TITLE:
Frugal Innovation and Entrepreneurial Resilience under Institutional Constraints: Evidence from Congolese SMEs Using WBES 2024
AUTHORS:
Nahano Balemba
KEYWORDS:
Frugal Innovation, Institutional Constraints, SMEs, Resilience, WBES, Democratic Republic of Congo
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.13 No.5,
May
25,
2026
ABSTRACT: This study examines the relationship between institutional constraints and the adoption of frugal innovation among formal SMEs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, using data from the 2024 World Bank Enterprise Survey (WBES). Based on a sample of 27 firms operating in trade, services, and light industry, the results show that nearly 70% of SMEs report implementing frugal innovation practices. Logistic regressions, t-tests, and chi-square tests reveal positive but statistically non-significant associations between perceived institutional constraints (licenses, access to land, regulatory delays) and frugal innovation. Although the limited sample size reduces statistical power, the findings highlight the adaptive capacity of Congolese SMEs in a restrictive institutional environment. The study recommends combining quantitative and qualitative approaches to better understand frugal innovation dynamics in sub-Saharan Africa and calls for public policies that recognize and support these practices as drivers of sustainable development.Subject AreasInnovation Management, Development Economics, Entrepreneurship, Institutional Economics