This study aims to develop and validate a strategic model tailored to the unique challenges and contexts faced by micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in Ecuador, enhancing their operational efficiency and access to financing. Employing a quantitative approach, the research utilized a non-experimental, cross-sectional design to gather data from a sample of 358 companies. The study revealed that MSMEs are significantly hindered by limited access to financing, lack of managerial skills, and technological gaps. Despite these challenges, MSMEs demonstrated considerable adaptability and resilience, underscoring their critical role in the local economy. The strategic model proposed leverages Porter’s Diamond Model to identify and address the specific competitive and operational challenges encountered by these enterprises. Key findings include the necessity for enhanced financial literacy, simplified regulatory frameworks, and the integration of digital technologies to improve competitiveness. The proposed model focuses on strategic training, fostering innovation, and creating a more supportive financing environment. The implications of this study are profound, suggesting that policymakers and practitioners should streamline regulatory processes, enhance financial and technological support frameworks, and provide tailored training programs. These strategies are intended to bolster the sustainability and growth of MSMEs, contributing to broader economic development. This research contributes to the academic literature by providing empirical evidence on the challenges faced by MSMEs in developing economies and proposing a contextually adapted strategic model to mitigate these challenges, thereby enhancing their economic impact and sustainability.
There are several factors that generate postharvest losses of Citrus sinensis, but none have been focused on the central jungle of the Junín region of Peru. The objective of this research was to evaluate postharvest losses of Citrus sinensis in the province of Satipo, Junín region of Peru, considering the stages of the production chain. The methodology was applied to descriptive and cross-sectional design. A sample of 10 orange trees, 3 transport intermediaries and 5 traders selected for compliance with minimum volume and quality requirements were used. The °Brix, pH and acidity characteristics of the fruit were determined. Subsequently, absolute and percentage losses were quantified through direct observation, surveys and interviews. The main postharvest losses of Citrus sinensis were 1.50% in harvesting and detaching, 1.75% in transport to the collection center, 2.23% in storage and transport by intermediaries, and 2.90% in storage and sale by retailers. The overall loss was 8.12% throughout the production chain and US$5.75 per MT of C. sinensis harvested. The main damages found were mechanical and biological, caused by poor harvesting and packaging techniques, precarious storage and careless transport of the merchandise.
The study explores improving opportunities of forecasting accuracy from the traditional method through advanced forecasting techniques. This enables companies to optimize inventory management, production planning, and reducing the travelling time thorough vehicle route optimization. The article introduced a holistic framework by deploying advanced demand forecasting techniques i.e., AutoRegressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) and Recurrent Neural Network-Long Short-Term Memory (RNN-LSTM) models, and the Vehicle Routing Problem with Time Windows (VRPTW) approach. The actual milk demand data came from the company and two forecasting models, ARIMA and RNN-LSTM, have been deployed using Python Jupyter notebook and compared them in terms of various precision measures. VRPTW established not only the optimal routes for a fleet of six vehicles but also tactical scheduling which contributes to a streamlined and agile raw milk collection process, ensuring a harmonious and resource-efficient operation. The proposed approach succeeded on dropping about 16% of total travel time and capable of making predictions with approximately 2% increased accuracy than before.
This article explores the landscape of entrepreneurship education in Indonesia amid the wave of digital transformation. The research method uses Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to review research results sourced from journals indexed in Sinta or nationally accredited journals in Indonesia which can be accessed on Google Scholar. The conclusion, (i) Digital transformation-based entrepreneurship education creates a new learning model in colleges with the aim of developing entrepreneurial attitudes and values among young people, especially students, so as to produce entrepreneurial intentions. (ii) Higher education as an entrepreneur education provider must follow the progress of digital transformation in the teaching process of entrepreneurship education so that digital literacy among lecturers and students is getting better. (iii) The participation of stakeholders, the Government, college and the business world, is expected to provide support in policy making, especially curriculum changes in accordance with current circumstances in creating new business actors or entrepreneurial intentions.
This research aims to explore the impact of government policies to promote mass tourism in Bali. Qualitative method with the support of a phenomenological approach and in-depth interviews and FGD. The Butler tourism area life cycle model theory is used to evaluate the impact of tourism on land use and cultural conflict with six stages of destination development, namely exploration, involvement, development, consolidation, stagnation, and decline or rejuvenation. The findings reveal that Bali has experienced all stages of Butler’s model. From 1960–1970, Bali was in the exploration phase, offering tourists authentic experiences. At the beginning of 1970–2000, Bali had entered five phases marked by rapid tourism growth. Now, Bali reached a consolidation phase with a focus on managing tourism quality. Now, Bali is entering a phase of stagnation, facing challenges such as overcrowding and environmental degradation. Bali is at the crossroads between phases of decline and rejuvenation, with efforts to overcome environmental problems and diversify tourism products. This study concludes that mass tourism has significant positive and negative impacts on tourist destinations. Although it can improve the local economy and preserve culture, it can also cause environmental damage and cultural conflict. The Bali government’s policy strategy for the future is to overcome cultural conflicts including tourist education, sustainable tourism development, empowerment of local communities, enforcement of regulations, and intercultural dialogue. The implementation of this policy strategy can be carried out effectively to manage cultural conflicts towards a sustainable Bali tourism future.
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