DESVENDANDO A TRANSFORMAÇÃO DIGITAL

empresárias gaúchas e o programa "Agentes Locais de Inovação" do SEBRAE

Abstract

Innovation within a company is a challenging process, and doing so without support and incentives can be even more difficult. In the case of female entrepreneurs, societal expectations, such as being a good mother, daughter, sister, and wife, can further complicate this path. The Brazilian Micro and Small Business Support Service (SEBRAE) aims to provide assistance in the innovation process through the Local Innovation Agents (ALI) program. This study focuses on female entrepreneurs from the metropolitan region of Porto Alegre and the northern coast of Rio Grande do Sul who participated in the Digital Transformation modality of the ALI program. The research question addressed here is: How do female entrepreneurs position themselves in the Digital Transformation process? We assessed, with a sample of 34 participants, the digital maturity conditions in which female entrepreneurs enter the program and the main types of tools (use cases) chosen by them. This contributes to profiling the participants in the program in the region. To delve into specific data, 17 entrepreneurs also completed a supplementary questionnaire. Female entrepreneurs enter the program with a low level of digital maturity (initial or novice), and the predominant use cases are e-commerce (32.1%), ERP (21.4%), and Digital Marketing (21.4%). Thus, it is considered that the program fulfills its purpose by assisting female entrepreneurs in their innovation and Digital Transformation processes.