ANÁLISIS DEL ÉNFASIS EN LA INNOVACIÓN EN LA IMPLANTACIÓN DEL "MIDDLE-UP-DOWN MANAGEMENT MODEL": UN ESTUDIO EVOLUTIVO EN LAS EMPRESAS MANUFACTURERAS DEL PAÍS VASCO. ASPECTOS METODOLÓGICOS Y EMPÍRICOS (Article published in Spanish)

Abstract

We are at a time when business competitiveness relies upon the development of information and communication technologies, and innovation and people. In the Basque Country, for example, where there are a significant number of manufacturing companies, globalization, delocalization and organizational change processes have forced people to pay special attention to innovation development and knowledge management as foundations for increasing their competitive ability.

This paper presents a study which, from an evolutional point of view, provides an analysis of the influence of the emphasis placed by Basque manufacturing companies on innovation for implementing management systems that encourage the generation of new knowledge. These management systems will be consistent with the proposals by Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995); Nonaka et al. (2003), which are synthesized in the so-called Middle-up-down Management Model.

This analysis started from an important research project by doctors Aramburu, Saenz and Rivera at the University of Deusto in San Sebastian titled "Measuring organizational learning ability and assessing its impact on the financial economic performance of manufacturing companies in the Basque Country (2005). Since the beginning of their research in 2002 they have accomplished significant developments in sensitive issues with regard to the management environment" .

From a conceptual perspective this paper is valuable in that it provides an evolutional review of the current effect of implementing novel management concepts such as those proposed by Nonaka and his collaborators. The verification of the correlation of concepts such as spaces for reflection, knowledge exchange or vision and values with regard to the emphasis on innovation contributes to the improvement of the analysis of these concepts.

The findings of this study show that Basque manufacturing companies that focus on innovation tend to adopt systems that foster organizational learning and knowledge management. These systems enhance after companies go through a significant change process. Despite a comprehensive review, this study does not provide a comparison of the financial economic performance of these companies.