The research proposes to quantify the innovation potential within organizations from a contextual approach through their capabilities, results and impacts of innovation. Traditional innovation indicators usually fail to depict the innovation behavior in DEIE (Developing and Emerging Industrial Economies). This research seeks to fill this gap by developing a measurement tool adapted to Ecuador as a case of DEIE countries.
The innovation potential measurement tool (Capabilities, Results and Impacts – CRI questionnaire) has been developed in a six-step methodology path that includes conceptualization, item generation, content validation, data collection, measurement model definition and measurement model assessment.
The main findings highlight the importance of organizational innovation capabilities (C1, C2, C3 and C4) to generate innovations (R1) and societal impacts (I1), in particular innovation objectives (C4) are remarked as key factor to enhance innovation results and impacts.
The CRI questionnaire assesses innovation potential by employing Item Response Theory (IRT) to derive unidimensionally adjusted factors, which represent single measurable criteria for evaluating innovation potential within specific contextual conditions.
The CRI questionnaire considers contextual conditions of DEIE to provide adapted metrics for understanding how innovation dynamics in contexts with low industrialization and low innovation culture.
