Banca de DEFESA: Luiz Fernando Câmara Viana

Uma banca de DEFESA de DOUTORADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : Luiz Fernando Câmara Viana
DATE: 13/12/2023
TIME: 10:00
LOCAL: PPGA
TITLE:

 In the face of a shock: Innovation and regional resilience in an emerging economy

KEY WORDS:

 regional resilience, innovation, shock, Covid-19, adaptability.

PAGES: 185
BIG AREA: Ciências Sociais Aplicadas
AREA: Administração
SUMMARY:

Events causing negative economic effects, such as the 2008–2010 financial crisis, the Covid-19 pandemic, and the conflict in Ukraine, have impacted regional economies and sparked interest in both the antecedent conditions that enable the prediction of regional resilience and the mechanisms activated in response to a shock. In this context, this thesis assessed innovation, both beforehand and in reaction to a shock, in the process of regional resilience. A multi-method research was carried out to accomplish this objective, divided into four interdependent studies. Initially, a scope review went through the Scopus and Web of Science databases and analyzed 48 theoretical-empirical papers using the MaxQDA software and a multiple correspondence analysis supported by R Language packages. Later, a logistic regression verified the relationship between pre-shock innovation proxies and the regional resilience of the 101 most populous Brazilian municipalities regarding the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. Ensuing investigations delved deeper into the mechanisms of reaction to the shock and the contributions of regional actors. The first study is a pilot carried out in the footwear industry cluster of São João Batista, Santa Catarina, with data collected through interviews with a semi-structured script and thematic analysis with thematic saturation. This exploratory-descriptive research has a structural role in the thesis, as it provides the basis for the analysis (sub)categories and conducts the number of participants in the next study. A multiple case study was then performed with the footwear industries of Franca, São Paulo state, and Campina Grande, Paraíba state. In addition to the interviews, this empirical research used secondary data. Furthermore, complementing the thematic analysis, a quantitative content analysis was conducted using the KH Coder software. Taken together, the findings show that there was a narrow view of innovation as a predictor of regional resilience or even a broad view regarding adaptive capacity. They also reveal that pre-shock levels of innovation did not increase the likelihood of resilience in the Brazilian municipalities analyzed, which did not allow the confirmation of the supposed positive association. In addition, a view into the effects of the shock showed that workers, outsourced companies providing parts of the production process and small factories were particularly affected. Specifically in the São João Batista cluster, it also occurred the emigration of skilled workers, informed by real estate rental prices. In the cases analyzed, the reaction included measures of cost containment, status quo preservation, support provision, and incremental innovations. These innovations emerged as an attempt to mitigate the negative effects and provoke economic recovery. However, the response was not symmetrical in the examined cases, demonstrating the occurrence of territory and portfolio effects. These findings have theoretical implications. The thesis shows that innovation is not a sufficient determinant factor of regional resilience, but there are signs of a recursive process between the phenomena, which is a cause of concern for regions in emerging or underdeveloped economies. When a shock happens, the reaction emerges from heterogeneous actions and interactions that oppose the division between moments of absorption and response. In this context, the association proposed is that the adaptability dimension influences resistance and recovery, as well as shapes vulnerability to future events. Moreover, the conclusions of this thesis provide guidelines for developing strategies and public policies to achieve more resilient regions.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externa à Instituição - AURORA CARNEIRO ZEN - UFRGS
Externa à Instituição - ISABEL DIEZ-VIAL
Interno - 1856618 - KARIM MARINI THOME
Interna - 1905467 - PATRICIA GUARNIERI DOS SANTOS
Presidente - ***.987.299-** - VALMIR EMIL HOFFMANN - UNIZAR