Information sources and innovation-linked networking: relations to health and social service enterprises' performance in Finland

Hannu Littunen and Sari Rissanen

Innovation and Development, 2015, vol. 5, issue 1, 93-111

Abstract: Innovation, information sources and networking influence organizations' performance. Previously, related services have been mostly publicly provided in the health and social sector, at least in some countries, but privatization is advocated as a means to improve innovation and performance in the sector. However, there are uncertainties regarding the relationships involved, particularly in Finland. Thus, this study examines the information sources and networking used to innovate products and services provided by Finnish health and social service firms, using questionnaire responses of 668 entrepreneurs. The relationship between product/service innovations and firms' performance is also addressed. The results indicate that novel product/service innovations are closely associated with freely accessible information sources such as exhibitions, fairs, the internet and media; that regional support organizations and collaborative partners are important information sources for innovative health and social service enterprises; and that both growth and profitability are related to firms' innovation in the sector.

Date: 2015
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DOI: 10.1080/2157930X.2014.994261

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