The implementation of the innovation management system in Cuban organizations is a policy of the country to place the socialist state enterprise in competitive conditions at the national and international level. Although there is an adequate theoretical framework, it is a challenge they must overcome and for which they are often not prepared. The work presents the analysis of the information collected on the subject in a sample of organizations in the province of Cienfuegos and has allowed to identify, in an exploratory study, the components that probably, with greater difficulty, are manifested in the implementation of the system of innovation.
Introduction
Innovation is a process that aims to change the inertial state of many company systems, it demands a change in mentality, up-to-date knowledge and making decisions regarding investing time and resources. It does not occur spontaneously, it has to be an integral part of any company's strategy and the basis of its development programs.
Innovation can manifest itself in many ways, through the development of new organizational concepts, new means of distribution, marketing or design, and through new or improved processes, products and services. The basis of these innovations is the economically and socially useful use of knowledge and technologies. All these modalities currently play a decisive role in economic and social processes and especially in ways of generating value with human work, which is the common objective of any organization and especially of companies.
According to Castro Díaz-Balart (2001), the management of technological innovation encompasses both the idea of technological change and social change within the company and, in this sense, refers to an interactive evolution in which the company pushes technology in its initial stages, to later be pushed by technology.
The innovation management process, whether in production or in services, takes into account all kinds of innovation: technological, in organizational methods, in the training of human resources and in the management methods themselves. Generally, some contain others and are totally interrelated.
This issue has been treated by other authors in the national context, such as the one presented by Delgado (2009) who applies a methodology for the evaluation of technological innovation in Cuba, mainly in companies based in the Havana provinces, where it is valued that the Organizational innovations that occur most in companies in the productive sector are those related to the design, implementation and certification of quality systems, the application of advanced management techniques and significant changes in organizational structures. The least important is the implementation of a new orientation in the company. Regarding the level of business innovation and the culture of innovation, he considers that work should be done to improve these processes.
Caballero et al. (2005) propose a systemic approach to business innovation through a model that allows implementing innovation management in companies inserted in the Business Improvement System, according to the criteria established in Decree Law No. 187/1998 Bases General Business Improvement. The authors conclude that it is necessary to work on its practical implementation, from the perspective of planning, motivation and assurance of resources to obtain practical results.
Castro (2006) proposes a methodological guide to order scientific, technological and environmental management in Cuban companies. Its objective is the design and implementation of these systems with a customer focus and defines a system of indicators to measure the effectiveness of the system based on the market.
In the consulted works of Cuban authors, the criteria and requirements of the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment have been taken as foundations, as the governing body in the country on these issues, among which the Bases for the Improvement and Development of Innovation (2004), which establishes five mandatory evaluation areas, defines evaluation indicators and categorizes the company into three stages: aspiring innovative company, developing company and non-developing company.
In a more up-to-date way, the Regulation for the Granting of the Status of Innovative Entity of the Republic of Cuba in 2007 is drawn up, which is in line with the provisions of Decree No. 281/2007 Regulation for the implementation and consolidation of the system of direction and state business management, Chapter IX. Innovation Management System that is mandatory for companies approved in Business Improvement.
Within this same topic, there are the established indications for the elaboration of the generalization plan according to Resolution 23/2000 Norms for the Organization, Planning and Control of the Generalization Processes of Scientific-Technical Results, of CITMA, as part of the Science and Innovation Plan of the company.
Management System for Innovation in Companies in Business Improvement
In the referenced works, it is evident that although there is an adequate theoretical framework for work in Cuban organizations, the main difficulty focuses on the implementation of the innovation management system, which for companies in Business Improvement is one of the challenges that they must overcome and for which, on many occasions, they are not prepared.
For the application of the provisions of Chapter IX. Innovation Management System, Article 500 of Decree No. 281/2007 Regulation for the implementation and consolidation of the state business management and management system, six stages are established, which are defined in detail in this decree and are listed below.:
• Diagnosis of the state of innovation and technology of the company.
• Design of the management system.
• Monitoring of the process.
• Execution and commissioning of the system.
• Carrying out research, development and generalization.
• Development and commercialization of proprietary technologies.
From the information collected in a sample of nine organizations in the territory, it is valued that the innovation management system is partially implemented in these organizations, with better results in those that have developed a certain culture on the subject, fundamentally linked to the movement of innovation. Science and Technology Forum, the National Association of Innovators and Rationalizers (ANIR), the Youth Technical Brigades (BTJ) and the Generalization Plans established by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment (CITMA).
In general, there are organizational improvement action plans as a result of audits and controls, which, although they do not have an innovation management approach, their results are related to continuous improvement. Periodically, control actions are carried out in scientific-technical activities by government control groups and by CITMA in the province.
In companies that are implementing or are in the process of implementing the quality management, environmental management and occupational health safety management systems, among others, the preparation for the implementation of the innovation management system is facilitated, since there is a culture in the organization to work with the requirements of these systems.
No evidence was found that, in general, innovation is effectively integrated into the business strategy and constitutes the basis of its development programs, as well as that the strategic objectives of innovation are defined, to contribute to the fulfillment of the mission, vision, values and policies.
In the projection and feasibility studies for the execution of basic investments in the main technologies for the production of goods and services, the domain that exists in organizations of what is regulated by Resolution No. 91/2006 Indications for the Process is insufficient Investor of the Ministry of Economy and Planning, mandatory in the country.
The most important technological innovations developed in recent years in companies in the territory have been fundamentally aimed at maintaining strategic productions, such as energy, where incremental and radical improvements have been made in manufacturing technologies, which generally require investment. large. In most companies in the Business Improvement process, innovations have focused on small improvements and incremental improvements, with emphasis on the implementation of quality management systems, the occupational health and safety system and the environmental management among others.
The companies have a documented system for the use and maintenance of technology, with a greater or lesser degree of completion. In complying with this requirement, the implementation of the Quality Management Systems documentation has played a decisive role, however it is necessary to improve the management of the measurement systems (NC-ISO 10012: 2007) and the requirements established by the legal metrology, as regulated in the General Provisions ONN-DG01 / 2003 and ONN-5 DG / 2003.
The movement of the Science and Technology Forum as a way to disseminate technical scientific results in companies remains in force, but the work carried out by ANIR and the Youth Technical Brigades has decreased, which must be taken into account in organizations to stimulate work at the base and among young workers.
There is not full control over the importance of industrial property, copyright and its application to management in organizations. They have been formally implemented in some of the entities, through consulting with entities that provide these services, but generally the specialist who attends to him is not prepared in the management of these activities, his essential function being that of coordinator with the representatives in the province of the Cuban Office of Industrial Property and the Copyright Center.
The companies do not have instrumented indicators that assess the economic results of innovation management, especially those indicated in Decree No. 281/2007, Article 506, to companies in Business Improvement. It is necessary to study how they can be applied, in accordance with the requirements of the accounting standards in force in the country.
The measurement and evaluation of the impact of innovation in companies is not part of the organizational culture, it does not take into account the sales levels of products and services related to innovation and how innovation affects product quality and new market opportunities, which are also manifested in the implementation of management systems resulting from business innovations, but their effectiveness is not evaluated in the environment where they are inserted.
The surveillance and technological prospects for making technological decisions and the plan for introducing results are practically unknown, there are only some isolated results, with the loss of competences in relation to publications, participation in events, fairs, etc. In general, the plan for introducing the results is closely linked to the movement of the Forum and the bank of problems of each organization and it is difficult to identify it within the organization's documentation.
The Generalization Plan is systematically required by CITMA and periodically controlled by the Board of Directors, but the selection and dissemination of the results to be generalized and the allocation of the financing that must be planned for its execution is insufficient. The statistical control established for this Plan by CITMA does not flow adequately and becomes a stage that hinders management in the organizations involved.
44% of the organizations analyzed have evaluated the management of the implementation of Bien's innovation management system, but the results are not totally satisfactory, according to the evaluations of each of the elements carried out in this work. It is necessary to point out that among those evaluated for Good, there are those that have managed to certify or endorse management systems such as quality, health and safety and that of the environment, which have allowed them to advance in the general culture of the organization and in training of these values in managers and workers.
Conclusions
In this work, the elements of the innovation management system that have encountered the greatest difficulties in their implementation in the valued organizations are identified, such as those linked to organizational strategy, the implementation of other management systems, financing of innovations, industrial property and copyright, economic and social impact indicators, technological surveillance and generalization.
The movement of the Science and Technology Forum and associations such as the National Association of Inventors and Rationalizers (ANIR), the Youth Technical Brigades (BTJ) and those of each organization, such as the National Association of Economists of Cuba (ANEC) and the National Union of Architects and Construction Engineers of Cuba (UNAICC), to name a few, have promoted innovation management, but it is necessary to structure this system within the macro organizational system for it to be implemented.
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