The impact of strategic competitive innovation on the financial performance of SMEs during COVID-19 pandemic period

El Chaarani, H.; Vrontis, P. D.; El Nemar, S.; El Abiad, Z.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to reveal the impact of strategic competitive innovation types on the financial performance of SMEs during a very critical period: the COVID-19 pandemic. Four strategic competitive innovation types are considered in this study: marketing innovation, organizational innovation, product innovation and processes innovation. Design/methodology/approach: To examine empirically the relationship between strategic competitiveness and financial performance, data were collected from a sample of 426 Lebanese SMEs belonging to seven different sectors. Findings: The empirical findings of principle component analysis model (PCA) and multiple regression model (MR) reveal that the ability to innovate is essential to an SME’s survival during a crisis. The results of this study confirm the existence of a positive impact of marketing innovation and processes innovation on the financial performance of SMEs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Practical implications: Moreover, results suggest that, in Lebanese SMEs, product innovation and organizational innovation do not have any impact on the financial performance during the pandemic period. Originality/value: This research focused on strategic competitive innovation as a broadly considered essential condition for the survival of SMEs during the COVID-19 crises. © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited.