Innovation Management Maturity and External Orientation: A Comparative Study of Enterprises in the Czech Republic and the Netherlands

This study examines the maturity and internal coherence of innovation management systems in enterprises in the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, using the EN ISO 56002 framework as an analytical foundation. Based on survey data from 85 enterprises, the research assesses differences across key dimensions of innovation management, including leadership, planning, stakeholder orientation, innovation culture, and optimization processes. Descriptive statistics are used to compare levels of maturity, while Pearson correlation analysis explores the degree of interconnection among innovation management dimensions. The findings indicate that Dutch enterprises generally exhibit higher levels of innovation maturity, with processes more frequently reaching monitored and optimized stages, while Czech enterprises tend to cluster at planned levels of development. Correlation patterns further suggest stronger systemic integration in Dutch firms, where strategic planning, evaluation, support, and optimization are more closely interconnected. In Czech enterprises, relationships among dimensions appear weaker and more fragmented, pointing to a less systemic approach to innovation governance. The study also provides tentative support for the proposition that external orientation, reflected in stakeholder engagement, external image, and openness to foreign innovation, is associated with higher innovation maturity. The findings suggest that innovation performance depends not only on the presence of individual processes, but also on the extent to which these processes reinforce one another within an integrated management system.