Using fuzzy cognitive maps to evaluate the innovation in micro, small and medium-sized enterprises

Abstract

Innovation covers the development of new products, internal processes, and market positioning strategies, among other aspects. Organizations must evaluate their innovation performance to continually improve their processes, methods, and capabilities. This article presents a fuzzy cognitive map for the evaluation of innovation in organizations. A review of previous literature indicates a lack of tools to evaluate innovation in organizations using intelligent systems. Our approach, based on fuzzy cognitive maps, yielded strong results in three case studies, effectively determining the level of innovation in organizations. Furthermore, the study revealed the most influential and essential innovative activities/variables within organizations, significantly contributing to the improvement of their operations and competitiveness. The fuzzy cognitive maps demonstrated a high level of accuracy, with an accuracy of 82% in the Colombian case studies, and an accuracy of 92% in the global case studies. These results highlight the effectiveness of the model for quantitatively assessing levels of innovation within organizations. Furthermore, the study revealed the most influential and essential innovative activities/variables within organizations, contributing significantly to the improvement of their operations and competitiveness.