Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are pushed to introduce new technologies due to different requirements and changes in the business setting. The SMEs' transformation to exploit new technologies is challenging given their lack of resources and the complexity of technological transformation, which encompasses technology assimilation and business model innovation (BMI). Although studies recognize the complementarity of technology assimilation and BMI for benefiting from technology, the literature is fragmented, and the technological transformation phenomenon remains abstract, especially in the SMEs' context. To improve understanding of technological transformation in SMEs, a systematic literature review was performed on 165 peer-reviewed papers published from 1999 to 2022, building upon BMI and technology assimilation constructs. The descriptive analysis outlines the field's evolution in terms of research and technological trends. The content analysis shows that: most papers focus on factors; the literature falls short of providing theoretical conceptualization and guidelines for the technological transformation process; only a few studies are dedicated to assessing the outcomes of technological transformation in SMEs; and the papers suggest that SMEs present a low transformation level. Finally, we inductively built a framework for technological transformation and suggest five research avenues.
Uma revisão de literatura sobre inovação relacionada a sistemas produto-serviço O desafio de constantes mudanças no ambiente de negócios, no crescimento populacional, bem como nas alterações na legislação e nos padrões de consumo conduzem as empresas a buscarem soluções mais sustentáveis e que atendam às necessidades cada vez mais específicas dos consumidores. Abordagens denominadas como Sistemas Produto-Serviço (Product-service Systems-PSS) têm sido consideradas como uma resposta inovadora a esse desafio, por apresentarem soluções completas, com produtos físicos e serviços que trazem benefícios aos consumidores e fornecedores, ao mesmo tempo em que otimizam recursos e mitigam impactos ambientais. A partir de uma revisão sistemática da literatura, aspectos relevantes sobre a inovação de sistemas tradicionais para modelos PSS são apresentados e discutidos. Tais aspectos compreendem os métodos de transição para PSS, fatores que influenciam na transição, métodos para avaliação do PSS, bem como os facilitadores a sua implementação. Os resultados demonstram fatores indispensáveis para implementação do PSS, tais como: compreensão dos conceitos do PSS, participação dos diversos stakeholders, organização interna com conhecimento de serviços e inserção da dimensão social. Finalmente, são apresentadas sugestões para trabalhos futuros, a partir das lacunas de pesquisa identificadas e limitações dos estudos existentes. Palavras-chave: Revisão de literatura. Sistema produto-serviço. PSS. Inovação. The constant change in the business environment, population growth, changes in the legislation and consumption patterns, lead companies to seek more sustainable solutions that meet the increasingly specific needs of consumers. Approaches known as Product-Service Systems (PSS) have been considered an innovative response to this challenge by presenting complete solutions, with physical products and services that bring benefits to consumers and suppliers, while optimizing resources and mitigating environmental impacts. From a systematic literature review, relevant issues of innovation related to the transition from traditional systems to PSS models are presented and discussed. These issues include the transition methods for PSS, factors that influence the transition, methods for evaluation of PSS and facilitating factors for the PSS implementation. The results present essential factors for the PSS implementation, such as the understanding of PSS concepts, the participation of various stakeholders, the internal organization with knowledge related to services, and the adoption of the social dimension. Finally, the paper presents suggestions for future work, based on the identified research gaps and limitations of the existing studies.
The EU agri-food sector, which is mainly composed of small and medium-sized enterprises has become more demanding in terms of technological inputs to reduce costs, improve the added value of food products, achieve sustainability issues, or address new market opportunities. The introduction of new technologies poses challenges for SMEs that lack the resources and time to cope with the technological transformation, which involves not only the assimilation of new technology in organizational processes but also business model innovation. In this context, this research aims to empirically explore the paths of agri-food SMEs engaged in the technological transformation process, based on the drivers and barriers, as well as the strategies used by these companies to overcome these barriers. In-depth semi-structured interviews with 14 EU agri-food SMEs were conducted and analysed using a combination of deductive pattern-matching and inductive approach. Based on similarities in terms of drivers, barriers, and strategies, seven main groups were identified to draw the paths of the technological transformation process for agri-food SMEs. Findings reveal that there is one common strategy that is adopted by all 14 companies, namely the employment of different types of partnerships and collaborations that allow companies to successfully enter new markets. The study contributes to the literature on technology transformation related to the agri-food sector, by proving insights into how EU agri-food SMEs cope with this process.
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