Determination of the competitiveness linkages through the agricultural associative enterprises: The case of the communities on the Parismina River basin in Costa Rica

This study is a qualitative exploratory analysis of the communities of Turrialba, Siquirres and Guácimo, which border the Parismina River of Costa Rica. The main purpose of this study is to identify the structural weaknesses that are present in the enterprises and the impact of these weaknesses on the capacity for raising the sustainable development competitiveness for the area. The study used semi-structured interviews and focal interviews as instruments of data collection. In addition, the study used the community of Los Santos, located in the Central Valley of Costa Rica, as a reference for comparison. The results indicate weaknesses related to the capacity of organization, financial knowledge, and low technological innovation that demonstrates that the enterprises have a greater direction towards spurious competitiveness.