Inovação sustentável como vantagem competitiva para micro e pequenas empresas de Rondon do Pará (PA)

Abstract

Today society has been experiencing cultural, political, economic and social transformations and organizations are the main ones affected by these changes, as they are pressured to innovate, manage changes and promote the development of new products and services in a sustainable way. This makes it difficult to maintain and develop the business. Therefore, it is up to micro and small companies to develop and manage innovative alternatives in the dimensions of sustainability. Considering the high competitiveness of the market, together with the need to preserve the environment,it is understood that the incorporation of sustainable business models become a differential capable of generating competitive advantage for companies. The search for competitive advantage by parts of all companies is due to the increased competition caused by the effects of globalization. Despite the relevance that sustainable innovation has for companies in the current context, the theme is still little explored, especially in studies related to small businesses. The objective of this study is to analyzethe use of sustainable innovation in obtaining competitive advantages in micro and small companies in Rondon do Pará. In order to reach this objective, a conceptual model was proposed with the integration of analytical categories namely knowledge / environmental education and sustainable innovation, actions of sustainable innovation and determinants of sustainable innovation. Seeking to meet the objectives, this study is characterized as qualitative, by means ofmultiple case study method. Four cases of companies that met the criteria established in this research were selected. Evidence from semi-structured interviews with four entrepreneurs was collected. The analysis of the data occurred in a descriptive way, using the technique of content analysis. The cases were analyzed individually and cross-checked. The results show that the sustainable innovations implemented by the entrepreneurs of the investigated cases reduce organizational costs, promote differentiation in the product and consequently generate a competitive advantage over competitors. It was verified that the sustainable posture of the small companies studied was motivated by the current market demand, in which entrepreneurs must have a management that emphasizes besides profit, in the impacts that their actions cause in the environment in which they are immersed. It is understood that micro and small enterprises have sought sustainable innovation in order to gain a better reputation of the brand and become qualified to reach new markets by becoming competitive. Overall, what facilitated the implementation of sustainable innovations in the companies investigated, were market requirements that triggered a competitive advantage for companies. In contrast, what makes it difficult for the studied companies to innovate in a sustainable way, are factors inherent to governmental and non-governmental bodies, which do not give support to small businesses.