Producción Científica

This paper analyzes the theoretical relationship between knowledge and entrepreneurship through a bibliometric study. Several indicators are drawn from the Web of Science database using the HistCite software for bibliometrics, including annual publications, citation density, and journals with the highest number of publications. For the empirical application, a qualitative approach was adopted through a case study of four companies located in Valencia with the application of a semi-structured interview. The Atlas.ti software was used to analyze the data. The results indicate a relationship between knowledge and entrepreneurship constructs through theoretical modeling, highlighting the importance of the origin of knowledge for new venture creation, knowledge commercialization processes through entrepreneurship opportunities, and the origin and transmission of knowledge in organizations with entrepreneurial orientation (EO). The main limitation is the dispersion of research topics and the exclusion of publications that did not address the investigated relationship directly. The theoretical model proposed in this study can be extended to different spheres to identify and generate entrepreneurship opportunities, especially in universities and incumbent firms. Future studies should further validate the model empirically. © 2022 Business School, Instituto Tecnologico de Costa Rica. All Rights Reserved.

Brand management represents a field of research much studied in the last decade. Despite this, there are few comparative studies that attempt to investigate this phenomenon from within organizations and from their external clients. The objective of this research is to analyze the brand management process carried out by jeans manufacturing companies in the textile sector in Zone 3 of Ecuador to achieve a level of business competitiveness. The study is quantitative, not experimental, cross-sectional. 3 instruments were applied to measure brand management, brand equity and business competitiveness. The empirical method used was that of gathering information through surveys applied to 321 companies and 326 consumers. Statistical models of structural equation modeling (SEM) and non-parametric correlation (Spearman) were used. The existence of correlation between the study variables was determined. It is concluded that brand equity is a mediating variable of the study variables. © 2022, Universidad del Zulia. All rights reserved.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the interplay of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and green innovation in boosting competitiveness in manufacturing in an emerging market context. This study adds green innovation as mediator in the relationship between CSR and competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach: A model with three second-order constructs is developed and tested, in a sample of 325 managers from manufacturing companies in Ecuador, using quantitative and cross-section methods. Findings: After obtaining adjusted and validated measurement models, a structural equation model was conducted, where the main hypotheses were confirmed, providing empirical evidence that CSR and green innovation significantly influence manufacturing competitiveness in a developing economy. Research limitations/implications: This study considers only manufacturing companies in Ecuador, focusing on CSR practices in a single territorial case study. It arguably contributes to reinforce the business case for CSR, with new evidence on the causal relationships between CSR, green innovation and competitiveness, in the context of emerging market manufacturing industries. Although the literature often points at a positive relationship between CSR and firm-level competitiveness, supporting empirical evidence remains scarce. This model, introducing green innovation as mediator in the relationship between CSR and competitiveness in developing markets, accounts for a novel theoretical approach. Practical implications: The findings are consistent with previous research, reporting the positive influence of CSR activities on organizational competitiveness, reducing risks and cost structures, as well as improving the relationship with employees, enhancing talent attraction, retention and productivity. Incorporating formal CSR tools to the model allowed us to highlight the relevance of ‘green’ certifications as a means to provide a competitive edge, along with increased bargaining power in the supply chain, resulting in competitiveness gains. The findings on the role of green innovation suggest a transition from cost-savings to a more strategic leverage on responsible innovation as a source of competitive advantage. Social implications: Additionally, this research contributes to shed light on the impact of green processes and product innovations on social and environmental performance, providing evidence of a more efficient use of energy and natural resources, increasing productivity and by extension, profitability. CSR shapes an innovation culture that, through the use of social, environmental and sustainability controllers, can create new business models, products, services or processes that boost both firm-level and supply chain productivity, benefits that eventually spill over to the host community. Originality/value: This study aims at bridging the research gap on the interplay of CSR, green innovation and competitiveness in manufacturing in an emerging market context. © 2021, Carmen Paola Padilla-Lozano and Pablo Collazzo.