Relación entre la orientación emprendedora y el comportamiento innovador en las firmas de la provincia de El Oro

This study analyzes the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and innovative behavior in medium and large-sized firms based in the province of El Oro, Ecuador, within a subnational context characterized by sectoral heterogeneity, technological differences, and structural constraints that significantly influence business innovation processes. Despite the relevance of this environment, there is limited availability of empirical evidence from official microdata sources to support standardized measurement and modeling methods. The research is based on a representative sample of 184 firms, on which a beta regression model and an ordinary least squares specification were applied to compare the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and innovative behavior within an inference framework suitable for a bounded continuous dependent variable. The results show that innovativeness, proactiveness, and competitive aggressiveness are positively and statistically significantly related to innovative behavior, whereas risk-taking has a limited influence in the analyzed context. More specifically, the findings indicate that business innovation in the province of El Oro is primarily associated with strategic anticipation and competitive capability rather than with risk propensity, which has important implications for business management and for the design of public policies aimed at strengthening innovation, considering sectoral characteristics and firm size.