University of Tehran Press Industrial Management Journal 3115-7386 18 3 2026 07 01 Key Barriers to Achieving Innovation in Edible Oil Companies: An Importance–Performance Map Analysis (IPMA) in a Developing Country 75 110 107864 10.22059/imj.2026.412018.1008295 EN Mahmood Dehghan Nayeri Associate Prof., Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. 0000-0002-7648-2937 Alireza Sadeghpour Firouzabad Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. 0009-0007-9059-7769 Saeid Naser Zaeim Ph.D. Candidate, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Industrial Management, Faculty of Management and Economics, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran. Journal Article 2026 02 26 <strong>Objective</strong>: This study aimed to identify innovation barriers in Iranian edible oil manufacturing companies, screen the most relevant barriers, and prioritize them for improvement and resolution.<br /><strong>Methodology:</strong> A literature review and expert interviews were conducted to identify 33 innovation barriers. Subsequently, the Content Validity Ratio (CVR) method was employed to screen the barriers, resulting in the retention of 22 relevant items. Finally, a questionnaire survey was administered among Iranian edible oil companies, and Importance–Performance Map Analysis (IPMA) was applied to prioritize the identified barriers. <br /><strong>Results</strong>: The findings revealed that barriers associated with the network and ecosystem dimension required the greatest managerial attention. At the indicator level, low inter-organizational trust, weak ties with research institutions, weak monitoring of global innovation developments, restriction of employees’ freedom in idea development, and organizational resistance to change and innovation were identified as the highest-priority barriers for improvement.<br /><strong>Conclusion</strong>: In industries such as edible oil manufacturing, which are characterized by extensive value chains and strong dependence on external knowledge sources, innovation challenges extend beyond financial and resource constraints and are more closely associated with organizational, institutional, and knowledge-network factors. Therefore, external collaborations, knowledge exchange mechanisms, and supportive organizational environments play a critical role in strengthening innovation capabilities. https://imj.ut.ac.ir/article_107864_d89332001f38d93a5a1df641214f598f.pdf