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Small and medium enterprises (SMEs), which main objective is to satisfy the basic needs of the entrepreneur, when geographically concentrated make up subsistence clusters. The purpose of this paper is to analyze collective efficiency in subsistence clusters as growth strategy and how is the process through which the relational capital and territorial proximity altogether improve performance of firms.

The research uses partial least squares techniques applied to a sample of 113 SMEs of wood industry in Oberá, Argentina.

SMEs in subsistence clusters can use relational capital and territory as resources to generate competitive advantages. These competitive advantages foster performance. In consequence, collective efficiency appears as growth strategy in subsistence SMEs.

Data are cross-sectional and in a conjuncture of economy expansion, future research should monitor the sample of firms using panel data to assess the development of relations. Sample is in a particular region and sector and generalizations should be done carefully.

SMEs probably should integrate and share industrial and business structures to develop systemic competitive advantages with a collective character. SMEs should leverage their spatial interaction to build trust and establish networks of cooperation that will be the source of their collective efficiency. These collaboration networks should base in the local knowledge.

Subsistence SMEs have strong impact on the most disadvantaged areas in developing countries. Growth strategies to professionalize these SMEs will have a major impact on the endogenous development of those territories.

The research provides a mechanism through which collective efficiency leads to better performance for subsistence SMEs.

This paper aims to analyse the location as root of the specificity of the sources of competitiveness in subsistence small businesses (SSBs) of wood industry to improve the situation of poverty and the different behaviour of subsistence entrepreneurs.

The research uses an exploratory analysis based on principal components in two phases and confirmatory analysis based on partial least square techniques applied to a sample of 113 small and medium enterprises of wood industry in Oberá, a region of Argentina.

The analysis evidences the use of competitiveness sources of SSBs and a double behaviour in SSBs according to subsistence threshold. Satisfactory SSBs use competitiveness sources to improve organizational and economic performance. Unsatisfactory SSBs find economic performance without relation to organizational performance.

Data are cross-sectional, and in a conjuncture of economy expansion, future research should monitor the sample of firms using panel data to assess the development of relations. Sample is in a particular region and sector, and generalizations should be done carefully.

SSBs should raise the strategy integrating short and long term, which requires a strengthening of intellectual capital, especially in cooperation, professionalism and training. They could integrate and share a business community to develop competitive advantages of collective systemic.

The research shows the importance of the location for the competitiveness of SSBs and provides a classification of SSBs according to their performance.

This paper aims to study the competitiveness of subsistence small businesses (SSBs) and the use of the place to get competitive advantages. Complementarily the paper analyzes the intellectual capital as a possible mediator for the competitiveness of SSBs.

Data were obtained by conducting surveys with owners and managers of wood-processing companies located in Misiones (Argentina), during 2015. The research uses principal component analysis and path analysis to study the relationships. The study introduces tangible resources and size as control variables.

The results show the importance of place as source of competitive advantages in SSBs. The SSBs present competitive advantages that generate better results. The place affects competitive advantages directly and indirectly through intellectual capital.

The data used refer to a certain period, so the use of the panel data enables generalizing findings over time. Sample is in a particular region and sector, and generalizations should be done carefully.

SSBs should raise the strategy integrating short and long term, which requires a strengthening of intellectual capital, especially in cooperation, professionalism and training.

The findings suggest specific support local policies to these businesses to improve their performance in developing countries.

SSBs are very important in developing countries, but they are not sufficiently studied. This paper examines place-based competitiveness of SSBs and the moderation effect of dimensions of intellectual capital.

Small businesses created as a subsistence activity (subsistence small businesses (SSBs)), often are oriented towards the short term. The environmental performance, by contrast, is an indicator of long-term strategies. The purpsoe of this paper is to analyse how intellectual capital (IC) dimensions affect environmental concern, preparing SSBs to have a proper environmental behaviour in the future.

A method based on the partial least square technique is suggested to select the model and estimate the parameters. A sample of 113 small businesses in the timber industry in a region of Argentina was selected for this study.

The results indicate that IC promotes environmental concern. Relational capital directly affects environmental concern, human capital and structural capital and these, in turn, indirectly affect the environmental concern through relational capital in SSBs.

The sample used is a cross-section. IC is subjectively measured. This paper only studies small businesses in the timber sector in a region of Latin America.

This paper enables practitioners and scholars to understand and make legitimate decisions and conclusions that can foster SSB growth in environmental concern. The paper suggests a combination of strategies in order to achieve a sustained development.

The authors tested the impact of dimensions of IC on environmental concern in SSB of developing countries, showing the importance of IC in sustained strategies in these companies.

There are different models to measure the effect of intellectual capital on firm performance. These models depend on different dimensions of intellectual capital, the interrelations between them and the effects on performance. It is important to analyze several specificities in small and medium sized enterprises (SME) in developing countries. This paper aims to test diverse models to verify the previously mentioned relations applied to wood manufacturer SMEs of Oberá (Argentina).

A global model including the variables used in the previous literature is used. The paper establishes hypotheses for testing this model and us PLS technique to estimate the parameters of the model in a sample of 113 wood manufacturer SMEs in Oberá (Argentina).

The only dimension of intellectual capital directly affecting performance is structural capital. The other dimensions exert an indirect effect through structural capital.

The model does not use all the possible variables to characterize intellectual capital. The causality elements cannot be verified in a temporary horizon because the data are cross‐sectional. In addition, when making reference to data of a particular period of time, there may be causes that imply relations of accidental type. Moreover, the measures used were subjective. This paper only studies the SMEs of the Argentine wood industry.

The paper offers several suggestions to implement strategies for local SMEs and to support aid to projects for developing countries.

The paper tests different models to analyze the impact of dimensions of intellectual capital on performance in SMEs of developing countries and provides information on the wood manufacturer SMEs in Argentina.

Emerging clusters, formed by small to medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs) of slow growth and embryonic management systems present a different competitive advantage scheme. The purpose of this paper is to analyze relationships among components of intellectual capital within a model of competitive advantages in emerging clusters in a region of Latin America.

An intellectual capital model in a competitive advantage scheme is defined. A sequential method based in PLS technique is suggested to select the model and estimate the parameters. A sample of 113 wood manufacturing SMEs in a region of Argentina was selected.

The competitive advantage scheme in emerging clusters of SMEs proposes that resources affect organizational capabilities; territory and organizational capabilities affect strategic factors which improve performance. In this scheme, human capital affects structural capital and structural capital generates relational capital. SMEs organize tangible resources and relational capital to build organizational capabilities.

The sample is a cross‐section. The performance is subjectively measured by the satisfaction of the entrepreneurs with different items.

The paper establishes suggestions to strategies of the SMEs in emerging clusters and politics of developing countries. This paper enables practitioners and scholars to comprehend and make legitimate decisions and conclusions that can foster business growth.

The authors tested the impact of dimensions of intellectual capital on performance in emerging clusters of developing countries within a competitive advantage scheme, showing relationships among intellectual capital dimensions and competitive advantages. The analysis differentiates between intellectual capital dimension and organizational capabilities.