The impact of collaboration in the business performance perception: A study on the influencing factors

Collaboration is gaining importance, especially those in which there is the participation of external individuals or groups in the innovation process both in the academy and in companies. However, measuring the impact of collaboration on business performance is not a trivial task. Particularly if it is considered that business performance should be measured through not only accounting measures but on a wider range of factors like project efficiency, impact on the internal team, preparation for the future, among others. This paper investigates the different aspects that affect the perception of improvements in the business performance due to collaboration. Companies that are using collaboration platforms as a new business approach were interviewed, analyzing the collaboration purpose, Information Technology (IT) infrastructure and the user acceptance of IT resources. Results show the relationship among these factors, and how they influence the business performance perception.