Purpose The identification of customer needs through relationship management and their transformation into marketing innovation are two key processes in customer value creation. When combined, they can improve a firm’s competitive position, not only in terms of profitability but also by reducing costs and promoting the use of technology. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the link between managerial relational capability and marketing innovation in customer value creation, and to look at how that value creation affects competitiveness. Design/methodology/approach We analyze 450 small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the furniture industry in the metropolitan area of Guadalajara (Mexico). To this sample is applied a confirmatory factor analysis and a structural equation model to analyze the impact of management capabilities in relationships and marketing innovation on customer value creation and to determine how the value created affects competitiveness. Findings The results show that management capabilities in customer relationships and in the way they convert knowledge of customer needs into specific choices in the market have a positive effect on customer value creation, as well as on financial performance, cost optimization and the use of technology, all of which can be used as indicators of competitiveness. Originality/value The study covers customer value creation in an emerging economy, that of Mexico, and relates it to business competitiveness from a holistic point of view which goes beyond profitability by also including cost reduction and the use of technology.

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El objetivo del artículo es mostrar que un entorno económico poco favorable no siempre desincentivalas innovaciones. Desde la perspectiva del realismo crítico, la metodología del presente artículo consistióen realizar entrevistas a profundidad con informantes clave y se aplicaron cuestionarios a una muestraaleatoria de empresarios, a la vez que se analizaron los casos atípicos. Entre los principales resultados seencontró que la ausencia de inversión en investigación-desarrollo-innovación (I+D+I) en México condujoa que la industria de auto partes de capital mexicano perdiera competitividad, al mismo tiempo que algu-nas empresas de menor dimensión aumentaron su competitividad en el nivel internacional. La principalconclusión es que la innovación en la forma de hacer negocios es fundamental para que la empresa bajoentornos económicos desfavorables aumente su competitividad internacional.The aim of this article is to demonstrate that the slightly favorable economic environmet is, often, the incentive for major innovations. From the critical realism perspective, ind-depth interviews were carried on key informants, and questionnaires were applied to a random simple of businessmen. The a typical cases were also analyzed. Among the principal results, it was shown that the lack of investment for research+development+innovation (R+D+I) in Mexico has led to the auto parts industry of Mexico losing competitiveness. Some smaller companies that innovated increased their competitiveness at international level. The conclusión is that innovation in conducting a business is fundamental, in order for the Company that it is in an unfavorable economic environment to increase its international competitivenes

El objetivo de este artículo es analizar las capacidades dinámicas para la resiliencia en empresas artesanales de cerámica de Jalisco, México. A partir de una base de datos formada por 10, 241 empresas artesanales en Jalisco, se identificaron 162 empresas que producen cerámica. Mediante entrevistas, aplicación de un cuestionario y visitas de campo se estudiaron a las empresas que dentro del grupo se han internacionalizado (14). Se concluye que las capacidades funcionales, culturales y posicionales fomentan las estrategias para la resiliencia.

The aim of this article is to analyze learning for the internationalization of craft companies. The study is mixed and is based on a questionnaire, field visits and retrieval of documentary evidence about these companies. The main result is that, self-financing, the application of resources in obtaining raw materials, as well as the adaptation of machinery and equipment to traditional modes of production, have facilitated the internationalization of companies. It is concluded that the learning system promotes self-financing, constant adaptation to change and greater use of the international markets.