Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 6, No. 40
January - March 2022. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp. 10- 21
DOI: https://doi.org/10.31876/er.v6i40.808
Technological innovations in the textile sector in the
canton of Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
Innovaciones tecnológicas en sector textil del cantón esmeraldas-Ecuador
María Fernanda Gaspar Castro*
Carlos Enrique Rivas Vallejo*
Félix Segundo Rosales Cortes*
Carlos Ernesto Bruno Jaime *
Received: July 03, 2021
Approved: September 29, 2021
* Master in Human Talent Management, Universidad
Técnica Luis Vargas Torres de Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
maria.gaspar.castro@utelvt.edu.ec
https://orcid.org//0000-0003-3727-4569.
* Master's Degree in Business Administration,
Universidad Técnica Luis Vargas Torres de
Esmeraldas, Ecuador. carlos.rivas@utelvt.edu.ec
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2783-7674
* Master in Fundamental Law and Constitutional
Justice Universidad Técnica Luis Vargas Torres de
Esmeraldas, Ecuador. elix.rosales@utelvt.edu.ec,
https://orcid.org/000-7428-9298.
* Magister en Gerencia de Proyectos Educativos y
Sociales, Universidad Técnica Luis Vargas Torres de
Esmeraldas, Ecuador. carlos.bruno@utelvt.edu.ec,
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0844-0620.
Abstract
Talking about innovation and entrepreneurship, although it
may seem similar, it is not. However, both concepts should
always go hand in hand when undertaking any business idea
and even more so, those that seek to empower entrepreneurs,
in addition to seeking to strengthen the economic sectors of
their region. The general objective of the research is to analyze
the technological innovations in the textile sector in the
canton of Esmeraldas-Ecuador, seeking to know the
perception of the people with respect to this particular topic
and its inclusion in this new modern era that is currently being
lived, which is totally surrounded by technology. The
population selected with the people who belong to the textile
sector of the canton mentioned above, having a sample of 10
people to whom a semi-structured interview was applied,
consisting of five (5) items that are related to the objective of
the research, finally the technique and tool used for the
processing and analysis of data is the software program Atlas.
Ti software, which allows storing and recording the opinions
obtained from the sample.
Keyword:
Business competitiveness, organizational
performance, administrative management, business
sustainability, MSMEs.
Cite this:
Gaspar, M., Rivas, C., Rosales, F.,
Bruno, C. (2022). Technological
innovations in the textile sector in
the canton of Esmeraldas, Ecuador.
Espirales. Revista Multidisciplinaria
de investigación científica, 6(40),
10-21
María Fernanda Gaspar Castro, Carlos Enrique Rivas Vallejo, Félix Segundo Rosales Cortes, Carlos Ernesto Bruno
Jaime
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 6, No. 40
January - March 2022. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 10-21.
11
Introduction
In many aspects of life, when talking about innovation and creativity, it is permissible to
say that they are actions that go hand in hand, since the former refers to the use of
knowledge, following a structural line to achieve the goal. In turn, creativity is based on
using new procedures to move away from the traditional. This is why the importance of
these concepts in an organizational context is evident. It is clear that a new vision is
fundamental for the growth of companies, especially when all aspects are approached
with new and appealing things to society.
This scientific article is derived from the Linkage project of the Faculty of Administrative
and Economic Sciences (FACAE) "INNOVATIVE PROMOTION OF BUSINESS MODELS
AND QUALITY MANAGEMENT TO ENTREPRENEURSHIPS AND MSMES IN THE
COMMERCIAL, ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND TECHNOLOGICAL
ENVIRONMENT OF THE PROVINCE OF ESMERALDAS". In correspondence with the
above, from there derives the relevance and justification of the approach to this topic
because it is part of the confluence of the substantive functions of the authors as
university professors, which are configured in teaching, research and social linkage with
the community, within the framework of the above project approved by the university
authorities, through the signing of synergies and inter-institutional agreements with the
GAD of the province.
Resumen
Hablar de innovación y emprendimiento, aunque parezca similar no lo
es. Sin embargo, ambos conceptos siempre deben ir de la mano al
momento de emprender cualquier idea de negocio y más aún, de
aquellas que busquen potenciar a los emprendedores, además de
buscar fortalecer los sectores económicos de su región. El objetivo
general de la investigación es analizar las innovaciones tecnológicas
en sector textil del cantón Esmeraldas-Ecuador, buscando conocer la
percepción de las personas con respecto a este tema en particular y
su inclusión en esta nueva era moderna que se vive actualmente, que
se encuentra totalmente rodeada por la tecnología. La población
seleccionada con las personas que pertenecen al sector textil del
cantón mencionado con anterioridad, teniendo una muestra de 10
personas a las cuales se le aplicó una entrevista de tipo
semiestructurada conformada por cinco (5) ítems que se relacionan
con el objetivo de la investigación, finalmente la técnica y
herramienta utilizada para el procesamiento y análisis de datos es el
programa software Atlas. Ti, el cual permite almacenar y registrar las
opiniones obtenidas por parte de la muestra.
Palabra clave:
Competitividad empresarial, desempeño
organizacional, gestión administrativa, perdurabilidad empresarial,
Mipymes.
Technological innovations in the textile sector in the canton of Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 6, No. 40
January - March 2022. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 10-21.
12
In relation to the treatment of innovation, and emphasizing what was mentioned by
Espinosa et al., (2014) we agree with them in assuming that:
When referring to innovation and creativity in recent years, it can be understood as the
conception and establishment of significant changes in the product, process, marketing
or organization of the company, with the purpose of improving its results (p.11).
Quiroga & Padilla, (2014); Sánchez et al., (2012) it is evident that technological,
economic and even social progress is indispensable for a country, that is where the
textile industry comes in, since it belongs to a fundamental sector for human beings.
Each garment, or any element that comes from the manufacture and handling of fabrics,
plays an important role in the whole world, hence the relevance of addressing issues
related to innovation in this economic sector. Entrepreneurship, innovation and even
creativity must be taken into account when creating a piece of clothing. Likewise, it is
of vital importance to point out that the Conócenos Noticias page refers to the
following: On the one hand, to innovate is to create something by introducing a novelty.
Marulanda & Morales (2017) On the other hand, entrepreneurship, a term that has
gained great prominence, means starting a business in which a product or service idea
is developed through a business, aimed at meeting a need in the market.
The textile market needs continuous innovation. Para Molina-Morales & Expósito-
Langa, (2013) It is true that many times the classic returns to be the center of attention,
however, progress in this area is still visible and unstoppable, the manufacture of micro
fabrics or even the inclusion of smart technology is the creative and innovative point of
recent years. Now, the province of Esmeraldas innovation in this sector has been
affected by the fact that innovation has diminished and with it decreases the capacity
for entrepreneurship, which entails a problematic situation, which according to the
United Nations Program 2018 argues that the large amount of productive and
landscape wealth, especially small groups of producers face some complications to be
able to float their ventures.
This consideration reflects the existence of a problem for small producers of textile
materials, goods and services, because they have difficulties in placing and offering their
products for sale in the market, making their entrepreneurial activity very complex.
Therefore, in order to solve this problem, the Esmeraldas prefecture together with the
United Nations Development Program (UNDP) created a program called "Growing your
business" with which they have already helped more than 25 enterprises. A key piece
in the development of entrepreneurship in Esmeraldas is technological innovation in all
its areas, in this way and remembering the above mentioned, we seek to find the turning
point to clearly and constantly develop the textile industry, hand in hand with creativity
and generate strong income in the territory, so it is important to note that the main
objective of this research is based on analyzing the potential of technological innovation
in the field of commercial entrepreneurship, which in this case is the textile sector in the
canton of Esmeraldas in Ecuador.
María Fernanda Gaspar Castro, Carlos Enrique Rivas Vallejo, Félix Segundo Rosales Cortes, Carlos Ernesto Bruno
Jaime
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 6, No. 40
January - March 2022. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 10-21.
13
Materials and methods
The methodology used for the development of the research is based on the qualitative
type methodology, which is defined by Sánchez & Reyes, (2015) as follows: "uses the
collection and analysis of data to refine the research questions or reveal new questions
in the process of interpretation" (p.7).
It should be noted that the research is within the constructivist paradigm, which is
expressed as follows Galván et al. (2016) expresses as follows:
Constructivism is a support for qualitative research, and indicates the following
statements as main contributions of this paradigm: - Reality is socially constructed from
different ways of perceiving it. - Knowledge is socially constructed by the participants
in the research process. - Research is not alien to the values of the researcher. - The
results cannot be generalized outside the context and time.
Due to the aforementioned, the reason why the constructivist approach is used is
because it seeks the collection of data from the selected population, being them who
perceive the daily reality of the exposed problem, which in this case is the technological
innovation in the textile sector of the Canton of Esmeraldas in Ecuador. It is pertinent
to mention that in relation to what was previously mentioned, the research has a
documentary and field design, since its purpose is to investigate, observe, analyze,
register and describe the information collected by means of figures. In addition, use
was made of research methods, which are focused on analytical-deductive, being the
appropriate methods for obtaining data that serve as reference, guide or structure for
future research, taking into account what was mentioned by (Moreira, 2002, p. 59) who
defines the inductive method as follows: "This method makes it possible to identify the
general tendencies of the research problem. This procedure is what today is called
inductive reasoning, which was to become the fundamental principle of all sciences".
Accessorily, the selected population are people belonging to the textile world of the
Esmeraldas canton in Ecuador, being the relevant and appropriate people for the
collection of information and data that serve for this research and in the future. Given
that it is an infinite population, a sample of 10 people was selected, to whom a data
collection instrument was applied. It should be noted that this selection was made by
means of a technique called non-probabilistic sampling, with reference to (Martí et al.,
2014, p. 98) who defines it as follows: "Non-probabilistic sampling is a sampling
technique, where samples are collected in a process that does not give all individuals
in the population equal opportunities to be selected".
Marulanda & Morales (2017) In addition, this type of sampling is also classified as
intentional or opinionated sampling, in order to establish certain criteria or rules to be
met to be part of the experimental sample. Therefore, the criteria established are the
following: being part of the Esmeraldas canton, being part of the textile world, and
having at least 5 years of experience in this field.
Technological innovations in the textile sector in the canton of Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 6, No. 40
January - March 2022. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 10-21.
14
In relation to the structural order of a research, one of the important components is the
technique and tool for data collection and analysis, having as a technique in this
particular research a semi-structured interview, which consists of twelve (12) items,
which have a direct relationship with the objective of the research, which is based on
analyzing the potential of technological innovation in the field of commercial
entrepreneurship, focusing on the textile sector. It is important to emphasize that the
interview was chosen because the interviewee has the power to express his opinion
openly, freely, and as directly as possible. It is important to note that the interview used
for data collection for this research was taken from the thesis entitled: "Innovation
management for business competitiveness", which is directly related to the research,
not only with the treatment of the consumer, but also with the quality of the products
to be manufactured and with the efficiency and good management of the textile
industry.
Based on the above, the technique and tool used for the processing and analysis of the
data and information collected is the software program Atlas. Ti, which is a computer
program used in research with a qualitative approach, since it allows to analyze in a
general and deep way the information obtained from the selected sample in relation to
the research problem.
Results
For the analysis and interpretation of the results, we used the software program,
referred to above, called Atlas ti, which helps to relate all the data provided by the
interviewee, allowing the collection of the necessary information to serve as a guide for
this and future research, the results obtained by the Atlas.ti software program are shown
below. Due to the adequacy of interpersonal relationships, the interviewees will be
urged to feel comfortable and confident, so that, hoping in the freedom of expression,
they can build their vision of reality in relation to the questions asked and in
correspondence with the subcategories: creativity, achievement orientation, innovation,
data analysis. The questions of the instrument in question have the following order.
Table 1.
Sequential order of the interview questions and their indicators.
Sequence
Indicator
No. 1 to No. 6
Innovation in technology in
the textile sector
María Fernanda Gaspar Castro, Carlos Enrique Rivas Vallejo, Félix Segundo Rosales Cortes, Carlos Ernesto Bruno
Jaime
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 6, No. 40
January - March 2022. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 10-21.
15
No. 7 to No. 12
Dynamic strategies that
promote innovation in the
textile sector.
Source: Authors
' own, based on Spencer and Spencer (2003).
From this explanatory line, one of the subcategories proposed, is creativity, since it is
of utmost importance for innovation technology within the textile sector in the emeralds,
Ecuador, since due to it the creation of strategies in relation to promoting the textile
sector and the different benefits it brings, and in turn has an importance in the impact
of influence, since when looking for various strategies that help boost the modern
market within the commercial area, creativity is provided, which creates various
semantic families that are helpful, such as feasibility in the creation, where an in-depth
study is conducted with respect to innovate the technology part of the textile sector in
Ecuador, through interviews, surveys, to have some degree of knowledge about the
benefits that brings the creation of an advertising campaign that promotes innovation
technology in the textile sector.
Figure 1.
Creativity
Elaboration: Atlas software program. Ti
Source: persons belonging to the textile sector
The people of the textile sector belonging to the Esmeraldas canton, being the sample
to which the interview was applied, stated that studying the possibility of innovating
technology in the textile sector is based on an exhaustive data analysis that allows
knowing in depth the pros and cons of this innovative project, where the commercial
welfare of an entire community is sought. In addition, data analysis is linked to the
impact of influence, achievement orientation, creativity, innovation, and feasibility of
creation, with 7 quotes totally related to data analysis.
Technological innovations in the textile sector in the canton of Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 6, No. 40
January - March 2022. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 10-21.
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Figure 2.
Data Analysis
Elaboration: Atlas software program. Ti
Source: persons belonging to the textile sector
The impact of influence is important because it allows us to have a clear idea about the
benefits and advantages that technological innovation in the textile sector brings to
potential consumers, because innovation in recent decades has become the engine that
drives the transformation and growth of companies, since innovation allows taking
advantage of resources to achieve better advantages, both economic and social. In
addition, the sub-category impact of influence formed a semantic network where
creativity, data analysis, achievement orientation and feasibility of creation are included,
in addition to the direct relationship with five quotations related to the impact of
influence that technological innovation has on the textile sector in the canton of
Esmeraldas.
María Fernanda Gaspar Castro, Carlos Enrique Rivas Vallejo, Félix Segundo Rosales Cortes, Carlos Ernesto Bruno
Jaime
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 6, No. 40
January - March 2022. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 10-21.
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Figure 3.
Influence impact
Elaboration: Atlas software program. Ti
Source: persons belonging to the textile sector
It is extremely important to highlight this sub-category, where the proposal is extremely
clear and concise and is none other than achievement orientation, which seeks to
provide the necessary tools to build a structure with a solid foundation that generates
relevant ideas and strategies to achieve a line of benefits over the years and with the
skills acquired on the proper management of technology in the textile sector in the
canton of Esmeraldas, This sub-category is important, since it has a direct relationship
with other sub-categories such as creativity, feasibility of creation and impact of
influence, since they all go hand in hand, allowing to have a clear idea of the importance
of innovation in the area of technology in the textile sector, generating an adequate
inclusion in the technological world that is currently gaining prominence every day.
Technological innovations in the textile sector in the canton of Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 6, No. 40
January - March 2022. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 10-21.
18
Figure 4.
Achievement orientation
Elaboration: Atlas software program. Ti
Source: persons belonging to the textile sector
It is clear that, over the years, the introduction of technological advances in the textile
industry in Ecuador has become crucial and indispensable, much more so at Esmeralda,
which seeks to find ways to continue producing quality, innovative and creative items
that will keep the attention of consumers. In addition, customer expectations about the
garments they wear and the exposure of their comments to manufacturers have
changed dramatically in recent years. The customer's opinion now has a much greater
impact, due to technological advances.
In the same vein, it is necessary to highlight what is mentioned by the blog Sanper
(2018) where it is emphasized that "Automation in textile production involves different
stages: from handling, stretching and cutting, to finishing and pressing techniques,
along with advanced tools to evaluate productivity in manufacturing". Similarly, (Vargas,
Zuñiga and Muño, 2020: page 244) define the importance of technological innovation
as a new marketing method for the textile sector, through strategies that allow
promoting and expanding the knowledge of people regarding this topic, so it is of
utmost relevance to highlight the aforementioned by the previously mentioned authors,
as follows:
Studies on this subject have become more relevant due to the fact that a broad initiative
has been generated to turn a need into an opportunity, which has an impact on the
improvement of people's living conditions and their environment.
María Fernanda Gaspar Castro, Carlos Enrique Rivas Vallejo, Félix Segundo Rosales Cortes, Carlos Ernesto Bruno
Jaime
Espirales. Revista multidisciplinaria de investigación científica, Vol. 6, No. 40
January - March 2022. e-ISSN 2550-6862. pp 10-21.
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Due to the above, it is important to highlight the importance that technology has today,
especially in the commercial area through innovation in the textile sector where it seeks
the inclusion of the technological world, in addition to providing people with the
necessary knowledge on this particular topic.
Conclusions
After analyzing, studying and reviewing all the information gathered, it is necessary to
highlight that it was concluded that the textile sector is decisive for the economic growth
of the area in the short and long term, because it presents great opportunities to
generate income and is perfectly related to innovation and creativity. Taking into
account the above, it was possible to understand that the low incidence of issues such
as innovation has prevented the different companies in the area from successfully
achieving much more benefits in this area. It is of vital importance to take risks and try
new things, to move away a little from the classic and create innovative and eye-catching
garments for the customer. Likewise, and taking into account that the efficiency in
production and the growth of the textile and apparel sector depend to a great extent
on them, it is ideal to pay much more attention to the opinions and constant
recommendations of consumers. This is to try to create a lasting loyalty between the
textile industry and the customer.
Additionally, it is of utmost importance to generate a constant investment fund, which
in the long term will be of great benefit to the industry, since it will lead to an
improvement in the efficiency of the production processes through innovation and
creativity. For this reason, it is identified that not having the indispensable tools and
opportunities will be a major limitation for a gradual growth in the textile area. Finally,
it is clear that innovation is a double-edged tool; what may seem original and incredible
to some may seem a bad idea to others. It is evident that these types of concepts are
linked to the customer's subjectivity. However, it is the responsibility of the industry to
seek a balance between the classic and the modern, between the original and the
conventional, this will generate benefits if it is done well and consistently, that is where
innovation in the textile industry becomes essential to attract new consumers and
maintain the loyalty of previous ones.
..........................................................................................................
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