ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Organ. Psychol.
Sec. Performance and Development
Determinants of Labor Performance and Environmental Sustainability in a Tropical Agroecosystem: A Case Study of the Banana Sector in Coastal Ecuador
Provisionally accepted
Sonia Jacqueline Tigua Moreira
Maria Victoria Padilla-Samaniego
Fabricio Guevara-ViejóChristian Villavicencio-Yanos
Juan Diego Valenzuela Cobos*- State University of Milagro, Milagro, Ecuador
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Introduction: In tropical agro-export sectors, labor productivity and environmental resilience are increasingly interdependent. In Ecuador, banana cultivation (Musa paradisiaca L.), concentrated in hydrologically vulnerable coastal zones, represents a critical agroecosystem. This study addresses the psychosocial dimensions of labor performance in the banana industry, linking worker well-being with sustainable agricultural practices. Methods: An integrated psychosocial model was applied to a sample of 250 banana sector workers in Guayas, Ecuador. The model includes four constructs: job satisfaction, organizational commitment, working conditions, and labor productivity. Exploratory factor analysis (unweighted least squares, Varimax rotation) and confirmatory factor analysis (AMOS) were conducted to validate the model structure and internal consistency. Results: The model demonstrated high internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha = 0.77–0.86). Confirmatory analysis showed excellent fit indices (CFI = 0.985; RMSEA = 0.073), confirming the structural robustness of the model. Results indicate that favorable psychosocial conditions are significantly associated with improved labor performance, particularly in regions facing environmental stress and water management challenges. Discussion: This validated model provides a useful framework for assessing labor dynamics in environmentally sensitive agro-industrial contexts. Its application may inform strategic interventions to enhance worker well-being, operational efficiency, and long-term sustainability in tropical agriculture.
Keywords: Workforce efficiency, organizational commitment, sustainable agricultural systems, Tropical agriculture, Banana production
Received: 19 Jun 2025; Accepted: 27 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tigua Moreira, Padilla-Samaniego, Guevara-Viejó, Villavicencio-Yanos and Valenzuela Cobos. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Juan Diego Valenzuela Cobos, jvalenzuelac@unemi.edu.ec
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