Stages of innovation for adopting differential quality in olive-oil geograhical Indications

Abstract – The paper aims to contribute to the design of methodological tools for typification and hierarchisation of enterprises that belong to oliveoil geographical indications (GIs), according to their respective trajectories in their process of adoption of innovations and knowledge in terms of quality. The GIs analysed are the Protected Designations of Origin (PDOs) of “Sierra de Segura”, “Sierra Mágina” and “Estepa”, in Andalusia, Spain, as well as the Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) “Olio Toscano”, in Tuscany, Italy. The information was obtained by means of surveys to oil enterprises. Three synthetic indicators of quality, as well as a general quality indicator (IQ), were elaborated upon the basis of nine original variables : i) quality in processes and technological innovation; ii) best practices in quality; iii) organisational and commercial quality and innovation. We applied cluster and factor analysis and then we tested the next hypothesis. First, it is confirmed that firms belonging to a GI reach significantly higher IQ than that the nonaffiliated ones. Second, it is also verified that private firms score significantly higher IQ than cooperatives. Finally, the size of the firm does not provide significant differences in the scores of IQ.