Digital Innovation and Sustainability Capability within SMEs: An empirical study

SPECIAL TRACK INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT COLURCIO-CODINI

Digital Innovation and Sustainability Capability within SMEs: An empirical study

Stefano Denicolai - Giovanna Magnani - Antonella Zucchella

Objectives. Developing capabilities for innovation, digitalization and sustainably practices can put SMEs at serious pressure. With this study, we shed light on the relationship between digital innovation and sustainability capabilities.

Methodology. Thanks to a sample of 1.326 SMEs, we shed light on the relationship between digital innovation and sustainability capabilities.

Findings. We shed light on the relationship between digital innovation and sustainability capabilities. In doing so, we highlight similarities and differences between innovation and digitalization. Furthermore, young firms emerge as those organizations in the position to benefit the most from digital innovation, as a combination of digital and innovation capabilities in achieving sustainable development.

Research limits. Effects of the dynamics we studied on firm performance should be included in the debate. In particular, to appreciate if and how digital innovation feeds all the 3Ps of firm sustainable growth: to that goal, further empirical research will have to adopt a longitudinal perspective

Practical implications. Long-lasting firms need to be guided first in the appraisal of the differences between innovation and digitalization as drivers for sustainable development within SMEs, since they are indeed different in their meanings as well as independent in their effects.

Originality of the study. One of the first studies introducing the concept of Sustainability Capability in the strategic management stream and in studies about SMEs. In doing so, we also lay the foundation for a new stream of research grounded on Innovability with entrepreneurship SMEs grounded on diverse patterns of interaction among organizational capabilities.

#capabilities #Digitalization #innovation #SMEs #Sustainability