Relação entre inovação e empreendedorismo: a percepção dos microempreendedores individuais na cidade de Juiz de Fora - MG

Abstract

The knowledge society has characteristics that distinguish it from other moments in the history of civilization. Innovative work and intellectual capital are increasingly valued, and technologies are taking over and changing the ways people produce and consume. Disputes for formal jobs are intensifying, leaving people to look for different alternatives to earn income. In this dissertation we chose to explore the entrepreneurship framework in its individual form, seeking to link it to the innovative process, understood broadly, that is, from technological innovation to process and management innovation. Therefore, the central objective of this work is to identify and understand the factors that impact individual microentrepreneurs (MEIs) to have innovation as a business strategy from the perspective of these individuals. The theoretical framework is structured into three parts: 1) Knowledge Society; 2) Innovation and the Field of Organizations and 3) MEI and Entrepreneurship. To achieve the main objective, the theory covered subjects such as the knowledge society, innovation and organizations, and entrepreneurship. The methodology was based on exploratory research, of a qualitative nature, using the focus group technique and personal interviews, seeking to identify how individual microentrepreneurs perceive innovation in their businesses. The content analysis of the focus group and interviews reveals that the responding individual microentrepreneurs have a variable degree of knowledge about the dynamics of innovation and its processes, as well as linking it to the competitiveness of their businesses. For MEIs, there is a relationship between innovation and the development of their activities, whether selling goods or providing services. The data obtained in this research indicate similarities between the perspective of the responding entrepreneurs and the Schumpeterian theory, which places the innovative entrepreneur as one of the drivers of economic development. For future research, you can increase the number of respondents, combine qualitative research with quantitative methods such as surveys and/or choose a specific line of business.