Explaining the Small and Medium Businesses’ Performance based on the Innovation Approach during Covid-19 Pandemic (Case Study: Food Industries of Mazandaran Province)

Rahmani Firouzi, Roghayeh; Aghajani Afrouzi, Ali Akbar; Ahmadi Firouzjaie, Ali

doi:10.22069/jead.2024.21929.1779

Explaining the Small and Medium Businesses’ Performance based on the Innovation Approach during Covid-19 Pandemic (Case Study: Food Industries of Mazandaran Province)

Authors

¹ Department of Entrepreneurship Management, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

² Department of Business Management,, Payame Noor University, Tehran, Iran

³ Social and Extension Research Department, Mazandaran Agricultural Research and Natural Resource and Education Center, AREEO, Sari, Iran

10.22069/jead.2024.21929.1779

Abstract

The covid-19 pandemic overshadowed the performance of small and medium food industries as well as other businesses. Considering the central role of innovation in critical conditions and also the vital role of small and medium food industries in economic development, the current research was carried out with the aim of explaining the performance of small and medium food industries in Mazandaran based on the innovation approach during Covid-19 pandemic. The current research is a causal studiy that used the quantitative research paradigm and field survey method. The statistical population included 500 small and medium food industries in Mazandaran. 217 businesses were selected as a sample based on the table of Krejci and Morgan and by random sampling method. The data collection tool was a five-option Likert scale questionnaire and its reliability was confirmed by calculating ordinal theta coefficient (θ= 0.831). SPSS26 and Smart-PLS3 were used for descriptive and inferential data analysis, respectively. The results showed that organizational innovation had a more prominent role in explaining performance compared to other forms of innovation. In addition, the evidence showed that if a business has an acceptable innovation capability, this capability leads to improved innovative performance through improved innovation status, and this in turn results in improved production, market and financial performance in critical conditions. Therefore, in order to survive and grow in crisis conditions and improve innovative performance, practitioners and business owners are expected to focus on improving innovation capability and then concentrate on promoting organizational innovation.

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