Relación entre liderazgo innovador y rendimiento organizacional en microempresas del cantón La Maná

This study examines the influence of innovative leadership on the organizational performance of microenterprises in the canton of La Maná, Ecuador, under the premise that managerial innovation is key to adaptation and competitiveness. The objectives were to describe the level of innovative leadership among managers and owners, measure organizational performance through efficiency, customer satisfaction, and profitability indicators, determine the association between both variables, and propose recommendations to enhance innovative leadership. A quantitative, correlational-explanatory, cross-sectional design was employed, with a sample of 261 microenterprises selected through simple probabilistic sampling. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire validated by experts, which included 10 items on innovative leadership and 8 on organizational performance, both measured on a 5-point Likert scale. The scales showed high internal consistency (α = 0.88 and α = 0.91), and an exploratory factor analysis revealed a three-factor leadership structure consisting of a central factor of general practices and two subdimensions: “support for initiative” and “creative promotion.” Overall innovative leadership was positively associated with organizational performance, but the subdimensions showed no significant individual correlations with performance indicators (p > 0.05). This suggests the possible influence of mediating or moderating factors, such as an internal culture of innovation or absorptive capacity, which should be explored through structural equation modeling. It is concluded that improving the performance of microenterprises requires adopting innovative leadership in an integral way, reinforcing both support for initiative and creative promotion, together with complementary organizational strategies.