Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) struggle with the paradox of developing new products and technologies on the one hand and minimizing costs on the other. These SMEs must be innovative to survive and grow. However, compared to large firms, SMEs have several problems in their innovation process, which negatively influence their overall innovation performance. This research explores successful patterns of internal SME characteristics that lead to high overall innovation performance. Cluster analyses were conducted to find patterns in the internal characteristics of SMEs with high overall innovation performance. We find that companies that focus on incremental innovation and that achieve high overall innovation performance indeed share a pattern in their internal organization, when controlling for innovation type. The paper adds to the current body of knowledge by comparing high- and low-performing companies based on competence differences. Because real-life organizations consist of multiple organizational characteristics, we also contribute to management practice by simultaneously addressing multiple organizational characteristics for the successful organization of innovation.

The concept of open innovation (OI) has become a very popular topic during the last decade, with increasing number of SMEs embracing OI practices to gain competitive advantage. This edited volume is a timely opportunity to gather research on OI in SMEs, to investigate how OI is managed and implemented to determine the peculiarities compared to OI management in large companies, and to specify the consequences for future OI research.The book offers insights into the following topics: The state of the art on open innovation in SMEs; adopting open innovation in SMEs; interorganizational networks and innovation ecosystems; sectoral patterns of open innovation in SMEs; and measuring, evaluating and stimulating open innovation in SMEs.

This informative book provides a critical and comprehensive review of the research on innovation in small businesses particularly, the family-owned businesses. Innovation in Small Family Businesses explores how innovation is developed and carried out in small family-owned businesses, the factors underpinning it, and the innovation drivers and barriers in these firmsÕ context. Sylvie Laforet also offers suggestions on how innovation can be fostered and perhaps, sustained in small family-owned businesses and discusses the governmentÕs role in this. The book makes an important contribution to the theoretical development of family firmsÕ and small businessesÕ innovation. The detailed and critical literature review will provide useful reference points for both academics and students and identifies avenues for future research for the area. Policymakers and practitioners will also find this compact compendium insightful.

Emphasizing the practical side of Technology and Innovation Management, this book includes significant contributions to the practice of strategizing, management of competences and innovation management. While the findings are research-based, each contribution has 'managerial implications' which cover the recommended implementation.

This book looks at the uncharted territory between innovation activities and place making efforts to cultivate them. ‘Geographies of Disruption’ aims to fill that gap by exploring the growing importance of place making for knowledge generation and innovation activities in contemporary cities, and providing an in-depth understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of innovation geographies and the conditions that help their emergence and growth. This book underlines the growing importance of knowledge generation and innovation activities for the competitiveness of cities and their regions. It provides an in-depth and comprehensive understanding of both theoretical and practical aspects of knowledge-based urban development and its implications and prospects for cities and regions. This pioneering book contributes to the conceptualisation and practice of innovation geographies by disseminating both conceptual and empirical research findings with real-world best practice applications. With a multidisciplinary approach to themes of technology and urban development, this book is a key reference source for scholars, practitioners, consultants, city officials, policymakers and innovation study enthusiasts.

This edited collection investigates the potential impact of long-term planning and strategic awareness on the ability of SMEs to remain competitive. The authors demonstrate that whether SMEs are able to identify and act upon external forces and factors, or not, is the defining indicator of their likelihood to struggle, survive, or thrive.