Innovation management in small and large companies: comparative insights from Switzerland
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Author (Corporation)
Publication date
19.09.2025
Typ of student thesis
Course of study
Collections
Type
04B - Conference paper
Editors
Editor (Corporation)
Supervisor
Parent work
The proceedings of the 20th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship
Special issue
DOI of the original publication
Link
Series
Series number
Volume
2025
Issue / Number
Pages / Duration
455-463
Patent number
Publisher / Publishing institution
Place of publication / Event location
Krakow
Edition
Version
Programming language
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Practice partner / Client
Abstract
Innovation is a key driver of growth, competitiveness, and technological progress at both micro and macro levels. Despite Switzerland's position as the world’s most innovative country, there is limited research on how innovation is managed within its businesses. This study addresses this gap and explores how small and large Swiss companies establish innovation strategies, processes, and structures to achieve organisational goals. This comparative study examines innovation management in small (10–49 employees) and large (250+ employees) Swiss companies across various industries, using qualitative semi-structured interviews with innovation leaders. Findings show that while both groups prioritize innovation, their approaches differ. Large companies rely on structured processes but often face bureaucratic barriers to radical innovation. In contrast, small firms benefit from agility and intuitive practices but may lack efficiency due to informal processes and limited evaluation. Innovation culture is easier to shape in small firms through direct leadership, where as large firms struggle to encourage risk-taking. The study suggests that large firms can enhance innovation by adopting more agile methods, while small firms could benefit from more structured planning and evaluation. This paper enriches academic understanding of innovation management by providing a qualitative comparison of small and large Swiss businesses and offers practical insights for companies and policymakers aiming to strengthen innovation capabilities.
Keywords
innovation management, innovation practices, small and large companies, Switzerland
Event
European conference on innovation and entrepreneurship
Exhibition start date
Exhibition end date
Conference start date
25.09.2025
Conference end date
26.09.2025
Date of the last check
ISBN
978-1-917204-53-8
978-1-917204-52-1
978-1-917204-52-1
ISSN
Language
English
Created during FHNW affiliation
Yes
Strategic action fields FHNW
Publication status
Published
Review
Peer review of the complete publication
Open access category
Diamond
License
Citation
Metuzale, K., Widmer, M. D., Meyer, D., & Meyer, R. (2025). Innovation management in small and large companies: comparative insights from Switzerland. In I. Lupa-Wójcik & D. Murzyn (Eds.), The proceedings of the 20th European Conference on Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Vol. 2025, pp. 455–463). https://doi.org/10.34190/ecie.20.1.3858