Factores derminantes de la innovación en empresas de economía social. La importancia de la formación y de la actitud estratégica.

Many studies have examined the importance of innovation for the ability of an enterprise to compete. However, work on innovation in social economy enterprises and particularly in labour companies is still scarce. While of an exploratory nature, the present study contributes empirical evidence on which factors (internal and external) explain these social economy enterprises' attitude to innovation. The results of an empirical study of 218 labour plcs (Sociedades Anónimas Laborales) in Andalucia have made it possible to describe the innovative behaviour of the companies analysed and examine which variables exert the greatest influence in this respect. By this means, the companies have been identified as falling into three groups on the basis of their behaviour in relation to innovation. The main differences between them lie in the variations in their percentages of university- educated staff and in their divergent strategic attitude towards innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]