ABSTRACT
This article analyses the role of cultural components in the innovation processes of micro firms. The article develops an analytical and operational approach to the notion of culture of innovation departing from conceptual contributions from cultural and economic sociology. This framework is used in a study of micro firms in the Canary Islands (Spain). A survey, a group of open-ended interviews and in-depth case studies have been used to identify and explain the social and cultural mechanisms that make up the culture of innovation of small firms and shape their open innovation strategies. The results highlight the importance of firms’ knowledge base in the configuration of different innovation behaviours. The findings also help to explore the relationship between homogeneous and pluralistic conceptions of the culture of innovation.
