THE OCCASIONALITY OF RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ACTIVITIES IN EMERGING ECONOMIES: A DOUBLE CASE STUDY IN BRAZILIAN FIRMS

摘要

The first formal structures focused on innovation activity established in industrialised economies' firms were based on the input-output logic of the Linear Model of Innovation, which also drove the creation of the traditional indicators on innovation. Based on the traditional innovation indicators, recent studies focused on the industrial innovation process at emerging economies - like the BRICs - argue that emerging economies' firms are currently typified by the lack of innovative capabilities. In the specific case of Latin America, these studies state that nowadays Latin American firms are characterised by a lack of innovative capabilities. Nonetheless, these indicators are incapable of understanding how the innovation process occurs inside these firms. In emerging economies' firms, there might be a relatively lower deliberated commitment to innovation. Yet, this does not necessarily mean the absence of innovative R&D activities. Even though R&D is occasional, innovation does exist. It just takes other shape than the one established by the linear approach. Specifically, this study argues that usually two sorts of occasional R&D activities prevail in emerging economies' firms. The first one is formal and arranged, however it still is occasional. It occurs when firms for some reason identify an urge to structure and concentrate R&D activities in a certain time period. The second one, still occasional, is rather informal and disarranged. Bearing this in mind, the aim of this study is to examine the occasionality of R&D activity in firms located in emerging economies. In order to do so, a double case study was carried out in two Brazilian manufacturing firms. The results suggest that both firms pay considerable attention to its operational activities. Moreover, the absence of a formal R&D department in one of the firms does not hamper its engagement in the development of new products and adoption of new technologies.