El impacto del marketing digital y la brecha de género en el desempeño empresarial en tiempos de covid-19: Un análisis empírico en el sector empresarial ecuatoriano.

Abstract

This research work aims to analyze and comprehend the impact of the use of digital marketing within the Ecuadorian business sector, as well as to study the existing relationship between the gender of the business owner and business performance. This analysis is carried out within the context of the epidemiological crisis due to the arrival of COVID-19 in Ecuador. To fulfill this purpose, a primary information source is used in which data on personal and business characteristics corresponding to 366 business owners or co-owners of business is stored. The methodology selected for the estimation of the econometric model is the Quantile Regression, and the results obtained reveal that employing digital marketing strategies has a positive impact on the performance of the companies. On the other hand, the fact that a woman is the owner of a business has a negative impact on business performance, a situation that permits inferring that men-led companies are characterized by achieving better performance indicators. The findings of this empirical research are consistent with the academic literature review. These results could be explained by changes in consumer behavior due to the health crisis; likewise, by the gender gap that persists in the Ecuadorian business sector.