Exploring innovating cultures in small and medium-sized enterprises: Findings from Central Switzerland
通过对85家瑞士中部中小企业的访谈，识别出四种不同的创新文化类型，为理解文化在中小企业创新中的作用提供了框架。
To date, knowledge about innovating culture in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) remains a puzzle. In literature, entrepreneurship studies focus primarily on the entrepreneur or founder in start-ups. Most other SME innovation studies deliver a fragmented picture as they investigate singular aspects of innovating culture. Therefore, studies exploring the role of culture in SME innovation holistically are rare. This article presents the findings from a longitudinal study exploring innovating cultures in SMEs. The study applied an explorative research design based upon semi-structured and narrative interviews with those responsible for innovation management in 85 Central Swiss SMEs. From this data, four different SME innovation profiles representing clearly discernible innovating cultures were developed. The findings provide in-depth insights into SME innovation reality, thereby enhancing the understanding of the role of culture in SME innovation and providing a framework for improving innovation management.