ANTECEDENTS OF INNOVATION IN PROFESSIONAL SERVICE FIRMS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW

Abstract

Innovation is gaining ground in academic research and organizations due to its benefits for the company and society. In professional services companies, innovation is necessary to keep customers and win new ones, ensuring competitiveness. However, there are numerous antecedents of innovation studied. Besides, few articles address more than one sector in this business model characterized by intensive knowledge. In this way, the present study aims to group results obtained in previous research to provide an overview of the antecedents of innovation in professional services companies in a framework. Thus, we execute a systematic literature review with empirical articles on innovation precedents. As a result, we identify 32 antecedent factors, grounded in theory and empirically tested, 11 externals to the organization and 21 internal. From the framework developed, researchers can seek new relationships to understand the antecedents of innovation and managers can analyze organizational weaknesses and develop strategies aimed at innovation.