Product innovation performance: Analysis of measures and measurement scales applied to SMES.

Abstract

Objective: The article presents the analysis of measures and scales of product innovation performance adopted in studies on micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Methodology/approach: It is an exploratory and qualitative descriptive research. The methodology consists of a systematic bibliographic review, examining articles from the Capes database, published from 1990 to December 2020. Main results: The research identified 92 articles addressing product innovation performance. Objective measures (proxies) were used in 41 of them, while 51 adopted psychometric scales. Among the studies analyzed, 7 different psychometric scales were developed to measure product innovation performance in SMEs. Theoretical/methodological contributions: The growing research on the importance of innovation management in SMEs emphasizes the need to measure the performance of organizations’ actions to innovate. However, the measures adopted to assess product innovation performance still diverge regarding the form, involving different variables. This research’s findings intend to direct researchers to appropriated measures in studies involving SMEs. Relevance/originality: The concern on product innovation has grown in recent years especially due to the urgent need for innovation. In this context, it is crucial to expand the knowledge on tools to analyze product innovation performance. Social/management contributions: The article offers information and tools for SME managers to analyze the measurement of product innovation performance.

The moderating effect of financial performance exerts on the interaction of absorptive capacity and organizational performance

“…The final questionnaire has statements measured on a five-point Likert type scale. Study with scales in SMEs is pointed out by Manthey et al (2021) as suitable for this type of study…”