Personalidad de los directivos y su influencia en el desarrollo y éxito de las PYMES exportadoras de Costa Rica: análisis cross-cultural Costa Rica – España

The knowledge, improvement of skills, competencies, and skills of the companies’ managers is a highly
relevant issue to face the challenges of internationalization of SMEs successfully. Providing information
to SMEs that enrich their knowledge for their internationalization process and improve competitiveness is
an important strategy for economic development and an alternative for its growth and competitiveness
(Castro-González, 2016).
This research aims to determine the influence of the personality of companies’ managers on the
performance results of exporting SMEs in Costa Rica, analyzing their behavior from their traits and values
through a mixed-method investigation, all to contribute to the economic reactivation and the improvement
of international competitiveness, and finally analyzing its behavior comparing to Spanish companies.
This study aims to carry out a cross-cultural analysis with the results of the study of Rondan-Cataluña et
al. (2016), conducted in Spain, in which the Schwartz (1992) model is used as a scale for measuring
values. Regarding methodology, first, we will classify the companies according to their export performance
in high and low, according to the classification provided by the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter
(PROCOMER). Subsequently, to obtain data, we will apply the instrument of Rodán-Cataluña et al.
(2016), which is about the manager's personality. This data will be used to identify the personality
characteristics of the executives of exporting SMEs according to the Schwartz scale of values and then
determine the personality of the exporting SMEs executives with higher and lower export performance.
For data analysis, we will use SPSS software. The study will be a mixed-method investigation. It is
proposed to conduct a qualitative study to examine the interviewees' perception about the influence of the
manger's personality in their export performance. We will use ATLAS.ti software to organize and delimit
and interpret the data. Finally, it is proposed to compare the results obtained with the informationfrom
Spanish companies.
The research is framed within the CIADEG research lines of Entrepreneurship and Innovation and aligned
with ITCR institutional vision within the axis of strategic knowledge of Industry, which allows the linkage
of the sectors of the economy with the transversal axis of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, offering
comprehensive solutions to the national and international community. In addition, the results of this
research intend to contribute to the adaptation of managers and business management to the new
economic reality through strategies and measures that stimulate international activity, entrepreneurship,
and investment.
The problem to be solved is of national and international interest. It will offer a comparative study between
Spain and Costa Rica, enriching the knowledge about the internationalization process of SMEs, the
characterization of managers, and promote and support policies related to these sectors. As part of the
research results, it is expected to deliver to the Costa Rican Foreign Trade Promoter (PROCOMER),
actors of generation of public policy, the Ministry of Economy, Industry, and Commerce (MEIC), and the
companies involved, a document with an analysis and a profile of successful SME directives that serve
as a guide for hiring or assigning staff to perform this function. Additionally, this research will be presented
at events such as the Latin American Congress of Schools of Administration (CLADEA) and the Latin
American Association of Schools of Accounting and Administration (ALAFEC). It will also be published in an international journal of high impacts, such as School of Administration of Business Magazine and
Administração de Empresas Magazine.

Determinar la influencia de la personalidad de los directivos de empresas en los resultados de desempeño
de las PYMES exportadoras de Costa Rica, analizando su comportamiento desde sus rasgos y valores,
mediante una investigación mixta, para contribuir con la reactivación económica y el mejoramiento de la
competitividad internacional, analizando también su comportamiento con relación a las empresas
españolas.

Emprendimiento e Innovación