Determinants of process innovation in small food manufacturing firms in South Kivu (Eastern part of the DR Congo)

This article focus on determinants of process innovation in small food manufacturing firms in the eastern the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its purpose was to determine what factors influence the introduction of innovation in small firms. In total 92 small firms were surveyed through an occasional sample. Questionnaires were administrated to managers or the owners of the firms. Though a logistic binary model data gathered on the field were analyzed using SPSS 24 for descriptive statistics and STATA 24 for the binary model. The findings are based on quantitative analysis of nine internal and three external small firms‘ characteristics. Results indicated that entrepreneurs ‘ educational backgrounds, supply contracts were positively correlated to innovation whereas firm location, lack of trained workforce were significant and negatively correlated to process innovation. Firms in urban areas are likely to innovate than rural ones. Size, managerial experience, and collaboration with similar firms didn’t influence innovation. Fewer firms introduced product innovation.