Innovation as a Foundation of Competitiveness of Smes on the Colombo-Venezuelan Frontier

Objective: This article is the result of a research carried out in a group of SMEs with the objective of analyzing innovation in this business commercial segment. Innovation has become a determining factor for the success of modern organizations due to their ability to generate products and services that satisfy customer needs. Theoretical Framework: Several authors with extensive research experience were consulted in order to add a theoretical construct to the research regarding innovation in organizations. Method: The methodology adopted for this research was executed under a quantitative, descriptive and analytical approach, with a field, non-experimental and transactional design. The information was obtained directly with the application of a structured instrument to an intentional sample applied to ten managers of SMEs on the Colombian-Venezuelan frontier. Results and Discussion: It was established that these do not receive adequate attention from management since all the evaluated indicators were located at a medium and low level in an instrument designed with a Likert scale. Research Implications: It can be inferred that the managers in question do not make significant implementations or changes in the products or services they market, failing to generate economic value due to the non-implementation of strategies that lead to an increase in operational income within the managed organizations. Originality/Value: The research carried out under the positivist paradigm due to its quantitative approach based on the rigorous application of the scientific method, is characterized by the possibility of generalization, which allows based on particular results to proceed to make generalizations that can be applied in similar circumstances.