Sources of Knowledge and Innovation in Bolivian Companies

Abstract

This research examines the relationship between knowledge sources and product and process innovation in Bolivian companies. It is quantitative, cross-sectional and non-experimental, and the data is taken from the Bolivian National Innovation Survey. The theoretical implications of the research are that the results show that in Bolivia, product innovation is related to knowledge that comes from internal sources to the company, the parent company or companies in the business group, clients and commercial laboratories or R&D laboratories, while process innovation is related to knowledge that comes from internal sources to the company, the parent company or companies in the business group, suppliers, which contributes with evidence on companies in developing countries, which is scarce. It also has practical implications since administrators and managers of companies in developing countries can direct their companies to use these sources of knowledge that lead to innovation, and public agencies can design public policies to improve the innovative potential of companies.