Product or process innovation? The dilemma for exporting SMEs in emerging economies: the case of the Colombian Caribbean

On the path to economic globalisation, companies are constantly facing opportunities and challenges in their pursuit of business survival and continuous improvement. Due to its strategic conception, innovation management seems to generate the transformations required in the current competitive environment. This article seeks to analyse the dilemma faced by small and medium sized exporting enterprises located in a developing country and regarding what to manage first: product or process innovation. The empirical analysis has been performed in the Colombian Caribbean region. The results revealed that companies focus more on process innovation than on product innovation. Similarly, it is concluded that the former precedes the latter.