INNOVATION RESULTS AND CUSTOMER KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT IN M�XICO

Abstract

Innovation in different Stages (INNOVS) is considered an important driver to create and increase the competitive advantage (OECD, 2005; White and Bruton, 2011; INSEAD, 2013; Dussauge et al, 1992; Hill and Jones, 2011). Bon the other hand, Knowledge management today is considered a real factor for improving innovation in the firms (OECD, 2003; Canibano, et. al., 1999). Moreover, recent research (Gibbert, et al., 2002; Gebert et al. 2013) shows that driving the knowledge in the sense to obtain more precise information: for, from and about of the customers, the firms are more likely to sense emerging market opportunities before their competitors; this is called Customer Knowledge Management (CKM); so the question is: how can innovation results or outcome items (IOIT as a stage of INNOVS), be improved by customer knowledge? As a hypothesis we proposed: given the CKM importance, this is present in at least on 50% of the variability of IOIT or innovation results. This paper is aimed to resolve this; we proposed a conceptual model applied to the total population: 200 CEOs of the software developer sector in Guadalajara City, Jalisco, Mexico (SDSGC). This model involves 4 independent variables/12 Dimensions/33 indicators from CKM with INNOVS that involves 6 independent variables/ 33 Dimensions/77 indicators. With this, we demonstrated the validity of the questionnaire what was designed on the Likert scale. After this, a pilot questionnaire was applied on a sample of 20 CEO as respondents and demonstrated its confidence using Cronbach's alpha for confidence test and running Multiple Regression Analysis (MRA) by Stepwise Method, to prove each variable to contrast. The results obtained, allow us to measure the correlation level between the variables in study to discover CKMADI (CKM as a Driver of Innovation) and CKMS (CKM Support) are influencing the IOIT, between 36.5% and 40.3%. Therefore, this is the importance to integrate and increase them as competitive advantages in the SDSGC.