UTC Prospectivas: Revista de Ciencias Administrativas y Económicas

Evolution of corporate financing alternatives in Ecuador

2025-02-06T16:43:54+00:00

The Ecuadorian financial market has historically favored the indirect intermediation of resources through financial institutions. However, the stock market, which favors the direct channeling of resources, offers bonds, a financing instrument that can be considered an alternative to bank credit. The objective of this paper is to analyze the competitiveness of bond issuance as a financing option compared to bank credit. For this purpose, information from the Central Bank of Ecuador and the Quito Stock Exchange was used, the method of successive approximations was employed, and the weighted averages of interest rates in two periods of bank loans in the corporate productive segment were compared with the yields paid by companies that financed themselves in the stock market through bond issues. After contrasting the hypotheses, it is determined that in the first period (2002-2007) bonds cost less than bank credit; while, in the second period (2017-2021) bonds cost more than bank credit. These results revealed, for the corporate productive segment, that financing through bonds went from being a less expensive alternative in the initial period, to having a higher cost than bank credit in the second period of the study.

Omnichannel and the new consumer: Postgraduate unit case

2025-02-06T16:43:50+00:00

The objective of the research was to establish omnichannel communication strategies to attract new consumers to the Graduate Unit at the Technical University of Ambato. From a methodological point of view, a non-ex- perimental qualitative cross-sectional approach was used, applying interviews with the coordinators of the Graduate Units from various faculties of the institution to gather their opinions, perceptions, and experiences regarding the process of attracting new students. The data collected were processed using the ATLAS.ti tool to identify the most significant dimensions and categories of the study. The main findings revealed the need to implement integrated omnichannel communication strategies, such as a service desk, a chatbot, a community manager, and an exclusive call center for the Graduate Units, as a response to the needs and expectations of the new consumer. Finally, the study revealed the pressing need to recruit specialized marketing personnel and to train the current staff to optimize information management and social media advertising.

Financial inclusion, institutional framework and social capital in Latin America

2025-02-06T16:43:46+00:00

The purpose of the study is to determine the effect of institutionality and social capital on financial inclusion in Latin America, in a sample of 16 countries for the period 2011-2021, with four time observations (2011, 2014, 2017 and 2021). Fixed effects and random effects models were estimated, considering the proportion of the population with bank accounts as the dependent variable and banking infrastructure (ATMs and branches) and technology (internet access) as explanatory variables in the first model, to which socioeconomic variables (education and business conditions) were added in a second model, and finally, institutions (governance and personal freedoms) and social capital were incorporated in a third model. The results indicate that, while banking and technological infrastructure have a significant impact on financial inclusion, institutions and social capital do not, although the sign of the relationships is positive, as suggested by the literature.

Awareness and Compliance with ISO 9001 Standard in Production Units

2025-02-06T16:43:42+00:00

In today’s organizational context, quality management is crucial, and the ISO 9001 Standard provides essential guidelines for implementing a Quality Management System. This study aims to analyze the relationship between Awareness and Compliance with the ISO 9001 Standard, as well as evaluate the organizational maturity level of the Production Units at the Technical University of Ambato, using the levels established in the ISO 9004 Standard. A quantitative approach with a correlational and descriptive scope was employed. Data were collected through questionnaires administered to the managers of 14 units. The statistical analysis, based on the Spearman Rho correlation coefficient, resulted in 0.7, indicating a strong relationship between the variables. Additionally, the evaluation of organizational maturity revealed strengths at basic levels of analysis but critical weaknesses at

advanced levels, highlighting the importance of implementing strategies that foster a quality culture.

The study concludes that strengthening leadership, training, and communication is essential to overcome the identified barriers, thereby achieving progress in both staff Awareness and organizational maturity. Despite limitations, such as the small sample size, this study contributes to future research by exploring the relationship between the variables in similar organizational contexts and delving into the deficiencies and their impact on the implementation of the ISO 9001 Standard.

Psychosocial risk factors in workers of footwear trading companies in Tungurahua-Ecuador

2025-02-06T16:43:39+00:00

The study of psychosocial risk factors emerges as a crucial topic for academic research, organizational practice, and employee well-being; hence, the main objective of this study is to establish the factors that influence the current level of psychosocial risk experienced by workers in trading companies in the footwear sector in the province of Tungurahua. From January to July 2024, the official instrument of the Ministry of Labor of Ecuador for psychosocial evaluation was applied to 237 workers in the nine cantons of the Province of Tungurahua in the central zone of Ecuador. This semi-structured questionnaire allowed us to collect crucial information on sociodemographic variables, variables associated with the company, and psychosocial work factors. The collected data were quantitatively analyzed using the analysis of variance and the multiple regression model. The results show three significantly different levels of psychosocial risk, with workers mostly experiencing medium and high-risk levels, which reflect a negative relationship with the job and emotional stability, as well as work organization. The quantification of psychosocial risk and the main factors inducing these levels could become the starting point for designing and implementing specific intervention programs for this critical economic sector, preventing future physical and mental health effects that will significantly impact performance and work commitment.

Impact of fiscal policies on the reactivation of tourism: A study in Zone 3 of Ecuador (2019 – 2022)

2025-02-06T16:43:35+00:00

The tourism sector in Ecuador’s Zone 3 faced significant challenges following the national strike and the COVID 19 pandemic, which resulted in a significant decrease in its revenues and contributions to public spending. In this context, fiscal policies implemented by the Ecuadorian government became tools to stabilize the economy, foster competitiveness and promote the development of tourism enterprises. This research analyzes the effectiveness of these policies and their impact on the tourism sector, using a mixed approach that combines quantitative and qualitative data. Data related to income from tourism activities (lodging, tourism operations, food and beverages), provided by public entities, were evaluated using MINITAB statistical software. It was identified that fiscal measures generated diverse impacts; in the first period without fiscal policies there was no significant effect; subsequently, the VAT refund strengthened lodging, the fiscal regulation benefited food and beverages, the extension of deadlines had an impact on travel agencies, and the reduced VAT rates had limited effects on tourism operations. These findings point to the importance of designing tax policies tailored to the specific needs of each tourism sub-sector.

Sowing Awareness: Exploring the Factors that Impact the Organic Food Purchasing Decision in Ecuadorian Centennials

2025-02-06T16:43:20+00:00

Considering the problems associated with the consumption of organic foods that are manifesting among Ecuadorian consumers. This study aims to analyze and understand the purchase intention of organic food products among the centennial generation in Ecuador, identifying the antecedent variables that directly influence the purchase decision, thus providing a detailed understanding of the factors that affect the choice of products. organic by this specific generation in the Ecuadorian context. The research mainly adopts a quantitative approach with an exploratory scope. A sample of 376 Ecuadorian centennials was selected using a non-probabilistic method of homogeneous convenience. The tool used was a survey consisting of five descriptive questions and 19 items evaluated using a Likert scale of values from 1 to 5 points. For data analysis, the SEM-PLS technique was chosen, considered appropriate for exploratory research. And it was possible to determine variables that directly influence the real purchase (CR). Showing that while food safety awareness (CA) directly influences the actual purchase (CR), the emotional value (EV) and the social value (SV) need the intermediation of the purchase intention (IC) to drive the actual purchase. of organic food products.