Innovation leaders, modest innovators and non-innovative SMEs in Slovakia ; Inovacijski vodje, skromni inovatorji in neinovativna mala in srednje velika podjetja na Slovaškem
Background and Purpose: The field of innovation represents for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) a fundamental challenge. If the number of innovative SMEs is to rise, it is necessary to identify key factors determining their innovation activity and eliminate the innovation barriers. The main purpose of the paper is to present the results of primary research focused on identification (evaluation) of key factors and barriers determining innovation activities in Slovak SMEs. The division of SMEs into three groups of enterprises: innovation leaders, modest innovators and non-innovators enables to identify the differences in managers' perception of the main factors and barriers determining innovation activities in various types of SMEs and to formulate policy implications for Slovak SMEs. Design/Methodology/Approach: Results of the empirical research were processed using MS Excel and the statistical analysis of the data in R3.2.4. statistical system was done. For statistical tests we assumed significance level (α = 0.1). Results: Evaluating the importance of the key factors a majority of enterprises (64.71%) indicated financial resources as the most important factor for the innovations. There is no statistically significant difference in individual (analysed) factors between innovation leaders, non-innovators and innovation followers (modest innovators). The results gained from Fisher exact test (p-value = 0.11) indicated a small difference in evaluating the significance of individual barriers between innovation leaders, non-innovators and modest innovators. Majority of enterprises also see as the main barriers to develop innovation activities bureaucracy and corruption and inappropriate state support of innovation activities. Conclusion: The main implications (conclusion) coming from the research are basic recommendations for state policy makers as well as SME's managers to foster innovation activities in enterprises. They refer to the areas of financial resources, high-quality human resources, cooperation and participation of SMEs in different networks and clusters, systematic institutional support to SMEs, well-created vision and clearly formulated aims, and willingness of enterprises to innovate. Recommendations are summarised following the results of factor's and barrier's evaluation. ; Ozadje in namen: Področje inovacij predstavlja temeljni izziv za mala in srednje velika podjetja (MSP). Da bi lahko povečali število inovativnih MSP, moramo opredeliti ključne dejavnike, ki določajo njihovo inovacijsko dejavnost in odpravijo inovacijske ovire. Glavni namen prispevka je predstaviti rezultate raziskave, osredotočene na identifikacijo in oceno ključnih dejavnikov in ovir inovacijske dejavnosti v MSP. Ta podjetja smo klasificirali v tri skupine: inovacijski voditelji, skromni inovatorji in neinovatorji, kar omogoča prepoznati razlike v mnenjih menedžerjev o glavnih dejavnikih in ovirah, ki vplivajo na inovacijske dejavnosti v različnih vrstah malih in srednje velikih podjetij, in oblikovati smernice posledice za slovaška MSP. Zasnova / metodologija / pristop: Zbrane empirične podatke smo obdelali z MS Excel in s statističnim paketom R3.2.4. Pri statističnih testih smo privzeli raven pomembnost (α = 0,1). Rezultati: Večina podjetij (64,71%) je kot najpomembnejši dejavnik inovativnosti navedla finančna sredstva. Med (analiziranimi) posameznimi dejavniki med inovativnimi voditelji, skromnimi inovatorji in neinovatorji nismo ugotovili statistično značilnih razlik. Rezultati, pridobljeni s Fisherjevim testom (p-vrednost = 0.11), kažejo majhno razliko pri vrednotenju pomena posameznih ovir med vodilnimi inovatorji, neinovatorji in skromnimi inovatorji. Večina podjetij meni, da so nadaljnje glavne ovire pri birokracija in korupcija na področju inovacijskih dejavnosti ter neustrezna državna podpora inovacijskim dejavnostim. Zaključek: Iz raziskave izhajajo osnovna priporočila za snovalce državnih politik, pa tudi za mala in srednja podjetja, da spodbujajo inovacijske dejavnosti v podjetjih. Nanašajo se na področje finančnih virov, visokokakovostnih človeških virov, sodelovanje in udeležbo MSP v različnih omrežjih in grozdih, sistematično institucionalna podpora MSP, dobro oblikovano vizija in jasno oblikovane cilje in pripravljenost podjetij na inovacije.