New Product Performance in Nanostores: Technology Adoption, Innovation Capability, and Product Intelligence in Emerging Markets (#2419)

Authors

Ortega-Jimenez, Cesar H

Melgar-Martínez, Narciso A

Sabillon Palomeque, Dany N.

Abstract

We are pleased to submit our manuscript, "New Product Performance in Nanostores: Technology Adoption, Innovation Capability, and Product Intelligence in Emerging Markets," for consideration in the LACCEI conference proceedings. This study represents the first multi-country hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analysis of new product performance determinants in informal microenterprises (nanostores) across seven emerging markets (Jordan, Israel, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Morocco, Honduras, and Colombia; N=1,412). Building on our exploratory LACCEI 2023 pilot study of 143 Honduran nanostores, this research addresses three critical gaps: (1) validating performance determinants across diverse institutional contexts using multilevel methodology that accounts for neighborhood-level clustering effects ignored in prior single-level studies, (2) examining the theoretically ambiguous moderating role of competitive intensity, and (3) conducting comparative analysis across MENA and Latin American contexts. Our analysis reveals that innovation capability (γ = 0.254, p < .01) substantially outweighs technology adoption (γ = 0.038, p < .05) in driving new product performance, while product intelligence shows no significant direct effect. Notably, competitive intensity positively moderates the technology-performance relationship (γ = 0.274, p < .05), though this pattern reverses across regions (amplification in Latin America, suppression in MENA). The exceptionally high ICC (0.617) confirms the necessity of multilevel modeling for nanostore research. We believe these findings offer significant theoretical and practical contributions to informal retail innovation literature. This manuscript has not been previously published nor is it under consideration elsewhere. We appreciate your time and consideration.