Essential Managerial Skills for Brazilian Micro and Small Business Managers

Abstract

The objective of this research was to identify which are the managerial competences perceived as essential by the managers of micro and small active companies, located in the city of Porto Velho, State of Rondônia - Brazil. The relevance of the research is located in the managerial field, as a context of micro and small companies in developing regions, and, besides that, there is a theoretical expansion in the identification of managerial competencies essential to the management of micro and small companies in countries in economic and social development. The research model is the quantitative method, applied to a sample of 347 micro and small entrepreneurs from the universe of 10,221 companies, with sampling for convenience and accessibility, and data collected using a Likert scale. Therefore, the research identifies the factors that make up managerial skills, such as the dimensions “focus, production and development”, which encompasses the vision focused on the interior of the company and at work; “planning and control”, with an emphasis on plans and their execution, especially on the necessary resources; “market differentiation”, with a focus on high competition and consumers; and, finally, “training and investments”, which focuses on investments in labor and the acquisition of financial resources for the organization. These four factors synthesize the grouping of managerial skills essential for the management of micro and small companies, according to the perception of the managers participating in the sample, and, if applied to the management of micro and small companies, positively impact the survival of small businesses located in developing geographic regions.