Abstract

This study aimed to: 1) examine innovation management and operational effectiveness in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Krabi Province, 2) investigate the relationship between SME business characteristics and operational effectiveness in SMEs in Krabi Province, and 3) explore the relationship between innovation management and operational effectiveness in SMEs in Krabi Province. The sample consisted of 240 SME entrepreneurs in Krabi Province, selected using Krejcie and Morgan's sample size table. Data were collected using questionnaires. The statistical methods used for analysis included descriptive statistics, such as frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation, and inferential statistics, including Chi-square tests and Pearson's product-moment correlation coefficient. The research results showed that the majority of respondents were engaged in commercial enterprises, with 21-30 employees, registered capital of 1,000,001-2,500,000 THB, and business operation duration of 1-5 years. Overall, innovation management was rated at a high level, and operational effectiveness was rated at the highest level. Hypothesis testing revealed that business type, number of employees, registered capital, and duration of business operation in Krabi Province did not correlate with operational effectiveness in any aspect. However, overall innovation management was found to have a high and positive correlation with operational effectiveness in SMEs in Krabi Province, with statistical significance at the 0.01 level.