Innowacyjność procesowa organizatorów turystyki w świetle badań jakościowych
Process innovativeness of tour operators in the light of qualitative surveys

Summary/Abstract: There is a debate underway among economists concerning the definition and determination of forms and manifestations of innovativeness of service enterprises. Some researchers hold the position that innovation is only related to the introduction of radical and inimitable changes on the market (as e.g. R.W. Griffin and K. Meredyk believe). Most studies follow the concept worked out by Eurostat and OECD in which an innovation is not just a novelty in an absolute sense, but also a significant improvement [Oslo Manual, 2005], which represents a broader understanding of this term. The latter approach is more widely used, but innovations of absolute (radical) nature should primarily be considered more outstanding. The aim of the article is to try and indicate such innovations in the scope of processes unfolding at the offices of tour operators and to determine the most important factors which influence them. The surveys carried out were of qualitative nature and based on nine in-depth interviews made using a survey questionnaire and, in the quantitative part, they were based on the sample n = 2,994 enterprises out of 3,074 entities entered into the Register of Tour Operators and Travel Agents, to which questionnaires were sent out by e-mail in the period from September 2011 to March 2012. Nine entities which had implemented process innovations in the period in question were selected from these enterprises. It was assumed that the area of process innovativeness comprised of organisational and marketing innovations and process innovations based on new technologies.

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