Open Access
Diversity is strategy: the effect of R&D team diversity on innovative performance
(Wiley, 2017) García Martínez, Marian; Zouaghi, Ferdaous; García Marco, María Teresa; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Diversity in the workplace has attracted significant interest in organisations that want to attract and retain talented employees. Breakthrough innovation requires a wider knowledge base, and organisations increasingly rely on multidisciplinary R&D teams to identify scientific developments that bridge gaps and reduce time to market. However, research on the performance implications of R&D team diversity remains limited and the empirical evidence inconsistent. This paper investigates the impact of surface and deep‐level diversity on R&D teams’ innovative performance and how diversity dimensions interact to drive innovation. We find supportive evidence that R&D team characteristics influence innovation outcomes, confirming our hypothesising that diversity is a valuable strategy for an organisation to pursue as it provides greater cognitive ability. Each diversity facet however has its own distinct effects depending on the novelty of innovation and industry. Yet, diversity is not solely positive and excessive heterogeneity could be detrimental to R&D team performance. Our findings suggest that high diversity in gender or skills in cognitively diverse teams might be negative attributes to take into consideration. Senior managers and organisations should therefore consider the appropriate mix of capabilities to benefit from creativity in diverse R&D teams and avoid possible conflict and distrust associated with diversity.
Open Access
Aprovechando la diversidad en los equipos de I+D para incrementar el desempeño innovador
(Ministerio de Industria, Comercio y Turismo, 2021) García Marco, María Teresa; Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa
En este estudio se analiza el efecto de la diversidad en los equipos de I+D sobre el desempeño innovador tanto de forma individual como cuando interaccionan varias dimensiones de diversidad. Con una base de datos de empresas españolas nuestros resultados muestran que en general la diversidad de los equipos favorece el desempeño innovador. Sin embargo, cuando dos o más dimensiones de diversidad interaccionan conjuntamente dentro de los equipos de I+D el efecto sobre el desempeño innovador, aunque positivo, es menor que cuando solo existe un tipo de diversidad. Los resultados sugieren que un exceso de diversidad conduce a una fragmentación de los equipos de I+D en subgrupos homogéneos (faultlines) que pueden generar conflicto y desconfianza entre los miembros de los equipos de I+D y por lo tanto aminorar el desempeño innovador.
Open Access
Combined effects of ozone and freeze-drying on the shelf-life of Broiler chicken meat
(Elsevier, 2016) Cantalejo Díez, María Jesús; Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Pérez Arnedo, María Irache; Tecnología de Alimentos; Elikagaien Teknologia
The effects of ozone on the shelf-life extension of freeze-dried chicken meat fillets stored at 21 ± 1 C were investigated. The samples were exposed to gaseous ozone with three ozone concentrations of 0.4, 0.6 and 0.72 ppm during 10, 30, 60 and 120 min. The shelf-life of the ozonated freeze-dried chicken meat samples was determined using both microbiological and sensory analyses during 8 months of storage. Ozone and lyophilisation (Combined treatments) were shown to be valid in retarding the growth of most microbial groups from the first month of storage. High microbial counts were found in frozen meat from month 6 onwards, with total aerobic mesophilic bacteria (TAMB) counts above 7 log cfu/g and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) counts above 5 log cfu/g, whereas decreases of 6.8 and 4.77 log cfu/g for TAMB and LAB counts were reported in combined treated samples when compared with untreated meat (frozen meat). Also, 3.26 and 1.41-log reductions were observed with respect to non-ozonated freeze-dried meat (trt-0). Regarding sensory characteristics, the combined use of ozone and lyophilisation would be useful in extending the shelf-life of raw chicken breast meat up to 8 months, whilst the samples treated only with lyophilisation showed a 4 month shelf-life.
Open Access
The influence of CSR orientation on innovative performance: is the effect conditioned to the implementation of organizational practices?
(Springer, 2023) Anzola Román, Paula; García Marco, María Teresa; Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Previous research has examined the relationship between CSR and innovation and has suggested that the former might positively affect the latter; however, the impact of CSR on innovation success needs further attention. This study aims to develop a deeper understanding of how environmental and social CSR are related to innovation performance and whether the implementation of organizational practices might moderate this relationship. The results are based on an unbalanced panel of 14,313 observations of 3713 firms covering 2011–2015. Using random-effects probit models and the estimation of average marginal effects (AMEs), this paper contributes to the literature on CSR by explaining how CSR dimensions affect innovation success differently and by addressing how this effect is influenced by organizational innovation. The results show that while environmental CSR orientation proves beneficial for the generation of process innovation, social CSR orientation contributes to the generation of both kinds of technological innovations only when internal organizational practices are implemented. This study provides valuable insights for managers aiming to implement a CSR perspective in their strategies to support the pursuit of innovation.
Open Access
The link between R&D team diversity and innovative performance: a mediated moderation model
(Elsevier, 2020) Zouaghi, Ferdaous; García Marco, María Teresa; García Martínez, Marian; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE; Gestión de Empresas
This paper examines how diversity dimensions, namely gender, skills and education, in R&D teams interact to drive innovation. Our research supports the hypothesis that surface-level diversity might negatively affect R&D team performance when interacting with deep-level diversity. Further, the study considers the mediating effect of social capital to extract value from diverse R&D teams. Social capital favours social interaction by developing harmonious interpersonal relationships among diverse team members. Research hypotheses were tested using the Spanish Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for the period 2008-2015. Our mediated-moderation model suggests that high diversity in education or skills in gender diverse teams might adversely affect innovation performance, although the mediating role of R&D social capital diminishes this outcome. This study provides valuable insights for managers aiming to benefit from diversity in R&D teams while minimizing the conflict and mistrust associated with excessive diversity.
Open Access
Did the global financial crisis impact firms' innovation performance? The role of internal and external knowledge capabilities in high and low tech industries
(Elsevier, 2018) Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Sánchez García, Mercedes; García Martínez, Marian; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
This paper examines the role exerted by internal innovation efforts and external knowledge assets as dynamic capabilities to overcome adverse economic conditions. Additionally, we examine the differential impacts of the financial crisis in high and low-tech industries. Using panel data of manufacturing firms in Spain for the period 2006–2013, our results show that maintaining strong internal and external knowledge capabilities enables firms to mitigate the effects of the financial crisis. Findings emphasize the value of human capital, by enabling internal capabilities, as a coping mechanisms in low-tech sectors during the financial downturn. Similarly, open innovation allows firms to minimise the resources limitations and risk surrounding innovation, particularly during the financial crisis. This study provides valuable insights to managers aiming to develop strong internal knowledge bases to remain competitive under uncertain financial conditions.
Open Access
Geographical and cognitive proximity effects on innovation performance: which types of proximity for which types of innovation?
(Wiley, 2024) García Martínez, Marian; Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Sánchez García, Mercedes; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
The purpose of the paper is to explore the multi-dimensional and intersecting nature of proximity to drive innovation performance. Applying a multidimensional proximity framework, the study provides a deeper understanding of the importance of substitution and overlap mechanisms in the relation between geographical and cognitive proximity dimensions in innovation performance. The paper further analyses the moderation effect of organisational innovation in this relationship. Multivariate analysis proves the interaction effects between geographical and cognitive proximity, where cognitive proximity both substitutes and complements geographical proximity. However, external knowledge search for innovation along proximity dimensions differs depending on the type of innovation. Our findings corroborate the proximity paradox caused by lock-in effects with the optimal level of proximity influenced by the interdependencies between proximity dimensions. This inverse U-shaped relationship is flatter for firms that have adopted organisational innovation. External knowledge linkages should be tailored to the favourable characteristic of proximity to enhance firm innovation performance.
Open Access
Product/process definition, technology adoption and workforce qualification: impact on performance
(Taylor & Francis, 2019) Bello Pintado, Alejandro; García Marco, María Teresa; Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE; Gestión de Empresas
This paper analyses the impact of manufacturing technologies (MTs) and workers' qualifications on labour productivity and flexibility, taking into account the product-process (P-P) strategy adopted by the company. This allows for a discussion about the well-known P-P matrix initially proposed by Hayes and Wheelwright (1994) in order to evaluate options of production systems. The empirical analysis is performed by means of a panel of data of 13 years for the Spanish manufacturing industry, which includes a total of 7741 observations. The results indicate a complementary effect between technology and skills to overcome the trade-offs of production systems.
Open Access
Creating value via strategic alliances in EU food sector: the role of intellectual capital in knowledge exploration
(Universidad Miguel Hernández, 2017) Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Sánchez García, Mercedes; García Martínez, Marian; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
Co-operation may become necessary in food sector because internal resources are insufficient to monitor their partners. This study examines how EU food SMEs uses their networks and how SMEs managers can operationally leverage the value created by strategic alliances into commercially viable products. More importantly, we emphasize that the effects of collaboration partners on innovation performance can be achieved not only directly, but also via the indirect effect of firm¿s intellectual capital to enhance cross-border knowledge transfer. Using two waves of the European Community Innovation Survey (Cis-2010 and Cis-2012), those research findings are expected to provide SME food firms the availability to better reorganize their external knowledge needs when different partners are involved.
Open Access
Navigating firm financial distress in turbulent times: the impact of the institutional context
(Wiley, 2024-08-08) Zouaghi, Ferdaous; García Marco, María Teresa; García Martínez, Marian; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa, PJUPNA2024-11704
This paper explores the impact of environmental practices on firm financial distressduring the COVID-19 pandemic in both emerging and developed countries. Analysinga sample of 12,181 firm observations from 2016 to 2021, our results indicate thatadopting of environmental practices leads to reduced financial distress and morecrisis-resilient economies. The mitigating effect of environmental practices is morepronounced in developed countries. This study provides crucial implications for gov-ernments and policymakers, emphasizing the importance of encouraging firms toadopt environmental practices to reduce the likelihood of default.