The mission of the Journal of the International Council for Small Business (JICSB) is to promote and share knowledge, accumulated through observation, research, and experimentation by researchers, educators, policy makers, and business owners, that will elevate micro-, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) to have a more positive impact on their local communities and their stakeholders. This issue summarizes a selected group among the best contributions presented during the SME World Forum held in Rosario, Argentina, from October 31 to November 2, 2022, under the motto “We drive the world, we lead the future.”
An expanded approach to creativity and innovation led by SMEs is required to participate in long-term growth. The SME World Forum Rosario 2022 aimed to contribute to the processes of innovation, creativity, efficiency, and ethical and sustainable economic development. Topics were related to environmental management, renewable energy, energy efficiency, internationalization, digital transformation, vectors of the fourth industrial revolution, education, new forms of work, and human capital formation.
Technological change, the accelerated digitalization process, and the management of the technology–human labor linkage are fundamental elements of public policy intervention. In turn, the systemic vision of competitiveness adds a step: a technical and economic approach to connectivity infrastructure (ease of access and efficient costs), which goes beyond the company’s framework and encourages efficient public intervention. It is also interesting to observe the insertion of industrial SMEs in this new stage of internationalization and globalization post–coronavirus pandemic, given that the trend of efficiency gains in international logistics, a dynamic factor of globalization, has been exhausted.
For this issue, five emerging research papers presented at the SME World Forum in Rosario have been selected, together with a special contribution by the secretary of university policies of Argentina on the role of the Argentine university system in the formation of human capital in SMEs. The selection follows the SMEs theme’s international linkage line, incorporating analyses of technological vectors in Industry 4.0 and innovation in the agricultural sector; the role of innovation and technology in the global competitiveness of manufacturing SMEs in Kenya; the process of learning and work for the organization as a key to the positive competitive evolution of SMEs; the potential demand for microcredits from families and the process of improving financial inclusion in a region of Argentina; strategic management in the primary agro-industrial production network in the Argentine province of La Pampa; and the implementation of agile methodologies for the development of new enterprises in Bogota, Colombia.
The article “Early Adoption of Industry 4.0 Technologies in the Agricultural Sector: A Phenomenological Analysis,” whose authors are Andrea Belén Arditi, María Isabel Camio, Luciano Velazquez, and Fernando Errandosoro, UNICEN, Argentina, examines the early adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in the agricultural sector in the region of Mar y Sierras in Argentina. The study employs a phenomenological approach, interviewing eight actors involved in the early adoption of technologies in the agricultural sector. The goal of the research is to identify the characteristics of early adopters and the key drivers and obstacles that influence the adoption process.
The study highlights the importance of essential actors, referred to as referents, outside of the companies that offer or demand the technologies promoting early adoption. These referents play a crucial role in ensuring that the technologies adopted meet the real needs of the sector and the region. This approach is critical for highlighting the impact of technologies and generating a spillover effect among laggard adopters.
The research also notes that the region of Mar y Sierras may not be a pioneer in the adoption of agricultural technologies (AgTechs), but recognizes the existence of an institutional density that encourages the adoption of technologies, which presents an opportunity for continued efforts to promote the AgTech ecosystem in the region.
In summary, this study provides valuable insights into the early adoption of Industry 4.0 technologies in the agricultural sector, the characteristics of early adopters, and the key actors that drive this process. The findings suggest that the adoption of technologies that meet the real needs of the sector and the region is essential for making their impact visible and promoting further adoption among laggard adopters.
The second article, “Global Scaling by SMEs: Role of Innovation and Technology” whose author is Hezron M. Osano (School of Business and Management Studies, The Technical University of Kenya), examines the relationship between innovation and technology capabilities and global scaling by SMEs. The research employs a descriptive and inferential design, using correlations and multiple/multivariate regression analysis to determine the functional relationship between various independent variables related to innovation and technology and the dependent variable of global scaling by SMEs. The independent variables include new technologies, breakthroughs or new-to-market products, new and improved processes, incremental innovation, product replacement, acquisition of new technology, and extensive use of existing technology platforms.
The study is interesting, as it provides a systematic examination of the relationship between innovation and technology capabilities and global scaling by SMEs. By surveying a random sample of 205 firms drawn from a directory of 440 members of the Kenya Association of Manufacturers based in Nairobi, the study can draw a sample from diverse industries, which makes the results more generalizable. The study also uses a combination of descriptive and inferential statistics that provides both a detailed and holistic view of the research question.
The key findings of the research indicate a positive relationship between product replacement, acquisition of new technology, use of existing technology platforms, and global scaling by SMEs. The results suggest that innovation and technology, product adaptation, service orientation, collaborative ventures, and long-range vision enable SMEs to scale globally. These findings have important implications for practice, suggesting that SMEs need to possess the capability to innovate and interact effectively with other firms in connected networks of shared production and innovation to effectively scale globally.
The third article is “Work Organization and Learning Processes: A Reflection on the Concept of Competences” by Betiana Montenegro, Johana Herrera Gudiño, and Mariana Ortiz (Institute of Industry, Universidad Nacional de General Sarmiento, Los Polvorines, Argentina) and the National Council for Scientific and Technical Research—Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina, provides a thorough analysis of the concept of competencies and their relevance in understanding changes in work organization and the generation of learning processes in companies. The literature review argues that the process of acquiring and developing competencies is a crucial dimension of work organization, which refers to the set of practices aimed at the management of human talent that enable the acquisition of individual and organizational knowledge.
The article is noteworthy because it offers a comprehensive examination of the evolution of the concept of competencies, tracing its development from the idea of qualitative “leaps” in its construction. This provides insight into how the concept of competencies has changed over time, and how this evolution has contributed to changes in work organization and the development of learning processes within companies.
This article also highlights the increasing importance of competencies in today’s organizations, as they are required to have a greater capacity to adapt to the environment. This highlights the need for organizations to develop increasingly complex competencies to stay competitive.
In conclusion, this article provides a valuable contribution to the literature on organizational learning by analyzing the concept of competencies and their relevance to understanding changes in the work organization and the generation of learning processes in companies. The thorough examination of the evolution of the concept of competencies and its connection to changes in work organization and learning processes provides a useful framework for understanding the current state of the field.
The fourth article, “Potential Demand for Microloans: A Household-Level Study,” is written by Sofia Orazi, Lisana B. Martinez, M. Belén Guercio, and Hernán P. Vigier, from the Institute of Economic and Social Research of the South, CONICET-UNS, the Department of Economics at the National University of the South, and the CEDETS of the Universidad Provincial del Sudoeste (Universidad Bahía Blanca, Argentina), examines the characteristics of households that are decisive in explaining their financial inclusion in the city of Bahía Blanca in 2021. The study aims to identify the profiles of households excluded from formal financial services and calculate the potential demand for microcredits as a means of measuring the importance of having an alternative to meet the unsatisfied demand for small-scale credit of the excluded population.
The article is interesting, as it addresses the important issue of financial inclusion in the context of emerging economies where financial markets are not as developed. The article highlights the role of microfinance as a paradigm shift in the financial management of households, as it can lead to a genuine reduction in vulnerability by generating better access to durable consumer goods or housing. By focusing on the city of Bahía Blanca, the study provides a localized perspective on the issue of financial inclusion, which can be beneficial for policy makers and practitioners working in similar contexts.
The article also provides an in-depth analysis of the characteristics of households that are decisive in explaining their financial inclusion. By identifying the profiles of households excluded from formal financial services, the study highlights the groups that are most in need of alternative financial services, such as microcredits. The calculation of potential demand for microcredits provides a measure of the importance of having alternative financial services to meet the needs of the excluded population.
In summary, this article provides a valuable contribution to the literature on financial inclusion by analyzing the characteristics of households that are decisive in explaining their financial inclusion in the city of Bahía Blanca in 2021. The study highlights the role of microfinance as a paradigm shift in the financial management of households and provides a localized perspective on the issue of financial inclusion.
The fifth article, “Strategic Management of the Agroindustrial Network of First Transformation in La Pampa, Argentina,” by Santiago Ferro Moreno and Santiago Agustín Perez of the Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Argentina, explores the management of resources and strategic capacities of the agro-industrial organizations of the first transformation of productive chains in the province of La Pampa, Argentina. The study aims to understand and propose private strategies and public policies that can affect the competitiveness of agro-industries in the region.
This work is noteworthy as it provides a comprehensive analysis of the factors and strategic variables that impact the performance of agro-industrial networks, specifically in the province of La Pampa. By mapping and interviewing the agro-industries in the province, the study can provide a detailed understanding of the current state of the industry and identify areas for improvement. The study also provides a synthesis of the management of 10 factors of strategic management by an organization: complexity, general framework, and microregion. This allows for a better understanding of the management practices of different organizations and complexes, which is useful for practitioners and policy makers working in the region.
The study finds that the flour, dairy, and balanced food complexes have the best strategic management performance. Additionally, the study finds that the strategic management of first-transition agro-industries is directly related to capacities such as management training and seniority in the business, and resources such as scale.
In conclusion, this article provides a valuable contribution to the literature on agro-industrial networks by measuring and analyzing the management of resources and strategic capacities of the agro-industrial organizations of the first transformation in the province of La Pampa, Argentina. The study highlights the importance of understanding and proposing private strategies and public policies to improve the competitiveness of agro-industries in the region and the strategic management performance of different organizations and complexes.
The group of contributions included in this issue of JICSB looks at the spread of innovative theories and impactful practical insights with a positive impact on the sustainability and growth of SMEs, the backbone of economies and human lives. This issue of JICSB offers an intersection of research, policy, and practice to develop and test knowledge-based claims about the positive and impactful role of SMEs, with a special focus on emerging markets. Finally, special acknowledgment goes to the conference organizers, especially Hernán Revale and Matías Vignolo from UNRaf, who led the selection process and primary compilation of the papers presented at the SMEs World Forum 2022 in Rosario, Argentina.