IT capabilities for product innovation in SMEs: a configurational approach

Louis Raymond (), Sylvestre Uwizeyemungu (), Bruno Fabi () and Josée St-Pierre ()
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Louis Raymond: Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Sylvestre Uwizeyemungu: Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Bruno Fabi: Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières
Josée St-Pierre: Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Information Technology and Management, 2018, vol. 19, issue 1, No 5, 75-87

Abstract: Abstract With the advent of globalization and the knowledge-based economy, industrial SMEs must constantly innovate to remain competitive. Now, an important research issue in this regard concerns the role played by IT capabilities in enabling innovation processes such as new product development, and in determining the product innovation performance of these organizations. Using a configurational approach grounded in the resource-based view, contingency theory, and the notions of “fit” and equifinality, we argue that IT capabilities can be leveraged for innovation purposes to the extent that they are coaligned and thus constitute IT capability configurations. This paper presents the results of a survey of 588 Canadian industrial SMEs designed to further analyze this issue. Three IT capability configurations were thus empirically identified, that is, IT Defenders (n = 234), IT Analyzers (n = 91) and IT Prospectors (n = 263), the last two being associated to greater product innovation performance.

Keywords: IT capability; Product innovation; Innovation performance; Capability configuration; Fit; Equifinality; SME (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (9)

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DOI: 10.1007/s10799-017-0276-x

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