Resilient leadership in grassroots businesses: Adaptation strategies in the face of crime in Guayaquil

Abstract

DOI: https://doi.org/10.46296/rc.v9i18.0460

ABSTRACT

Organized crime has escalated in recent decades; the modernization of criminal operations aligns with new global trends in criminality. However, it is not only large enterprises that are targeted; even small-scale and informal merchants are easy targets for criminal activities including extortion, robbery, and theftthat cause serious distress and operational difficulties. Yet, in the face of this situation, leaders emerge who are capable of confronting these challenges and redesigning their business strategies to remain afloat and navigate criminal threats. The objective of this research is to understand how resilient leadership within small-scale businesses shapes adaptation strategies in response to crime in Guayaquil. The study employs a documentary research methodology, involving a review of materials from indexed scientific-technical journals (such as Dialnet, SciELO, and Latindex 2.0) and the use of Google Scholar as a search engine. Key findings highlight a significant rise in crime in Guayaquil in recent years and reveal that merchants are caught in a highly problematic situation between organized crime and law enforcement agencies, thereby increasing the need for merchants to possess the resilience required to sustain their businesses amidst these circumstances.

Keywords: Resilient leadership, organized crime, Guayaquil, adaptations.