فن آوری مبتنی بر استراتژی های رقابتی : رابطه ابعاد فرهنگی با نوآوری محصول جدید

This study investigated the influence of national cultural dimensions on new product innovation. Samples drawn from the US and Belgium were analyzed and contrasted. The Belgium sample exhibited higher Power Distance (POWDIS), higher Uncertainty Avoidance (UNCAVD), and higher Masculinity (MASC) in comparison to the US sample. Belgium executives also reported greater satisfaction with the level of new product innovations than the US executives. However, quantitative measures of innovation in the US were higher. A combination of high POWDIS and an emphasis on Organization System (ORGSYS) that supported innovation was found to have the greatest explanatory power for new product innovations.

Increasing globalization, faster rates of technological change, and rapid diffusion of technology drive today's business environment Barlett & Ghoshal, 2000 and Hitt et al., 2001. As even small high-technology firms move farther into the international arena, the impact of national culture on the firms' success in worldwide markets is more often questioned. A number of authors have reported that national culture influenced innovation levels Ettlie et al., 1993, Kedia et al., 1992 and Shane, 1993. This study utilizes a model of strategic capability to explore the impact of national culture on new product innovation by examining and contrasting firms in Belgium and in the US.

This study examined the impact of National Culture Dimensions on new product innovations and produced decidedly surprising results. The strong positive relationship between New Product Innovation and the interaction of POWDIS (Cultural Dimension) and ORGSYS (Value-Creation Triad) was not predicted. However, in today's business environment with increasing rates of technological change and diffusion, such a relationship may be understandable. ORGSYS that create capabilities linking assets to innovate new products represent a source of competitive advantage. Coupled with high POWDIS and strong direction from SRLDR, firms may develop a powerful combination of intangible resources in today's dynamic technological environment. The higher levels of self-reported New Product Innovation along with high UNCAVD within Belgium contradicted previous theory and research. However, the lower APMP issued to residents in Belgium was consistent with previous research and theory. Nevertheless, new technology was available in Belgium as evidenced by the executives' perceptions and the high level of total patents issued. This study extends the resource-based theory of the firm by illuminating the organization roles of different types of assets and the role of ORGSYS in linking those assets to form strategic capabilities. This study in an international setting furthers our understanding of the impact of National Cultural Dimensions on the relationship of the Value-Creation Triad with firm performance, particularly New Product Innovations. In the today's global economy, firms and regions are no longer constrained to new innovations and technologies that are internally developed. Strong ORGSYS and SRLDR may be critical to rapidly mobilizing the capability of a firm's HA to use science and technology to produce value-added products. Future research should study the conditions and situations in which high POWDIS practices make the greatest contribution to the success of high-technology firms. POWDIS as related to the characteristics of the ORGSYS and the manner in which R&D decisions are made could provide insights for optimizing new product innovation. High-technology management theory and research will also need to continue to investigate the impact of cultural dimensions on the manner in which firms increase their capacity to attract and absorb emerging technologies developed in other parts of the global economy.