Technological capabilities and their relationship with the context spheres in the Mexican industry

Abstract

Nowadays, companies worldwide are seeking to develop new capabilities to adapt quickly to market requirements, and to compete more intensely in a globalized world. This leads to the consequent demand for accumulating and renewing capabilities to manage knowledge, learning, and innovation. While there is considerable evidence about the factors that determine the accumulation of technological capabilities in organizations, there is little evidence about the factors of the context in which they are immersed and that influence these processes. This study aims to identify these contextual variables and their relationship with the processes of accumulation of technological capabilities in eight selected industries in Mexico. The methodology draws data from secondary sources, where an analysis of the empirical evidence in 260 case studies is carried out for the construction of a matrix and a relational conceptual model. These results suggest that the economic, science and technology, political and cultural spheres have had the strongest incidence on the accumulation processes, especially in industries with high technological content, such as nanotechnology, aerospace, automotive, and software. There are many cases that reveal a negative impact rather than a promotional effect.