Administrative Consulting Needs in MSMEs: A Perspective from Organizational Being and Know-How in Two Intermediate Cities in Colombia

Necesidades de consultoría administrativa en Mipymes: una mirada desde el Ser y el Saber-Hacer empresarial en dos ciudades intermedias de Colombia

This study presents the findings of a research project aimed at characterizing the administrative consulting needs of Micro, Small, and Medium-Sized Enterprises (MSMEs) in the intermediate cities of Pereira and Dosquebradas, Colombia, to design a relevant portfolio of services through a university-based business consulting center. A descriptive mixed-methods approach was employed, integrating quantitative and qualitative techniques. A structured questionnaire with 65 Likert-scale items was administered to 39 firms, complemented by three semi-structured interviews with entrepreneurs from different sectors. Exploratory factor analysis reorganized the initial variables into two key dimensions: Being (values, culture, leadership, and diversity) and Knowing-Doing (planning, human talent, ICT, marketing, and production). The findings indicate that micro and small enterprises exhibit the greatest administrative capability gaps, particularly in operational areas. Qualitative evidence reinforced these results, highlighting the need to strengthen leadership, organizational culture, and strategic management. The study provides key evidence to guide the service portfolio of the university business consulting center and proposes a validated instrument that can be adapted for organizational consulting research in other contexts.