INNOVATION POTENTIAL AND ACTUAL INNOVATIVENESS IN ENTERPRISES

Svet v katerem živimo se nenehno spreminja in zahteva od nas posameznikov ter posredno od organizacij, ki nas obdajajo stalno prilagajanje. V kolikor želimo biti uspešni, izstopati in dolgoročno obstati v tem turbulentnem okolju pa samo prilagajanje ni dovolj. Postati moramo inovativni. Organizacije v okviru katerih delamo morajo biti inovativne. Mirko Markič (2004) povezuje inoviranje s procesi pridobivanja česarkoli novega, kar z reševanjem problemov postane koristno. Inovacije imajo v današnjem času ogromen vpliv na kvaliteto življenja ljudi. V magistrskem delu smo na nivoju mikro, malih in srednje velikih podjetij dokazal, da so inovativnost, inovacijski potencial, poslovna uspešnost in konkurenčnost pozitivno povezani. Tako lahko trdimo, da je inoviranje v sodobnem gospodarstvu tudi na nivoju MSP ključno za poslovni uspeh podjetij. Brez inoviranja je skoraj nemogoče dokazati dolgoročnega obstoja podjetij, v nobenem primeru pa ne zagotoviti uspešnega poslovanja podjetij. Po drugi strani pa smo prišli do spoznanja, da so mlada visoko inovativna podjetja tudi rizično bolj tvegana in imajo tako kot po eni strani potencial visoke rasti in uspeha, po drugi strani večjo možnost neuspeha. Naloga tudi potrjuje, da je področje inovativnosti v mikro, malih in srednje velikih podjetjih izjemno težko raziskovati, kar pa pomeni, da tudi težje strukturirati ter kot tako managirati. Eno temeljnih načel managementa je, da zaposlene vodi z lastnim zgledom. To se je pri mikro in malih podjetjih pokazalo za ključno, saj vodstvo skozi zgled in delovanje prenaša inovacijsko kulturo na zaposlene, čeprav podjetje zaradi svoje premajhnosti v strukturi ne izkazuje oz. ne more izkazovati inovacijske organiziranosti. V nalogi analiziramo podatke slovenskih mikro malih in srednje velikih podjtij na področju inovativnosti in inovacijskega potenciala. Gre za razširitev projekta I3SME, kjer smo v letu 2009 analizirali 802 podjetij Nemčije, Italije, Avstrije, Madžarske, Poljske in Slovenije. Rezultatom, ki jih je takrat podal mednarodni projekt smo z ponovnim anketiranjem slovenskega dela podjetij dodali longitudinalno komponento in tako ugotavljali, kaj se z podjetji, ki so tako ali drugače ocenjeni na področju inovativnosti dogaja dolgoročno in kakšni pogod podatki ob ponovitvi raziskave čez določeno časovno obdobje. Magistrska naloga je dokazala, da je tako inovativnost kot tudi inovacijski potencial možno meriti tudi v malih in srednje velikih podjetjih. Prvič je dala jasen vpogled v enega od modelov merjenja inovativnosti v MSP, kar do zdaj ni bilo tako odkrito prikazano. Odgovori podjetij so potrdili zastavljene hipoteze magistrske naloge.World in shich we live is constatly changing and requires of us individuals and aslo through organizations that surriund us constatly adapting. If we want to be successful, to stand out and be long-term in this turbuletn enviroment only adjustment is not enough. We need to become innovative. Organizations within which we work must be innovative. For Mirko Markič (2004), innovating is linked with the processes of acquiring anything new, that by resolving problems becomes beneficial. Nowadays innovations have a significant impact on the quality of human life. In the present master’s thesis we demonstrated that innovativeness, innovative potential, business successfulness and competitiveness on the level of micro, small and middle sized companies are positively linked. We can therefore claim that innovating in modern economy is key for business success of companies also on the SME level. Without innovating it is almost impossible to assure the long-term existence of businesses and in no case able to ensure successful operation of companies. On the other hand we have noted that young highly innovative businesses are also more risky and have a chance of both the potential for higher growth and success on one side and even more so of failure on the other. This thesis also confirms that the field of innovativeness in micro, small and middle sized businesses is very difficult to research, which also means that it is harder to structure and manage. One of the basic principles of management is to lead your employees by your own example. This proved to be key in micro and small companies, since management leads by their own example and work, thusly transfers the culture of innovation on the employees, even if the business due to its smallness in structure cannot display the innovative organization. In the thesis we have analyzed the data from the Slovenian micro, small and medium-sized enterprised in the field of innovation adn innovation potential. It is an extension of the project I3SME, where in 2009 we analyzed 802 companies from Germany, Italy, Austria, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia. The results of which are then delivered in international project was with re-interview of the Slovenian part of companies addopted to the longitudinal component to get results of business enterprises over time in comparison to their evaluation to their innovativeness and innovation potential. This master’s thesis proved that both innovativeness and innovative potential can be measured also in small and middle sized businesses. For the first time we have a clear insight into one of the models for innovativeness measurement in SME, which, until now, had not yet been candidly presented. Survey responses from contributing companies confirmed set hypotheses of the master’s thesis