Sustainability reports in banking management: analysis of client communication in private banks in the city of Loja, southern Ecuador

Main Article Content

Verónica Alexandra Armijos-Buitrón
Jorge Luis Iñiguez-Izquierdo

Abstract

Sustainability reports are a crucial tool for modern banking management, as they are instruments that help communicate the commitment to sustainable development with their various stakeholders. The objective of this research was to analyze the impact of the communication of these reports on the relationship between the main private banks in Loja and their clients, using a quantitative approach with a descriptive scope. A total of 384 structured surveys were administered to clients of Banco de Loja (184), Banco Pichincha (120), and Banco Guayaquil (80), revealing a significant contradiction: 72% of clients report being aware of these reports, but only 44% consider them to be clear and understandable. This study identified how the information contained in these reports can influence banking preference (42.45%), highlighting their strategic value for loyalty. The findings revealed a marked preference for Banco de Loja (47.92%), suggesting a notable inclination toward local banking entities. Based on these results, each financial institution can develop strategies to improve the dissemination of the results of socially responsible actions through sustainability reports, aligned with three dimensions: improving the client-bank partnership, optimizing sustainability reports, and strengthening Corporate Social Responsibility practices.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

Article Details

How to Cite
Armijos-Buitrón, V., & Iñiguez-Izquierdo, J. (2025). Sustainability reports in banking management: analysis of client communication in private banks in the city of Loja, southern Ecuador. 593 Digital Publisher CEIT, 10(4), 52-64. https://doi.org/10.33386/593dp.2025.4.3310
Section
Investigaciones /estudios empíricos
Author Biographies

Verónica Alexandra Armijos-Buitrón, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja - Ecuador

armijos.jpg

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2302-2619

PhD in Administration from the National University of Rosario, Argentina. Master's degree in Business Administration and Management from the Institute of Stock Market Studies (IEB) in Madrid, Spain, and Master's degree in Training Management, Planning, Development, and Evaluation of Trainer Training from the University of Seville, Spain. She holds a degree in Commercial Engineering from the Army Polytechnic School (ESPE), Ecuador. She has been a Full Professor at the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Ecuador, since 2000, providing both undergraduate and graduate courses. She has held positions such as Academic Coordinator of the Master's in Business Administration with a focus on Innovation and Academic Coordinator of the Master's in Business Management. She is currently Vice Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration.

Jorge Luis Iñiguez-Izquierdo, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja - Ecuador

iñiguez.jpg

Business Administration student at the Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja.

References

Al Hawaj, A. Y., & Buallay, A. M. (2022). A worldwide sectorial analysis of sustainability reporting and its impact on firm performance. Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, 12(1), 62-86.

Alvarez I. y Heras I. (2023). Investigación académica sobre memorias de sostenibilidad. ASEPUC,26(1).https://digitum.um.es/digitum/bitstream/10201/127466/1/05_Investigaci%c3%b3n%20acad%c3%a9mica%20sobre%20memorias%20de%20sostenibilidad.pdf

Alvear, L., Palacio, A. y Pérez, Y. (2023). Memorias de sostenibilidad y su aseguramiento. Repositorio Institucional Universidad Cooperativa de Colombia. https://repository.ucc.edu.co/entities/publication/7d4fa6ae-1eee-4f5f-9a4f-3acaf982a11d

Benítez, L. (2024). El Informe Brundtland: el origen de los ODS | .https://www.holaluz.com/blog/informe-brundtland-origen-ods-agenda-2030/#:~:text=El%20informe%2C%20cuyo%20nombre%20original,las%20de%20las%20futuras%20generaciones.

Calderón, J. (2022). La importancia de los informes y la divulgación de la sostenibilidad corporativa para los inversores responsables y cómo mejorarla. https://es.linkedin.com/pulse/la-importancia-de-los-informes-y-divulgaci%C3%B3n-para-j-felipe

Cervantes, M. (2020). La comunicación desde el consejo de administración: estudio empírico sobre la legibilidad de los informes de sostenibilidad. Revista de Comunicación de la SEECI. https://doi.org/10.15198/seeci.2020.53.103-134

Cisneros-Caicedo, A., Guevara-García, A., Urdánigo-Cedeño, J., Garcés-Bravo, J. (2022). Técnicas e Instrumentos para la Recolección de Datos. Dominio de las Ciencias, 8(1). https://dominiodelasciencias.com/ojs/index.php/es/article/view/2546/5714

Corralejo. (2022). La comunicación. Mheducation. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.mheducation.es/bcv/guide/capitulo/8448180445.pdf

Diaz, A. (2021). La importancia de la comunicación. ResearchGate. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/356904357_La_importancia_de_la_comunicacion#full-text#full-text

Fernández, L. (2019). Cumbre de la Tierra: qué es, acuerdos y objetivos. ecologiaverde.com. https://www.ecologiaverde.com/cumbre-de-la-tierra-que-es-acuerdos-y-objetivos-2291.html

Freeman, E. (2001). A Stakeholder Approach to Strategic Management. Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.263511

Freire Espinoza, A. G. (2017) La percepción de la Responsabilidad Social Corporativa en la Banca Privada de la ciudad de Loja, año 2017 [Tesis de N/D, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja]. Repositorio Institucional. https://dspace.utpl.edu.ec/handle/123456789/20415

Gómez, S. (2019). Metodología de la investigación. https://dspace.itsjapon.edu.ec/jspui/bitstream/123456789/735/1/Metodologia_de_la_investigacion.pdf

Gómez,V., Sánchez, J., Domínguez, J., Quezada, Z., Valencia, J. (2021). Comunicación organizacional en las empresas del sur de Veracruz en tiempos de COVID-19. UVSERVA, 12. https://uvserva.uv.mx/index.php/Uvserva/article/view/2801/4738

Hamad,S., Umar M.,y Woon, L. (2020). The Impact of Corporate Governance and Sustainability Reporting on Integrated Reporting: A Conceptual Framework. Sage Journals Home. https://doi.org/10.1177/2158244020927431

Jarreta, (2021). Responsabilidad Social Corporativa en las PYMES: Caso práctico de Memoria de Sostenibilidad. https://zaguan.unizar.es/record/108944/files/TAZ-TFG-2021-1680.pdf

Jordonez. (2021). GRI lanza una importante actualización de los estándares de informes de sostenibilidad - Latam Green. Latam Green. https://latam-green.com/gri-lanza-una-importante-actualizacion-de-los-estandares-de-informes-de-sostenibilidad/

Locatelli, P. (2021). La sostenibilidad como directriz vinculante para el desarrollo de las ciudades. https://rua.ua.es/dspace/handle/10045/109738

Mitchell, R. Agle, B. y Wood, D. (1997). Toward a Theory of Stakeholder Identification and Salience: Defining the Principle of who and What Really Counts. The Academy Of Management Review, 22(4), 853-886. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1997.9711022105

Millan, V. y Martorell, V. (2020). Memoria de sostenilidad. https://zaguan.unizar.es/record/101932/files/TAZ-TFG-2020-1533.pdf

Momchilov, G. (2022). Sustainability reporting by companies: reasons and financial benefits. VUZF University, 7(1). https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/1aff/6832f65065797a69ef0df50cfe441866ff17.pdf

Petrescu, A., Bilcan, F., Oncioiu, I., Turkes, M. y Capusneanu, S. (2020). Assessing the Benefits of the Sustainability Reporting Practices in the Top Romanian Companies. Sustainability, 12(8). https://doi.org/10.3390/su12083470

Ramoglou, S., Zyglidopoulos, S. & Papadopoulou, F. (2023). Is There Opportunity Without Stakeholders? A Stakeholder Theory Critique and Development of Opportunity-Actualization. Entrepreneurship Theory And Practice, 47(1), 113-141. https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587211043354

Ramos-Galarza, C. (2020). Los alcances de una investigación. Dialnet, 9(3). https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/articulo?codigo=7746475

Robayo, L. (2024). Informes de sustentabilidad: herramientas de comunicación y reputación.https://www.mundoexpopack.com/empaque/sustentabilidad/article/22890674/por-qu-son-importantes-los-informes-de-sustentabilidad

Safari, M y Areeb, A. (2020). A qualitative analysis of GRI principles for defining sustainability report quality: an Australian case from the preparers’ perspective. Accounting Forum, 44. https://doi.org/10.1080/01559982.2020.1736759

Salazar, N., Martinez, C, Sánchez, V, y Briones, C. (2019). Comunicación organizacional interna y su relación con la satisfacción de los empleados de una empresa concesionaria de automóviles de Piedras Negras Coahuila. GEON, 7(1).

Sánchez, F. (2019). Fundamentos Epistémicos de la Investigación Cualitativa y Cuantitativa: Consensos y Disensos. REVISTA DIGITAL DE INVESTIGACIÓN EN DOCENCIA UNIVERSITARIA, 13(1). chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/http://www.scielo.org.pe/pdf/ridu/v13n1/a08v13n1.pdf

Thompson, C. (2023). Global Reporting Initiative (GRI): Purpose, Standards, and Importance. Investopedia. https://www.investopedia.com/global-reporting-initiative-7483127

Trelles Calle, L. B. (2018) Análisis al modelo de gestión de responsabilidad social, aplicado por los bancos privados del Ecuador, año 2015. Propuesta alternativa [Tesis de Postgrado, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja]. Repositorio Institucional. https://dspace.utpl.edu.ec/handle/20.500.11962/23158

United Nations. (2023). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development | Department of Economic and Social Affairs. https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda