Entrepreneurship in Ecuador: perspectives and challenges in vulnerable communities
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65598/rps.6260Keywords:
entrepreneurship, vulnerable communities, financial inclusion, digital literacy, gender equity, ; integrative literature reviewAbstract
Entrepreneurship in vulnerable communities is a key pathway to socioeconomic inclusion in Ecuador, but it faces structural barriers that limit its sustainability. This article aims to analyze the prospects and challenges of entrepreneurship in vulnerable Ecuadorian communities, identifying the factors that influence its viability. An integrative literature review was conducted using searches in Scopus, Web of Science, SciELO, and Redalyc, as well as institutional sources (INEC, GEM Ecuador, Central Bank of Ecuador), covering the period 2019–2025. After applying inclusion and exclusion criteria, a corpus of 42 documents was analyzed using thematic content analysis and methodological triangulation. The results reveal five interconnected structural barriers: (i) financial exclusion due to restrictive credit requirements, (ii) deficits in business training and digital literacy, (iii) difficulties in accessing expanded markets, (iv) gender gaps and care burdens, and (v) limited local economic impact due to a lack of strategic planning. Based on this analysis, an integrated model for the sustainability of vulnerable entrepreneurship is proposed, which links structural conditions, entrepreneurial capacities, access to resources, institutional-digital coordination, and territorial impact. The study concludes that transforming entrepreneurship into a driver of territorial development requires comprehensive public policies, although the findings are limited by reliance on secondary sources and Ecuador’s territorial heterogeneity.
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