Firm readiness to embrace innovation was defined by Scaccia, Cook
[54] as the motivation for change implementations, general firm capacities, and the particular abilities needed for the desired alteration. As such, firm preparedness was defined by the degree of organizational readiness and the competency for novel conceptual implementations
[55].
Essentially, organizational readiness reflects a firm’s climate, motivation, culture, and capability to change through time
[56][57]. In Castro and Martins
[58], company climate referred to the employees’ mutual perspectives, emotions, and attitudes on core firm elements which reflected the development of company’s beliefs and standards and impacted personal behaviors. Similarly, McMurray and Scott
[59] pinpointed the sensitiveness of employees regarding organizational climate that required improvement to eliminate participation’s obstacles. This indicated the major role played by the organizational climate in preparing for the change that can be modified to better facilitate the implementation
[60]. In this vein, Butterfoss, Kegler
[56] aptly highlighted firm climate as an organizational mood or a novel attribute. Contrarily, firm culture was implied as the implicit operation of values, norms, and behaviors shared by employees and challenges faced
[60]. From employees’ perspectives, emotions, behaviors, and decision-making processes demonstrated firm culture, and were deemed crucial in obtaining strategic goals
[61]. These goals will not be obtained without either balanced shared values and common aims, or an enhancement of collaboration and cohesion
[62]. Finally, firm motivation dealt with the elements of inducing, navigating, and maintaining objective-based behavior, decision-making, and specific activities. Multiple theories elaborated on motivation, ranging from core instincts to self-manifestation intentions
[43]. In past studies, Lehman , Greener
[63] revealed that “motivational readiness” reflected the key determinant of firm preparedness for change. The construct corresponded to most psychological theories (action preceded motivation). Additionally, the self-determination theory
[64] proposed that motivation was classified into various sub-constructs that distinctly forecasted human behavior. In this vein, firm motivation induced incentives or the absence of rewards in firm change implementations, thus demonstrating the belief in alterations and firm-enhancing shifts
[54].
Although firm readiness has garnered much emphasis in firm change management literature
[47][54][56][65], research on agricultural organizations and food sectors remained scarce. Despite much research on firm preparedness involving smart technology preparedness
[66], nutrition-oriented value chain
[67], preparedness to incorporate halal assurance system
[68], and observed staff integrity
[69], innovative project implementations and implications for (segmentation reasons) in food studies were not duly regarded. More specifically, dimensions of organizational readiness for change in the labeled local products sub-sector have not yet been examined. A consistent, accurate, and comprehensive gauge of organizational readiness is needed
[70], not only to evaluate or be prepared for the implementation process but also to protect the “terroir” and history of the local heritage
[71][72] and assisting producers to drive more revenue by working together so that the industry cannot neither cause environment issues nor to crush the sustainability of the activity.
Although readiness was not the only efficient change implementation predictor, the essential role of readiness in the positive integration of innovative concepts and technologies in firms was evident
[54][73]. Typically, organizational competitive advantages collectively require external resource utilization involving projects and cooperation. Therefore, innovative projects catalyzed the collaboration process, and were underlined as one of the key determinants of organizational advancement and sustainable operations
[21].