What influences the innovation environment in BPO companies?. Issue 1 (7th August 2020) - Ponciano, Emanuel Soares
Abstract : Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to present the factors that form the innovation environment in the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) sector, from a case study in a Brazilian multinational company operating in the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) and BPO segment. Design/methodology/approach: Minnesota Innovation Research Program (MIRP) questionnaire was adopted, aimed to environment conducive to innovation. It was applied to a sample of employees, from different hierarchical levels, who participated in an innovation training program developed and implemented by the organization. The data were analyzed to verify, in a simplified initial diagnosis, the influence of internal and external factors defined by MIRP in the company's innovation process. Findings: Innovation management process focuses predominantly on processes (71.4% of occurrences). As impact of the factors: results (88.9%), autonomy (76.3%), leadership (74.9%), resources (74.6%), internal relationship of the innovation group (73.1%), formalization (68.4%), processes (64.5%), relationship effectiveness (63.7%), external relationship of the innovation group (63.2%) and dependence on external resources (52.6%). There was confirmation that the innovation program of company is effective and that the culture of innovation is institutionalized. Research limitations/implications: A crossing of supplementary information could reveal some significant difference in the perception of the innovative culture and performance of the innovation processes between distinguished profiles. Practical implications: Better guidance for management of ICT/BPO companies in an Open Innovation paradigm. Social implications: Better relationship among the actors of an Open Innovation industry arrangement. Originality/value: Improvement of the innovation process can occur through a greater focus on Open Innovation.