INNOVATIVE CAPACITY AND THE ECONOMIC AND FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE OF BRAZILIAN INNOVATIVE COMPANIES

Abstract

Based on the theoretical premises of the Resource Based View (RBV) and considering the use of internally available resources at organizations for the maintenance of a competitive edge by means of differentiation, this research evaluates the relation between innovative capacity and economic and financial performance in Brazilian companies. The sample was made up of companies listed on the BM&FBovespa which were considered innovative according to the IBI. The variables of innovative capacity collected from 2005 to 2008 PINTECs and performance by means of Economática® were submitted to an analysis of regression and correlation. Results indicate that economic (ROA) and operational (EBITDA/Total Active) performances are not significantly influenced by innovative capacity. However, when one breaks innovative capacity down to its components (product innovation, organizational process and marketing), a positive influence of product innovation is observed on both performances.  On the other hand, value performance (MVA) is influenced positively and significantly by innovative capacity. These results hint at better accounting results when companies innovate in products and greater generation of market value when they display a diversified portfolio of innovation, that is, greater innovative capacity. One cannot, however, neglect the innovations in organizational process and marketing. There is little relation between these innovations, perceptible inside companies, and performance and that might be due to different innovative strategies adopted for the benefit of each company’s main objective.