AN EVALUATION FRAMEWORK FOR ORGANISATIONAL CHARACTERISTICS OF INNOVATIVENESS: COMPARATIVE MULTIPLE CASE STUDY FROM MANUFACTURERS IN TURKEY (original) (raw)

In the era of digital transformation in manufacturing industry, companies are in search of improving their innovative capabilities so that they can utilize digital technologies for higher effectiveness levels and better competitive performance. Before going into in-depth digital technology investments, it is important to address organizational problems or potentials that can hinder or leverage the benefits of digital transformation. Therefore, companies need a reliable framework for measuring their innovation which can helps them manage, track their innovation activities and review whether a learning loop is required to improve their innovativeness by knowing their areas that need improvement and inputs to their strategic decisions about digital transformation. For Turkey’s manufacturing industries, there had been numbers of studies which used quantitative methods and focused on causality of factors of innovation on business performance based on the contingency theory. On the other hand, qualitative studies that can reflect the Systems Theory that include Case Studies are rather limited. In this context, this study aims to combine a framework for evaluating the intangible factors of innovativeness for companies with case study methodology in major/leader/exporter industries (automotive and durable goods) in Turkey. The list of organizational characteristics to be studied in cases are derived from literature background and these were explored in the studied companies for their commonalities and differences. The competencies that were achieved by institutionalization are reflected in the findings: companies have base systems and capabilities like strategic orientation for innovation and growth, innovation management frameworks, flexible and well defined organizational structures, effective R&D management and selection, knowledge accumulation and NPD performance, while they are able to interact with their environment to create knowledge flows by their receptivity, external links, technology transfer.