Abstract:
The aim of this research is to develop an explanatory model of the competitiveness of the firm from its internal factors. The most important factors of competitiveness and the variables featuring them are empirically identified in the case of the Basque manufactures through qualitative techniques based on interviews with their managers. The resultant factors are management capabilities, innovation capabilities, marketing capabilities and quality capabilities. After analysing them under the Resource Based View of the firm (RBV) and defining their measurement scales, a general causal model that relates each factor with the competitiveness of the firm is proposed. The model also sets the management capabilities as the driver of the other firm's resources. This model will be tested through Structural Equations Modelling using a statistically representative sample of the population of Basque manufactures consisting of 861 firms.