Strategic Posture And Inovation Behavior In SMEs: The Impact of Industry And Firm Contingencies on Type And Relationship
（1．SKEMA Business School, Sophia Antipolis 06902, IAE Aix-en-Provence, France（CERGAM）; 2．Aix-Marseille University,13089 Clos Guiot, Aix en Provence, France）
Abstract:This research, focused on strategy-innovation relationship in manufacturing SMEs, investigates whether industry and firm contingencies, generate specific strategy-innovation alignments. The scope of analysis of this relationship is enhanced to the technical, marketing and organizational dimensions of innovation but also to the source（market or technology-based）and nature（sustained or disruptive）of innovation behavior. To this aim, we use a hybrid model enabling the emergence of contingency-specific combinations of strategic attributes with differentiated innovation attributes. Results support first, the existence of differentiated strategy-innovation alignments, thus, supporting the predictive validity of competitive strategy on firms' innovation behavior. Second, results highlight the influence of distinct but complementary industry specific and firm-specific effects on strategy-innovation relationship, depending on innovation dimensions. Third, from a managerial standpoint, we provide contingencydependent guidance for effective strategic management of innovation in SMEs.
Key words:strategy; innovation; fit; contingency; SMEs