Empleo, formación del personal y participación femenina en Pymes exportadoras y no exportadoras en Costa Rica

Abstract

Problem and Objective. Previous studies have suggested that export orientation is often associated with higher levels of competitiveness, innovation, employment growth, and workforce development. However, this relationship has not been consistently observed among small and medium-sized firms (SMEs). Against this backdrop, the present study emerged from an undergraduate capstone project conducted by a Business Administration student. The study aimed to examine whether different types of market orientations among SMEs are linked to employment growth, human capital development, and women’s equity participation. Method. Data from 136 Costa Rican SMEs participating in the Global Competitiveness Project were used, collected with the involvement of researchers from TEC’s School of Business Administration, following a quantitative, cross-sectional, and correlational design. Results. Findings show that exporting SMEs experience greater employment growth, but no significant differences in human capital development or women’s ownership participation, suggesting that internationalization may serve as an effective pathway to stimulate job creation in these firms.