CORPORATE CULTURE: A KEY TO STIMULATE INNOVATION

The continual and increasingly accelerated changes in the market boosted by structural processes such as globalization, the opening of markets and the growing customers' demand-constantly raises the competitive requirements that companies must face. Likewise, the uncertainties, risks and threats that this context poses urge firms to seek new strategies in order to survive and succeed. In this search, innovation emerges as a key tool, capable of boosting and maintaining levels of competitiveness. The main hypothesis of this work is that the development of an appropriate business culture is a valid alternative to stimulate innovative performance within companies. One of the fundamental conclusions of this study is that those companies which have not yet found a way to develop innovation have a disadvantage compared to others in the world. That is why it is necessary to develop entrepreneurial cultures that favor the creation and commercial exploitation of novel ideas capable of generating sustainable competitive advantages. As a result, leaders must take the responsibility of setting new behaviors and managerial practices. The study is exploratory-descriptive, with a qualitative methodology. It was based on the bibliographical revision of specialists on the subject.