Journal of Management and Business Solutions 3092-7226 2 Serial Number 10 2024 11 25 The Impact of Innovativeness on Brand Competitiveness Through the Mediating Role of Brand Differentiation (Case Study: National Pharmaceutical Industry) The Impact of Innovativeness on Brand Competitiveness Through the Mediating Role of Brand Differentiation (Case Study: National Pharmaceutical Industry) 1 15 10.61838/jmbs.131 EN Journal Article 2024 07 18 <p class="Abstract" style="line-height: 150%;"><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size: 8.0pt; line-height: 150%;">This study aimed to examine the effect of innovation orientation on brand competitiveness with the mediating role of brand differentiation in the pharmaceutical industry. The present research was applied in purpose and employed a descriptive–survey design using a mixed-methods approach. In the qualitative phase, in-depth individual interviews were conducted with eight experts from the pharmaceutical industry and analyzed through grounded theory using ATLAS.ti software to extract the research constructs. In the quantitative phase, a localized researcher-developed questionnaire was distributed among managers and experts of pharmaceutical companies nationwide, of which 379 valid responses were collected. The instrument’s validity was confirmed through face and construct validity, and reliability was verified using Cronbach’s alpha. Data were analyzed using SPSS and LISREL software. Pearson correlation coefficients were employed for preliminary analysis, and structural equation modeling was applied to test the hypothesized relationships and evaluate the conceptual model. Structural equation modeling revealed that innovation orientation had a positive and significant effect on brand differentiation (β = 0.31, t = 5.53, p &lt; 0.001) and brand competitiveness (β = 0.19, t = 3.32, p &lt; 0.001). Brand differentiation also exerted a strong positive effect on brand competitiveness (β = 0.41, t = 6.29, p &lt; 0.001). The indirect effect of innovation orientation on brand competitiveness through brand differentiation was significant, resulting in a total effect of β = 0.31 (t = 5.16, p &lt; 0.001). The model demonstrated excellent fit indices, confirming the robustness of the proposed relationships. The findings confirm that innovation orientation enhances brand competitiveness both directly and indirectly through the mediating mechanism of brand differentiation, underscoring the strategic importance of integrating innovation and branding initiatives within pharmaceutical firms.</span></p> https://www.journalmbs.com/index.php/jmbs/article/download/131/110