Organizational learning capacity of startups in Northeast Brazil

Abstract

PurposeThis empirical and exploratory study analyzed the role of interaction with the innovation environment and of the organizational learning capacity (OLC) development stage in startups in Northeast Brazil based on the perception of managers of these companies.Design/methodology/approachThis was a quantitative study. Questionnaires were sent electronically to the managers of startups in the nine states of Northeast Brazil. A total of 54 managers participated, composing a non-probabilistic sample. The data collected were analyzed by multiple linear regressions.FindingsThe results obtained seek to evidence whether the interaction of startups in Northeast Brazil with the startup ecosystem and the development stage in which these companies are found are associated with OLC. The results confirmed the hypothesis that higher startup development stages are positively associated with higher levels of OLC in the sample. A negative association was identified between the manufacturing startup type and the OLC level, and the level of interaction with the innovation environment was still infrequent.Research limitations/implicationsThis study contributes to the literature on the determinants of organizational learning and to startup managers who wish to more effectively promote this learning. Implications of the findings are discussed.Practical implicationsThis study contributes to the literature on the determinants of organizational learning and to startup managers who wish to more effectively promote this learning. Implications of the findings are discussed.Originality/valueStudies on Brazilian startups are still relatively scarce, especially studies that focus on learning capacity. No other studies addressing the hypotheses tested here were found.

The role of entrepreneurial orientation, organizational learning capability and service innovation in organizational performance

“…Learning Capability is a learning potential intrinsic to the knowledge and skills of professionals and managers in the processes/practices used in the organization, which can provide learningsuch as the evaluation of strategies, results and so on. Organizational Learning Capability (OLC) is a facilitator of learning (Goh & Richards, 1997;Gonzaga, Figueiredo, Souza & Passos, 2020), and innovation (Alegre & Chiva, 2008;Gomes, Seman & De Montreuil, 2020). It is a knowledge-based capacity that involves elements that boost production processes, including the search for information and the development of new knowledge on products, processes and services (Huang & Wang, 2011;Gomes & Wojahn, 2017), resulting in practices and skills that stimulate innovation.…”

The abdutive logic intrinsic to startup development: the relationship between abduction and lean startup / A lógica abdutiva intrínseca ao desenvolvimento de startups: as relações entre abdução e startup enxuta

“…To avoid the mishaps of business management and obtain growth, startups, in general, go through peculiar life stages and researchers propose several nomenclatures for the life stages Brazilian Journal of Development, Curitiba, v.8, n.1, p. 8341-8353 jan. 2022. of startups. Gonzaga, Figueiredo, Souza and Passos (2020) compiled several understandings and researches that converge in ideas, but diverge in nomenclatures, thus presenting three stages of the life cycle of startups: formation, validation and growth. Afrânio (2015) in turn also elucidates the divergence of the management models of startups and "traditional" organizations, arguing that the basis for the formation of the business model of a startup begins from the testing of hypotheses.…”

“…Along these lines, there are those that have explored this theme, such as the learning alliances verified by Perez, Whitelock and Florin (2013), who discussed the positive impact of the exchange of information between large organizations and startups. Gonzaga et al (2020) Through these studies it is possible to establish a main point for the existence of startups: they have the need to learn as quickly as possible (Afrânio, 2015;Ries, 2019), which can be interpreted through a perspective of searching for the best probable truth. Startups, organizations that seek to launch themselves into the market quickly to get feedback and thus refine their vision, product, or service, get more learning as they develop into a more feasible solution (Ahluwalia;Mahto & Guerrero, 2020).…”

Orchestrating frugal eco-innovation: the plethora of challenges and diagnostics in lean startups of emerging economies

“…Thus, extending the research of Kerr and Nanda (2015) on the role of financing policies on innovation, this paper suggests redesigning bank and other financial institution's policies customised to new startups' requirements. Following the inquiry of challenges to frugal eco-innovative startups at the market level, this study suggests redesigning the business ecosystem (Gonzaga, Figueiredo, da Cruz Souza, & Passos, 2020) along with providing skilled labour and education for reading market trends. The study further explores that lack of willingness by Emerging economies partner organisations and over-estimations of profits by new startups add to the marketbased challenges that negatively influence the durability of frugal eco-innovative startups.…”