Vol. 36 (2026): Volumen 36
Artículos de investigación

Founders’ entrepreneurial skills and innovative capability in Mexican small manufacturing firms: the mediating role of entrepreneurial alertness

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  • HECTOR MONTIEL CAMPOS
HECTOR MONTIEL CAMPOS PROFESOR DE TIEMPO COMPLETO

Published 2026-09-23

Copyright (c) 2026 Héctor Montiel Campos

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

How to Cite

MONTIEL CAMPOS, H. (2026). Founders’ entrepreneurial skills and innovative capability in Mexican small manufacturing firms: the mediating role of entrepreneurial alertness. Acta Universitaria, 36, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.15174/au.2026.4961

Abstract

Although the literature recognizes the importance of entrepreneurial skills for innovation, limited evidence exists on how individual skills translate into innovation outcomes in emerging economies. This study examines the role of entrepreneurial alertness as a mechanism linking open innovation mindset, individual absorptive capacity, creative potential, and innovation capability. Using PLS-SEM, Mexican firms were analyzed. Results show that open innovation mindset and creative potential are positively related to entrepreneurial alertness, whereas individual absorptive capacity is not significant. Entrepreneurial alertness is positively related to incremental innovation, but not radical innovation. Moreover, it fully mediates the relationship between open innovation mindset and incremental innovation and partially mediates the relationship between creative potential and incremental innovation. The findings strengthen the microfoundational perspective of innovation.

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