Journal of Management Research

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Innovation and Competitiveness in Construction Companies


Affiliations
1 School of Civil Engineering Universidad Politecnica de Valencia Camino de Vera, s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
2 ICITECH Universidad Politecnica de Valencia Camino de Vera, s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
3 Department of Business Management Universidad Politecnica de Valencia Camino de Vera, s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
     

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Today's global economy demands that every organization invest in R&D. This is especially true in the construction industry given the current gap in R&D compared to other sectors, which in turn affects the competitiveness of the industry. In this study, innovation and competitiveness of a typical Spanish company are analyzed from two perspectives: internal and external. The internal analysis is based on direct observation over a twelve-month period, and includes interviews with the managerial personnel. The external analysis focuses on the construction market and its influence on the company. From this study, conclusions are drawn to strategically improve competitiveness in construction companies through R&D. A change in the business culture of construction companies is essential, namely one initiated by leaders in the sector. Systemization of innovation should be pursued not only through tangible projects, but also through process management.

Keywords

Competitiveness, Construction Companies, Organizational Strategy, R&D, Spain
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  • Innovation and Competitiveness in Construction Companies

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Authors

Eugenio Pellicer
School of Civil Engineering Universidad Politecnica de Valencia Camino de Vera, s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Victor Yepes
ICITECH Universidad Politecnica de Valencia Camino de Vera, s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain
Ronald J. Rojas
Department of Business Management Universidad Politecnica de Valencia Camino de Vera, s/n, 46022 Valencia, Spain

Abstract


Today's global economy demands that every organization invest in R&D. This is especially true in the construction industry given the current gap in R&D compared to other sectors, which in turn affects the competitiveness of the industry. In this study, innovation and competitiveness of a typical Spanish company are analyzed from two perspectives: internal and external. The internal analysis is based on direct observation over a twelve-month period, and includes interviews with the managerial personnel. The external analysis focuses on the construction market and its influence on the company. From this study, conclusions are drawn to strategically improve competitiveness in construction companies through R&D. A change in the business culture of construction companies is essential, namely one initiated by leaders in the sector. Systemization of innovation should be pursued not only through tangible projects, but also through process management.

Keywords


Competitiveness, Construction Companies, Organizational Strategy, R&D, Spain

References