Inovação em produtos nas micro e pequenas empresas: ações e barreiras à luz dos consumidores da Base da Pirâmide

Abstract

Most of the studies on innovation in product development for consumers at the Base of the Socio-Economic Pyramid (BOP) have focused on large or multinational companies. However, Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) are also important protagonists for the economic and social development of a region, especially those that take on the challenge of producing and supplying BOP. These MSEs face scarcer sources for innovation and competition from multinationals or large corporations but they still need to remain competitive. Given this perspective, the objective of this thesis was to define a set of actions in innovation, for MSEs, in the light of the consumers of BOP. To do so, a multicriteria model for decision making was elaborated with the aid of a non-probabilistic hybrid mathematical tool called Fuzzy Analytic Hierarchy Process (FAHP). As a research method, the built-in multiple case study was used. The research is characterized as exploratory and descriptive and with a qualitative approach. The field work was conducted in 25 MPEs of distinct segments of the food sector, located in the state of Rio Grande do Sul. As a result, besides the survey of the set of actions, the data point out that there is market potential in front of BOP consumers. Although, there are points of divergence about the involved literature. In addition, the main results indicate that the fragility and the difficulty in the development of products and the proposal of actions in innovations increase according to the levels of financial vulnerability within the BOP context. However, it is clear that small businesses, in this context, can collaborate with economic and social development by providing products that meet their needs and generate jobs and income.