ABSTRACT

Like much of SMEs research, innovation studies of small enterprises have commenced later and are less numerous. The focus of such studies remains high-technology enterprises, which continue to attract both academic and popular interest, oblivious to the innovative endeavours of people in traditional low-tech industries.

This book attempts to address this imbalance through a comprehensive analysis of innovation in this largely neglected area. Based on case studies of seven small innovative food companies, this book presents an in-depth analysis of innovation in the Scottish food and drinks industry and unravels a lesser-known approach to effective low-cost product innovation, which is simple and economical, yet elegant and successful.

Using careful data collection and rigorous statistical testing, the analysis and findings in this book address a wide spectrum of interests: academics in business schools, policy makers in governments and executives and entrepreneurs in food and other low-technology sectors.

chapter 1|9 pages

Innovation and new product development in the food industry

An overview of international research

chapter 2|26 pages

Business innovation

Meaning, antecedents, process and consequences

chapter 3|11 pages

Methodology

chapter 4|7 pages

Context of study I

chapter 5|12 pages

Context of study II

chapter 6|37 pages

Innovation in case study companies

chapter 7|31 pages

New product development in Scotland

A survey

chapter 8|19 pages

Conclusions and implications

chapter 9|5 pages

Research findings and extant literature

Congruence, conflict and implications