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Innovation management capabilities in rural and urban knowledge intensive business services: empirical evidence

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Abstract

The purpose of this research involves describing and modelling the innovation management capabilities in effect at knowledge intensive business services (KIBS) firms in addition to identifying the profile of entrepreneurs when classified by location (urban vs. rural) dimensions. Our results show that KIBS innovation capabilities differ according to their location. They also demonstrate that, from the set of dimensions studied, strategy, learning and network were the dimensions that best explained KIBS innovation capabilities by location. Hence, strategy associated factors are the most important with regard to innovation activities ongoing at rural KIBS while the corresponding activities at urban KIBS are driven by factors associated with learning and networking. The study also provides recommendations for entrepreneurs seeking to refine their innovation capabilities.

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  1. NECE – Research Unit, University of Beira Interior, Pólo IV – Edifício Ernesto Cruz, 6200-209, Covilhã, Portugal

    Cristina Fernandes

  2. Department of Management and Economics and NECE – Research Unit, University of Beira Interior (UBI), Pólo IV – Edifício Ernesto Cruz, 6200-209, Covilhã, Portugal

    João J. Ferreira

  3. Department of Economics, Sociology and Management and CETRAD – Research Unit, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD), Av. Almeida de Lucena, 1, 5000-660, Vila Real, Portugal

    Carla S. Marques

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Fernandes, C., Ferreira, J.J. & Marques, C.S. Innovation management capabilities in rural and urban knowledge intensive business services: empirical evidence. Serv Bus 9, 233–256 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11628-013-0225-7

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