Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to compare the practices of continuous improvement that are applied in medium and large manufacturing and service companies in two Latin American countries. At the same time, benefits and barriers experienced by these companies with regard to sustainability of continuous improvement are explored. Design/methodology/approach: In order to generate a comparative study between two Latin American countries, interviews were conducted with managers linked to continuous improvement in medium and large companies in the State of Puebla and the Metropolitan District of Quito, which are important areas in Mexico and Ecuador, respectively. Data were collected by means of document analysis, semi-structured interviews, and direct observation. Findings: Companies in both countries identify the use of various techniques and/or tools for continuous improvement. The results of the empirical evidence show how the impact of the application of the techniques has been beneficial in economic and human terms. Thus, the exploratory study has permitted the identification of the drivers and inhibitors in the maintenance of continuous improvement. Research limitations/implications: The research is based on only two areas of the Latin American countries: Mexico and Ecuador. Their results can therefore not be generalized. The approach is applied in a specific environment, namely, the State of Puebla and the Metropolitan District of Quito. This study incorporates the perception of managers, directors, and/or supervisors involved in continuous improvement processes. Practical implications: This paper seeks to provide analytical input. The study is of great interest to researchers, managers, consultants, and professionals linked to projects of continuous improvement who wish to incorporate continuous improvement practices which are sustainable over time. A new managerial behavior is the basis of continuous improvement, where the training and development of the human resource increases the commitment to achieve organizational changes. Originality/value: This research makes an empirical contribution to the literature through the understanding of practices of continuous improvement in a Latin American context, highlighting the factors that improve or impede the process of continuous improvement. Particularly in Mexico and Ecuador, the empirical evidence on this subject is still scarce despite the existence of theoretical academic literature.

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to evaluate the practice of continuous improvement in medium and large manufacturing companies and services of the Metropolitan District of Quito (DMQ); examine the benefits and difficulties in sustaining continuous improvement; and, to study the participation of the different hierarchical organizational levels in the practice of continuous improvement.Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory study was conducted. They were selected, medium and large companies, both manufacturing and services of the DMQ. Qualitative methods used to obtain the data were: direct observation, document analysis and interviews with semi-structured depth.Findings: The results show a preference for the use of simpler techniques to identify and solve problems such as the seven basic quality tools. Within this article describes in detail the enhancers and barriers that are presented in the maintenance of continuous improvement.Research limitations/implications: This article uses a qualitative methodology, so their results cannot be generalized, can only be referenced using the specific context of the companies studied.Practical implications: The study aims to have an analytical contribution. The results show economic benefits and for the human resource, considering mainly the minimization of unnecessary processes and the opportunity of professional development that is offered to the personnel, important data for those people involved in projects of continuous improvement in DMQ companies.Social implications: The conclusions have important implications for research. Continuous improvement should take into account not only economic benefits but also human factors, same that can influence the quality of life of workers.Originality/value: The paper presents empirical contributions for the literature by exposing of the implementation of the Kaizen concept in the Latin American context, Quito - Ecuador.

Resumen El propósito de esta investigación es examinar de manera empírica y cuantitativa el grado de relación existente entre la cultura organizacional y la innovación organizacional. Se realizó un estudio con 260 personas que ocupan cargos operativosy administrativos en las pymes del Distrito Metropolitano de Quito. Se analizó el tipo de cultura organizacional a través de la metodología propuesta por Cameron y Quinn, basada en el modelo Competing Value Framework, que permite identificar y clasificar a las empresas por el tipo de cultura dominante que presentan. Los resultados muestran que los tipos de cultura que inciden de forma favorable en la innovación organizacional son la cultura clan, de mercado y la de tipo adhocrática; sin embargo, una cultura muy jerarquizada presenta una correlación baja. Estos resultados resaltan la importancia que tiene la cultura organizacional, y refuerzan la idea de que el liderazgo genera mejoras en el desempeño e innovación organizacional.

Food insecurity persists in Ecuador, and organizations like the Quito Food Bank (BAQ) are key to mitigating it. This study evaluatesBAQ’s management from a sustainability perspective, analyzing its social, economic, and environmental impacts in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). A mixed, exploratory, and descriptive case study approach was employed. Data collection included direct observation, a review of internal records, and semi-structured surveys administered to 240 volunteers. The environmental impact was quantified using a “gate-to-gate” Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) with OpenLCA software and the ReCiPe 2016 methodology, while The social and economic analysis was conducted in R, using non-parametric statistical tests. The LCA identified storage as the main critical environmental, responsible for over 80% of the impacts due to high-energy consumption for refrigeration. Socially and economically, the BAQ’s food basket provides significant savings for beneficiary households, allowing them to redirect resources to other essential needs. However, this assistance is only partial and does not generate full economic security. The study highlights the duality of the BAQ’s operations: while food redistribution generates social and environmental benefits by reducing waste, it has its own environmental footprint due to the use of energy resources. A more holistic perspective is therefore proposed to ensure these interventions are truly sustainable in the long term.