The Microfoundations of Operational Viability in Innovation Intermediaries: A Modular Framework for Technological Capabilities in Emerging Economies

Abstract

This study develops a modular framework for the diagnostic application of microfoundational theory to examine how individual-level actions aggregate into macro-level technological capabilities and operational performance in innovation intermediaries within emerging economies. Grounded in Coleman’s bathtub model and the Viable System Model, we dissect three interdependent modules to diagnose systemic issues within institutional voids. Methodologically, we conduct a qualitative critical case study of a centenary Brazilian Research and Technology Organization, utilizing semi-structured interviews across three distinct organizational levels—senior executives, unit heads, and research leads—triangulated with eleven institutional management documents (2019–2024) through categorical content analysis. Theoretically, this research aims to establish a conceptual taxonomy that synthesizes Coleman’s micro–macro link, potentially serving as an analytical baseline for future cross-context evaluations of innovation intermediaries while exploring how meso–micro actions co-evolve with ecosystem-level environments. Practically, this study seeks to offer actionable governance levers for managers and policymakers, illustrating how the strategic deployment of dedicated internationalization units to buffer external complexity and the targeted cultivation of soft competencies in senior research leads may help overcome collaborative network isolation within late-development settings.