Sources Of Product Innovation In Algerian Pastry Smes: An Exploratory Study

Abstract

This article aims to identify and understand the sources of product innovation in SMEs operating in the pastry industry in Algeria. To do this, a qualitative and exploratory study was conducted on a sample of pastry SMEs operating in Bejaia province, through semi-structured interviews, addressed in particular to pastry managers and owners. The thematic analysis of interviews reveals that the pastry chef is the only element on which pastry industry ensures a certain level of product innovation, which allows small pastries to differentiate themselves from competition. However, pastry chefs resort to many innovation sources in order to be creative, such as Internet, benchmarking, traveling, internships and media.

Keywords

• product innovation
• smes
• exploratory study
• pastry industry