The contribution of the ALI Productivity Program to micro and small companies in the Central Region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul

Abstract

The general aim of this study was to analyze the impact of the ALI Productivity Program on micro and small companies, in its first edition in the central region of the state of Rio Grande do Sul. The ALI Program (Local Innovation Agents) is an initiative that aims to boost the productivity and development of these companies through the application of efficient and innovative management strategies. Throughout this study, the results obtained through the implementation of the ALI Program were analyzed, investigating how it influenced the economic performance, growth and competitiveness of the participating companies. The research methodology used is characterized, in terms of nature, as applied, with a qualitative and quantitative approach and of an exploratory and descriptive nature. As for the objectives, it can be classified as exploratory and descriptive, while the technical procedure used was field research. The research was carried out with 23 MSEs, who participated in the Program in the first cycle, which took place between August and December 2022. Of the 23 participating companies, 6 did not provide productivity data within the expected deadline, even though they carried out the final Radar, whose data are not counted here. The ALI project's Productivity indicator and the Innovation Radar tool were considered, as well as the initial (T0) and final (Tf) measurements of the cycle for the 17 concluding MSEs. As a result, it was observed that more than 94% of these companies showed positive variation in at least one dimension analyzed and that more than 82% had an increase in the Productivity indicator after the conclusion of the Innovation Journey, with emphasis on the gain in maturity, in other words, there were changes aimed at processes and strategies and with clear objectives, thus allowing for even more consistent results.