Towards an improved understanding of innovativeness index in the Middle East :exploration of innovation construct in the context of Lebanese firms -

Abstract

In this research study we attempt to explore factors associated with innovation in Lebanese firms to better understand the construct of innovation in Lebanon. We employed a variety of instruments that measure multiple aspects of innovativeness on a firm-level, and we designed ‘The Lebanese Innovation Survey Questionnaire (2009 – 2013)’, allowing us to collect valuable data on 70 Lebanese firms that pertain to 22 industries. Our primary goal in designing and conducting this Survey is to shed greater light on the facilitators and inhibitors of innovation in Lebanon, and investigate the existing capabilities of Lebanese firms to introduce product, process, organisational and marketing innovations. Our results are tentative, preliminary and have limitations. However, they have opened the path towards developing a more comprehensive and yet highly contextualized set of innovation measures for Lebanon. This is regarded as a first modest step towards developing a ‘Lebanese Innovation Index’.