Organizational planning and human talent management in the positioning of the Esmeraldas city brand

Abstract

Introduction: In a global context where cities compete to attract investment, tourism, and talent, urban image management becomes a strategic axis for territorial development. This article analyzes how organizational planning and human talent management influence the positioning of the Esmeraldas (Ecuador) city brand, with a particular focus on the tourism and gastronomy sectors. Materials and methods: Through a mixed-methods, sequential, explanatory study, surveys were administered to 110 key stakeholders (tourists, tour operators, public managers, and gastronomy associations), 12 semi-structured interviews were conducted, and municipal planning documents were reviewed. Results and discussion: The results reveal a marked disconnect between the strategic plans of the Decentralized Autonomous Government (GAD) and the actual training practices of service personnel. Only 20% of operators were familiar with the municipal strategic plan, 14% perceived public-private coordination, and a mere 11% had received training from the municipality. Although tourists highly value intrinsic attributes such as the local cuisine (average 4.5 out of 5), the quality of the beaches (4.2), and the friendliness of the locals (4.0), the lack of signage (2.8), poor access to basic services (2.7), and the low training of frontline staff (2.9) negatively impact the visitor experience. The multiple linear regression model confirmed that both organizational planning (β=0.42; p<0.001) and human talent management (β=0.38; p<0.001) have a positive and significant impact on the city's brand positioning, together explaining 51% of its variance (adjusted R²=0.51). Conclusions: The correlation matrix showed positive associations between brand positioning and planning (r=0.58) and with human talent (r=0.54). It is concluded that the image of Esmeraldas is built from the inside out: without a firm commitment to the continuous training of service personnel and without stable mechanisms of governance and inter-institutional coordination, the high natural and gastronomic potential fails to translate into a solid and competitive city brand.