O Ecossistema de Inovação Uberhub: Práticas de gestão e orquestração

Abstract

Innovation Ecosystems (IE) represent contemporary phenomena necessitating in-depth exploration, particularly in relation to the management or governance practices that shape the organizational dynamics of such initiatives. This research endeavors to investigate these practices, employing the Grounded Theory (GT) research strategy to understand the management and orchestration practices within the Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship Ecosystem of Uberlândia (Uberhub) and to propose a substantive theory. Data collection involved 12 in-depth interviews with ecosystem actors conducted between June and August 2023. Post-interview, analytical memoranda were crafted to underpin the construction of the substantive theory. The subsequent analysis of these memoranda revealed four primary categories and their respective properties: 1) Scope of Action and Planning: unearthing endeavors to construct a nascent management or governance model, formulate strategies, and establish indicators for the ecosystem to organize actors' efforts towards common objectives; 2) People: observing limited initiatives to attract, retain, and engage ecosystem members; 3) Communication: identifying predominant communication channels among actors (internally) and with society (externally) through the WhatsApp® messaging app and digital media. However, the centralization of information and contacts among a select few actors poses a noteworthy challenge; 4) Orchestration: discerning the existence of various orchestrators, with communities standing out. However, the observed orchestration practices are limited, lacking strategies and actions aimed at aligning the efforts, goals, and interests of diverse ecosystem actors. The substantive theory, thus conceived, conceptualizes innovation ecosystems as meta-organizations, integrating the organizational dynamics inherent in Uberhub, and forecasting the anticipated outcomes for its actors. This interpretation provides a basis for national innovation ecosystems to reflect on their objectives and practices, facilitating strategic interventions for value generation and delivery to their actors and stakeholders. Future research involves the investigation of the management and orchestration practices utilized by other innovation ecosystems, thereby enhancing and solidifying knowledge pertaining to this subject.