The study provides a discussion about the leadership style of small businesses owner-managers at Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas, Ecuador, supported on contingency theory of leadership. And adaptation of Hershey and Blanchard questionnaire was made in order to make it clear to the target population. A total of 175 owner-managers of small businesses and 1218 employees comprised the respondents of the study. The perception of leadership style of owner-managers and employees, style range, and style adaptability and perception of the maturity degree of employees were the variables involved in the hypotheses raised. In spite of totally or partially proving the hypothesis raised, findings of the study revealed mixed support to the theory which impedes giving clear recommendations about how to behave in certain organizational situations in the context of small Ecuadorian businesses. Results of the study caution owner-managers of small businesses to consider carefully the way they behave in certain situation to the enrichment of employee motivation toward work with the purpose to obtain a better performance of their enterprises; but should avoid assuming that there are more or less appropriate leader behaviors based on the results of this research. The study constitutes a starting point to focus the research related to leadership style in small companies, considering the preponderance of this type of business in the economy of Ecuador.

El desarrollo de una metodología para la organización del trabajo en la PYME, que posibilite la identificación de las reservas productivas existentes y con ello una consecuente mejora de los indicadores de productividad en el trabajo, constituye el objetivo de la presente investigación. Para el logro de este objetivo se propone un procedimiento adaptado a las condiciones del ob-jeto de estudio práctico, el cual desde un enfoque holístico permitió la realización de los análisis que se desarrollan. Entre los principales resultados se pueden destacar los siguientes: la exis-tencia de un desaprovechamiento de la jornada laboral de un 15% determinado fundamental-mente por pérdidas de tiempo eliminables, de igual manera se logró identificar la capacidad li-mitante del proceso de producción del medicamento natural Prostagerón, así como se identifi-caron problemas vinculados con el ruido, vibración, iluminación y ventilación, aunque no existen mayores inconvenientes que puedan perjudicar la salud de los trabajadores. Finalmente se lo-gró incrementar la productividad del trabajo en un 35.42% respecto con el análisis desarrollado vinculado con la capacidad limitante detectada, al tiempo que en este primer análisis en cuanto a la observación de campo se puede indicar la posibilidad de un incremento productivo de un 327%.

This article is based on the development and application of a procedure to measure and improve external customer satisfaction, allowing a rational intervention in the variables related to the quality of service and leading to the progressive improvement of quality management in stores of Santo Domingo, Ecuador. It was possible to measure the levels of satisfaction experienced by customers based on perceptions about the service they receive. In addition, it allowed the modeling of indicators measuring the degree of customer satisfaction and loyalty, both globally and by processes, from a multi-attribute approach, which uses a linear additive model of attributes that characterize it and identifies those essential and critical of according to its importance and current valuation, in the framework of the specific procedure developed to evaluate the level of service performance, allowing to focus the management actions towards the solution of problems and the improvement of vital aspects of the execution of the service and in this way to maintain a continuous monitoring of the indicators of performance of the customer satisfaction in the selected organization.

Los cambios políticos y económicos en Cuba, entre 1989 y el 2016, han tenido una incidencia significativa en las relaciones laborales y la gestión de capital humano, ocasionando desajustes gerenciales, económicos y tecnológicos importantes en esta y otras áreas de las organizaciones cubanas. El objetivo de este artículo radica en diseñar un modelo para el desarrollo integrado de competencias laborales y las herramientas necesarias para su aplicación, que integre sus procesos centrales con los perfiles de competencias y contribuya a elevar el desempeño de los trabajadores de las empresas en el complejo contexto analizado. Como parte del análisis de las variables potenciales que participan en el constructo multivariado de la gestión por competencias, se utilizó un procedimiento para el análisis de consenso sobre variables participantes en un modelo teórico. Los aportes se reflejan en el modelo teórico diseñado, partiendo de las cuatro dimensiones identificadas, que se distingue por la integración de las principales corrientes en el estudio de las competencias y el diseño de un sistema de gestión de capital humano basado en este enfoque, haciendo uso además del enfoque de sistemas, el holístico y el estratégico de la dirección, proporcionando las herramientas técnicamente fundamentadas para el desarrollo de competencias. Además, los instrumentos para el cálculo de indicadores reflejan un mejoramiento en la perspectiva del trabajador, destacándose el nivel de competencia y el nivel de desarrollo de competencias, con una incidencia favorable en los resultados globales de la entidad estudiada.

Purpose -To present a model that expresses the relationships observed between a set of independent variables that condition overall satisfaction with a tourist destination, allowing to discover the potential for improvement of this indicator. Methodology -An instrument is designed to measure the satisfaction of tourists with a destination, starting from a list of attributes used in the literature that are submitted to the research of experts. A reliability analysis of the results and an evaluation of construct validity were performed. Through a confirmatory factor analysis, the factorial structure of the set of observed variables was identified. Finally, a structural equations model was created to understand the interrelationship between the variables considered in the study and their incidence in general satisfaction with the destination. Findings -The application of the instrument designed to the calculated sample allowed to identify the latent variables existing in the practical construct studied, identifying through the factorial analysis four aspects associated to the satisfaction of tourists with the destination: access, lodging, facilities and attractions. The construction of the structural equations model corroborated the previous results and evidenced the level of incidence of each factor studied in the overall satisfaction as well as the incidence of each attribute in the factor that integrates. Originality -It is achieved define a structural equations model that represents and explains the relationship between the variables considered in the quality management of a destination and the degree to which they relate to each other and influence the level of satisfaction experienced by tourists.