Business performance in micro-enterprises: evidence from Quintana Roo using a multiple linear regression approach

This study analyzes the association between internal management factors and Business Performance among micro-businesses operating in resilience-driven contexts in southern Quintana Roo, Mexico. Using a multiple linear regression model with a sample of 438 micro-businesses, the study examines the relationship between Business Performance and 11 independent variables: leadership, service quality improvement, internal process improvement, productivity, work motivation, working conditions, salaries and benefits, age, number of employees, gender, and educational level. The dependent variable was measured using a revised eight-item Business Performance scale. The results indicate that internal process improvement showed the strongest standardized association with Business Performance, followed by productivity, work motivation, leadership, service quality improvement, and salaries and benefits. Gender was also statistically significant, with male-owned micro-businesses presenting lower Business Performance scores than female-owned businesses, holding the remaining variables constant. The model explained 72.2% of the variance in Business Performance. These findings suggest that, in resource-constrained and vulnerable environments, micro-business performance is more strongly associated with operational and managerial capabilities than with demographic or size-related characteristics.