocupa um espaço no financiamento das atividades inovativas das empresas brasileiras que poderia ser razoavelmente desempenhado pelo sistema financeiro nacional. / This work presents a theoretical analysis on the financing of technological innovation with emphasis on developing countries, or in the process of catching up, with application to the Brazilian economy. Its importance stems from the need to understand the role that innovations have been given as a factor able to narrow the differences between the advanced and developing countries. The goal is to show that in these countries the dynamics and the innovation process is characterized by structuring predominantly on the diffusion, absorption and use of technologies, with different implications for their financing, and in that context, the financial system and capital markets are highlighted as institutions of the national innovation system that may affect the funding feasibility conditions (finance) and financial consolidation of debt (funding) of inverting companies and / or innovative companies. To achieve these objectives a raid on the theoretical contributions of post-Keynesian and neo-Schumpeterian approaches was carried out in order to highlight the elements that make it possible to understand the innovative dynamics and the role of the financial system to finance the innovative activities of companies in these countries. The banking firm's behavior is analyzed contrasting its implications on the financing of innovation. It is further an analysis of the connections between credit and economic cycle and funding and seeks to establish the relationship between financing and financial consolidation of the debts of leveraged companies. It also looks up the financing of innovation with a view of idiosyncrasies in terms of dynamic and innovative process in developing countries, or catching up process Finally, from the PINTEC / IBGE data, an investigation is made on the relationship between the dynamics and the innovation process of Brazilian companies and the role of the financial system and of national capital markets in its funding. It is concluded that in developing countries the financial system and capital markets play different role in the financing of technological innovation, given the specificities pertaining to risk and uncertainty that characterize its innovative process, and that in the Brazilian case the State occupies a space the financing of innovative activities of Brazilian companies that could reasonably be played by the national financial system.

Esta pesquisa investiga a relação entre estilo de liderança, definição de uso do sistema de controle gerencial (SCG) e inovação tecnológica. Fundamentado nas lideranças transformacional e transacional (Bass, 2008) e no modelo de alavancas de controle de Simons (1995a), este estudo explora o estilo de liderança como um antecedente da definição de uso do sistema de controle gerencial e o papel de seus diferentes tipos de uso (sistemas de crenças, interativo, diagnóstico e de restrições) na inovação tecnológica. A partir de um levantamento realizado com questionário eletrônico, os achados obtidos geram contribuições relevantes para a pesquisa em controle gerencial, ainda que não possam ser atribuídos de maneira generalizada, mas sim em relação a uma amostra de 164 empresas, a maioria de grande porte. Com emprego da técnica de modelagem de equações estruturais, foram encontradas evidências de que a liderança transformacional é um antecedente do uso interativo do SCG e do sistema de crenças. Este achado demonstra que o líder transformacional confere significado ao sistema de crenças e seu comportamento cria condições para que as informações geradas pelo SCG sejam revistas, questionadas e discutidas entre os membros da organização, favorecendo a identificação de estratégias emergentes. Os achados também indicam que os sistemas de crenças, interativo e de restrições influenciam positivamente a inovação tecnológica. Significa que três, dos quatro tipos de usos previstos por Simons (1990, 1991, 1995a), afetam a inovação, ou seja, as empresas que buscam inovar em seus produtos e processos devem investir: (i) na comunicação de valores e objetivos relacionados à inovação, (ii) em discussões que envolvam diferentes áreas e membros do negócio, considerando inclusive a possibilidade de interagir com agentes externos à empresa, e ainda, (iii) no estabelecimento de limites que especifiquem um campo de ação para os colaboradores, fornecendo foco e gerando condições para que as ações pretendidas sejam desenvolvidas. Os achados também confirmam que o setor econômico influencia a inovação tecnológica. Não foram obtidas evidências empíricas que suportem a hipótese de que a liderança transacional seja um antecedente da definição de uso dos sistemas diagnóstico e de restrições. Esperava-se que a liderança transacional tivesse influência, de alguma forma, sobre tais sistemas pelo fato de suas propostas serem condizentes com uma perspectiva de gestão mais rígida. Contudo, para a amostra analisada, isso não foi confirmado. A hipótese de que a definição de uso do sistema de controle diagnóstico influencia positivamente a inovação tecnológica também não foi confirmada, sugerindo que a inovação não está plenamente integrada ao SCG das organizações pesquisadas. Este achado indica que as empresas precisam melhorar seus modelos de gestão para que possam formalizar metas e objetivos específicos sobre inovação e identificar desvios em relação à estratégia pretendida. Em síntese, esta pesquisa expande o conhecimento sobre controle gerencial indicando as formas que as organizações fazem uso do SCG para promover a inovação e obter renovação estratégica. / This research investigates the relationship between leadership style, definition of management control system (MCS) use and technological innovation. Based on transformational and transactional leadership (Bass, 2008) and on the Simons\' (1995) levers of control model, this study explores leadership style as an antecedent of the definition of management control system use and the role of its different use types (beliefs, interactive, diagnostic and boundary systems) on technological innovation . From an electronic questionnaire survey, the findings obtained generate relevant contributions in management control research, even though they may not be assigned a generalized way, but in relation to a sample of 164 organizations, mostly large. With use of the technique of structural equation modeling, evidence that transformational leadership is an antecedent of the interactive use of the MCS and beliefs system were found. This finding demonstrates that the transformational leader gives meaning to the belief system and his behavior creates conditions so that the information generated by the MCS are reviewed, questioned and discussed among members of the organization, facilitating the identification of emergent strategies. The findings also indicate that the belief systems, interactive and boundary positively influence technological innovation. It means that three of the four types of uses provided by Simons (1990, 1991, 1995a) affect innovation, in other words, organizations seeking to innovate in its products and processes should invest : (i) in the communication of values and goals related to innovation, (ii) in discussions involving different areas and members of the business, including considering the possibility of interacting with external agents, and also (iii) in the establishment of boundaries that specify a field of action for employees, providing focus and creating conditions for the intended actions to be developed. The findings also confirm that the economic sector influences technological innovation. No empirical evidence supporting the hypothesis that the transactional leadership as an antecedent of the definition of use of diagnostic and boundaries systems were obtained. It was expected that transactional leadership had influence in some way, on such systems because their proposals are consistent with the prospect of tighter management. However, for the sample analyzed, it was not confirmed. The hypothesis that the definition of diagnostic control system use positively influences technological innovation was also not confirmed, suggesting that innovation is not fully integrated into the MCS of the surveyed organizations. This finding indicates that companies need to improve their management models to enable them to formalize specific goals and objectives on innovation and identify deviations from the intended strategy. In summary, this study expands the knowledge in management control indicating the ways in which organizations use their MCS to promote innovation and obtain strategic renewal.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T14:54:52Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Edith Ferreira de Souza Oliveira.pdf: 2404475 bytes, checksum: 795c9d36254daacd0e2caf1d16a28e87 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-06-27 / Objectives: Determine the factors related to technological innovation in the area of health, as well as the acquisition, maintenance and repair of such equipment, assessing whether its acquisition is related to the scrapping and disposal of this equipment. Method: Gradually developed in this study, with a sample of twenty four professionals with different level of education and their areas of training were different but also developed its activities in a single hospital. With 60% of respondents worked and two companies and only 40% worked in a company an interview was conducted with the possibility of written comments after the meeting is held. This comment related answers of the questions were recorded and then analyzed to join the sample results. The worked out the method of organization and tabulation of the data, which were expressed in percentages. Results: Concludes that 54% of respondents said that technology has contributed in the recovery of the health of people and therefore there is a need for management of this technology and a continuous improvement in the technological sector, which needs investment to acquire new technologies and their maintenance and upkeep. During the study it was found that the equipment are mostly discarded when the repair thereof become more expensive than buying new equipment. Also noted that the inappropriate use of such equipment are frequent and not always all equipment purchased are used, allowing a bunch of equipment without proper use and proper care, makes them quickly scrapped. Conclusion: Given these results, we conclude that the technology contributes to the improvement of peoples health, but we must recognize that in addition to the acquisition of the equipment is necessary professional training for the proper use of the equipment and for its maintenance and conservation so that these serve for use throughout its useful life / Objetivos: Determinamos os fatores que envolvem a inovação tecnológica na área da saúde, assim como a aquisição, manutenção e conservação desses equipamentos, avaliando se a sua aquisição está relacionada com o sucateamento e descarte destes equipamentos. Método: Gradativamente desenvolveu-se esse estudo, com uma amostra de vinte e quatro profissionais de nível de instrução diferente e área de formação também diferente; mas que desenvolviam suas atividades em uma mesma unidade do ambiente hospitalar. Dos nossos entrevistados 60% trabalhavam em duas empresas, e 40% apenas em uma empresa. Foi realizada uma entrevista escrita com possibilidade de comentários após a realização da mesma. Esses comentários relacionados às respostas das questões foram gravados e depois analisados sendo acrescentados aos resultados das entrevistas e os dados obtidos foram tabulados e expressos em porcentagens. Resultados: Concluiu-se que 54% dos entrevistados afirmaram que a tecnologia tem contribuído na recuperação da saúde das pessoas e daí decorre a necessidade de gerenciamento dessa tecnologia e de um contínuo aperfeiçoamento no setor tecnológico, que precisa de investimento para aquisição de novas tecnologias e para sua manutenção e conservação. O estudo revelou que os equipamentos são descartados em sua maioria quando o conserto dos mesmos se torna mais caro do que a compra de novos equipamentos. Também se observou que o uso inadequado destes que é frequente e nem sempre todos os equipamentos adquiridos são utilizados, possibilitando assim um amontoamento de equipamentos que sem o devido uso e cuidado adequado, tornam os rapidamente sucateados. Conclusão: Diante destes resultados, podemos concluir que a tecnologia contribui para a melhoria da saúde das pessoas, mas é preciso reconhecer que além da aquisição de equipamentos tecnologicamente sofisticados é necessária a capacitação profissional, para o uso correto e para a sua manutenção e conservação, para que os mesmos tenham maior vida útil, evitando assim a duplicidade de despesas, indisponibilidade de equipamentos importantes e aquisição de equipamentos sem a correspondente capacitação de pessoal

Investir na capacidade de identificação dos diferentes níveis de desempenho dos servidores de uma Instituição é uma das mais importantes práticas da gestão de recursos humanos na atualidade. O empregador busca caracterizar os diferentes níveis de desempenho e utiliza esta informação da maneira construtiva visando à melhoria de processos e resultados para a Instituição. A avaliação regular de desempenho é uma das formas de identificar e valorizar as boas práticas que se alinham com a missão e valores da Instituição, e prover devolutiva para corrigir rumos e fazer ajustes necessários. Existem várias formas de se fazer avaliação de desempenho dos membros de uma equipe de trabalho, entretanto a tendência tem sido a utilização de sistemas informatizados que aumentam a capacidade de gerenciamento dos dados coletados, controle e feedback das avaliações aos servidores. Recentemente implantou-se o Sistema Eletrônico de Avaliação de Desempenho (SEAD) para os servidores da área médica, no Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto da Universidade de São Paulo (HCFMRP-USP), com o intuito de atender a Lei Complementar 1193/2013, que exige a avaliação de desempenho dos médicos do Estado de São Paulo para fins de pagamento do Prêmio de Produtividade Médica (PPM). O objetivo é descrever e caracterizar o SEAD, além de avaliar os resultados dos primeiros anos de sua implementação. Caracteriza-se como um estudo descritivo na parte inicial, onde foram apresentadas todas as etapas de planejamento e implementação do SEAD para avaliação dos médicos do HCFMRP-USP, inclusive com as principais diferenças entre o novo sistema e o sistema manual que havia previamente. Na etapa seguinte, de implementação, caracteriza-se por um estudo do tipo \"pesquisaação\" com duração de três anos em que diversos ajustes foram feitos a partir do que foi aprendido nas avaliações iniciais do próprio sistema. Na etapa final foram feitas entrevistas com os docentes avaliadores dos serviços com o maior número de médicos do HCRP. Este estudo foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética do HCRP. Dentre os resultados do estudo apresentaremos uma descrição detalhada do SEAD aplicado na área médica e as diferenças observadas em relação aos sistemas de avaliação anteriormente utilizados pelo HCRP. Diversas informações e indicadores foram obtidos em tempo real e disponibilidados para gestores médicos e a adminstração de recursos humanos do HCFMRP, tais como: o número de servidores avaliados, os avaliadores que realizaram as avaliações ou os avaliadores que não realizaram as avaliações, a quantidade de servidores avaliados por cada avaliador, quem foi avaliado, a nota obtida e o percentual de recebimento do PPM que cada médico do hospital recebeu. Os resultados dos primeiros anos de utilização e as melhorias que foram feitas no SEAD também estão descritas nos resultados deste estudo. A percepção dos avaliadores e usuários do sistema é de que o SEAD representou ganhos em termos de armazenamento de dados, acesso à informação para a tomada de decisões e principalmente por propiciar o direcionamento das políticas de incentivo aos médicos do HCRP alinhada com os interesses da própria instituição. De um modo geral os avaliadores que participaram voluntariamente do estudo avaliaram o SEAD de maneira bastante positiva. A avaliação de pessoal para fins de promoção ou premiação é sempre um desafio do ponto de vista pessoal e a disponibilidade de recursos que aumentam a transparência e promovem equidade com agilidade e simplicidade são extremamente importantes, especialmente para as organizações públicas. / Investing in the ability to identify the different levels of performance of an institution\'s servers is one of the most important human resources management practices today. The employer seeks to characterize the different levels of performance and uses this information in a constructive way aiming at improving processes and results for the Institution. Regular performance evaluation is one way to identify and value good practices that align with the Institution\'s mission and values, and to provide feedback to correct directions and make necessary adjustments. There are several ways to evaluate the performance of members of a work team. However, the tendency has been to use computerized systems that increase the capacity to manage the data collected, control and feedback of the evaluations to the servers. Recently the Electronic Performance Evaluation System (SEAD) was implanted for the medical staff, at the Hospital das Clínicas of the Medical School of Ribeirão Preto of the University of São Paulo (HCFMRP-USP), in order to comply with the Law Complementary Act 1193/2013, which requires the performance evaluation of physicians of the State of São Paulo for the purpose of payment of the Medical Productivity Award (PPM). The objective is to describe and characterize the SEAD, besides evaluating the results of the first years of its implementation. It is characterized as a descriptive study in the initial part, where all the SEAD planning and implementation steps for the evaluation of HCFMRP-USP physicians were presented, including the main differences between the new system and the manual system that had previously been presented. In the next stage of implementation, it is characterized by a three-year \"action-research\" study in which several adjustments were made based on what was learned in the initial evaluations of the system itself. In the final stage interviews were made with the teachers evaluating the services with the largest number of HCRP physicians. This study was approved by the HCRP Ethics Committee. Among the results of the study we will present a detailed description of the SEAD applied in the medical area and the differences observed in relation to the evaluation systems previously used by the HCRP. Various information and indicators were obtained in real time and available to HCFMRP medical managers and human resources management, such as: the number of evaluated servers, the evaluators who carried out the evaluations or the evaluators who did not carry out the evaluations, the amount of servers evaluated by each evaluator, who was evaluated, the grade obtained and the percentage of receipt of PPM that each hospital doctor received. The results of the first years of use and the improvements that have been made in SEAD are also described in the results of this study. The perception of the evaluators and users of the system is that the SEAD represented gains in terms of data storage, access to information for decision-making and, above all, to foster the orientation of policies to encourage HCRP physicians in line with the interests of the system itself institution. In general, evaluators who voluntarily participated in the study evaluated SEAD in a very positive way. Evaluating staff for promotion or reward is always a challenge from a personal standpoint, and the availability of resources that increase transparency and promote equity with agility and simplicity are extremely important, especially for public organizations.

Ce travail de thèse a pour objectif la mise en place d’un processus d’intelligence économique au sein d’une start-up proposant une technologie émergente. Dans ce cas d’étude, nous avons mis en évidence une double émergence : l’environnement nouveau et l’entreprise en construction.Dans un premier temps, nous mobilisons un cadre analytique original pour le processus d’intelligence économique : les TIS – Technological Innovation Systems. Cette grille de lecture propose une analyse dynamique du système d’innovation de l’entreprise à travers la structure et les interactions auxquelles les acteurs du système prennent part. Dans un deuxième temps, nous abordons l’intérêt de considérer les éléments intrinsèques de la start-up pour la mise en place d’un processus d’intelligence économique. Notre compréhension des éléments spécifiques de la start-up, comme sa structure adhocratique, a permis dans un troisième temps, l’implémentation d’outils cohérents avec la prégnance de la dimension humaine et les ressources que l’entreprise peut mobiliser. Nous avons organisé la création de connaissances à partir du cycle de l’information, proposé une première évaluation du processus d’intelligence économique en place et déduit les prolongements envisagés. Dans un quatrième temps, nous nous sommes focalisés sur l’utilisation du brevet pour la compréhension de notre domaine technologique.Réalisée dans une démarche de recherche-action (menée dans le cadre d’une convention CIFRE), cette thèse expose l’expérimentation de notre méthode d’intelligence économique au sein de Poietis, start-up française de bioimpression. / This thesis aims to implement a competitive intelligence process within a start-up that develops an emerging technology. A double emergence has been identified: the environment of the company and the company itself.First, we call upon an original analytical framework for competitive intelligence: Technological Innovation Systems (TIS). This framework allows for a dynamic analysis of the innovation system of the company through the structure and the interactions between the agents within the system. Second, we address the benefit of taking into the account the intrinsic characteristics of the company for the implementation of a competitive intelligence process. Our understanding of specific elements of the start-up, its adhocratic structure for instance, has allowed in a third step to implement tools in line with the importance of the human dimension and the resources that the company can mobilize.We organized the creation of knowledge from the information cycle, suggest a first evaluation of the competitive intelligence process and deduced the considered extensions.Finally, we focused on the use of patent for the understanding of a technological domain.Carried out in an action research approach (conducted as part of a CIFRE contract), this thesis shows the test of our method of technology intelligence within Poietis, a French bioprinting start-up.

The purpose of this master thesis is to provide a deeper understandingof managerial innovation impact on companies through Corporate SocialResponsibility (CSR). For this objective, IKEA Karlstad was chosen for theempirical part in order to apply the theoretical framework to practicalrelevance. The method used for this thesis was a case study design includingdata collection from literature in different databases: Emerald, BusinessSource Premier, Scopus as well as Google Scholar. Regarding data collection forthe case study, three qualitative questionnaires were also distributed to IKEA:two designed for the local IT and sustainability coordinator Magnus Engstrandand one targeting employees. A quantitative questionnaire was distributed toIKEA employees too. An interview was set up with Magnus Engstrand according tothe unstructured interview guidelines. The theoretical framework focuses notonly on understanding the links between managerial innovation and CSR,managerial and technological innovations but also on the companies’ motivationto implement these actions and their impact on employees, organizations andcommunity. From our analysis of the literature it can be stated that managerialinnovation is stimulated by an internal element of the company. Managerialinnovation helps partly or entirely to develop CSR actions resulting in thecreation of positive value: tangible or intangible; or negative value accordingto value resonance or value dissonance. The case study analysis broughtexamples of how managerial innovation brings value without involvement of anytechnological innovation contradicting certain theories exposed in thetheoretical framework. At IKEA, the three different types of managerialinnovations are management, administrative and organizational innovations whichare used to develop CSR actions and constitute a minor or major part of theirimplementation. The impact of managerial innovation on CSR is translated atIKEA Karlstad as an intangible value for the company and its stakeholders. Thisthesis contributes to a better comprehension of managerial innovation conceptsin general as well as its application in a CSR strategy through concreteexamples. It can also be used as a demonstration of how managerial innovationcan be used to improve the internal and external images as well as employees’welfare and perceptions. Further qualitative research is needed to measure themanner of managerial innovations as well as quantitative studies to generalizeits impact on a larger scale.

Due to increase global competitive pressure, shortened product life cycles and ease of imitation, firms must continue to innovate to maintain their competitiveness. Technological innovation has become the primary basis of productivity improvements, sales volume growth, and competitiveness of firms, especially for the high-tech companies. Thus, identification and evaluation of technologies from a variety of perspectives now play important roles in the effective technological sources management. Traditionally, technological innovation studies stressed single model or variable having effects on firm productivity and performance. However, the challenge for business environment is continually changing; single model or variable is not good enough to explain the overall impact of technological innovation. The most difficult aspect of technological innovation performance measurement is the identification of appropriate metrics and approaches that provide information concerning these facets. In this study, the researcher tried to develop a technological innovation performance measurement model and determine tangible and intangible factors from the systematical perspective. That is, technological innovation in its nature is multi-dimensional and multi-criteria. Furthermore, technology innovation performance measurement can be conceptualized as multi-criteria a complex problem which involves the simultaneous consideration of multiple quantitative and qualitative requirements. In this empirical study, the researcher firstly utilizes the Delphi technique to build a hierarchical network structure model for evaluating the technological innovation performance measurement of high tech firms. Secondly, analytic network process (ANP) was applied to determine the importance weights of each dimension and criterion while exists interdependencies among criteria within the same dimension. Thirdly, Non-additive fuzzy integral method was then applied for information fusion and calculates the synthetic performance on a hierarchical network model structure for which criteria are interdependent and interactive. This study applied fuzzy measure and non-additive fuzzy integral method to derive the synthetic performance values of each dimension and firm. Through the technological innovation performance evaluation model can provide firms with an overview of their strengths and weaknesses with regards to technological innovation management. Furthermore, R&D managers and senior managers can apply this model to evaluate and determine the technological innovation capabilities of a firm to improve its technological innovation performance. Finally, this model may provide the useful information for managers and to reduce the overall technological innovation uncertainty.

Many sustainability concerns have led to a push for more sustainable electricity systems. Governments and utilities have responded to these pressures by making changes ranging from minor incremental adjustments to sweeping transformations. This dissertation is focused on determining how we can best understand such transitions of electricity systems and what possibilities exist for First Nations to participate in them. This dissertation involves case studies of three Canadian provinces – Nova Scotia, Ontario and Saskatchewan – based on a review of relevant documents and semi-structured interviews. The theoretical basis of this dissertation is derived from the sustainability transitions field and discourse coalition theory. The conclusion of this research is a helpful and robust integrated sustainability transition framework, which is developed by combining elements of the multi-level perspective (MLP) and technological innovation system (TIS) frameworks from the sustainability transitions field, and supplementing those elements with features from discourse coalition theory. This integrated sustainability transition framework can usefully explain the complex dynamics involved in transitions of electricity systems. The typology of transition pathways – distinguishing between the possibilities of reproduction, transformation, technological substitution, reconfiguration, and de-alignment/re-alignment – provides insights into the direction of the transition. The various TIS functions add a needed element of agency and provide insights into the rate of progress along the particular transition pathway. Discourse coalition theory adds a greater degree of agency by uncovering the political dynamics involved. By considering factors for successful First Nations participation as important TIS functions, the integrated sustainability transition framework presented in this dissertation helps explain the possibilities for First Nations participation. Successful First Nations participation is more likely to occur where governments are proudly engaging in reconciliation efforts and resurgence support and where they embrace distributed, clean energy projects and deliberately open up space for new actors to participate in the electricity sector. In order to achieve the momentum needed to take advantage of a window of opportunity to participate, First Nations need a project champion, stable governance, access to cash, partnerships with the private sector, and must ensure that the focus remains on sustainable development and delivery of benefits to the entire community.

This thesis is motivated by the need to establish a model covering innovative information systems (IS) adoption behaviours within small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Studies on adoption behaviour related to innovative IS are devoting increasing attention to SMEs. Most prior studies, however, have still relied on models developed from studies of large firms. The applicability to SMEs of findings and models developed from large firm studies is not without question as SMEs are not miniature versions of large firms. SMEs face different challenges and opportunities from large firms. This thesis empirically examined issues on the adoption behaviours of innovative IS by SMEs. In line with this objective, two research questions were established. First, what are the critical determinants that allow SMEs to overcome inhibiting factors and adopt an innovative IS? Second, what are the critical determinants that ultimately activate and stimulate them to become enabled and actively utilise an innovative IS? The conceptualisation of enacted capabilities, adapted from the resource-based view of the firm is introduced. This thesis postulates that appropriate enacted capabilities facilitate SMEs to become enabled and actively utilise an innovative IS. These enacted capabilities include the level of IT skills and knowledge of the enterprises’ members, trust in technology, trust in trading partners, external experts’ support, and organisational culture Models incorporating aspects of the theory underlying the technology acceptance model (Davis, 1989), the diffusion of innovation theory (Rogers, 1995), and the resource-based view of the firm (Barney, 1991) were developed to describe the causal linkages between the determinants that activate and stimulate innovative IS adoption behaviour (i.e., from adopting to enabling to utilising innovative IS). One model was developed for the adoption stage and a second for the enablement and utilisation stages. The adoption stage model contains three main hypotheses. The first two hypotheses propose that enacted capabilities have a positive direct effect on both perceived net benefits and attitude towards adoption from a competitive advantage perspective. The third hypothesis proposes that perceived net benefits have a positive effect on attitude towards adoption form a competitive advantage perspective. The enablement and utilisation stages model contains four main hypotheses. The first two hypotheses propose that enacted capabilities and attitude have positive effects on perceived net benefits. The last two hypotheses propose that perceived net benefits and attitude towards adoption from a competitive advantage perspective have positive effects on the extent of enablement and usage of innovative IS. The hypotheses are tested using data obtained via a survey and follow-up interview. Responses were received from 206 SMEs of varying industries and sizes from the survey. Out of these 206 SMEs, follow-up interviews were conducted with twenty-one SMEs. The interviews utilise a combination of both open and closed questions. The questions for the follow-up interviews were based on findings derived from the survey. The innovative IS examined was the Malaysian government’s electronic procurement system, known as ePerolehan. All government suppliers must register for the system and become enabled for use before they can start utilising the system. The results indicate that enacted capabilities possessed by SMEs affect perceived net benefits at all stages of adoption behaviours of SMEs (i.e., adoption, enablement and utilisation). More significantly, two aspects of enacted capabilities, top management IS skills and knowledge and trust in trading partners dominate the effect on perceived net benefits. Support from external experts dominates the effect on attitude at the adoption stage. Top management IS skills and knowledge and trust in technology have a negative effect on attitude at the time of adoption. Enacted capabilities also contribute to the extent of enablement and usage within SMEs. Furthermore, different categories of adopters differ in the set of enacted capabilities underlying their innovative IS adoption behaviour. Results also indicate that when SMEs perceived higher net benefits in adopting innovative IS, they have a positive attitude. The positive attitude generated at the time of adoption has a direct effect on the extent of enablement and usage. The influence of perceived net benefits differs at the different stages of adoption behaviour. At the utilisation stage, usage is affected by perceived net benefits, however, perceived net benefits do not affect the extent of enablement at the enablement stage. In conclusion, this thesis found that enacted capabilities display important roles as antecedents to perceived net benefits, and that perceived net benefits act as a mediator from enacted capabilities to attitude at the adoption stage. Enacted capabilities also display important roles as stimulators of the extent of enablement and usage. Thus, apart from requiring good ideas and financial resources, SMEs also require appropriate enacted capabilities when adopting, enabling and utilising innovative IS.