Sustainable Management in the Business Sector of Riobamba City

Authors

  • Luz Maribel Vallejo Chávez Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo ESPOCH, Facultad de Administración de Empresas, Carrera de Mercadotecnia; Grupo de investigación GIRETME; Proyecto Ecomarketing y Neuroemociones, Riobamba, Ecuador Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1174-1093
  • Jaqueline Elizabeth Balseca Castro Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo ESPOCH, Facultad de Ciencias; Carrera matemática; Grupo de investigación LEISHPAREC; Riobamba, Ecuador Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8402-770X
  • Miranda Salazar Sandra Patricia Escuela Superior Politécnica de Chimborazo ESPOCH, Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Carrera de Turismo; Grupo de investigación GIARM; Riobamba, Ecuador Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3094-7460
  • Flor Karina Govea Andrade Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil (UCSG), Facultad de Economía y Empresa, Carrera de Administración de Empresas; Grupo de investigación GIESEC; Guayaquil, Ecuador Author https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8966-6217

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.56294/sctconf20251427

Keywords:

Sustainable management, 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle), Corporate responsibility, Environmental policies, Economic development, Responsible companies

Abstract

Introduction: The concept of sustainable management has gained prominence in the industrial sector as response to the environmental and social challenges of the 21st century. From a theoretical perspective, sustainable practices are proposed to integrate economic, environmental, and social strategies that enable companies to enhance their overall performance and reputation. The study identified the sustainability practices implemented in productive sectors, analyzing the perceptions, strategies, and outcomes observed by local business owners.
Methods: A survey was conducted among 150 companies from the productive sector in Riobamba, equitably selected from the primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors. The instrument included closed-ended questions related to the level of knowledge, implemented practices, perceived benefits and challenges, suggested strategies, and willingness to invest in sustainability. The data collected were analyzed using frequencies and percentages to identify trends.
Results: Seventy-five percent of the companies expressed a willingness to invest in sustainable practices, with waste management (28%) and efficient water use (17%) being the most common practices. Fifty-seven percent evaluated the impact of these strategies positively, while 29% indicated a need for financial support to enhance their sustainability. Regulatory barriers and a lack of training and sustainable culture were cited as significant obstacles.
Conclusions: The productive sector shows significant progress in the implementation of sustainable practices, though challenges such as financing, training, regulation, and technical and economic support remain. It is suggested to adopt sustainable strategies that optimize the environmental, economic, and social impact of the sector.

References

1. Brundtland GH. Our Common Future: Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development. United Nations; 1987.

2. Elkington J. Cannibals with Forks: The Triple Bottom Line of 21st Century Business. Capstone Publishing; 1997. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/tqem.3310080106

3. Dyllick T, Hockerts K. Beyond the business case for corporate sustainability. Business Strategy and the Environment. 2002;11(2):130–41. doi:10.1002/bse.323 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.323

4. Porter ME, Kramer MR. Creating shared value. Harvard Business Review. 2011;89(1/2):62–77. Disponible en: https://journals hbr org.ezproxyman example/2011/01/the big idea creating shared value.html

5. Hart SL. A natural resource based view of the firm. Academy of Management Review. 1995;20(4):986–1014. doi:10.5465/amr.1995.9512280033 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/258963

6. Lovins AB, Lovins LH, Hawken P. A road map for natural capitalism. Harvard Business Review. 1999;77(3):145–58.

7. Carroll AB. Corporate social responsibility: Evolution of a definitional construct. Business & Society. 1999;38(3):268–95. doi:10.1177/000765039903800303 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/000765039903800303

8. Freeman RE. Strategic management: A stakeholder approach. Cambridge University Press; 1984.

9. Epstein MJ, Buhovac AR. Making sustainability work: Best practices in managing and measuring corporate social, environmental, and economic impacts. Berrett Koehler Publishers; 2014.

10. Bansal P, Roth K. Why companies go green: A model of ecological responsiveness. Academy of Management Journal. 2000;43(4):717–36. doi:10.2307/1556363 DOI: https://doi.org/10.2307/1556363

11. Werbach A. Strategy for sustainability: A business manifesto. Harvard Business Press; 2009.

12. Chávez E, Martínez S. Gestión sustentable en las empresas de Riobamba: Un análisis exploratorio. Revista de Estudios Empresariales. 2020;10(2):45–62.

13. Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC). Manual de Usuario CIIU – Clasificación Industrial Internacional Uniforme. Dirección Regional Norte (DINOR) República del Ecuador; 2010. Anexo No 7: Clasificación Uniforme de Actividades Económicas CIIU 4.0.

14. Arias KMG. Hacia una gestión sustentable del agua en zonas urbanas, una prospectiva jurídica. 2023.

15. Rudi GR, Jiménez JDR. Gestión sustentable en el sector hotelero veracruzano: Aproximación a través de un cuadro de mando integral. El Periplo Sustentable. 2022;(43):33–54. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36677/elperiplo.v0i43.12822

16. United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Sustainability reporting in the private sector. Nairobi: UNEP; 2015.

17. Eccles RG, Ioannou I, Serafeim G. The impact of corporate sustainability on organizational processes and performance. Management Science. 2014;60(11):2835–57. DOI: 10.1287/mnsc.2014.1984. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2014.1984

18. Paguay Ushca LE, Naranjo Robayo HA. La responsabilidad social empresarial y su incidencia en el desarrollo sostenible en el sector avícola de la ciudad de Riobamba [tesis de licenciatura]. Riobamba: Universidad Nacional de Chimborazo; 2024.

19. Arguello Moncayo MC, Vásquez Espinosa MP. Modelo de gestión sustentable [tesis de maestría]. Quito: EPN; 2006.

20. Navarrete Báez FE, Labelle F. Gestión energética y desarrollo organizacional sostenible en las pequeñas medianas empresas de Jalisco. Trascender, contabilidad y gestión. 2023;8(22):2–18. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36791/tcg.v8i22.194

21. Robledo Hernández JA. Evaluación del índice de calidad de agua ICA NSF en las microcuencas del Parque Nacional Río Dulce como herramienta en la gestión integral del manejo sustentable, Livingston, Izabal, Guatemala, Centroamérica. Revista Tecnología en Marcha. 2023;36(1):106–16. (Duplicado #25).

22. Bocken NM, Short SW, Rana P, Evans S. A literature and practice review to develop sustainable business model archetypes. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2014;65:42–56. doi:10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.11.039 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2013.11.039

23. Hahn T, Figge F, Pinkse J, Preuss L. Trade offs in corporate sustainability: You can’t have your cake and eat it. Business Strategy and the Environment. 2010;19(4):217–29. doi:10.1002/bse.659 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/bse.674

24. Robledo-Hernández JA. Evaluación del Índice de Calidad de Agua ICA-NSF en las microcuencas del Parque Nacional Río Dulce como herramienta en la gestión integral del manejo sustentable, Livingston, Izabal, Guatemala, Centroamérica. Revista Tecnología en Marcha. 2023;36(1):106-116. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18845/tm.v36i1.6241

25. Leporé M. Prácticas de Gestión Sustentable (PGS) en PyMEs Argentinas, aprendizaje en procesos de desarrollo organizacional y competitividad. Perspectivas: Revista Científica de la Universidad de Belgrano. 2024;7(2):17–32. Disponible en: https://revistas.ub.edu.ar/index.php/Perspectivas/article/view/256 (revistas.ub.edu.ar).

Downloads

Published

2025-07-01

How to Cite

1.
Vallejo Chávez LM, Balseca Castro JE, Miranda Salazar SP, Govea Andrade FK. Sustainable Management in the Business Sector of Riobamba City. Salud, Ciencia y Tecnología - Serie de Conferencias [Internet]. 2025 Jul. 1 [cited 2025 Jul. 16];4:1427. Available from: https://conferencias.ageditor.ar/index.php/sctconf/article/view/1427