Managerial innovation, information systems, and organizational transformation: effects on the managerial performance of Moroccan SMEs

Abstract

Abstract

This study examines the effect of managerial innovation on the managerial performance of Moroccan small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), with particular attention to the mediating roles of information systems and organizational transformation. Managerial innovation is conceptualized as the introduction and implementation of new managerial practices, structures, processes, and techniques designed to improve organizational effectiveness. In the SME context, such innovation may enhance internal coordination, decision-making quality, and adaptability to environmental changes. The study is based on a survey of 103 SMEs located in the Souss-Massa region of Morocco and employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to test the proposed relationships. The findings indicate that managerial innovation exerts a significant positive direct effect on managerial performance. They also show that this relationship is reinforced indirectly through the modernization of information systems and the adjustment of internal organizational structures. By highlighting the internal mechanisms through which managerial innovation contributes to performance, this study enriches the literature on non-technological innovation and provides empirical evidence from the Moroccan SME context.

Keywords: managerial innovation; information systems; organizational transformation; managerial performance; SMEs; PLS-SEM; Morocco.