Factors that promote innovation in shipping companies
In this study, we seek to identify factors that promote innovation in shipping companies. The study is based on an empiric l investigation of 63 companies headquartered in Norway. The results imply that organisational and inter-organisational variables are important to innovation. We are focusing on three aspects of innovation (1) service/produ t innovations, (2) market innovations, and (3) production method innovations. The explanatory variables that are applied in this study capture between 13 and 51% of the variability of our measures of innovation. The results indicate that a explicit strategy that promotes innovation is very important for the actual level of innovation within shipping companies. In management literature it is often assumed that organic organisational features like freedom to make decisions on low levels in the organisation and decentralised decision-making. promote innovation. The opposite featuresare assumed to restrain innovation. However, the results do not support these basic assumptions. For xample it seems to be important that managers make precise decisions in order to promote innovation.
Publisert i Maritime Policy & Management, 2002
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