توسعه منابع داخلی و قابلیت ها به عنوان منابع تمایز شرکتهای کوچک و متوسط تحت افزایش رقابت جهانی: یک مطالعه در مکزیک

This paper draws on the resource-based view of the firm and contributes to our understanding of how the development of internal resources and capabilities in SMEs can provide sources of competitive advantages in the international arena and improve their business performance. This research found statistical evidence to suggest that business performance measured by growth rate, efficiency, productivity and shareholder's financial returns, is positively related with the development of internal capabilities such as soft technology (methods and processes that support the firm) and hard technology (externally acquired equipment, in-house development of machinery and innovation in raw materials) and a strategy of continuous improvement, innovation and change. A number of relevant contributions are proposed in this piece of research that expands our understanding of how SMEs can compete in the international context: (1) firms whose explicit business strategy emphasizes innovation and knowledge creation have been able to successfully participate in global contexts; (2) even though financial resources are important for a firm to leverage performance it was found that development of internal capabilities has been more important than limited financial resources in order to develop competitive advantages to compete with larger and multinational competitors; (3) results of this research support the proposition that from an associational economy perspective the development of a geographical region or country should be an interaction among a number of constituents namely government policies, the firms themselves and universities and research centers among others.

The research reported in this paper aims to advance our understanding of how small and medium-sized-firms (SMEs) develop resources and capabilities that allow them compete in international settings. Based on a sample of 55 SMEs located in Central Mexico (and operating in international markets) it was found that most of the firms' competitiveness is explained by a combination of tangible and intangible assets (66%). Industry-related factors accounted for 34%. These findings suggest that firms that defined their strategic intent, invest in knowledge creation and diffusion, and develop soft technology are able to compete independently of industry conditions. Interestingly financial resources do not appear to play a significant role in the long term. However, clear government industry policies account for a significant explanation of intervening external factors conditioning a firm's competitiveness.

All in all, a number of relevant contributions are proposed in this piece of research that refines our understanding of how SMEs can compete in the international context. Firms whose managers have been able to make a shift in their business paradigms and are open to create change and to incorporate new business practices have at least been able to match multinational competitors. Firms whose explicit business strategy emphasizes innovation and knowledge creation have been able to successfully participate in global contexts. A “market-oriented” strategy supported by more specialized competitive advantages contributed to above-average performance. The fulfillment of expectations to employees by managers also contributed to the development of competitive advantages. Personnel that believe that management is congruent with what is promised are encouraged to search training and development. Thus increasing the firm's competitive advantage by having highly skilled and committed employees. Soft technology (i.e. technical knowledge, administrative processes and, organization procedures)—more than hard technology (i.e. state-of-the-art machinery) contribute to the development of competitive advantages. Even though financial resources are important for a firm to leverage performance it was found that development of internal capabilities has been more important than limited financial resources to develop competitive advantages to compete with larger and multinational competitors. Results of this research support the propositions that from an associational economy perspective [9] the development of a geographical region or country should be an interaction between a number of constituents namely government policies, the firms themselves and universities and research centers among others that align their strategies towards the development of geo-economic regions. Each contributing from their domain of expertise towards the development of a geo-economic region.