Institutional soft skills for agricultural logistics upgrading in Coyuca de Benítez

Abstract

This study analyzed the barriers to linkage between technological higher education and the productive sector in Coyuca de Benítez, Mexico, which limit institutional articulation processes in rural contexts. The objective was to derive an institutional model based on soft skills that supports agricultural logistics upgrading. A sequential explanatory mixed-methods design with a cross-sectional, descriptive, and interpretative scope was employed. The quantitative phase included a non-probabilistic sample of 58 students in the eighth four-month academic term, which represents 11.2% of a total enrollment of 517 students, to whom a Likert-scale questionnaire was administered. The qualitative phase incorporated semi-structured interviews with five faculty members and eight local entrepreneurs. Data analysis combined descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, enabling source triangulation. The findings revealed that the main barriers in linkage processes are communicational and structural; 94.8% of students perceived insufficient institutional engagement mechanisms, while 67% considered local professional opportunities to be limited. It is concluded that strengthening skills such as communication and leadership constitutes a key element to improve linkage processes and enhance technology transfer in rural contexts.