An Empirical Analysis of SME Innovativeness Characteristics in an Emerging Transition Economy: The Case of Uzbekistan

Abstract

Any organization, be it public or private, is an independent player in the competition game and no organization is free from dangers that harsh competition brings into existence. Only the ones who are creative and innovative with what they are doing in a permanent manner can have better prospects. In such a situation, organizational innovativeness, its ability to think innovatively determines its smooth motion against harsh competition stream both from national and international markets. However, to attain conditions which would fuel the innovativeness in the organization is not an easy task. Nonetheless, knowing all the factors both external and internal that have notable impact on innovativeness of the organization creates a good view for top managers of the company and government agencies responsible for supporting national organizations to elaborate policies that further trigger positives and prevent negatives respectively. Hence, recognizing the all factors that have a positive and negative effect on innovativeness of SMEs in the developing countries context gives emerging economies a nicer look and controls over these factors to better support their national companies. Additionally, SME managers, knowing these factors, can make decisions more easily to bring the company’s innovativeness to higher level. Therefore, the researchers’ interest here is to check the factors that have noteworthy effect on innovativeness of SMEs in Uzbekistan; an emerging in-transition country in Middle Asia.

Keywords: SME, Innovativeness factors, In-Transition, Competitiveness