Análisis de la volatilidad de los precios internacionales de banano y su impacto en la rentabilidad de las empresas exportadoras de la provincia del Guayas, 2020 - 2024.

Abstract

The research arises from an interest in analyzing whether a relationship exists between the profitability of banana-exporting companies and international banana prices, with the aim of determining the extent to which they are linked. The study is grounded in David Ricardo’s Theory of Comparative Advantage and Michael Porter’s Theory of Competitive Advantage, considering that Ecuador has positioned itself as the world’s leading exporter due to its productive and strategic advantages. Methodologically, the research follows a correnational approach with an observational, cross-sectional, and retrospective design under a mixed-methods framework. In the quantitative component, the average financial indicators of 36 banana-exporting companies from the province of Guayas were analyzed. These companies were selected through non-probability judgment sampling for the period 2020–2024. Correlation coefficients were applied to examine the relationship between financial indicators and international banana prices. In the qualitative component, structured interviews were conducted using questions validated by an academic and methodological expert. The findings reveal a weak relationship between the profitability of exporting companies and international banana prices. This suggests that other factors such as financial management, cost control, and strategic planning, play a significant role in mitigating the effects of international banana price volatility.