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UDC 338.2:338.45(477)
Management of Innovations
N. Vetsepura,
PhD (Economics), Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts,
S. Prokofieva,
PhD (Economics), Donetsk University of Economics and Law, Bakhmut
THE PROBLEMS OF INNOVATIVE ACTIVITY ACTIVIZATION
Integration into the world economy objectively causes the formation of an innovative model of the national economy development, that favours the competitiveness as the basis of forming the competitive advantages of the country and the nation's welfare as a whole.
General results of theoretical studies of the current practice data confirm that the formation of such a development model presupposes the creation of a high-tech complex of the national economy (HTC), i.e. a complete set of multi-scientific, educational, industrial, managerial and consulting structures for innovation-oriented economic transformations.
The realities of today clearly demonstrate that unless the accelerate tendency of the HTC development of Ukraine accelerates, the national economy will become a raw material appendage of the developed countries, which are characterized by high rates of growth. The high-tech complex is one of the main factors that determines the economic growth and increases the national competitiveness.
Under the competitiveness in this context should be understood a concentrated expression of economic, scientific and technical, production, management and other features embodied in the products and services, that have successfully opposed to the foreign goods and services, competing with them in a domestic and foreign markets.
The government economic strategy rationale, aimed at an innovative model development, is in the aspect of analysis, prognostication, and support for engineering industry enterprises, creating material base for HTC, science and education, providing new ideas and qualified personnel.
Meanwhile, it should be noted that innovative development of the Ukrainian industry, particularly engineering industry, increasingly becomes negative, and it contributes to the deepening of the technological gap with the industrialized countries.
Considerable experience in research of the problems of increasing competitiveness, in particular, one of the most important factors - innovation, has been accumulated in the domestic and foreign literature. S.V. Emelyanov, A.I. Amosha, M. Porter, G.K. Gubernaya, B. Santo, G.M. Skudar, R.I. Zabotina, G.A. Ilina, N.B. Mernikova, A. Medvedev, and others have contributed to the solution of this problem.
In spite of the considerable study in the theoretical basis of the research of the activation of innovation pro-
cesses and improvement of competitiveness, there are some unresolved issues in this area. One of the most actual problem is to identify the ways of activation of innovation processes for ensuring competitiveness of the state economy as the main factor of integration into the world economy.
In this context, the main purpose of this article is to study the labor factor - the potential source of the innovation as a determinant in innovation activity.
Several studies have conclusively proved that efficient and sustainable development of enterprises in different business areas are achieved through using discoveries, inventions and other innovations in the economic activities. They provide strategic competitive advantages in the domestic and foreign markets. However, existing threats for enterprises, operating in crisis, determine the situation of risk and indeterminacy that negatively affect the making innovative decisions.
Foreign experience shows that the center of competitive activity moves from the sphere of prices to the scientific and technical sphere. The use of modern techniques and technologies enables businesses to provide cost savings and quality improvements. Development of new products often requires the adoption of progressive technological processes, replacement of obsolete equipment new one. Thus, innovations are the basis of competitiveness of certain products and production as a whole.
However, in Ukraine the innovative processes have low level of intensity.
Adoption of innovations in 2014 was carried out in 1208 innovatively active enterprises. 600 enterprises adopted innovative types of production in the number of 3661, among them 1314 - machinery, equipment, apparatus, instruments. 614 enterprises introduced new technological processes. The number of processes was 1743, among them 447 - low-waste and resource-efficient ones. 905 enterprises of Ukraine realized innovative products that were re-introduced or underwent significant technological changes over the past three years. The number of technologies that were purchased in 2014 was 543 units. [1]
Taking into account the ATO in Donetsk and Lugansk regions, for correct comparison of the volume of funding, it is appropriate to calculate the share of assets attributable to one enterprise, which conducted innovative activity and had expenses. In 2014, the total innovation costs decreased by 1.8667 million UAH as well
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as, on average, expenses for every enterprise were 6.38 million. UAH against 7.15 million. UAH in 2013.
The number of innovatively active enterprises decreased, not only in the Donetsk and Lugansk regions, but also in the Odessa, Mykolayiv and in the regions without borders with the hot spots - in the Kirovograd, Ternopil, Vinnytsa, Khmelnytsky, Chernihiv, Cherniv-tsi regions. One of the main reasons of such phenomenon is deep socio-economic crisis and state currency depreciation. Of the total expenditure on innovation (7,695,900,000 USD) the most funds were invested into purchase of machinery, equipment and software -5,115,330,000 UAH or 66.5% compared to 5,546,330,000 UAH or 58% in 2013. In 2014 every innovatively activ enterprise that had costs invested 4.24 million UAH into purchase of machinery, equipment and software (2013 - 4.15 million. UAH). The increase in the costs of internal and external R&D in high-tech sector demonstrates growing their importance [2].
In general it can be concluded that the innovative activity of the enterprises, which in modern conditions is one of the main factors to improve their competitiveness and, consequently, the functioning, is not yet enough. But as the practice shows, despite the insignificant scale of the innovation activity, its positive impact is undeniable. Most businesses, that introduced innovations, got an increase in output, improved their competitiveness, expanded markets. Thus, a recognized authority in the field of competition problems M. Porter whose conclusions are based on the results of a large-scale study of the processes of gaining and maintaining competitive advantage, believes that: "Companies outstrip their rivals, if they have a strong competitive advantage. Competitive advantage is divided into two main types: lower costs and product differentiation. Low costs reflect the ability of the company to develop, produce and sell a comparable product at a lower cost than its competitors" [3]. This means that the preconditions for low costs should be created at all stages of the production cycle, including the stages of R&D.
In search of an answer to the question about the possibilities of sustaining competitive advantages M. Porter identified types of benefits - a high and a low order ones. "The benefits of the low rank, such as the cheap labor and raw materials, can be easily obtained by competitors. The benefits of the high order are technology, brand reputation, level of stuff training and retraining, long-term capital investments, strategic marketing" [3].
At the same time, the practice of the implementation of the theory of competitive advantages in the domestic enterprises in the conditions of reforming the economy, brings to the fore the solution to the problem of the quality changes in the internal environment of the enterprise, determined by such components as people, technology, structure, assignment of tasks and coordination of efforts towards the organization goals, decision-making, communication, staff motivation, management style. At the domestic enterprises there is a clear lack of understanding of the importance of the role of the internal environment of the organization, and especially its human component to ensure high competitiveness. But any qualitative changes in the company should be so-
cially oriented and socially responsible. Especially, that the transformation of the enterprise, its solutions to the crisis are predetermined firstly by its main resource - the staff.
Foreign experience shows that it is a staff that is a potential, an inexhaustible source of innovation in the enterprise, which serves a universal criterion influencing the production effectiveness and economic activity in many ways. The greatest reserve of "know-how" is in the skill and minds of experienced workers, professionals and executives. The human factor is decisive here as it is humans that the competitive strength of the enterprise is in [4].
However, the human factor is not actually real people, and knowledge itself. It is a set of socially reasonable production and human skills, knowledge, abilities invested, that people own and practically use in their daily lives.
High-tech production involves highly educated and highly skilled workers, creates the need for intellectually and morally developed individuals, which are a prerequisite for the further development of the productive forces of society. Besides social characteristics of production change - the work content change: the share of physical labor is declining and the share of mental labor is increasing, the intellectual content of the work is increasing.
In our view, new employees' thinking, their responsible attitude and interest to work should be shaped and ensure their direct involvement in innovation at domestic enterprises.
Many authors note that the realization of innovation activity affected by the following factors: the goals and tasks of the enterprise, enterprise strategy, qualification and quality structure of workers, management and organizational structure, their organizational and information support, evaluation of internal and external opportunities and constraints.
Therefore, in the present conditions while developing policy on intensification of innovation, it is necessary to take into account these factors and put forward relevant requirements for a new type of employee, namely:
worker adaptability to ever-changing conditions of production;
high professional mobility, employee willingness to master a new profession, if necessary, in accordance with the requirements of the modern labor market;
worker universalization, mastering several specialties, facilitating the distribution of the workforce;
high professional competence;
the ability to react quickly to the changing situation in the labor market;
efficiency in decision-making;
readiness of a worker to the continuous development of professional skills, acquirement new knowledge;
self-development of the creative potential;
employee stress resistance under conditions of instability and uncertainty, and others.
Activation of the human factor can be achieved by improving the work organization, introducing new, ef-
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fective management techniques, making favorable conditions for creative growth, and active government support of innovation processes.
Measures on improvement of the work organization can be:
providing workers responsible work; giving each employee the possibility to participated in the reorganization of work processes;
providing trust relationships as the most important conditions for improvement;
targeting system of rationalization works of innovative potential of enterprises in the field of new ideas.
Complex factor of implementation of this project is the creation of a system of rationalization proposals (new ideas) at an enterprise. On the one hand, it would serve as an incentive to the advancement of ideas (for example, certain material encouragements for proposals, that are put forward, although not adopted, fast implementation and payment adopted proposals). On the other hand, it would oblige the leaders at all levels of the organizational hierarchy to educate and train employees to think and come up with new ideas. The use of the indicator of the number of rationalization proposals per one employee per year gathered for the evaluation of managers will help to solve this problem (this indicator is widely used in Japanese companies)
Activities aimed at filling key positions of economic activities with specialists with high professional qualities should be considered as strategic ones.
Complex factor of realization of this activity is the creation of organizational and methodological prerequisites for the selection of candidates for particular positions in the in the management system. The proposal on the organization of the staff assessment centers relates to the increased attention to the issue.
In these centers, workers must undergo testing for the enterprise selection for positions in the lower levels of management through the promotion. In addition, assessment centers are used as an effective organization of employees' training and development of managers'spe-cific management skills. The centers have a specific set of the methods and approaches to assessment, as well as to staff training.
Thus, the transition to a market economy has generated quite contradictory implications, which led to a shift of the center of gravity of social processes directly to the enterprise. It intensifies the need for an complex approach to the management of social processes at enterprises, creating a solid intra-firm infrastructure, with regard to the trends of scientific, technological and social progress.
References
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7. Стратегия предприятия и стратегический менеджмент: учеб. пособие / Ю.В. Соболев, В.Л. Ди-кань, А.Г. Дейнека, Л.А. Позднякова. - Х. : ООО «Олант», 2002. - 416 с. 8. Про шновацшну дiяль-нють: Закон Украши ввд 4 липня 2002 р. № 40 - IV [Електронний ресурс]. - Режим доступу: http://www.zakon1.rada.gov.ua. 9. Кукурудза I.I. 1н-новащйна дгяльнють в регюш: стан, проблеми, пер-спективи / I.I. Кукурудза // Вюник економiчноi науки Украши. - 2007. - № 1. - С. 67-70.
Вецепура Н. В., Прокоф'ева С. В. Проблеми активiзащТ шновацшноТ дiяльностi
У статп розглянуто способи активiзацii iннова-цiйноi дгяльносп з метою забезпечення конкуренто-спроможност економiки Украши. Проаналiзовано стан iнновацiйного розвитку промислового вироб-ництва в Украш та Донецькш обласп. Показано ви-значальне значення людського фактора в оргашзаци шновацш
Ключовi слова: iнновацiйна дгяльнють, тдпри-емство, конкурентоспроможнють, людський фактор, технология.
Вецепура Н. В., Прокофьева С. В. Проблемы активизации инновационной деятельности
В статье рассмотрены способы активизации инновационной деятельности с целью обеспечения конкурентоспособности экономики Украины. Проанализировано состояние инновационного развития промышленного производства в Украине и Донецкой области. Показано определяющее значение человеческого фактора в организации инноваций.
Ключевые слова: инновационная деятельность, предприятие, конкурентоспособность, человеческий фактор, технология.
Vetsepura N., Prokofieva S. The problems of innovative activity activization
Methods of innovation activization have been considered in the article with the purpose of ensuring the competitiveness of the economy of Ukraine. The state of innovation development of industrial production in Ukraine and the Donetsk region have been analyzed. The determinative value of labor factor in the innovation organization has been showed.
Keywords: innovative activity, enterprise, competitiveness, human factor, technology.
Received by the editors: 28.11.2016
and final form 28.12.2016
Еконо]шчний вюник Донбасу № 4(46), 2016
