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Business competitiveness has long been a subject of study and debate in the economic literature, which has pointed to various drivers of business development. Drawing on the Industrial Economics, the New Industrial Economics, and the Theory of Resources and Capabilities approaches, this paper sets forth a panel data econometric model with 2 671 Mexican micro-enterprises over four time periods, detailing the relationship between the competitive advantages of micro-enterprises and external and internal factors, such as the sectoral structure and the tangible and intangible assets of the economic unit. The principal results obtained suggest that the synergies needed for the development of the small-scale productive sector are primarily generated by way of intangible capabilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heterogeneity of productive structure in Argentina distinguishes sectors with different levels of technological development and accumulation possibilities. "This calls into question the orthodox vision of a homogeneous capital structure and highlights the need for specific policies for each sector. The so called informal sector, made up principally of microenterprises with little or no surplus, is one of the most vulnerable sectors within Argentine productive structure. For this reason, we propose to examine the operation of this sector through a survey conducted with one hundred poor microenterprises in the south of Buenos Aires. By examining the results of the survey and through analysis of the public policies that have repercussions for the sector, policies are suggested that call for a departure from informality and an improvement in training and funding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]