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Multivariant and Geo-Statistical Analysis of the Effects of the COVID 19 Pandemic of the Microenterprise Business Segment in Ecuador (Province of Santa Elena Case)

Abstract:

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a very strong negative impact on the world’s economies and small and medium-sized companies have not been the exception. To mitigate the impact, it is necessary for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) to develop contingency plans, based on their reality. This research, by its design is of a causal descriptive type and its objective is to determine, based on the appreciation that those responsible for SMEs in sectors related to agriculture, commerce, industry, services, information, and communication technologies (ICTs) and other technological services, which is their situation in the face of the COVID-19 crisis and measure its affectations degree. In the methodological analysis, a sample of 376 SME’s was used, from a population of 11,670 companies officially registered in the Santa Elena province. Statistical processes of correlational hypothesis tests such as Pearson and Chi-square were applied for a probabilistic trend analysis between explanatory variables logit models and for geospatial references, a multicriteria analysis of raster and vectors throughout the province. The main results are that SME’s have been severely affected by the pandemic in two out of every three companies, with high losses in their income, decreased sales and production capacity, limitations in supply chains, lack of accessibility to tools of telecommuting. In addition, 8 out of 10 companies project that the negative effects of Covid-19 will continue to impact their business in the next 12 to 16 months. And that financial and non-financial supports at the state level have been insufficient or non-existent in some cases.