Microfinancing for informal enterprises: perspectives in Colombia/ Microfinanciamento para empresas informais: perspectivas na Colômbia

Informal economy is a phenomenon present in all Latin American countries. It causes lower level of productivity and social problems given the fact that informal workers do not have social benefits neither the possibility of having a retirement fund if they keep in the informal market. Reducing the size of the informal sector of the economy is a step that must be taken in order to improve the economic and social situation. One important factor of a policy to reduce the size of informal economy is the access to credit to entrepreneurs. This paper summarizes briefly the situation of informal economy in Bogotá, Colombia and proposes microfinancing as a realistic and inclusive way to include informal enterprises into the formal sector of the economy

Impact of proactive orientation and innovation on exports. Case Colombia / Impacto da orientação proativa e inovação nas exportações. Caso Colômbia

This research paper presents the relationship between the proactive orientation towards the market and the novelty degree of innovation in the internationalization of companies, measured with the export intensity. The data to test the hypothesis of the research were obtained from a sample of Colombian manufacturers from the Second Survey of Development and Technological Innovation, conducted by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE by its abbreviation in Spanish) in Colombia. The survey seeks to establish the dynamics of technological development of the Colombian manufacturing company in terms of the intensity and trajectory of the innovation and technological development activities. From the total number of companies consulted, there were 297 in different sectors that responded to the survey and provided their information to be used in the study. The data were treated by means of a model of ordered logistic regression, whose result was the conclusion that there is a positive relationship between the proactive orientation towards the market and the export intensity, while it was not possible to demonstrate the relationship between novelty in innovation and the same export intensity

Financial Education from school age - analysis in small Municipalities in Colombia / Educação financeira desde a idade escolar - análise em pequenos Municípios da Colômbia

Financial education is an aspect that has acquired great importance in the economic development of countries, and its inclusion in basic and secondary education programs can bring benefits to the society and the economy of a country. This being the case, the financial education should not be an option but a necessary condition in the training processes, even more because we are facing generations that think in a different way, whose priorities have changed compared to those of previous generations. The measurement of the level of competences in finance has acquired such importance that different organizations such as S&P or the OECD have developed instruments for this purpose. Colombia shows a low level of development in these measurements, a fact that justifies this research with which it is sought to establish the real level of basic knowledge in finance on the part of students who are about to graduate from high scholl and enroll higher education or be integrated into the labor world, in the municipalities of Chía and Sopó, near Bogotá, capital of Colombia

The high schools in Colombia and the creation of a convenient environment for organizational change / As escolas secundárias na Colômbia e a criação de um ambiente conveniente para a mudança organizacional

Research on change management and its impact on organizational performance has become a significant factor for the preservation of organizations that operates in markets with high level of uncertainty.  However, change management cannot be considered as an attribute of the organizations by themselves; it is closely related to the management and leadership skills of the chancellor, principal or school directors. Being the high schools, those organizations that must be at the forefront of the training processes; this research aims to establish the perception of the schools’ directors regarding the creation of an environment conducive to organizational change. To do this, a research instrument was applied to 338 schools throughout the country, extracted from a ranking of the best high schools in Colombia, according to the results of the state tests that are performed on their graduates. The main results indicate the use of proactive language, transmit positive energy and demonstration of gratitude are the most frequent skills to lead positive change in Schools. Likewise, assertive communication becomes a skill to improve and develop change processes in those educational institutions

Acompañamiento y empoderamiento: factores clave para el desarrollo de iniciativas empresariales en la comunidad de los JAtNEI DtONA

Rev.esc.adm.neg El presente artículo expone la experiencia en la implementación de conceptos y metodologías de innovación social en el desarrollo de ideas de negocio e iniciativas empresariales sostenibles en organizaciones no convencionales. En este caso específico, una comunidad indígena. Si bien la generación de ingresos no es uno de los ejes fundamentales sobre los cuales se guían las actividades de este tipo de organizaciones, con la incorporación de metodologías de diseño e innovación centradas en el hombre se logra que los individuos entiendan los beneficios personales y colectivos que se desprenden del desarrollo de una iniciativa empresarial y tengan una participación más activa en las distintas actividades conducentes a su puesta en marcha. Se realizó un proceso de acompañamiento, a partir de la metodología del doble hexágono, en el que, mediante visitas de campo y la participación activa de los integrantes de la comunidad, se trabajó a fin de lograr procesos de autoorganización y empoderamiento. Con este documento se demuestra que los principios asociados a la innovación social, así como sus metodologías, brindan la posibilidad de acompañar iniciativas empresariales que respeten las condiciones particulares de la comunidad, de modo que es este el elemento que permite incorporar tales iniciativas como parte de su cultura, lo que genera cambios en los hábitos de las personas y facilita así su implementación exitosa

Mortality from gastrointestinal congenital anomalies at 264 hospitals in 74 low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries: a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study

Summary Background Congenital anomalies are the fifth leading cause of mortality in children younger than 5 years globally. Many gastrointestinal congenital anomalies are fatal without timely access to neonatal surgical care, but few studies have been done on these conditions in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We compared outcomes of the seven most common gastrointestinal congenital anomalies in low-income, middle-income, and high-income countries globally, and identified factors associated with mortality. Methods We did a multicentre, international prospective cohort study of patients younger than 16 years, presenting to hospital for the first time with oesophageal atresia, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, intestinal atresia, gastroschisis, exomphalos, anorectal malformation, and Hirschsprung’s disease. Recruitment was of consecutive patients for a minimum of 1 month between October, 2018, and April, 2019. We collected data on patient demographics, clinical status, interventions, and outcomes using the REDCap platform. Patients were followed up for 30 days after primary intervention, or 30 days after admission if they did not receive an intervention. The primary outcome was all-cause, in-hospital mortality for all conditions combined and each condition individually, stratified by country income status. We did a complete case analysis. Findings We included 3849 patients with 3975 study conditions (560 with oesophageal atresia, 448 with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, 681 with intestinal atresia, 453 with gastroschisis, 325 with exomphalos, 991 with anorectal malformation, and 517 with Hirschsprung’s disease) from 264 hospitals (89 in high-income countries, 166 in middleincome countries, and nine in low-income countries) in 74 countries. Of the 3849 patients, 2231 (58·0%) were male. Median gestational age at birth was 38 weeks (IQR 36–39) and median bodyweight at presentation was 2·8 kg (2·3–3·3). Mortality among all patients was 37 (39·8%) of 93 in low-income countries, 583 (20·4%) of 2860 in middle-income countries, and 50 (5·6%) of 896 in high-income countries (p<0·0001 between all country income groups). Gastroschisis had the greatest difference in mortality between country income strata (nine [90·0%] of ten in lowincome countries, 97 [31·9%] of 304 in middle-income countries, and two [1·4%] of 139 in high-income countries; p≤0·0001 between all country income groups). Factors significantly associated with higher mortality for all patients combined included country income status (low-income vs high-income countries, risk ratio 2·78 [95% CI 1·88–4·11], p<0·0001; middle-income vs high-income countries, 2·11 [1·59–2·79], p<0·0001), sepsis at presentation (1·20 [1·04–1·40], p=0·016), higher American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score at primary intervention (ASA 4–5 vs ASA 1–2, 1·82 [1·40–2·35], p<0·0001; ASA 3 vs ASA 1–2, 1·58, [1·30–1·92], p<0·0001]), surgical safety checklist not used (1·39 [1·02–1·90], p=0·035), and ventilation or parenteral nutrition unavailable when needed (ventilation 1·96, [1·41–2·71], p=0·0001; parenteral nutrition 1·35, [1·05–1·74], p=0·018). Administration of parenteral nutrition (0·61, [0·47–0·79], p=0·0002) and use of a peripherally inserted central catheter (0·65 [0·50–0·86], p=0·0024) or percutaneous central line (0·69 [0·48–1·00], p=0·049) were associated with lower mortality. Interpretation Unacceptable differences in mortality exist for gastrointestinal congenital anomalies between lowincome, middle-income, and high-income countries. Improving access to quality neonatal surgical care in LMICs will be vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of ending preventable deaths in neonates and children younger than 5 years by 2030

Colombian surgical outcomes study insights on perioperative mortality rate, a main indicator of the lancet commission on global surgery – a prospective cohort studyResearch in context

Summary: Background: Surgical care holds significant importance in healthcare, especially in low and middle-income countries, as at least 50% of the 4.2 million deaths within the initial 30 days following surgery take place in these countries. The Lancet Commission on Global Surgery proposed six indicators to enhance surgical care. In Colombia, studies have been made using secondary data. However, strategies to reduce perioperative mortality have not been implemented. This study aims to describe the fourth indicator, perioperative mortality rate (POMR), with primary data in Colombia. Methods: A multicentre prospective cohort study was conducted across 54 centres (hospitals) in Colombia. Each centre selected a 7-day recruitment period between 05/2022 and 01/2023. Inclusion criteria involved patients over 18 years of age undergoing surgical procedures in operating rooms. Data quality was ensured through a verification guideline and statistical analysis using mixed-effects multilevel modelling with a case mix analysis of mortality by procedure-related, patient-related, and hospital-related conditions. Findings: 3807 patients were included with a median age of 48 (IQR 32–64), 80.3% were classified as ASA I or II, and 27% of the procedures had a low-surgical complexity. Leading procedures were Orthopedics (19.2%) and Gynaecology/Obstetrics (17.7%). According to the Clavien–Dindo scale, postoperative complications were distributed in major complications (11.7%, 10.68–12.76) and any complication (31.6%, 30.09–33.07). POMR stood at 1.9% (1.48–2.37), with elective and emergency surgery mortalities at 0.7% (0.40–1.23) and 3% (2.3–3.89) respectively. Interpretation: The POMR was higher than the ratio reported in previous national studies, even when patients had a low–risk profile and low-complexity procedures. The present research represents significant public health progress with valuable insights for national decision-makers to improve the quality of surgical care. Funding: This work was supported by Universidad del Rosario and Fundación Cardioinfantil-Instituto de Cardiología grant number CTO-057-2021, project-ID IV-FGV017