Technology Management in SMEs: Suppliers as links for business collaboration

The main aim of this paper is to analyse the process of technology management in footwear manufacturing firms and the influence of its suppliers on this management process. It is argued that suppliers contribute to inter-business collaboration that should serve as a strategy to mitigate the problems of competitiveness and sustainability in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The methodological strategy is quantitative. A random sample of 33 footwear manufacturers settled in Guanajuato, Mexico was selected. The instrument was applied to upper-intermediate level and top-level managers in the participating organisations and validated with the Cronbach Alpha Test ( = 0.8891). This paper allows the understanding of the constituent elements in the process of technology management of these SMEs which is shown through the analysis of means' difference. The results allow the inference that suppliers play a key role in the diffusion and transfer of technology in the footwear cluster. However, SMEs perceive their influence in two directions: as a threat to their competitiveness by sharing information with other companies in the sector and as an opportunity to accelerate the design and development of innovative and competitive products.The main aim of this paper is to analyse the process of technology management in footwear manufacturing firms and the influence of its suppliers on this management process. It is argued that suppliers contribute to inter-business collaboration that should serve as a strategy to mitigate the problems of competitiveness and sustainability in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). The methodological strategy is quantitative. A random sample of 33 footwear manufacturers settled in Guanajuato, Mexico was selected. The instrument was applied to upper-intermediate level and top-level managers in the participating organisations and validated with the Cronbach Alpha Test ( = 0.8891). This paper allows the understanding of the constituent elements in the process of technology management of these SMEs which is shown through the analysis of means' difference. The results allow the inference that suppliers play a key role in the diffusion and transfer of technology in the footwear cluster. However, SMEs perceive their influence in two directions: as a threat to their competitiveness by sharing information with other companies in the sector and as an opportunity to accelerate the design and development of innovative and competitive products

CHARACTERIZATION OF INTRAPRENEURSHIP IN THE MEXICAN SOFTWARE INDUSTRY: AN ANALYSIS BASED ON THE GROUNDED THEORY

Facing the dynamics of the current competitive conditions involves the identification of phenomena related to the company’s development or intrapreneurship. With the purpose of contributing to a generation of theory in this regard, this research identifies some environmental and organizational factors related to the intraprenurial behavior in the software industry in México, through the use of qualitative research techniques investigation with strict attachment to the Grounded Theory. Results suggest the consideration of constructs set forth in the literature, as well as other proposed by the research subjects, such as government support, competitiveness in the field, and individual elements like skills or worker’s creative talent, their commitment towards the company, the degree of risk aversion and their disposition for teamwork

Evolución de la gestión en la administración pública hospitalaria: Un estudio de caso de un hospital de segundo nivel en México (The evolution of public health care management: A case study of a second level hospital in Mexico)

Abstract. This paper analyses the management of Hospital General in Cd. Victoria, Tamaulipas, México, a decentralized public institute from the State Government that started operations on 1985. The first services offered to the local population was medical consultation, core medical specialties, emergency services, hospitalization, and intensive care unit. Within the hospital activities, both administrative and medical the management continuously looked for best practices that allowed it to reach its goals and fulfill its mission. Current literature provides a diversity of strategic tools and models that create value to public health processes making a more efficient use of resources. With this context, this research takes an exploratory case study approach using semi-structured interviews having as key informants the hospital managers since its foundation, allowing explanations on the evolution of the implemented management practices. This paper infers the need to incorporate actions that contribute to a comprehensive and structured professional management.Key words: hospital, integral control panel, strategic management

Becoming women: period. Perceptions of barriers and facilitators to menstrual hygiene management programs for Pakistani girls

Discussions on and around menstruation are often considered a cultural taboo in many parts of Pakistan. Mostly, individuals avoid discussing menstruation and lack awareness about its related health and hygiene issues. Sexual health education is entangled in a complex myriad of social and cultural stigmas. Limited knowledge and lack of access to menstrual health management (MHM) resources decrease the self-confidence of girl students and lead to reluctance to seek help or advice. This quantitative study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of the intersectionality of the influences leading to barriers and facilitators of access to the MHM program in a public school in the Hyderabad district and utilize this information to construct a framework for evaluation of the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) in Schools program. This study sampled all girls' elementary and higher secondary schools in the Hyderabad district. Due to the limitations of time and access during the global COVID-19 pandemic, the researchers collected data from more than 100 school leaders and teachers regarding the MHM facilities in their schools through an online self-administered survey. The data were then analyzed in SPSS for frequencies, mean scores, and standard deviation. The results suggest that school leaders and teachers of the Hyderabad district perceive MHM facilities to be significantly low in terms of both resources and policies. Schools worldwide are introducing life skills, hygiene, good health, and wellness subjects. Pakistan needs to change its educational policy for the welfare of women, who comprise a magnanimous 48.54% of its population. Moreover, with the planning and implementation of programs such as WASH in Schools (WinS), the perceptions of barriers and facilitators to MHM facilities in Pakistan must be studied to fight the taboo and raise awareness about the same

Diferencias en los rasgos de la personalidad de los emprendedores por necesidad y oportunidad

El estudio del emprendimiento ha cobrado importancia debido a que su literatura aplica significativos esfuerzos para explicar cómo y por qué se crean los nuevos negocios. Dentro de las distintas corrientes de estudio destacan los emprendimientos como resultado de una necesidad del emprendedor, y los que se originan a partir de la innovación u oportunidades del mercado. El objetivo de este artículo es identificar si existen diferencias en los rasgos de la personalidad entre el emprendedor por oportunidad y el emprendedor por necesidad. Para ello, se plantea analizar los diferentes tipos de emprendimientos que existen en la región norte del país además de los factores personales que influyen en ellos. La población estudiada está conformada por habitantes de dos ciudades del norte de México alcanzando una muestra representativa de 199 emprendedores. Los resultados implican que los rasgos de la personalidad que resaltan en un emprendedor son la apertura, amabilidad, conciencia y neuroticismo. Siendo sólo el neuroticismo el rasgo distintivo entre un emprendedor por necesidad y un emprendedor por oportunidad, indicando que los emprendedores por oportunidad tienden a presentar niveles más altos de neuroticismo, mientras que los emprendedores por necesidad poseen una mayor estabilidad emocional

Las redes sociales: herramienta de mercadotecnia para el sector restaurantero

This investigation aimed to determine the way companies of the restaurant sector integrate social networks as a marketing strategy and how these impact positioning, brand image, and volume of sales in Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas (northeast of Mexico). We carried out a quantitative research by means of a questionnaire applied to 46 companies of this sector. The results we obtained showed that restaurants use social networks as an advertising tool, promotion, and as source of information about their customers. This has generated a positive impact within the positioning and brand image, even though the volume of sales has not been determined yet.El objetivo de la investigación consistió en determinar cómo las empresas del sector restaurantero integran las redes sociales en la estrategia de mercadotecnia y cómo estas impactan dentro de los aspectos de posicionamiento, imagen de marca y volumen de ventas en Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas (noreste de México). Con una investigación cuantitativa, en la que se aplicó un cuestionario a 46 empresas de este sector, cuyos resultados obtenidos evidenciaron que los restaurantes integran las redes sociales como herramienta de publicidad, promoción y como fuente de información sobre los clientes, las cuales han generado un impacto positivo dentro del posicionamiento e imagen de marca, pero en el volumen de ventas no se ha determinado

Determinantes do comportamento sustentável em universidades do nordeste do México: uma análise exploratória.

Sustainability has emerged in order to improve the quality of life for living things on the planet. The objective of the article is to determine the factors that drive the sustainable behavior of the universities of northeast Mexico. The results are achieved from a qualitative exploratory research, where the most relevant internal and external elements of this phenomenon were established. The method used consisted of a case study at universities in northeast Mexico, identifying as individual determinants of sustainable behavior the main elements at the individual, institutional and contextual levels, such as regulatory frameworks, existing competences, the presence or absence of an awareness, and attitudes.La sostenibilidad ha emergido con la finalidad de mejorar la calidad de vida de los seres vivos en el planeta. El objetivo del artículo es determinar los factores que impulsan el comportamiento sostenible de las universidades del noreste de Méjico. Los resultados se logran a partir de una investigación cualitativa de corte exploratorio, donde se establecieron los elementos internos y externos más relevantes de dicho fenómeno. El método utilizado consistió en un estudio de casos en universidades del noreste de Méjico, identificándose como principales determinantes del comportamiento sostenible elementos a nivel individual, institucional y contextual, tales como los marcos normativos, las competencias existentes, la presencia o ausencia de una conciencia, y las actitudes.A sustentabilidade surgiu para melhorar a qualidade de vida dos seres vivos do planeta. O objetivo do artigo é determinar os fatores que impulsionam o comportamento sustentável das universidades do nordeste do México. Os resultados são obtidos a partir de uma pesquisa exploratória qualitativa, onde foram estabelecidos os elementos internos e externos mais relevantes desse fenômeno. O método utilizado consistiu em um estudo de caso em universidades do nordeste do México, identificando como determinantes individuais do comportamento sustentável os principais elementos nos níveis individual, institucional e contextual, como estruturas regulatórias, competências existentes, presença ou ausência de consciência, e atitudes

Validación de la escala de valoración de intraemprendimiento EVI, en la industria del software de la zona norte de México

Con fundamento en la importancia implícita del estudio de la actividad intraemprendedora se propuso un instrumento llamado “Escala de Valoración de Intraemprendimiento EVI”, por lo que el objetivo del presente fue validar un instrumento que permitiera determinar la relación de una serie de factores ambientales y organizacionales con el nivel de intraemprendimiento en la industria del software de la zona norte de México. Para lograr lo anterior se tomó una muestra no probabilística de 78 empresas distribuidas en los estados de Baja California, Chihuahua, Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, Coahuila, Durango, Sinaloa y Sonora. La validación del EVI se realizó en tres fases: la primera consistió en el análisis descriptivo de los datos recabados a fin de verificar sus índices de normalidad; la segunda en el análisis factorial exploratorio por el método de máxima verosimilitud, el cual permitió determinar los ítems más consistentes en la formación de los constructos planteados en el instrumento; por último se analizó la validez convergente de los constructos que componen el modelo durante en análisis factorial confirmatorio de los datos. Los resultados sugieren la posibilidad de uso del instrumento EVI como una escala confiable y válida en la evaluación del intraemprendimiento. ABSTRAC Based on the implicit importance of the study of the activity intrapreneurship, an instrument called "Evaluation Scale of Intrapreneurship EVI”, so the objective of this was to validate an instrument that would allow determining the relationship of a series of factors environmental and organizational with the level of intrapreneurship in the industry of the software of the northern zone of Mexico. To achieve this, a sample was taken non-probabilistic study of 78 companies distributed in the states of Baja California, Chihuahua, Tamaulipas, Nuevo León, Coahuila, Durango, Sinaloa and Sonora. The The validation of the EVI was carried out in three phases: the first consisted of the descriptive analysis of the data collected in order to verify their normality rates; the second in the exploratory factorial analysis by the maximum likelihood method, which allowed to determine the most consistent items in the formation of the constructs raised in the instrument; Finally, the convergent validity of the constructs that make up the model during the confirmatory factor analysis of the data. The results suggest the possibility of using the EVI instrument as a reliable and valid scale in the evaluation of intrapreneurship.1ra. edición 202