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Several investigations are commonly found in marketing literature but there are relatively few theoretical and empirical researches that associate marketing with corporate social responsibility (CSR). There are even less empirical investigations that relate these two important constructs with firm reputation of enterprises aimed to small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs) which shows a clear void in literature regarding the existing relation between CSR activities, brand image of products or services created by enterprises and their firm reputation. For this reason, the main objective of this research paper is the analysis of the existing relation between CSR activities, firm reputation and brand image of products or services of SMEs by using a sample of 308 enterprises from Aguascalientes State. The results obtained show that CSR activities have positive and significant effects in both the firm reputation and brand image of products or services created by SMEs.

Purpose Specific research related to the study of innovation barriers in service SMEs in the Latin American region is limited. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects that external environmental, financial and human barriers have on innovation activities, particularly, within the context of Mexican service SMEs. Design/methodology/approach Three hypotheses were formulated and tested using structural equation modelling. Data were collected through an instrument that was developed based on relevant constructs adapted from the literature. The instrument was validated using confirmatory factor analysis, Cronbach’s α test and the composite reliability index to ensure reliability of the theoretical model. The instrument was distributed among service SMEs in the Aguascalientes state of Mexico, from were 308 valid responses were obtained. Findings In general, the results indicate that all the three barriers investigated (i.e. external environmental, financial and human) hinder innovation in service SMEs, with the external environmental barrier being the most significant of the three. Practical implications The findings of this research can inform managers of service SMEs and policy makers when formulating and implementing strategies to reduce innovation barriers. Originality/value Evidence suggests that specific research related to the study of innovation barriers in service SMEs in the Latin American region is limited. This paper fills this research gap by expanding the limited body of knowledge in this field and providing further evidence on this phenomenon. The study also enables the distinctive characteristics of innovation barriers to be understood within a particular context, expanding in this way the body of knowledge on this field.

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Existe actualmente en la literatura de las ciencias de la gestión un interés cada vez mayor entre investigadores y académicos en la utilización de la colaboración como una estrategia empresarial, sobre todo en los países en vías de desarrollo, y su relación con las actividades de innovación. Asimismo, el concepto de la colaboración y su potencial aplicación en las actividades de innovación de las empresas, preferentemente de las pequeñas y medianas, es un tema que muy poco se ha analizado y discutido. Por ello, el objetivo de este estudio empírico es analizar la relación existente entre la colaboración y las actividades de innovación en las pequeñas y medianas empresas localizadas en el Estado de Aguascalientes. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la colaboración tiene efectos positivos y significativos en las actividades de innovación de las pequeñas y medianas empresas. Derechos Reservados © 2016 Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Facultad de Contaduría y Administración. Este es un artículo de acceso abierto distribuido bajo los términos de la Licencia Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Contribution/ OriginalityThis paper main contribution is an advanced understanding of the relationship between corporate social responsibility and business performance in the context of small and medium enterprises. As evidence suggests that research focused on investigating the relationship between corporate social responsibility and business performance is limited.

In the literature, there are various studies relating positively the entrepreneurial orientation to business performance. In such studies a great deal of variables have been introduced to measure business performance, among the variables most accepted by researchers and academics are profit and business growth. Therefore, it is possible to consider that entrepreneurial orientation plays an essential role in business growth. For that reason, this paper has the objective to analyse the existing relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and growth, by using a random sample of 318 small and medium-sixed enterprises in México. The results obtained show that proactivity, risk taking and innovativeness along with the competitive aggression and autonomy have significant and positive effects on small and medium-sized enterprises' growth.

The use of flexibility has been analyzed and discussed in the literature as a strategy that produces many competitive advantages and as an essential resource in enterprises for some decades. However, logistics flexibility is a rather recent construct and a variable that has also been considered as a business strategy that produces not only higher competitive advantages but also a higher level of customer satisfaction. Although logistics flexibility has several benefits in enterprises, there is still in the literature a high percentage of ignorance from a considerable amount of organizations about the effects of logistics flexibility in customer satisfaction. For this reason, the main objective of this empirical research is the analysis of the effects of logistics flexibility on the logistics related to customer satisfaction by using a sample of 322 enterprises in furniture industry in Spain. The results obtained provide empirical evidence of the positive and significant effects that logistics flexibility has on the logistics related to customer satisfaction.