Innovation is a fundamental activity for product diversification and market expansion through the improvement of production processes and product quality. Understanding the causes that hinder innovation within organizations will allow the establishment of mechanisms to reactivate this important activity. With the aim of identifying the causes that hinder innovation in commercial and industrial organizations, the survey identified as CIS-4 was applied to 169 organizations in the state of Chihuahua, with 101 corresponding to organizations in the industrial sector and the rest in the services sector. The results showed cost as the main obstacle, followed by the knowledge factor. By applying the standard instrument for measuring innovation CIS-4, a comparison was made with the application to 20,747 companies in the countries of France and Italy, similarly obtaining cost as the main determinant hindering innovation. The results help us understand how innovation can be stimulated and supported.