Cooperation as a key factor to increase local companies’ competitiveness: a descriptive analysis

Proceedings of the 34th International Business Information Management Association Conference (IBIMA) 13-14 November 2019 Madrid, Spain ISBN: 978-0-9998551-3-3 Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage Editor Khalid S. Soliman International Business Information Management Association (IBIMA) Copyright 2019 Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage II Conference Chair Khalid S. Soliman, International Business Information Management Association, USA Special Track Chair Jelena TITKO, EKA University of Applied Sciences, Latvia Conference Advisory Committee John F. Affisco, Hofstra University, USA Abdul Rahman Ahmad, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Malaysia Omar Al-Azzam, University of Minnesota Crookston, USA Hesham H. Ali, University of Nebraska at Omaha, USA Ahmed Azam, DeVry University, USA Najiba Benabess, Millikin University, USA Az-Eddine Bennani, Reims Management School, France Emil Boasson, Central Michigan University, USA Regina Connolly, Dublin City University, Ireland Rene Leveaux, University of Technology, Sydney, Australia Susana de Juana Espinosa, Universidad de Alicante, Spain Xiuzhen Feng, Beijing University of Technology, China Mohammad Ayub Khan, Technologico de Monterrey, Mexico Sherif Kamel, The American University in Cairo, Egypt Najib Saylani, Florida State College at Jacksonville, USA Magdy Serour, InContext Solutions, Australia Amine Nehari Talet, King Fahd University of Petroleum & Mineral, KSA Abraham G. van der Vyver, Monash University, South Africa Program Committee IulianaRaluca Gheorghe, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Bucharest, Romania Janusz Marek Lichtarski, Wrocław University of Economics & Business, Poland David Havíř, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic Martina Dragija Kostić, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business, Croatia Nicoletta Baskiewicz, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Nibedita Saha, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, University Institute, Czech Republic Anna Padlowska, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Adel Béjaoui, Université de Jendouba, Tunisia Petr Cech, University College of Business in Prague, Czech Republic Maryna Pichugina, Igor Sikorsky KPI, Ukraine Kalaiselvee Rethinam, University Science Malaysia, Malaysia Luis Nobre Pereira, University of Algarve, Portugal Łukasz Wróblewski, The University of Dabrowa Gornicza, Poland Otilia P. Manta, Romanian Academy “Victor Slăvescu” Centre for Financial and Monetary Research, Romania Ruslan Prijadi, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage III Zhansaya Temerbulatova, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan Nizar Khaled Mohammad Dwaikat, Arab Open University, Palestine Joanna Krasodomska, Cracow University of Economics, Poland Katarina Valaskova, University of Zilina, Slovakia Suhaily Hasnan, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia Hasan Saleh, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Malaysia Mazni Alias, Multimedia University, Malaysia Małgorzata Twarowska-Ratajczak, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Poland Okorie Uchechukwu Emena, Covenant University, Nigeria Ivana Barišić, Faculty of Economics & Business, University of Zagreb, Croatia Aleksandra Krajnović, University of Zadar, Croatia Kateryna Sehida, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Ukraine Aisha Ali Said Al-Alawi, Research Theme, Sultanate of Oman Aniela Raluca Danciu, Academy of Economic Studies, Romania Anatolie Caraganciu, Lucian Blaga University from Sibiu, Romania Alicja Gębczyńska, WSB University in Wrocław, Poland Marta Kadłubek, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Ika Permatasari, Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia Agnieszka Tłuczak, University of Opole, Poland Lanre Amodu, Covenant University, Nigeria Olusanmi Olamide, Covenant University, Nigeria Alexandrina Sirbu, "Constantin Brancoveanu" University of Pitesti, Romania Waldemar Woźniak, University of Zielona Góra, Poland Galina Yu. Fedotova, The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Russia Josef Botlík, Silesian University in Opava, School of Business Administration in Karvina, Czechia František Milichovský, Faculty of Business and Management, Brno University of Technology, Czechia Irina Olegovna Trubina, Orel State University named after I.S. Turgenev, Russia Maher Toukabri, Northern Border University, KSA Štěpán Chalupa, University of Hradec Králové, Czech Republic Ivana Dražić Lutilsky, University of Zagreb, Croatia Antonello Cammarano, University of Salerno, Italy Ana Ježovita, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics & Business, Croatia Oksana Evgenevna Pirogova, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade, Russia Noor Faezah Juhari, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia Rizwan Raheem Ahmed, Indus University, Pakistan Oleg Nikolaevich Petukhov, Institute of High Current Electronics, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences (IHCE SB RAS), Russia Cristina Iovu, Bucharest Academy of Economic Studies, Romania Ionela Mituko Vlad, UASVM Bucharest, Romania Aurelia Ioana Chereji (Brinaru), University of Oradea, Faculty of Environmental Protection, Romania Aleksandra V. Loginova, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Vladimirs Šatrevičs, Riga Technical University, Latvia Hrvoje Percevic, Univestity of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business, Croatia Maryna Lohvynova, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Ukraine Piotr Luty, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Poland Anastasia Kurilova, Togliatti State University, Russia Jose Luis Gonzalez Conzalez, UPAEP, Mexico Hanane Haddad, Abdelmalik Essâadi University, Morocco Olufemi Adebayo Oladipo, Landmark University, Nigeria Andrzej Skibiński, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Elena Iakovleva, St. Petersburg State University of Economics, Russia Isabel Ferreira, Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave (IPCA), Portugal Ivana Nekvapilova, University of Defense, Czech Republic Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage IV Wendy Teoh Ming Yen, Multimedia University, Malaysia Ekaterina Manokhina, Harbin Institute of Technology, Russia Marina Sergeevna Abrosimova, Chuvash State Agricultural Academy, Russia Radu Alin Păunescu, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Aisha Naz, Institute of Business Management, Pakistan Hanen Charni, Effat University, KSA Yuliia Kovalenko, University of the State Fiscal Service of Ukraine, Ukraine Aleksei M. Gintciak, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Tatiana Lezina, Saint Petersburg State University, Russia Izabela Turek, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Darian Low, NA, Malaysia Jakub Trojan, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, Czech Republic Tetiana Hilorme, Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, Ukraine Svetlana Drobyazko, European academy of sciences, Coventry, United Kingdom Oleksandra Stoian, Petro Mohyla Black Sea National University, Ukraine Dmytro Solokha, Kyiv National University of Culture and Arts, Ukraine Lidiia Karpenko, Odessa Regional Institute for Public Administration of the National Academy for Public Administration under the President of Ukraine, Ukraine Vyacheslav Makedon, Oles Honchar Dnipro National University, Ukraine Maryna Chorna, Kharkiv State University of Food Technology and Trade, Ukraine Liubov Shevchenko, Donetsk National University of Economics and Trade named after Mikhail TuganBaranovsky, Ukraine Galina Pavlova, Dnipropetrovsk State University of Agriculture and Economic, Ukraine Reem Awni Almetrami, The world Islamic Sciences and Education University, Jordan Michal Patak, University of Pardubice, Czech Republic Lidia Alexa, “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University of Ias, Romania Andreea Stroe, Nicolae Titulescu University, Romania Georgiana Armenita Arghiroiu, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, Romania Elvira Pacheco Vieira, Instituto Superior de Administração e Gestão, Portugal Cristina Mohora, Politechnica University of Bucharest, Romania Nazia Keerio, Universiti Tun Hussien Onn Malaysia (UTHM), Malaysia Ewa Stanczyk-Hugiet, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Poland Levida Besir, The Academy of Economic Studies Bucharest, Romania Wided Oueslati, University of Tunis, Tunisia Beata Ślusarczyk, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Katarzyna Tworek, Wrocław University of Science and Technology, Poland Marcin Sitek, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Thomas Kronberger, Comenius University, Slovakia Monika Zatrochová, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava – Institute of Management, Slovakia Martina Kuperová, Slovak University of Technology, Institute of Management, Slovakia Maria Eggink, University of Mpumalanga, South Africa Abiola Babajide, Covenant University, Nigeria Ezzohra Belkadi, Hassan II University, Morocco Silvia Treľová, Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty of Management, Slovak Republic Eva Juřičková, Tomas Bata University in Zlín, Czech Republic Klara Antlova, Technical Univeristy of Liberec, Czech Republic Kostiantyn Niemets, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Ukraine Ioana Pop, “Lucian Blaga” University of Sibiu, Romania Maria Alejandra Gonzalez-Perez, Universidad EAFIT, Colombia Oleksandr Shpykuliak, National Scientific Center «Institute of Agrarian Economics», Ukraine Subhacini Subramaniam, Multimedia University, Malaysia Aziza Saïda Slimane, Université de Kairouan, Tunisia Tomislava Pavic Kramaric, University of Split, Croatia Haziah Sa’ari, Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), Malaysia Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage V Hapsari Setyowardhani, Univesitas Indonesia, Indonesia Niki Derlukiewicz, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Poland Anita Čeh Časni, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business, Croatia Viktor A. Sedov, Maritime State University named after G.I. Nevelskoy, Russia Hasani Mohd Ali, Kebangsaan Malaysia, Malaysia Sanjay Banerji, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham University, India Iffat Batool Naqvi, Mehran UET, Jamshoro, Sindh, Pakistan Ana Filipa Marques Roque, University of Beira Interior, Portugal Iryna Honcharenko, Cherkasy State Technological University, Ukraine Olha Suptelo, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Ukraine Maria João Ferreira, UPT - Universidade Portucalense, Portugal Osuma Godswill Osagie, Covenant University, Nigeria Izabela Luiza Pop, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, North University Center of Baia Mare, Romania Gina Fintineru, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, Romania Sri Rahayu, Muhammadiyah Palembang, Indonesia Fethi Saidi, Qatar University, Qatar Paula Bajdor, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Dobrovič Ján, Institute of Technology and Business in České Budějovice, Faculty of Corporate Strategy, Department of Management, Czech Republic Robert Magda, Szent Istvan University, Hungary Erhan Aydin, Usak University, Turkey Eva Benková, The University of Prešov in Prešov, Slovakia A. Hariharasudan, Kalasalingam University, India Hafezali Iqbal Hussain, Taylor’s University, Malaysia Paula Pypłacz, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Hana Štverková, VFŠB – TU Ostrava, Czech Republic Judit Olah, University of Debrecen, Hungary Adnan Ul Haque, London Graduate School, UK Michał Urbański, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Beata Ślusarczyk, Czestochowa University of Czestochowa, Poland Katarzyna Szczepańska-Woszczyna, WSB University, Poland Mariusz Urbański, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Aurobindo Ogra, University of Johannesburg, South Africa Eluyela Damilola Felix, Landmark University, Nigeria Yusliza Mohd Yusoff, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia Muthia Pramesti, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia Inese Lūsēna-Ezera, Liepaja University, Latvia Svetlana Morkovina, Voronezh State University of Forestry and Technologies named after G.F. Morozov, Russia Evgeny Popov, Institute of Economics UB of RAS, Russia Yevgeniya Medvedkina, Rostov State University of Economics (RINH), Russia Maryam Kalhoro, University of Sindh, Pakistan Woo Kok Hoong, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia Izabela Rącka, State University of Applied Sciences in Kalisz, Poland Rahma Amri, Ecole Nationale des Sciences de l’Informatique, Tunisia Sofia Kalyazina, SPbPU, Russia Dorota Leszczyńska, IDRAC Business School, France Djula Borozan, Josip Juraj Strossmayer Unviersity of Osijek, Faculty of Economics in Osijek, Croatia Fadeke Esther Owolabi, Covenant University, Nigeria Olena Berezina, Cherkasy State Technological University, Ukraine Mira Falatifah, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia Andreea Claudia Serban, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Șuparschii V.Valentina, "Dunărea de Jos" University, Romania Natanya Meyer, North-West University, South Africa Kamilah Ahmad, UTHM, Malaysia Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage VI Lew Sook Ling, Multimedia University, Malaysia Daniela Cristina Momete, University POLITEHNICA of Bucharest, Romania Harif Amali Rivai, Andalas University, Indonesia Ricardo Correia, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Portugal Tatjana Tambovceva, Riga Technical University, Latvia Jelena Titko, EKA University of Applied Sciences, Latvia Andrejs Romanovs, Riga Technical University, Latvia Julija Bistrova, Riga Technical University, Latvia Viktorija Skvarciany, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Lithuania Tatjana Põlajeva, Euroacademy Emi Normalina Omar, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia Mariem Gzara, University of Monastir, Tunisia Ruslan Bazhenov, Sholom-Aleichem Priamursky State University, Russia Donna M. Schaeffer, Marymount University, USA Petr Rehacek, VSB-Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic Nini Johana Marín Rodríguez, Universidad de Medellín, Colombia Erin Olayinka Adedayo, Covenant University, Nigeria Dominic E. Azuh, Covenant University Ota, Nigeria Suganthi Ramasamy, Multimedia University (Melaka Campus), Malaysia Rusni Hassan, IIUM Institute of Islamic Banking and Finance, Malaysia Aria Farah Mita, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia Aurelia Balan, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Bucharest, Romania Gan Chin Chuan, Sunway University, Malaysia Sergey Ilkevich, Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, Russia Intan Salwani Mohamed, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia Irina – Teodora Manolescu, ”Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University of Iasi, Romania Maria Kovacova, University of Zilina, Slovakia Ana Alexandra Gora, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Mauricio Antonio Bedoya Villa, University of Medellin, Colombia Adriana Dima, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Ratna Anggraini ZR, Universitas Negeri Jakarta, Indonesia Hartini Ahmad, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Malaysia Donny Maha Putra, Ministry of Finance of Indonesia, Indonesia Rashmi Gujrati, KC Group of Institutions, India Anna Zarkada, Athens University of Economics and Business, Greece Fabrizio Amarilli, Politecnico di Milano, Italy Blanka Bazsova, VŠB-Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic Mariana Burcea, University of the Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, Romania Jolly Sahni, Prince Sultan University, KSA Omar Bin Musa, Unitar International University, Malaysia Cristina-Nicoleta Caranica, Doctor at Academy of Economic Studies in Bucharest, Romania Tatiana Kudryavtseva, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Sorin Petrică Angheluță, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Monika Hodinková, Sting Academy, Czech Republic Sanaa Boukhari, Mohammed V University, Rabat, Morocco Jayamalathi A/P Jayabalan, UTAR, Malaysia Georgiana-Raluca Lădaru, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Katarzyna Twarowska, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Poland Olga Viktorovna Litvinova, Chuvash State Agricultural Academy, Russia Felipe Machorro Ramos, Universidad de las Américas Puebla, Mexico Ana Ivanisevic Hernaus, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics and Business, Croatia Alcina Nunes, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Portugal Choo-Kim Tan, Multimedia University, Malaysia Ivana Bilić, University of Split, Faculty of Economics, Business and Tourism, Croatia Irina Krasyuk, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage VII Francisco García Barrera, Universidad Arturo Prat, Chile Marius Bulearca, Center for Industry and Services Economics, Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania Iuliana-Raluca Gheorghe, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania Raquel Reis Soares, Universidade Europeia, Portugal Lai Kim Piew, Multimedia University, Malaysia Valery M. Abramov, Russian State Hydrometeorological University, Russia Shirley Consuelo Honajzrová Banús, Institute of Hospitality Management in Prague, Czech Republic Nicoleta Bărbuță-Mișu, Dunărea de Jos University of Galați, Romania Teodora Mihaela Tarcza, University of Oradea, Romania Amal Hayati Ishak, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia Fatima Zahra Lagrida, Kannur University, India Elena V. Butsenko, Ural State University of Economics, Russia Dmitrijs Finaskins, EKA University of Applied Sciences, Latvia Andrijana Rogošić, University of Split, Croatia Nataliia Husieva, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Ukraine Hidaya Othmani, University of Jendouba, Tunisia Jiří Kaiser, Czech Technical University in Prague, Czech Republic N.V. Gryzunova, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Russia Houda Biyout, ENSA Kenitra (Universite Ibn Tofail Kenitra), Morocco Ooi Chee Keong, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia Ecaterina Daniela Zeca, ”Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Romania Emil Dinga, Romanian Academy, Romania Alina (Ginghină) Radu, University of Bucharest, Romania Sergey Alexandrovich Suslov, Nizhny Novgorod State University of Engineering and Economics, Russia Amélia Cristina Ferreira da Silva, Porto Polytechnic - ISCAP, Portugal Aqilah Nadiah Md Sahiq, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) Melaka, Malaysia Nor Fauziana Bt Ibrahim, Multimedia University (MMU), Malaysia Teuku Aulia Geumpana, University of Newcastle, Australia Eva Shcherbenko, Siberian Federal University, Russia Simona Činčalová, College of Polytechnics Jihlava, Czech Republic Toma Adrian Dinu, University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, Romania Victoria Degtereva, Peter the Great Saint Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Arkadiusz Kowalski, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, Poland Silvius Stanciu, "Dunărea de Jos" University of Galați, Romania Hafida Bouziane-Chouarfia, Université des Sciences et de la Technologie d'Oran Mohamed Boudiaf (USTO-MB), Algeria Vladimir Platonov, St. Petersburg State University of Economics, Russia Fitra Lestari, UIN Sultan Syarif Kasim, Indonesia Maissa Hamouda, University of Sousse, Tunisia Libuše Svobodová, University of Hradec Králové, Czech Republic Yulia Karpovich, Perm National Research Polytechnic University, Russia Kornilova Lyudmila Mikhailovna, Chuvash State Agricultural Academy, Russia Alexandra Borremans, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Adrian Turek Rahoveanu, UASVM Bucharest, Romania Olga Lucia Jaramillo Naranjo, Universidad del Norte, Colombia Julian Jakubowski, University of Zielona Góra, Poland Anna Smirnova, Peter the Great Saint-Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Daria S. Velichenkova, Peter the Great StPetersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Iulian Furdu, Vasile Alecsandri of Bacau, Romania Karima Bouzguenda, University of Sfax, Tunisia Tatiana Guseva, South Ural State University (National Research University), Russia Jose Carlos Lopes, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança – IPB, Portugal Joanna Macalik, Wroclaw University of Economics and Business, Poland Olonode Ayodeji, Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago-Iwoye, Ogun State, Nigeria Obigbemi Imoleayo Foyeke, Covenant University, Nigeria Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage VIII Chafik Aloulou, University of Sfax, Tunisia Jennifer Abou Hamad, Notre Dame University-Louaize, Liban Taras Medvedkin, Rostov State University of Economics (RINH), Russia Irina Maltseva, Southwest State University, Russia Krzysztof Krukowski, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Poland Polina Salomadina, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Russia Violetta M. Kuzmina, South-Western State University, USA Abeer Hmoud Ali Al-Faouri, Al-Balqa’ Applied University, Jordan Mahmud Bashiru, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia Mário Jorge Dias Lousã, Instituto Superior Politécnico Gaya (ISPGaya), Portugal Alexandra Ioanid, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania Lukas Valek, University of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic Marioara Ilea, University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Romania Anton F. Tikhomirov, Peter the Great SPbPU, Russia Abiola John Olarinde, Zakher Private School, UAE António José Gonçalves Fernandes, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Portugal Lidija Dedi, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics & Business, Croatia Luís Cavique, Universidade Aberta, Portugal Irina N. Rogova, St-Petersburg State University of Economics, Russia Igor Mayburov, Ural Federal University, Russia Liubov Silakova, ITMO University, Russia Mirona Ana Maria Popescu, Politehnica University of Bucharest, Romania Tariq Elyas, King Abdulaziz University, KSA Ionuț Jianu, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Ardak Turginbayeva, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Kazakhstan Anastasiya A. Peshkova, Ural Federal University, Russia Ibidunni (Ogundana) Oyebisi Mary, Bells University of Technology, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria Johnson Ifeanyi Okoh, National Open University of Nigeria, Nigeria Mohamed Amine Bouraoui, University of Sfax, Tunisia Cecilia Cristina Socorro González, Universidad del Zulia, Venezuela Helena Felicitas Kiss, Comenius University, Faculty of Management, Slovakia Lotfi Gammoudi, Universite La Manouba, Tunisia Brygida Klemens, Opole University of Technology, Poland Viska Anggraita, Faculty of Economic and Business, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia Noreha Hashim, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia Zuliani Dalimunthe, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia Mariati Binti Norhashim, Multimedia University, Malaysia Jana Kostalova, University of Pardubice, Czech Republic Nicole Mau, Sopron University, Hungary Gabriela Marchis, Danubius University of Galati, Romania Lukas Copus, Comenius University in Bratislava, Slovakia Bruno Miguel Barbosa de Sousa, IPCA – Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, Portugal Ludvík Eger, University of West Bohemia, Czech Republic Liudmyla Niemets, V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Ukraine Olugbemisola W. Samuel, Covenant University, Ota, Nigeria Mihaela Muntean, West University of Timisoara, Romania Chiraz El Hog, University of Sousse, Tunisia Liudmila Nikolova, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Politechnic University (SPbPU), Russia Mirosław Matusek, Silesian University of Technology, Poland Karolina Rybicka, Czestochowa University of Technology, Poland Irina Severin, Politehnica University of Bucharest, Romania Kateryna Sehida, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Ukraine Sónia Paula da Silva Nogueira, Polytechnic Institute of Bragança (IPB), Portugal Aida Matri Ben Jemaa, High Institute of Management, Tunisia Elena Shkarupeta, Voronezh State Technical University, Russia Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage IX Maja Grdinić, University of Rijeka, Faculty of Economics and Business, Croatia Camelia Slave, University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, Romania Bodislav Dumitru Alexandru, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Mohammed Adnan Moreb, Altinbas University, Turkey Kanwar Adeel Waheed Khan, University of Bradford, UK Md Taimur Ahad, Eastern University, Bangladesh Daniela Livia Traşcă, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Ikram Bouhassine, ISET Bizerte, Tunisia Dmitry Chepakov, Saint Petersburg State University of Economics, Russia Larisa Gennadievna Gordeeva, Chuvash State Agricultural Academy, Russia Tamara N. Selentyeva, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Ancella A. Hermawan, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia Alena Oulehlova, University of Defence, Czech Republic Gordana Kordić, Faculty of Economics & Business, University of Zagreb, Croatia Katarzyna Hys, Opole University of Technology, Poland Nasrine Shah-Abushakra, Esol Education, UAE Marina Ivanova, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Nicoleta Daniela Ignat, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania Abdellah Yousfi, Mohamed V University, Morocco Aristides Dasso, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Argentina Antranig Tangoukian, Notre Dame University, Lebanon Faaza Fakhrunnas, Universitas Islam Indonesia, Indonesia Eugenia Iancu, Stefan cel Mare University, Romania Semeh Ben Salem, EPT/University of Carthage, Tunisia Noorshella Che Nawi, UMK, Malaysia Donna Asteria, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia Rachmadi Agus Triono, Universitas Indonesia, Indonesia Alin Emanuel Artene, Politehnica University Timisoara, Romania Ismi Rajiani, Universitas Muhammadiyah Gresik, Indonesia Nour El Houda Ben Amor, King Saud University, KSA Tatiana Zemlinskaia, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Doina I. Popescu, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Galina V. Ivankova, PRUE, Russia María-Arántzazu Vidal-Blasco, Universitata Rovira i Virgili, Spain Emeka Okereke, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria Anna Kowalska, Wroclaw University of Economics, Poland Imran Riaz Malik, IQRA University, Islamabad Campus, Pakistan Abir Zouari, Sfax University, Tunisia Alexander Kuntsman, Saint Petersburg State University, Russia Maria José Palma Lampreia Dos-Santos, ISCTE-IUL-DINÂMIA´CET and ESCS-IPL, Portugal Hana Tomášková, University of Hradec Králové, Faculty of Informatics and Management, Czech Republic Małgorzata Adamska, Faculty of Economics and Management Opole University of Technology, Poland Nhat Tan Pham, Tomas Bata University, Czech Republic Nasreen Khan, Multimedia University, Cyberjaya, Malaysia Gratiela Dana Boca, Technical Universty of Cluj Napoca, Romania Magdalena Kąkol, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University in Lublin, Poland Nibedita Saha, Tomas Bata University in Zlin, University Institute, Czech Republic Fadi Shihadeh, Palestine Technical University, Palestine Tijani Amara, University of Gafsa, Tunisia Ivana Načinović Braje, University of Zagreb, Faculty of Economics & Business, Croatia Anna Nowak, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Poland Marek Vokoun, Jan Evangelista Purkyně University, Czechia Zahira Moreno Freites, Universidad del Norte, Colombia Ekaterina Vladimirovna Golubtsova, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Russia Tatjana Vasiljeva, RISEBA University, Latvia Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage XVI Sergey Matveev, Voronezh State University of Forestry and Technologies named after G.F. Morozov, Russia Tatyana Strekaleva, Reshetnev Siberian State University of Science and Technology, Russia Hadi Ismanto, Universitas Islam Nahdlatul Ulama, Jepara, Indonesia Fayez Ahmad Albadri, Middle East University, Jordan Tatiana Danescu, University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Sciences and Technology of Târgu Mureş, Romania Olga Kalinina, Peter the Great St.Petersburg Polytechnic University (SPbPU), Russia Nazry bin Yahya, Open University Malaysia, Malaysia Anastasiia Igorevna Dalibozhko, Tomsk State University, Russia Kirill Y. Kurilov, Togliatti State University, Russia Safawi Abdul Rahman, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia Irina Avdeeva, Central Russian Institute of Management, Branch of RANEPA, Russia Zineb El Andaloussi, ENCG de Tanger, Université Abdelmalek Essaadi, Morocco Dan Dumitriu, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania Tatyana Viktorovna Morozova, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Russia Leonel Matar, Saint-Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon Rusman Alimin, Universtas Sulawesi Barat, Indonesia Raghed Ibrahim Esmaeel, University of Mosul, College of Economic and Administration, Department of Industrial Management, Iraq Ionela Carmen Pirnea, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Zakiah Samori, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia S. Jayashree, Multimedia University, Malaysia Syed Ahmed Salman, Lincoln University College, Malaysia Nicoleta Dospinescu, “Alexandru Ioan Cuza” University, Romania Beata Sofrankova, University of Presov, Faculty of Management, Slovakia Natalia Lytneva, Central Russian Management Institute, Russian Academy of National Economy and Public Administration affiliated with the Russian President, Orel, Russia Alena Fedorova, Ural Federal University, Russia Supriya Chavan, CompanyIndian Biodiesel Corporation, Baramti, India Bogdan Ghilic-Micu, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Raluca-Giorgiana Chivu, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies Muhammad Hasmi Abu Hassan Asaari, Universiti Sains malaysia, Malaysia James Pérez-Morón, Universidad Tecnologica de Bolivar, Colombia Viktoriia Koretskaia-Garmash, Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin, Russia Stefania Lucia Bodosca, ASE, Romania Sayed Sayeed Ahmad, Al Ghurair University, UAE Victoria Borisovna Malitskaya, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Russia Victor S. Voronov, St. Petersburg State University of Economics, Russia Mohd Syuhaidi Abu Bakar, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia Mercy E.I. Ogbari, Covenant University Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria Quyen Phu Thi Phan, The University of Danang, University of Economics, Vietnam Maria Ciurea, University of Petrosani, Romania Sebastian Kelle, University of the People, USA Ganna Likhonosova, National Aerospace University «Kharkiv Aviation Institute», Ukraine Wan Hussain Wan Ishak, Universiti Utara Malaysia, Malaysia Viktorija Šipilova, Daugavpils University, Latvia Chiraz Ben Salem Ben Gaied, Higher Institute of Commerce of Tunis, Tunisia Asif Akram, Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden Marium Mateen Khan, Institute of Business Management (IoBM), Pakistan Sabrina O. Sihombing, Universitas Pelita Harapan, Indonesia Rossazana Ab Rahim, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Malaysia Ritesh Chugh, CQUniversity, Australia Olga S. Stepchenkova, Saint Petersburg State University of Economics, Russia Mihai Mieila, Valahia University of Târgovişte, Romania Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage XVII Olga S. Nadezhina, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Victoria Viaznikova, Mari State University, Russia Dorin Maier, Technical University of Cluj-Napoca, Romania Inga Hunter, Massey University, New Zealand Virpi Hotti, University of Eastern Finland, Finland Andrea Lučić, Faculty of Economics and Business Zagreb, Croatia Anastasiya Kopytova, Tomsk State Pedagogical University, Russia Andrea Valachová, University of Economics in Bratislava, Slovakia Mohammad Ekhlaque Ahmed, Institute of Business Management, Pakistan Miroslaw Moroz, Wroclaw University of Economics, Poland Natalya Alexandrovna Sokolitsyna, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Muntazir Haider, Institute of Business Management (IoBM), Pakistan Pedro Ferreira, University Portucalense, Portugal Ivonne Maria Gil Osorio, Universidad Libre de Barranquilla, Colombia Mariya A. Plakhotnikova, South-West state University, Russia Oldřich Horák, University of Pardubice, Czech Republic Afshan Rauf, University of Wollonging, Australia Oksana Yuldasheva, SPb State University of Economics (UNECON), Russia Nataliia Orlova, Kyiv National University of Trade and Economics, Ukraine Viktoria Anatolievna Degtereva, St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Adina Dornean, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Romania Corina – Ionela Dumitrescu, Politehnica University of Bucharest, Romania Heru Kurnianto Tjahjono, Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia Ionel-Bujorel Păvăloiu, Politehnica University of Bucharest, Romania Laura Mariana Cismas, West University of Timisoara, Romania Bogolyubov Valery Sergeevich, St. Petersburg state University of Economics, Russia Tatiana Gileva, USATU, Russia Souhir Amri Amamou, IHE Sousse, Tunisia Suha F.K. Salem, Management and Science University, Malaysia Siti Noorsuriani Maon, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia Wasim Abbas, Harbin Institute of Technology (HIT), China Ra'ed (Moh'd Taisir) Masa'deh, The University of Jordan, Jordan Elena Iadrennikova, Ural Federal University named after the first President of Russia B.N. Yeltsin (UrFU), Russia Ugochukwu Urim, Covenant University, Nigeria Stanislav Mitrovic, University Novi Sad, Serbia Elena Mayorova, Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, Russia Jose Alejandro Cano, Universidad de Medellin, Colombia Tan Choo Peng, Multimedia University, Malaysia Nik Hazimah Nik Mat, Universiti Malaysia Terenggaanu, Malaysia Sandhir Sharma, Chitkara Business School, Chitkara University, India Tatapudi Gopikrishna Vasista, Affiliated to JNTU Kakinada, India Ana Iolanda Voda, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Romania Camelia-Daniela Hategan, West University of Timisoara, Romania Rawlings Jerry Mazuba Kalubi, Peter the Great, St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Tarek Sadraoui, University of Monastir, Tunisia Daria Bieńkowska, POmeranian University Słuspk, Poland Alexander Obydenov, Financial University, Russia Tan Booi Chen, Multimedia University, Malaysia Ana Pinto Borges, ISAG – European Business School, Portugal Valeriy V. Smirnov, Chuvash state University name I.N. Ulyanov, Russia Victor Fedorovich Stukach, Omsk State Agrarian University, Russia Nurulhasanah Abdul Rahman, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Malaysia Alaa Abdul Salam Alyamani, Mosul University, Iraq Kehinde Adetiloye, Covenant University, Nigeria Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage XVIII Johnson Adewale Akomolafe, Ogun State Institute of Technology, Igbesa, Ogun State, Nigeria Andreea Elena Matic, ”Dunarea De Jos University” of Galati, Romania Mohammad Falahat, UTAR, Malaysia Ammar Al Shalabi, Nova Scotia Community College, Canada Adam Ryszko, Silesian University of Technology, Poland Khairunesa Isa, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Malaysia Tatiana Arkadyevna Karandaeva, Mari State University, Russia Ummu Kolsome Farouk, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman, Malaysia Kamal Abou El Jaouad, Hassan II University (Ecole Nationale de Commerce et de Gestion de Casablanca), Morocco Ruxandra Ioana Curea-Pitorac, West University of Timisoara, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Romania Khalid Abdul Wahid, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia Miltiade Stanciu Vasile, Spiru Haret University, Romania Jarosław Górecki, UTP University of Science and Technology, Poland Anna Dolinskaia, South Ural State University, Russia Salmane Bourekkadi, UIT -ARSED, Morocco Sri Fatiany Abdul Kader Jailani, University Teknologi MARA, Malaysia Rosalina Babo, ISCAP/ P.Porto, Portugal Lawrence Uchenna Okoye, Covenant University Ota, Nigeria Svetlana Globa, Siberian Federal University, Russia Ivona Stoica, Romanian Academy, Institute of National Economy, Romania Agnieszka Janik, Silesian University of Technology, Poland Rejaul Abedin, North East University Bangladesh, Bangladesh Khatijah Omar, Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia Janusz Wielki, Opole University of Technology, Poland Muhammad Abaidullah Anwar, Al Ghurair University, UAE U.L.T.P. Gunasekare, University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka Diana Panait-Ioncica, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Liudmyla Kliuchko, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University, Ukraine Rohail Hassan, Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM), Malaysia Wameedh Riyadh Abdul-Adheem, Al-Ma'moun University College, Iraq Martha Claudia Rodríguez Villalobos, Universidad de Monterrey, México Felix Sadyrbaev, University of Latvia, Institute of Mathematics, Latvia Kristina Afrić Rakitovac, Juraj Dobrila University from Pula, Croatia Umara Noreen, Prince Sultan University, KSA Carmen Boghean, Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava, Romania Lilia V. Matraeva, Russian State Social University, Russia Irina V. Kokushkina, Saint-Petersburgh State University, Russia Tatyana Golovina, Central Russian Institute of Management, Branch of RANEPA, Russia Florin Stoica, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Romania Violeta Sima, Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti, Romania Laurencia S. Krismadewi, University of Economics, Prague, Czechia Samir R. Traboulsi, American |University of Beirut, Lebanon Eva Wei Lee Lim, UCSI University, Malaysia Evan Asfoura, Dar Al Uloom University, KSA Taisiia Lazorenko, Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, Ukraine Dalia Susniene, Panevėžio kolegija / University of Applied Sciences, Lithuania Marina O. Efremova, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Ekaterina Yu. Aleshina, Penza State University, Russia María Lucelly Urrego Marín, Corporación Universitaria Minuto de Dios - UNIMINUTO, Spain Erne Suzila Kassim, Universiti Teknologi MARA, Malaysia Ana Cláudia Rodrigues, CEOS.PP / ISCAP / P.Porto, Portugal Băilă Diana-Irinel, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania Sergey I. Shanygin, St Petersburg State University, Russia Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage XIX Lenuta Alboaie, Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Romania Shereen Khan, Multimedia University, Malaysia Orlando Lima Rua, Polytechnic Institute of Porto, Portugal Liviu-Adrian Cotfas, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Igor Lyukevich, Peter the Great SaintPetersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Tetyana Calinescu, National Aerospace University “Kharkiv Aviation Institute”, Ukraine Sandeep Kumar, Tecnia Institute of Advanced Studies, Affiliated to GGSIP University, Delhi, India R H Kuruppuge, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka Diaa Salama Abd Elminaam, Benha University, Egypt Julia Lysenko, South Ural State Humanitarian-Pedagogical University, Russia Olga Loyko, Tomsk State Pedagogical University, Russia Jolanta Baran, Silesian University of Technology, Poland Saad Awadh Alanazi, Jouf University, KSA Marlene Silva, Polytechnic institute of Porto - ISCAP, Portugal Maran Marimuthu, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS, Malaysia Larysa Novak-Kalyayeva, Lviv Regional Institute for Public Administration of the National Academy for Public Administration under the President of Ukraine, Ukraine Elizaveta A. Gromova, Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Russia Muhammad Rahatullah Khan, Effat University, KSA Ekaterina Orlova, Ufa State Aviation Technical University, Russia Gheorghe Alexandru, Oil and Gas University Ploiesti, Romania Muna Sultan Al Ebri, United Arab Emirates University, UAE Khalid Abdul Wahid, Universiti Teknologi MARA Kelantan, Malaysia Omar Jawabreh, The University of Jordan, Jordan Pavel Juřica, Brno University of Technology, Czech Republic Elena Budnik, Ufa State Aviation University, Russia Daniel Badulescu, University of Oradea, Romania Tereza Otcenaskova, University of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic Tatiana Sergeevna Kolmykova, Southwest State University, Russia V. I. Malyuk, St. Petersburg, St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University of Peter the Great, Russia Teresa Proença, Faculty of Economics and Management, University of Porto, Portugal Oluwole O. Iyiola, Covenant University, Nigeria Yvonne Lee Lean Ee, Multimedia University, Malaysia Guanyan Fan, Beijing Union University, China Riadh Bouslimi, University of Tunis, Tunisia Meral Kagitci, Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Nataša Šarlija, University of Osijek, Croatia Bahjat Fakieh, King Abdulaziz University, KSA Corina Cristiana Nastacă, The Bucharest University of Economic Studies, Romania Ludmila-Daniela Manea, “Dunarea de Jos” University of Galati, Romania Mihai Parean, West University of Timișoara, Romania Abdoulrahman Aljounaidi, Al-Madinah International University Malaysia, Malaysia Disclaimer: The abstracts and papers included in these Conference Proceedings remain the work of the authors and represent their own research / opinion. IBIMA staff have had only non-editorial intervention. It is IBIMA policy to make reasonable effort to send complete papers to two members of the program committee for full blind peer review and to send a summary of review back to the author(s) Copyright @ 2019 International Business Information Management Association (IBIMA) Individual authors retain copyright on their authored papers. Please contact the authors directly for reprint permission Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage xli The Role of Organizational Culture in Improving the Performance of Banking Organizations……………… Alina Eliza DABIJA 6424 Student’s Satisfaction in a Higher Education Context………………………………………………………… Sónia P. NOGUEIRA and Joana FERNANDES 6433 Concept of Research of the Competencies of SME Accountants in Providing Management Information…… Arkadiusz JANUSZEWSKI 6444 Rural Digital Hubs: The “Tool” For Revitalization of European Rural Areas through Digitization…………. Liviu-Marian DOBROTĂ, Cristinel FERTU and Maria-Magdalena TUREK – RAHOVEANU 6450 Preconditions of Successful Implementations of Predictive Analytics Solutions…………………………….. Sanita MEIJERE and Tatjana TAMBOVCEVA 6456 Mapping Espoused Values of Large Companies in Croatia…………………………………………………... Ivana NAČINOVIĆ BRAJE and Darija BABOK 6466 A New Approach to Determinant Factors of Local Government Debt………………………………………. Nuno Adriano Baptista RIBEIRO, Susana JORGE and Sónia P. NOGUEIRA 6475 Tag Based Recommendation Systems for Tourism in Saudi Arabia………………………………………….. Fuhid ALANAZI, Valerie GAY and Ryan ALTURKI 6492 Cooperation as A Key Factor to Increase Local Companies’ Competitiveness: A Descriptive Analysis……. Joana FERNANDES and Sónia P. NOGUEIRA 6501 Political Factors and Local Government Financial Performance…………………………………………….. Hurian KAMELA and Dyah SETYANINGRUM 6507 Production competitiveness of SMEs Enterprises in the Latvian Fishery Sector…………………………….. Inese BIUKŠĀNE 6515 The Effect of Transformational Leadership on Commitment to Change Mediated by Trust and Employee Engagement in Public Organization…………………………………………………………………………... Sri NURHAYATI and Putri Mega DESIANA 6522 Food Consumption Trends. May We Speak About Individual Sustainable Consumption?............................... Maria Claudia DIACONEASA, Alina ZAHARIA and Florentina CONSTANTIN 6535 Analysis of Corporate Liquidity Effect and Interest Rate on Corporate Bond Yield Spread in Indonesia 2015-2017 Period……………………………………………………………………………………………… Diana Rafika Iman SARI and Rahmat Aryo BASKORO 6545 Investigation of Financial Knowledge and Pension Plan Among Indonesian Government Officers…………. Masyhuri HAMIDI, Fajri ADRIANTO and Laela SUSDIANI 6556 La Consommation Collaborative: Facteurs Motivationnels De L’achat-Vente Des Vêtements De Seconde Main…………………………………………………………………………………………………………… Meryem ZOGHLAMI and Khouloud GAMMOUDI 6562 Equal Gender Opportunities in Europe: The Contribution of The GENEUS Project………………………… Manuel Salvador Gomes de ARAÚJO, Ana Cláudia RODRIGUES, Ana Isabel COUTO and Ana Luísa MARTINHO 6576 Cooperation as A Key Factor to Increase Local Companies’ Competitiveness: A Descriptive Analysis Joana FERNANDES [email protected] Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal Centre for Tourism, Research, Development and Innovation (CiTUR), Portugal Sónia P. NOGUEIRA* [email protected] Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, Campus de Santa Apolónia, 5300-253 Bragança, Portugal Research Center in Political Science, University of Minho, Portugal * Corresponding author Abstract This study intends to present a characterization of the entrepreneurial group of a rural area of Portugal and focuses on the difficulties they face and expectations they have in current economy. We focus on one district that reunites nine municipalities. We aimed at understanding how in this small, isolated and deprived region a company can succeed competing in global markets. Such possibility as our object of analysis concerns companies of rural housing and production of endogenous products that have gourmet potential. Thus a study was conducted in the local enterprises. A qualitative approach followed and by means of in-depth interviews it was possible to understand the companies, their main difficulties, their current commercialization paths and the possibility of having both an online presence and a reality where they work together. It was possible to understand that the majority of the enterprises feel that it is very hard to work in the regions, that they face difficulties to increase their commercialization geographic and they all feel that a partnership, a cooperation between companies could help them reach further the public. The possibility was to create a common platform to commercialize both areas. Keywords: Regional development; competitiveness; cooperation. Introduction All over Europe, several countries are facing the reality of having depopulated regions that tend to be in rural areas, with older population, and low economic activity that in consequence implicates lower job prospects and lower wages (Valdivia, 2018). This phenomenon of depopulation in European rural regions is not new, however it is becoming more and more relevant when it comes to the economic survival of the regions. Currently 25% of the European rural areas are facing a severe population decline and 22% of the individuals that remain in the rural areas are elderly. Portugal is one of these countries (Johansson, Nilsson and Westlund, 2018; Ubels, Bock and Haartsen, 2019). As such, in these regions, the existing enterprises face serious problems, not only when it comes to keeping the business alive but also attracting customers and improving their sales outside of the region, since there are fewer local costumers. This research intends to analyse the enterprises that are located in a Portuguese region, Terras de Trásos-Montes, focusing on a major trend that thrive in the region: endogenous products with gourmet Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage 6501 potential. The intention was to understand the main difficulties these companies face, their business expectations, and how they perceive their needed actions in order to commercialize outside of the region. To do so, 30 local companies were studied. The study is structured in four sections. After the introduction, a theoretical framework of the determinants of current economic reality and success factors is presented, focusing on rural regions. The third section presents the empirical study. This presents the region in analysis, defines the objective, the data treatment method and the descriptive analysis. Finally, the main conclusions are presented. Current Context of SME on Rural Regions As stated previously, rural regions all over Europe face serious challenges due to increasing depopulation. Some of which have to do with the very declining of services, both public or private, disappearing enterprises, diminishing markets and declining local finances This brings several consequences to the region, namely the disappearance of basic social services, decrease of opportunities, and weak economic performance (Ubels, Bock and Haartsen, 2019; Valdivia, 2018). Along with the disappearance of services or even the merge of different public services, the residents are less supported and tend to leave the region to look for more prosperous regions and with better public and private structures and job opportunities. These rural regions seem less appealing to live or to develop a business, since it is difficult to attract investment to a region that hardly has internal demand (Radović, Košić and Demirović, 2018; Ritcher, 2017; Ricci, Biggeri and Ferrannini, 2019). Also, the majority of enterprises that labour in rural regions tend to be of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) and micro SMEs. When there is a limited number of potential customers, the companies face a limited potential to growth. As such, they must increase the attraction of outside costumers, either physically attract them to the region or through online demand (EPSON, 2018; Phillipson et al., 2018). The development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises’ competitiveness is related to the ability to innovate, however, the reduced size of the businesses; the lack of adjustment to better and newer forms of commercialization, the lack of entrepreneurial spirit, among other aspects, inhibits that (SARURE, n.d.). To occur innovation and industrial development, there must be investments in information and communication technology (ICT), development of knowledge networks that are not restricted to the geographic region (Polyakova, 2018; Farja, Gimmon and Greenberg, 2018). Nevertheless, even when technology is crucial for companies to progress, rural and more isolated regions tend to have worse internet telecommunications and, as such, are restricted to use all the potential the technology allows (Roberts, Beel, Philip and Townsend, 2017). The Case of the Northeast of Portugal The region known as Terras de Trás-os-Montes (TTM) collects nine municipalities, namely Alfândega da Fé, Bragança, Macedo de Cavaleiros, Miranda do Douro, Mirandela, Mogadouro, Vila Flor, Vimioso and Vinhais. This region has an extension of 4,370 square kilometres, and in 2018 registered 107,860 inhabitants, and almost 30% are over 65 years of age (INE, n.d.). Regarding the enterprises, according to the latest records from 2016 there were 19,118 companies registered and operating in the region, and the majority (10,455) were agriculture related companies. Almost all, 98%, are micro companies registering on average two employees (CIM-TTM, 2014; INE, 2018). The TTM has extended agricultural and forestry resources and has a considerable part (38%) dedicated to agriculture, and so, the agro industrial sector is dominant. The list of endogenous products is long Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage 6502 ranging from from horticultural, fruit to mycological products. The products are produced by different companies and commercialized individually by each producer (CIM-TTM, 2014). Even though the products are of national and international recognized quality, there still is no common brand or any common action to promote and commercialize them outside the regional border. Again, each producer develops its own strategies and the majority has no online presence (CIMAT, 2015). According to regional experts, since the region has a small internal market, the potential growth must come from increasing the number of visitors to the region and developing online promotion and commercialization in a collaborative perspective. However, regional entrepreneurs seem to be ignorant regarding network programs and collaborative work that is already being developed by official entities (CIMAT, 2015; CIM-TTM, 2018). Objective, Data Treatment and Analysis This study intends to understand the enterprises’ knowledge and use of ICT and how they regard a collaborative network to commercialize their products. To do so, a qualitative approach was followed and with the use of an in-depth interview 30 companies were interviewed. The data collected was analysed according to context analysis. The interview was centred in three main areas: a characterization of the company; competition, internationalization, use of ICT and a collaborative commercialization network. Descriptive Analysis The 30 companies that were inquired focused on different products, namely olive oil, wine, fruit, cheese, smoked sausages, and honey. The first part of the interview presents the characterization of the company, main products, innovation level, markets and business volume, as described in table 1. Table 1: Characterization of the business, by product Main product Market Innovation level Potential to expand Olive oil Portugal and other countries Medium Moderated Peaches Portugal Medium Moderated Honey Portugal Medium Moderated Cheese Portugal High Moderated Smoked ham Portugal and other countries Medium Moderated Wine Portugal, Spain and Brazil Medium Moderated Table 1 illustrates that the majority of the companies has a medium level of innovation and the major part has a moderate potential to expand. Only in the cheese business the innovation level was high and the interviewed individuals recognized that this was a very competitive area that was greatly sustained in gourmet and innovative products. Almost all the companies refer that Portugal is the main market, but in some areas, such as wine and olive oil, Spain and Brazil show up as important secondary markets. When questioned about their competitors, every company could identify their main local, regional and national competitors. The main competition occurred at local level, however, it was visible that they all knew each other and that they had friendly relationships between them, in most of the cases. Vision 2025: Education Excellence and Management of Innovations through Sustainable Economic Competitive Advantage 6503 The companies were also able to identify what differentiated them from the competition and it was noticeable that the business volume was considerably different in some areas. Subsequently, business representatives attributed to the competitors’ higher economic results the availability to make higher investments Regarding internationalization, most companies already sell to other countries, although in a smaller scale than in Portugal. The international sales are made through physical intermediates. Some companies attend international fairs to present their products, but they consider it to be very expensive for a company to do so on their own, when they do not have a big dimension. Only a small percentage has online presence and sells by such means. Even without the e-commerce function, very few companies have a website. According to the business representatives it is an expense that is still very high for the level of business and thought of as not able to increase the sales, since they sell out the entire production. When presented with the perspective of a collaborative network, where they could jointly develop an online platform to promote and sell their products, to attend international fairs with divided costs and to promote other products to their own clients, they all agreed that it was a very good perspective. It was noticeable that the companies do feel unsupported by local entities and they think that there should be more share of information between the competitors, since they would all benefit from a better promotion. Also, in a region with a small market, where all competitors know each other, and present some developed friendship relations, they are aware of the difficulty to grow regionally and to obtain funds to invest, and so, to become more competitive in new or broader markets they realize the effort must be combined. Conclusion The study allowed us to better understand the difficulties and challenges SME and micro companies face in rural areas. The majority of the companies complained about the lack of support from local entities. They felt that they are working alone and that it is very hard to obtain the necessary funds to investment in industrial developments, innovations and promotion of their products. The majority believe in the potential and the quality of their products and believe that they have a product that is unique. The majority sell through big distributors and to most of them only a minor part of the sales goes international. Very few companies have a website or have an e-business, therefore revealing that their knowledge and use of ICT is very low. All the companies interviewed think it would be excellent if they could collaborate with other local companies and jointly promote regional products, dividing the cost, and enhancing the visibility and increasing sales. As such, projects that intend to stimulate collaborative networks are highly appreciated and required in this region, since the entrepreneurs are fully aware of the benefits and have open mind to follow that path. Acknowledgments This study was conducted at Research Centre in Political Science (UID/CPO/0758/2019), University of Minho and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Education and Science through national funds. 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