Female Leadership and its Influence on the Transformation and Business Performance of MSMEs in Ecuador

This research analyzes the impact of female leadership on the commercial management of Ecuadorian micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs). Its main objective is to determine whether the presence of women in managerial and executive positions is associated with a greater likelihood of implementing improvements and innovations in sales and commercial areas. A quantitative correlational approach was used on a sample of 1,066 organizations, employing binary logistic regression for dichotomous dependent variables. Independent variables included the manager's gender, the percentage of women on the board, company size, and sector of activity. The results reveal a positive and significant effect, with MSMEs led by women outperforming those led by men in adopting commercial improvements, with the manager's gender as a key predictor. This leadership drives process modernization, fostering innovation and competitiveness. Inferential analysis confirms a greater propensity to innovate in sales in these companies compared to their male counterparts. These findings provide empirical evidence of the transformative role of female leadership in emerging business contexts. Promoting women's participation in senior management is essential to boosting innovation and sustainable economic development. The study recommends strengthening public policies in Ecuador and Latin America, such as empowerment programs and equitable access to executive positions, to enhance the competitiveness of SMEs and advance gender equality in business.

Female leadership, MSMEs, business innovation, logistics regression

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