Aprendizagem e inovação nas pequenas empresas : um estudo multicasos no arranjo produtivo local do setor do vestuário de Cianorte-PR

Abstract

In company clusters, the proximity between the agents in a common socioeconomic context can facilitate relationships among companies and between those companies and other actors (clients, suppliers, universities, associations, etc.), creating spaces for the exchange of knowledge and information, and fomenting the learning process. This process is intertemporal and cumulative, helping to enable those companies to incorporate innovations. In view of this context, the main objective of this work was to ascertain whether the different forms of learning (learning by using, learning by doing, and learning by interacting) contribute to the introduction of innovations (commercial, organizational, institutional and technological) by the small companies inserted in production clusters. We hypothesize that learning by interaction is the form that most favors the introduction of innovations on the part of small companies inserted in production clusters. This research is qualitative; hence, it is an exploratory study. The focus of our analysis is the case of the garment sector s LPC (local production cluster) in Cianorte, state of Paraná, Brazil. To achieve the proposed objective, a multicase study was made of four garment producers established in this city. The data collection technique consisted of a bibliographic review, documental analyses, notes taken at meetings of the Cianorte LPC, and nonstructured interviews with employees of the four companies whose activities involved the adoption of innovations. Our findings do not confirm the initial hypothesis, indicating, instead, that learning by using contributes the most toward the introduction of innovations. Moreover, learning by interaction could represent a greater contribution if the local businessmen were to engage in joint actions aimed at achieving collective gains for the cluster.