Barriers to Innovation within SMEs in the Lebanese Food Industrial Sector

Abstract

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the internal barriers to innovation faced by SMEs in the food industrial sector and their effect on product and process innovation in Lebanon. The methodology used in this study is a quantitative descripto explanatory method. A semi-structured questionnaire is employed. 311 fully completed questionnaires were collected.  The study covers an existing gap in the literature on the barriers to innovation in the Lebanese industrial sector since no previous similar studies have been conducted in the country. The empirical analysis showed that not all the internal barriers found in literature are encountered by the Lebanese SMEs.

Keywords: Small and medium-sized enterprises, product innovation, process innovation, internal barriers, Lebanese Food industry

DOI: 10.7176/EJBM/11-30-02

Publication date:October 31^st 2019