Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Ecuador: Evolution and Challenges

The main objective of this article is to analyze the evolution of Ecuadorian Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME), their contribution to the national economy, institutional framework, and internal operating characteristics. To this end, the focus is on companies related to the manufacturing sector in Ecuador. The main periods of the analysis are: i) the 1990s, ii) 2000-2008 and iii) 2009-2019; however, the decades of the 1970s and 1980s have been included in the first part of the article for their relevance. Literature review is the main data collection methodology, and the databases used are from official sources. Data from the Banco Central del Ecuador (BCE, Central Bank of Ecuador), the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Censos (INEC, National Institute of Statistics and Census), regulations and research around the SME sector have been used. The main findings are that SMEs are crucial within the Ecuadorian industrial fabric, because of its specialization in products that contribute to satisfying basic needs, but also because they provide parts and supplies to other companies. The quantitative contribution of SMEs, however, has been declining over time, both in number of establishments, staffing, and production, which reveals the increasing relevance of large industries. In this process, the institutional framework has had an influence in the evolution of SMEs, with certain strengths and weaknesses in terms of supporting the development of SMEs. In turn, in regards to internal operation, it becomes apparent that despite some improvement, there has not been significant progress during the period under analysis. In short, this work contributes to the larger discussion about the relevance of SMEs in Ecuador, their history, and whether there might be grounds for public policies to support their development.

Analyzing the institutional and regulatory framework for operationalizing the blue economy in Bangladesh: Lessons from Australia

This study's overarching objective was to assess the suitability and applicability of the existing legal and institutional framework for managing the coastal and marine resources in Bangladesh. Besides, the legal and institutional arrangement of Australia was examined to adopt the best practices for Bangladesh. The glimpse of potential coastal and marine resources of Bangladesh was assessed to have an idea of the untapped resources' dimensions. Together with, the fundamental challenges faced by the artisanal and small-scale fishers in Bangladesh were critically scrutinized. The empirical data collection followed a multi-approach like mini-symposium, consultation workshops, focus group discussions, case studies, visiting, personal, and key informant interviews. The study revealed that the vast provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services of the Bay of Bengal, including its coast and mangrove, is mostly unexplored. The regulatory framework in Bangladesh is characterized by jurisdictional overlapping followed by the conflict of interests among the public institutes, which originated from the aged and fragmented laws and ambiguous business allocation; consequently, the artisanal and small-scale fishers suffer a lot. On the flip side, despite some limitations, Australia established sectoral governance enacting strong legislative measures. The local government and community’s right in resource management locally has been institutionalized in Australia, which remains fuzzy in Bangladesh. Taking lessons from Australia, Bangladesh can enact new sectoral laws followed by business reallocation for the line ministries. The study will help policymakers identify the bottlenecks rooted in Bangladesh’s existing regulatory and institutional framework.

Institutional framework for regulating innovative activity of higher education organizations

Subject. I consider parameters of the condition of higher education organizations that are formed under the influence of institutional impact of the State, in the aspect of giving the former the status of a driver of innovative development. Objectives. The aim of the study is to review the institutional framework for regulating the innovation activity of higher education organizations. Methods. The study employs the method of dialectical cognition, as well as historical, structural-functional, systems research methods. Results. The paper presents an overview of institutional framework for regulating the innovation activity of universities, resulting from the growing importance of higher education organizations in the development of innovative economic relations at the present stage. It analyzes government initiatives aimed at achieving the goals based on national interests. The paper provides a list of councils and funds supporting and stimulating the development of innovative activity of educational organizations in Russia. Conclusions. The innovative development of the national economy as an essential condition for its competitiveness, which is implemented against the background of the growing role of educational organizations in this process, determines the urgency of permanent improvement of the institutional framework for regulating the innovative activity of educational organizations.

Analyzing the institutional and regulatory framework for operationalizing the blue economy in Bangladesh: Lessons from Australia

This study's overarching objective was to assess the suitability and applicability of the existing legal and institutional framework for managing the coastal and marine resources in Bangladesh. Besides, the legal and institutional arrangement of Australia was examined to adopt the best practices for Bangladesh. The glimpse of the potential coastal and marine resources of Bangladesh was assessed to have an idea of the untapped resources' dimensions. Together with, the fundamental challenges faced by the artisanal and small-scale fishers in Bangladesh were critically scrutinized. The empirical data collection followed a multi-approach like mini-symposium, consultation workshops, focus group discussions, case studies, visiting, personal, and key informant interviews. The study revealed that the vast provisioning, regulating, and cultural ecosystem services of the Bay of Bengal, including its coast and mangrove, is mostly unexplored. The regulatory framework in Bangladesh is characterized by jurisdictional overlapping followed by the conflict of interests among the public institutes, which originated from the aged and fragmented laws and ambiguous business allocation; consequently, the artisanal and small-scale fishers suffer a lot. On the flip side, despite some limitations, Australia established sectoral governance enacting strong legislative measures. The local government and community’s right in resource management locally has been institutionalized in Australia, which remains fuzzy in Bangladesh. Taking lessons from Australia, Bangladesh can enact new sectoral laws followed by business reallocation for the line ministries. The study will help policymakers identify the bottlenecks rooted in Bangladesh’s existing regulatory and institutional framework.

Post-UN Institutions Specific to the Order of Civilizations

Starting to explore the futurist concept of the “global order of civilizations” and making some notes about the new actors (“the civilizations”) playing as global gladiators and new geopolitical actors on the 21st century stage, we shall point out the institutional framework of such order, that, in our opinion, should include specific bodies and organisms such as: The High Representative of the Global Eco-Regions to the Global Council of Peace; the Global Mediator of Civilizations; the Global Council of Peace; a High Representative for Nature’s Rights; a Global Council of Protection, Preservation and Regeneration of Terrestrial Ecosystems; High Representatives of the rights of planet Earth (within the context of a global law of environment offering specifically to the planet Earth its own rights and a specific juridical global personality, as a higher level of the today Green Deal, as an exit from the traditional patrimonial–absolutist conception about nature as object, as “unlimited patrimony” submitted to all kind of abusive actions and politics of the mankind, governments, or corporations). Global environmental law will become more and more compulsory for transnational actors, in order to ensure the concrete protection of ecosystems, a protection that we are noticing not to be as effective as the state one.

Application of Ostrom’s Institutional Analysis and Development Framework in River Water Conservation in Southern Ecuador. Case Study—The Zamora River

Water is essential for life and human activities. In addition to the constant increase in water demand, there are problems caused by inefficient governance, such as the discharge of untreated wastewater into rivers and seas, which is aggravated by the limited participation of civil society in decision-making. To face current and future challenges, solid public policies must be implemented, focused on measurable objectives, following planned and predetermined schedules on an appropriate scale, based on a clear assignment of functions to the competent authorities, and subject to periodic monitoring and evaluation. The Institutional Analysis and Development framework proposed by Ostrom made it possible to identify gaps in the existing governance, and to establish actions that could strengthen the institutional framework with the active participation of social actors, in order to achieve an effective conservation of water resources in southern Ecuador. The present study determined that regulations are not coherent with the conflict, the design of policies, and the effects of decision-making. The formal rules for wastewater management are not applied, and there is an incipient citizen participation, as well as disarticulation in institutions responsible for wastewater management. Recommendations were made to strengthen the institutional framework and governance of wastewater.