What do innovators do to succeed? A case study of Sage plc

• Type: International Conference Proceedings Book
• Date: 2007

Conference International

14th International Product Development Management Conference, EIASM – The European Institute for Advanced Studies in Management

Faculdade de Engenharia do Porto, Universidade do Porto (FEUP, UP), 10 a 12 de Junho de 2007

Scientific classification

FOS: Social sciences > Other social sciences

CORDIS: Social sciences

Other information

Resumo (PT): We have attempted to shed light on the question: “What do innovators do in their efforts to succeed?” To fulfil this purpose we analysed the case of Sage, plc, the third largest management software company in the World. It is our belief that Sage plc portrays much of what a disruptive innovation strategy (Christensen and Raynor, 2003) aims to be. Sage went to the London stock market to attain the financial capability to pursue its strategy of growth through acquisitions. Starting in the lower-end software market for small and medium businesses, Sage is now moving towards more attractive customers and thus competing with SAP and Oracle, the two largest management software companies in the World, after acquiring companies such as Adonix, owner of a recognised ERP (enterprise resource planning) technology. The interviews of the Sage Portugal directors permitted us to identify various factors which foster an innovation culture.

Abstract (EN): What do innovators do in their efforts to succeed? Successful innovation is embedded and leveraged by the management strategy. Sage plc, the third largest management software company in the world, is analysed. Various factors are seen to foster an innovation culture at Sage: an open organizational culture, a responsive market orientation coupled with a proactive market orientation, an international expansion strategy according to a multi-domestic orientation, and a horizontal internal communication policy. Sage Portugal was visited and its CEO interviewed, several times, in-depth. Sage Portugal Nº2 was also interviewed. Company documents, reports, newsletters, Internet site and Intranet were also analysed.

Language: Portuguese

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 12