The purpose of this study was to investigate the barriers and drivers of digitalization in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Specifically, the study aimed to identify the key factors influencing the adoption and implementation of digital technologies in SMEs, understand the challenges faced by these organizations in their digital transformation journey. In this study, a fuzzy logic methodology was employed to assess the digitalization process of 4531 SMEs. Additionally, an analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was applied to determine the weights of the dimensions in the fuzzy analysis. This allowed for a more accurate and precise assessment of the digitalization levels in SMEs. Furthermore, statistical analysis techniques were utilized to analyze the data and draw meaningful conclusions. The study revealed that insufficient financial resources, high investment costs, resistance from workers, a shortage of well-qualified staff, lack of knowledge about technology providers, high IT security requirements, the absence of a digital transformation-oriented business culture, and the application of fuzzy logic as a methodology were the key findings in the digitalization process of SMEs. These findings highlight the complex challenges faced by SMEs and emphasize the need to address these barriers to facilitate successful digital transformation.

Customer Satisfaction, Innovation, and Product Quality are a cornerstone for micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) seeking growth, competitiveness, and long-term sustainability. This research explores the complexities of how Customer Satisfaction, Innovation, and Product Quality impact the performance of Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) within the vibrant Iberoamerican business environment. Utilizing a quantitative methodology, the study examines the interplay between Customer Satisfaction, Innovation, and Product Quality and their collective effect on the operational success of MSMEs in the Iberoamerican region. An index derived from self-reported data was employed to gauge MSME performance, drawing upon a comprehensive survey of 9,300 Iberoamerican MSMEs. Our findings reveal factors such as company origin, size, and age significantly impact the level of innovation achievable by MSMEs; also, innovation has generated resilience in some local sectors for one of the analyzed countries, Colombia. Notably, younger, medium-sized companies exhibit a propensity for higher innovation than older firms and micro-enterprises. The study's implications for theory and practice extend to policymakers, business owners, and stakeholders invested in fostering MSME growth and development.

Purpose: To present a rigorous technique for merchandise companies that are internationalizing and pursuit the best options of export markets to direct their products. Originality/value: The literature suggests that companies, especially small and medium enterprises (SME), due to their lack of experience when participating in international business, tend to employ uncertainty processes that affect in decision making when exporting. For this reason, an innovative multivariable technique for international markets selection (IMS) is presented, in which factors such as trade barriers, economics, cost, logistics and culture are considered. Design/methodology/approach: Consulting different databases obtained from the internet, it was possible to analyze the factors indicated above, which, in turn, are integrated by different variables. Thus, this work used a multivariable methodology and/or technique that is complemented with the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to assign the weights of each factor and their respective variables; all this, including a survey among experts and members of the foreign trade department of the company under study, in this case, dedicated to the production of confectionery. Findings: According to the statistical data processed with the multivariable technique and weighted with the AHP process, the results suggest that by their score the best export markets are Ireland, Netherlands and Denmark. In this sense, the empirical evidence indicates that the pointed countries are the most attractive markets for the factors considered, as well as for their general features.

This study examined how different factors—environmental, human resources, managerial, technological, and innovation—influence the organizational performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). For the study methodology, a correlational research design was used to examine the relationships between variables in a sample of 476 SMEs in Colombia. Advanced statistical techniques were used, such as regression and correlation analyses with Monte Carlo simulation. We evaluated four dimensions, 16 factors, and 197 related variables to understand their impact on business performance. The results show that all the studied factors, i.e., environment, structure, management, and people, have a positive relationship with organizational performance. Additionally, the results indicate that SMEs tend to have strong performance in the dimensions of finance, infrastructure, and production but weaker performance in those of international, socioenvironmental, technological, institutional philosophy, process, and human resources management. These findings provide valuable insight into the areas that SMEs may need to focus on to improve their performance while underscoring the importance of considering a variety of factors when developing strategies to improve organizational performance.

This study uses a comprehensive bibliometric analysis to examine the relationships between the International Commercial Terms (Incoterms®), logistics, and legal issues in the context of international trade. By examining a dataset of 290 documents published from 1973 to 2023 in various academic databases such as Web of Science, Google Scholar, Science Direct, among others, the research aims to identify trends, key issues, and potential future directions in this interdisciplinary field. The analysis reveals a significant increase in publications since 2010, with a focus on topics such as legal and contractual issues, supply chain management, risk mitigation, and the evolution of Incoterms® rules. Co-occurrence analysis emphasizes six distinct clusters, ranging from international trade dynamics and transaction costs to regulatory frameworks and risk management. The abstract content analysis further highlights the interconnectedness of legal, logistical and implementation issues. The study also identifies the United Kingdom, the United States, and South Korea as the most important countries contributing to the field. It is concluded that Incoterms® and its multidisciplinary essence generates a greater interest in the international trade, not only because of its incidence in diverse fields of management; but also, because these rules are updated to regulate better the business transactions. The findings provide valuable insights for researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, and show the importance of considering the multifaceted nature of Incoterms® research and its impact on global trade practices.