Cultura: International Journal of Philosophy of Culture and Axiology

Vol. 21 No. 4s (2024): Volume 21, Number 4s – 2024
Original Article

QUALITY AND ORGANIZATIONAL COMPETITIVENESS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES: A BIBLIOMETRIC AND SYSTEMATIC LITERATURE REVIEW

PDF
  • Genny Navarro Claro,
  • José Gregorio Arévalo Ascanio,
  • Wilder Quintero Quintero,
  • Juan Carlos Hernández Criado
Genny Navarro Claro
PhD in Administration, Master's in Strategic Management, Business Administrator, Professor at Francisco de Paula Santander University, Ocaña,
José Gregorio Arévalo Ascanio
PhD in Administration, Master's in Administration, Business Administrator, Professor at Francisco de Paula Santander University, Ocaña,
Wilder Quintero Quintero
PhD in Administration, Master's in Administration, CertifiedPublicAccountant, Professor at Francisco de Paula Santander University, Ocaña,
Juan Carlos Hernández Criado
4PhD in Sustainable Development, Environmental Engineer, Master in Sustainable Development and Environmental Management, Professor at Francisco de Paula Santander University, Ocaña,
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.22707563

Published 2024-04-15

Keywords

  • quality,
  • competitiveness,
  • performance,
  • productivity,
  • organizations.
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

This article reviews the relationship between quality and organizational competitiveness in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) over the period 1988–2025. A total of 596 publications were initially identified, of which 63 were selected and analyzed using the Scopus database. The study adopts a systematic literature review supported by bibliometric analysis and a historical-documentary approach. Data processing was conducted using RStudio (Bibliometrix package) and VOSviewer, while the Ordinatio method was applied to prioritize studies based on impact, recency, and citation metrics.The results identify the most influential countries, authors, institutions, and journals, showing a significant increase in research since the early 2010s, with a predominance of quantitative studies. Key themes include quality management, innovation, knowledge management, strategic management, human resource practices, and technological capabilities as drivers of competitiveness.Despite this growth, the study reveals a lack of conceptual consensus regarding the relationship between quality and competitiveness at the micro level. Overlaps with constructs such as performance, productivity, and competitive advantage generate ambiguity. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for integrated and context-sensitive frameworks that position quality as a strategic determinant of competitiveness, particularly in SMEs operating in emerging environments.

PDF