Department of Sociology / MA (Industrial Sociology)

En los últimos años, en nuestro país, el arroz es el producto más consumido por la población peruana y su principal consumidor en el extranjero, es el mercado colombiano, ya que, gracias al acuerdo entre ambos países, se logró obtener mejores negociaciones comerciales, favoreciendo la economía de los dos países. Además, según la FAO (2018) a nivel de América, el Perú se ubica en el tercer lugar de los países más importantes en producción y rendimiento de arroz. Por esta razón, el presente trabajo de investigación tiene como finalidad determinar si la innovación productiva se relaciona con el desempeño exportador de las empresas peruanas exportadoras del arroz durante el período 2016-2019, teniendo como dimensiones (i) innovación de producto, (ii) innovación de procesos y (iii) de tecnología, extraídas de la búsqueda en antecedentes o papers, y también, están mencionadas en la matriz de operalización y consistencia del proyecto. Asimismo, el enfoque de la presente investigación es mixta, con diseño de transversal correlacional, porque tenemos dos variables de estudio, las cuales son la innovación productiva (independiente) y el desempeño exportador (dependiente). Dentro de la metodología, se aplicó la técnica cualitativa a través de las entrevistas a profundidad, en las cuales se entrevistó a 10 expertos del tema y la información recopilada se analizó en el software Atlas Ti. Asimismo, para el enfoque cuantitativo se realizó encuestas online a escalas de Likert a 17 empresas exportadoras arroceras del Perú y los resultados se analizaron en el software SPSS. Cabe resaltar que ambas técnicas, nos permitieron validar la hipótesis del proyecto y del mismo modo, se identificó que las dimensiones i) innovación de producto e iii) innovación de tecnología están relacionadas con el desempeño exportador. En cambio, (ii) la innovación de procesos no se relaciona con el desempeño exportador. Estos resultados se detallan mejor en la discusión de resultados y conclusiones del proyecto. Asimismo, para tener mayor profundidad y correlación de las variables se aplicó el coeficiente estadístico Rho Spearman, el cual se obtuvo como resultado, que la innovación productiva si se relaciona con el desempeño exportador de las empresas peruanas exportadoras de arroz durante el período 2016-2019. / In recent years, in our country, rice is the product most consumed by the Peruvian population and its main consumer abroad is in the Colombian market, since, thanks to the agreement between both countries, better commercial negotiations were achieved, favoring the economy of the two countries. In addition, according to FAO (2018) at the American level, Peru is located in the third place of the most important countries in rice production and yield. For this reason, the present research work aims to determine whether productive innovation is related to the export performance of Peruvian rice exporting companies during the 2016-2019 period, having as dimensions (i) product innovation, (ii) process innovation and (iii) technology, extracted from the search in antecedents or papers, and are also mentioned in the operationalization and consistency matrix of the project. Likewise, the approach of this research is mixed, with a cross-correlational design, because we have two study variables, which are productive innovation (independent) and export performance (dependent). Within the methodology, the qualitative technique was applied through in-depth interviews, in which 10 experts on the subject were interviewed and the information collected was analyzed in the Atlas Ti software. Also, in the quantitative approach, online surveys were conducted on Likert scales in 17 Peruvian rice exporting companies and the results were analyzed in the SPSS software. It should be noted that both techniques allowed us to validate the hypothesis of the project and in the same way, it was identified that the dimensions of product innovation and technology are related to export performance. In contrast, process innovation is not related to export performance. These results are best detailed in the discussion of project results and conclusions. Likewise, to have greater depth and correlation of the variables, the Rho Spearman statistical coefficient was applied, which was obtained as a result that productive innovation is related to the export performance of Peruvian rice exporting companies during the period 2016-2019. / Tesis

Esta investigación muestra la factibilidad para la implementación de una Fintech de inclusión financiera denominada Sika Finance. Plataforma tecnológica que permite acceder a una evaluación para otorgar créditos 100% en línea a un público exclusivamente femenino, con el objetivo de crear y facilitar oportunidades de empoderamiento a las mujeres de nuestro país. Es preciso mencionar que la industria en el Perú se encuentra en proceso de crecimiento y aún no se encuentra regulada. El análisis del entorno de la industria indica que es un mercado atractivo y en crecimiento, prueba de ello es que durante el 2020 “el 18% de los USD46 millones colocados en Venture Capitals fueron destinados a la industria de las FinTechs, solo por debajo de EdTech (40%) y comercio electrónico (27%), ambos fundamentales en el contexto del COVID-19”. (Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, 2021) El estudio de mercado muestra que la FinTech se encuentra en gran proyección de desarrollo acelerado. Asimismo, de las encuestas realizadas se obtiene que el 71.54% de mujeres de nuestro público objetivo tiene una habilidad innata del lenguaje y del entorno digital, el avance tecnológico ha provocado que en todos los segmentos de la población adopten la tecnología y accedan al uso de aplicaciones y dispositivos TIC. Por tanto, la presente propuesta se alinea a sus necesidades. Por otro lado, se observa que la preferencia de créditos oscila en importes de S/ 500.00 a S/ 2,000.00 con plazos menor a 12 meses por lo que representa una oportunidad relevante de negocio. / This research shows the feasibility for the implementation of a Fintech Sika Finance for financial inclusion. A technological platform that allows access to an evaluation to grant credits 100% online to an exclusively female audience, intending to create and facilitate empowerment opportunities for women in our country. It is worth mentioning that the industry in Peru is in the process of growth and is not yet regulated. The analysis of the industry environment indicates that it is an attractive and growing market, proof of this is that during 2020 “18% of the USD46 million placed in Venture Capitals went to the FinTech industry, only below EdTech (40%) and electronic commerce (27%), both fundamental in the context of COVID-19 ” (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2021). The market study shows that FinTech is in great projection of accelerated development. Likewise, from the surveys carried out, it is obtained that 71.54% of women in our target audience have an innate capacity for language and the digital environment. Technological advances have caused all segments of the population to adopt technology and access the use of ICT applications and devices. Therefore, this proposal is aligned with your needs. On the other hand, it is observed that the preference for loans ranges between S / 500.00 and S / 2,000.00 with terms of less than 12 months, which represents a relevant business opportunity. / Tesis

En los últimos años las exportaciones agrícolas peruanas han presentado un incremento constante, lo cual ha tenido como resultado que este sector se convierta en el segundo sector económico con mayor participación en las exportaciones peruanas al 2020, después de la minería tradicional. El objetivo de la presente investigación es determinar si la innovación tecnológica está relacionada con el desempeño exportador de las empresas agroexportadoras peruanas de frutas frescas durante el periodo 2012-2020. Considerando como dimensiones la “Innovación tecnológica” (innovación de producto e innovación de procesos) y “Desempeño exportador” (ventas de exportación y objetivos estratégicos). Para desarrollar la investigación se utilizó una técnica de estudio mixto con diseño descriptivo correlacional. De igual forma, para recolectar información cualitativa, se realizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas a 9 expertos del sector agroexportador, dichos entrevistados son representantes de entidades privadas y públicas, representantes de AGAP, representantes de PROMPERU, representantes de la INIA, representantes de PROHASS, representantes de empresas agroexportadoras y representantes de Organiko Latam. Para la codificación y el análisis de estas entrevistas, se utilizó el programa Atlas Ti. En cuanto al desarrollo cuantitativo, se diseñó una encuesta de tipo cerrada en escala de Likert, la cual fue realizada a 20 empresas del sector agroexportación de frutas frescas, tomando en cuenta las principales frutas exportadoras (uva, arándano, palta, mango y plátano) las cuales representan un 20% del total de las empresas agroexportadoras de frutas en general, estas fueron desarrolladas por presidentes, gerentes, gerentes de innovación, jefes de producción y socios, dichas encuestas se analizaron a través del software SPSS. En cuanto a los resultados obtenidos a través de la técnica Rho Spearman, se validó que la innovación tecnológica se relaciona positivamente con el desempeño exportador de las empresas agroexportadoras peruanas de frutas frescas durante el periodo 2012-2020. Sin embargo, Al analizar de forma independiente cada dimensión, se obtuvo como resultado, que la innovación de procesos tiene una mayor relación con el desempeño exportador que la innovación de productos, ya que esta última, aún es un tipo de innovación que no está tan desarrollado por las empresas agroexportadoras peruanas de frutas frescas, debido a que se requiere altos niveles de inversión. / In recent years, Peruvian agricultural exports have shown a constant increase, which has resulted in this sector becoming the second economic sector with the highest participation in Peruvian exports by 2020, after traditional mining. The main objective of this research is to determine whether technological innovation is related to the export performance of Peruvian agro-export companies of fresh fruits during the period 2012-2020. Considering “Technological innovation” (product innovation and process innovation) and “Export performance” (export sales and strategic objectives) as dimensions. For the development, the mixed research technique was applied with a descriptive-correlational design. Likewise, for the collection of qualitative information, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 experts in the agro-export sector, said interviewees are representatives of private and public entities, representatives of AGAP, representatives of PROMPERU, representatives of INIA, representatives of PROHASS, representatives of agro-export companies and representatives of Organiko Latam. These interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed on the Atlas Ti program. Regarding the quantitative development, a closed Likert scale survey was designed, which was validated with 20 companies in the fresh fruit agro-export sector, considering the main exporting fruits (grape, blueberry, avocado, mango, and banana) which They represent 20% of the total of fruit agro-export companies in general, these were developed by presidents, managers, innovation managers, production managers and partners, these surveys were analyzed through the SPSS software. Regarding the results obtained through the Rho Spearman technique, it was validated that technological innovation is positively related to the export performance of Peruvian fresh fruit agro-export companies during the 2012-2020 period. However, when independently analyzing each dimension, it was obtained as a result that process innovation has a greater relationship with export performance than product innovation, since the latter is still a type of innovation that is not so developed by Peruvian agro-export companies of fresh fruits, due to the high levels of investment required. / Tesis

Esta investigación analiza los determinantes de la innovación tecnológica en las empresas peruanas para el año 2017, utilizando información de la Enterprise Surveys del Banco Mundial, aplicándose un modelo Probit Bivariado para analizar la dependencia de la decisión de innovación con el proceso de inversión. En el estudio se encuentran los siguientes resultados relevantes: i) los requerimientos específicos de clientes externos explican el desarrollo de innovación tecnológica, por lo que dicho proceso depende especialmente de factores exógenos, ii) la presencia de interdependencia estadística entre las decisiones de inversión e innovación y iii) existen otros factores significativos que explican las decisiones de inversión y de innovación, tales como la pertenencia a un grupo económico, ser una empresa exportadora, el tamaño de la firma y la antigüedad de la empresa. / This research analyzes the determinants of technological innovation in Peruvian companies for the year 2017, using information from the World Bank Enterprise Surveys, applying a Bivariate Probit model to analyze the dependence of the innovation decision with the investment process. The following relevant results are found in the study: i) the specific requirements of external clients explain the development of technological innovation; so that, this process depends especially on exogenous factors, ii) the presence of statistical interdependence between investment and innovation decisions and iii) there are other significant factors that explain investment and innovation decisions, such as belonging to an economic group, being an exporting company, the size of the firm and the age of the company. / Tesis

Background: The agro-food sector faces several sustainability challenges and is in clear need of transitions to become more sustainable. A transition in food production, consumption and supply chains that demand fewer resources and fewer animal products is required to attain sustainability in the agro-food sector. This transition can be done by consuming more plant-based food and providing an alternate option to animal protein by substituting it with plant protein. Purpose: This study aims to understand the technological innovation system shaping around the value chain of Swedish legumes. To investigate the above aim, this research intends to address the following questions: RQ1: How is the innovation system built up, and how do the functions of the innovation system perform around the value chain of Swedish legumes? RQ2: What are the barriers connected to the innovation system that hinders the development of the value chain of Swedish legumes? Method: The methodology used was a qualitative case study with an abductive approach. The data was collected from 8 semi-structured interviews and a literature review of relevant articles. The empirical findings were then analysed using a framework based on Technology Innovation System (TIS). Implications: This research study describes the structural causes that form functional barriers in the innovation system that hinders the development of a value chain for Swedish legumes. The findings of this study provides an excellent opportunity for government agencies and policymakers to guide plans and actions through policies to provide incentives for farmers and research projects in favour of a sustainable transition towards more plant-based food. Also, our study contributes to an understanding of sustainability transitions in the Swedish agro-food sector by analysing how the TIS functions perform around the value chain of Swedish legumes.

Los avances tecnológicos facilitan la accesibilidad de los servicios de viaje a nivel mundial, el usuario ahora tiene la ventaja de preparar su propio itinerario desde un dispositivo móvil, guiándose de las recomendaciones en las redes. El desarrollo de nuevas herramientas, sistemas y aplicativos facilitan la oferta turística y hotelera, hacen que los canales de distribución de sus servicios lleguen de manera más directa a sus socios o cliente final, lo cual resulta en mejores precios y velocidad de respuesta. Estos avances tecnológicos generan nuevos retos en el profesional quien debe prepararse para responder a estas exigencias. Esto le permitirá acelerar la respuesta a los clientes con propuestas novedosas y atractivas. Adicionalmente, el creciente uso de la tecnología hace que el viajero pueda utilizar menos los servicios de una agencia de viajes. Este comportamiento se repite en la adquisición de reservas de hoteles y de boletos aéreos, ya que al ofrecerse a través de plataformas virtuales el viajero se conecta directamente con ellos en lugar de utilizar la asesoría de un agente de viajes. / Abstrac: Technological advances facilitate the accessibility of travel services worldwide, the user has the advantage of preparing their own itinerary from a mobile device, guided by the recommendations that finds out on the networks. The development of new tools, systems, and mobile applications facilitate the tourist and hotel offer, make the distribution channels of their services reach more directly to their partners or final customer, resulting in better prices and prompt reply. Moreover, these technological advances generate susceptibility in professional development who faces new challenges and respond to the new demands. The travel agent must have the technical knowledge and should accelerate the response to customers with attractive and innovative proposals. Additionally, the traveler prefers the use of technology instead of needing the service of a travel agent. This behavior is repeated in the acquisition of hotel and air tickets since the booking is offered through virtual platforms and the traveler connects directly with them instead of needing the advice of a travel agent. The technology affects the pace in the markets and the technological knowledge is highly needed on the qualified professionals. / Trabajo de suficiencia profesional

The evolution of technology has led to a need for business leaders to embrace disruptive technology for the purpose of capturing new markets and remaining competitive. Multiple challenges have been faced by business leaders in the processes of integrating and sustaining disruptive innovations, resulting in the failure to achieve expected efficiency and profitability. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies used by business leaders to integrate and sustain disruptive innovations. The conceptual frameworks were Roger's diffusion of innovation theory and Christensen's disruptive innovation theory. Semistructured interviews were administered to 10 business leaders and employees from institutions of higher learning in the Northeastern region of the United States. The participants were selected using a purposive nonrandom sampling technique. The selection criteria included organizational leaders, technology professionals, training and development professionals, and organizational end-users. Three themes and several subthemes were identified. The strategies for integrating and sustaining disruptive innovations include training, changeover mechanisms, and the use of critical resources. The procedural and structural factors in processes to integrate and sustain disruptive innovations include identifying critical success factors, ascertaining benchmarks, determining levels of support and effectiveness. Obstacles faced during the processes of integrating and sustaining disruptive innovations were categorized into human, technology, changeover, and external issues. Social change may be realized through the improved success rates of small business leaders implementing disruptive innovations by increasing meaningful employment and enhancing livelihoods.

Sustainability transition has gained more interest in academic research. However, it has rarely been studied specifically from a firm-level perspective. Therefore, this study aims to understand and learn from the firm-level perspective to contribute to firm- and system-level understanding. The case study of insects as food and feed industry is interesting in a niche and challenging market or to understand the overcoming activities of those facing barriers, whether the overcoming of customer acceptance, uncertainty of the market, and the regulations of eating insects as just been approved by the European Commission in recent years. Moreover, the study of insects has been widely focused on entomology, such as species, and nutrition. It is beginning to be studied in the food sector in Western countries, recently. Therefore, this research will contribute an in-depth understanding of the firm-level in the edible insect industry, especially in the business section in Sweden. This research contributes to the understanding of entrepreneurs' sustainable business models in different time periods, which could be shaped by barriers and opportunities. The barriers found in this study are similar to previous studies of the insect industry in other countries, except for customer acceptance, which seems to be different in Sweden. The customer issue that stands out here is finding the niche group of customers and the niche product that suits these early adopter customers. I also found the importance of entrepreneurial activities in relation to the development of the technological innovation system (TIS). The actors or entrepreneurs are the catalysts for the development of the TIS in the uncertain industry, since every single movement of the entrepreneurs leads to the dynamics of the system, such as a lobbying activity to overcome the regulatory barrier.

Meat substitutes are an increasingly popular subject area for sustainability studies and industrial transition.  A transition to plant-based alternatives requires a substantial value chain with the ability to withstand transitional structure and market changes. While the value chain poses challenges at each level, considering the topmost level reveals unique market dynamics specific to the agriculture of legumes.  Western markets have shown a trend favoring plant-based protein as a sustainable source of nutrition however, research on raw material sourcing, processing, and its market structure is limited, often with low government intervention. The Indian agriculture sector comprises mainly legume farming, contributing to a significant portion of the country’s economy. This thesis aims to describe the actor interactions in the Indian agriculture sector with a focus on drivers and hindrances that promote and limit the growth of the legume agriculture technological innovation system.  Using qualitative research methods to gather data from candidates directly involved in the legume trade has proven insightful. Findings show that there are complex interaction scenarios between the actors involved. Restricted by the size of farming area, target markets, and market convention, farmers are subjected to a lock-in type scenario with respect to sales and purchasers. Although government intervention offers protection and assistance, it remains a safety net for the agriculture community. Authoritative influence is used to promote policy however, interactions between actors are not optimized to support this change effectively.  Inter-organizational and actor networks are weak apart from certain business relationships arising from contractual obligations. Knowledge development is present but formal procedures of knowledge diffusion are absent, leaving opportunities not being capitalized on. The study discusses the merits and demerits of this system using the Technology Innovation System framework functions for the analysis. Limitations of the theoretical framework is discussed as a modified version of the framework is utilized in this thesis, giving importance to interactions and localized application of TIS functions.