Submitted:
29 September 2025
Posted:
30 September 2025
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Abstract
Systemic competitiveness refers to the ability of companies to be efficient and adapt to their environment, depending on the interaction of factors at different levels: micro (the companies themselves), meso (government and local actors), macro (the regional context), and meta (the national and institutional framework). This project aims to determine the level of systemic competitiveness of Purificadora de Agua Karina, located in División del Norte, Escárcega, Campeche, in order to identify its strengths, weaknesses, and areas of opportunity that contribute to improving its performance in the local market. The research will be conducted under a qualitative approach, descriptive and explanatory, as it seeks to understand the perceptions and experiences of the actors involved and to interpret the factors that influence the company's competitiveness. For this purpose, interviews will be conducted with both the owner and the employees, allowing the collection of direct and detailed information about the processes and conditions that impact competitiveness. The expected results will indicate a favorable level of competitiveness in the company, but they will also reveal limitations that may affect its development. These findings will allow a more precise understanding of the factors that strengthen performance and those that hinder it, providing a comprehensive diagnosis of the current situation. In this way, the results will serve as a solid basis for designing improvement proposals aimed at optimizing administrative processes, strengthening strategic planning, and enhancing both product quality and home delivery service efficiency, thus contributing to consolidating the competitive position of Purificadora de Agua Karina in the local market. In conclusion, this study seeks not only to diagnose the current situation of Purificadora de Agua Karina but also to provide practical recommendations that boost its competitiveness and serve as a reference for other water purification companies in the region.
Keywords:
systemic competitiveness
; companies
; qualitative approach
; interviews
; water purification plant
; strategies
Introduction
Research on systemic competitiveness in companies involves the study of a series of internal factors that organizations must analyze, integrate, and interconnect to produce results that allow them to achieve competitive advantages in the short, medium, and long term.
Thus, the main functional areas of companies—marketing, human resources, finance, production, quality, IT, environmental management—as well as the administrative process, planning, organization, management, and control—are considered elements of interest in the study of systemic competitiveness, which views the company as an integrated whole that produces results capable of differentiating it from its competitors. As Sánchez and Zapata (2020) argue, these factors, being internal, can be controlled by companies, and the level of competitiveness they desire will depend on the level of effectiveness achieved in each of them.
In this sense, this research was developed with the objective of determining the level of competitiveness of the Karina Water Purification Plant in División del Norte, taking into account the results of the interview conducted with the company's employees. The study also identifies the internal factors that most impact competitiveness and can influence performance within the local market.
Problem
The main problem facing Karina Water Purification is its home delivery service, which has become increasingly important since the COVID-19 pandemic. Growing competition in the area, coupled with more demanding customers who demand fast, safe, and efficient deliveries, has put pressure on the company's internal processes. Currently, its challenge is to maintain product quality while offering a differentiated service that allows it to stand out from other purifiers in the area.
An analysis using the Ishikawa diagram identifies the main causes of the problem as "Low competitiveness in its home delivery service." It also identified the main causes of the problem:
1. Human resources: lack of customer service training, shortage of delivery drivers, and work overload.
2. Logistics processes: poorly optimized routes, delays due to lack of coordination, and lack of order control.
3. Technology and infrastructure: lack of digital tools, worn-out or limited transportation, and lack of automated records.
4. Customers/Market: High competition, more demanding consumers, and a preference for companies with promotions or greater coverage.
Management/Strategy: Lack of planning, limited innovation, and weak loyalty campaigns.
External Factors: Increased local competitors and stricter health regulations.
This outlook reflects the need to rethink strategies to strengthen competitive positioning.
Conceptual Framework
- -
- Competitiveness:
Competitiveness is understood as an organization's ability to achieve goals, adapt to the environment, and sustain itself in the market (Raffino, 2025).
Its importance lies in the fact that it drives socioeconomic growth and compels companies to design strategies that generate added value to differentiate themselves from their competitors (Muñoz & Díaz, 2021).
- -
- Systematic competitiveness:
Systematic competitiveness refers to the ability of companies to be efficient and adapt to their environment, which depends on the interaction of factors at different levels: micro (the companies themselves), meso (the government and local actors), macro (the regional context) and meta (the national and institutional framework), (Ferrer J., 2005).
The importance of this model is that it allows the company's operations to be improved and production chains to be efficiently integrated, leading to better performance in a globalized environment (Delgado, Oyola, & Padilla, 2012).
- -
- Water purification plants:
Purification plants are facilities designed to eliminate microorganisms and contaminants from water, ensuring its potability (López, 2020).
Nowadays, this type of company is gaining greater importance due to society's awareness of consuming purified water and receiving reliable service (Dirié, 2019).
Its competitive advantages include product quality, customer satisfaction and the ability to differentiate itself from competitors with deficiencies in service (Porter, 1985).
Methodology
This research will be conducted using a qualitative approach, as it seeks to understand the phenomena in their real-life context from the perspective of the participants (Hernández, 2014).
The type of study is classified as descriptive or explanatory. The descriptive type will detail the experiences and perceptions of the participants, while the explanatory type will provide an analysis of the causes and factors that generate the problem (Martínez, 2012).
The data collection instrument will be an interview, based on a previously designed question guide with the flexibility to delve deeper into the participants' responses. According to Kvale (2011), this type of interview allows for detailed and meaningful descriptions, focusing on aspects relevant to the research, while the researcher guides the conversation toward the topics of interest.
The study population corresponds to one company in class 222112 (collection, treatment, and supply), focused solely on the employees of the Karina Water Purification Plant, located in División del Norte, Escárcega, Campeche. The total population consists of four purification plants, and a sample size of three was determined. Therefore, the research instrument (DENUE, 2025) will be randomly administered to three companies.
Sample
Data:
N = Population size = 4
σ = Confidence level (94%) = 1.88
ρ = Success rate (50%) = 0.5
q = Estimated failure rate = 0.5
he = Estimated error between the actual rate and the sample rate (6%) = 0.06
Schedule of Activities
The schedule of activities establishes in an organized manner the stages to be carried out during the investigation:
Table 1.
Activity program.
| No | Name of the activity | Activity description | Deliverable | End date | Weeks | ||||||||||||||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | ||||||
| 1 | Identification of the study idea. | The study idea is chosen by observing the environment. | Title of research to be carried out | 5/09/2025 | |||||||||||||||||
| 2 | Preliminary investigation. | The review article is prepared by consulting various bibliographic sources of information on the systemic competitiveness of companies. | Document review report. | 5/09/2025 | |||||||||||||||||
| 3 | Preparation of interview guide. | The guide is designed with open-ended questions to obtain qualitative information on the company's competitiveness. | Interview guide. | 5/09/2025 | |||||||||||||||||
| 4 | Interview application. | The interview will be conducted in person with the company participants. | Cronograma de entrevista. | 5/09/2025 | |||||||||||||||||
| 5 | Analysis and interpretation of results | The responses obtained are analyzed, identifying patterns, categories and key factors. | Preliminary results report. | 5/09/2025 | |||||||||||||||||
| 6 | Make a report. | The report is prepared and developed with the help of a word processor. | Project report. | 5/09/2025 | |||||||||||||||||
| 7 | Propose recommendations. | Recommendations are proposed to improve the company's systemic competitiveness. | Recommendations document. | ||||||||||||||||||
Note. The timeline presents the sequence of research activities, from the identification of the research idea to the presentation of results, indicating deliverables and completion dates.
Expected Results
In accordance with the objectives set and the program of activities, the following results are expected:
- Information gathering: Through interviews with the owner and employees of Karina Water Purifier, detailed data on internal processes, home delivery service, and perceptions of the company's competitiveness are expected to be obtained.
- Analysis of internal factors: By interpreting the information collected, the company's main strengths, weaknesses, and areas of opportunity that impact the company's competitiveness are expected to be identified, especially in relation to its home delivery service.
- Diagnosis and proposals for improvement: A comprehensive micro-level diagnosis of systemic competitiveness is expected to be developed that clearly shows the current situation of Karina Water Purifier in the local market. Based on this analysis, strategic recommendations will be generated to optimize administrative planning, strengthen home delivery service, improve staff training, and leverage technological tools that increase the company's efficiency.
Conclusions
The research will help understand how Karina Water Purification's internal factors influence its level of systemic competitiveness, particularly in home delivery service, which represents its main challenge vis-à-vis local competitors.
The study will provide a comprehensive diagnosis that identifies strengths and areas of opportunity, as well as strategic recommendations aimed at optimizing management, improving service quality, and effectively responding to market demands. In this way, it contributes to strengthening the company from the micro level, generating benefits not only for Karina Water Purification, but also as a benchmark for other water purification companies in the region, promoting practices that promote business competitiveness, customer satisfaction, and the socioeconomic development of the town of División del Norte, Escárcega, Campeche.
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