Inovação em recursos naturais: acumulação de capacidade em uma empresa de mineração no Brasil (1994-2008)
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2009
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Figueiredo, Paulo N.
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Over the past 40 years there has been a profusion of studies on the accumulation of technological capacities in firms from emerging economies. However, there are few studies that examine, on a combined basis and through a dynamic perspective, the relationship between the trajectories of the accumulation of technological capacities and underlying learning mechanisms. There are even fewer studies that examine this relationship in firms in the natural resource-processing industry. The interest in examining the focus of this study in the natural resource-processing industry is to offer an alternative vision to some authors that refer to this industry as 'mature', with 'Iow technology', mere 'commodities' producers or at the 'end of the innovation line'. Thus, this study defends that technological innovations are very present in natural resource-processing firms, especially in mining firms. Seeking to contribute to cover these gaps found in international literature, this dissertation examines these issues, through analytical frameworks available in internationalliterature and adapted for this dissertation's context. The analytical framework applied to examine the accumulation of technological capabilities identifies the capabilities for the technological functions of processes and production organization. In order to examine the technological capabilities' sources, this dissertation uses a framework to inspect intra-firm learning strategies, breaking down the learning process and analyzing the externaI and internaI knowledge acquisition, knowledge socialization, and knowledge codification. These strategies are examined focusing on its key features: variety, intensity and functioning. This set of relationships is examined through a single and a long-term (1994-2008) case study in a natural resource-processing firm (copper mining) in Brazil. Based on first-hand quantitative and qualitative empiric evidence, gathered through extensive field research, it has been ascertained that: 1. The firm accumulated innovative capacity in processes and production organization at an Intermediate Innovative Levei, meaning that the firm promotes the systematic expansion of the capacity through the manipulation of the process key parameters. It was also verified that the firm has the potential to reach the Advanced Innovative Levei due to its copper-sulfate bioleaching project. This leveI was not achieved because by the end of this dissertation the projects' commercial application still had not been proven successfully. 2. The various learning processes and mechanisms have played a crucial role on the accumulation, in this levei, of innovative capacity. Specifically, the gradual incidence and manner in which these learning mechanisms were created and managed in the firm contributed decisively to create a knowledge basis that allowed the firm to develop the capacities for both production and innovation activities. Nevertheless, the evidences also suggest that these very types of mechanisms are not enough for the firm to accumulate capacities beyond the reached leveI. Thus, the attainment of more sophisticated innovation leveis implies in the adoption of more complex learning mechanisms. Naturally, other factors such as enterprise leadership behavior have also contributed to the accumulation of these capacities, even though this issue has been examined here in a superficial manner. The study contributes to demonstrate that iffirms ofthis nature objectify to accumulate innovative leveis of technological capacity and, with them, obtain greater competitive performance, robust learning strategies will have to be drawn up. Finally, the study shines a light on the understanding ofthe innovation process in natural resource-processing firms, sectors of great importance to countries rich in natural resources, such as Brazil.