Management of innovation in family tourism microenterprises : Case study: Valleys of southern Ecuador

The objective of this study was to analyze the management of incremental and radical innovation in the family business of the tourism sector in southern Ecuador. The methodology used was quantitative with a descriptive approach, there were 50 micro-enterprises that participated in this research, located in the city of Loja, Malacatos and Vilcabamba parishes. It was concluded that the family business in the tourism sector strives to carry out incremental innovation actions, that is, they make improvements in the characteristics of existing products and plan in the short term. On the other hand, it is argued that in order to manage radical innovation it is necessary to invest in innovation plus development, as well as in the acquisition of technology that favors the optimization of processes, products or services. To deal with this problem, it is necessary to create policies to articulate the management of government, business, and society in favor of strengthening a culture of innovation and creating an environment with opportunities to execute incremental and radical innovation.