Main Cities Of Colombia Research Articles

Analysis, modelling, and financial perspectives of reverse mortgage implementation in Colombia

PurposeIncreased life expectancy in recent years, together with the downward trend in fertility rates, will accelerate the aging of the Latin American population (Flamini and et al., 2018) [1]. This demographic change represents a problem for pension systems as the economic capacity to finance the retirement of the population could be insufficient in the future. This creates a favorable scenario for new financial products, including reverse mortgages. This study determines, from the supply approach, the potential of reverse mortgages in the main cities of Colombia as a complement to the financing of old age according to the guidelines of Benavides et al. (Benavides Franco et al., Jan. 2021) [2]. MethodologyThe following variables were used: housing prices, interest rates, mortality rates, and the consumer price index. The econometric testing simulates the possible paths of these variables, estimates the probability of occurrence of the paths, and calculates the expected losses of bidding banks. FindingsThe results show that reverse mortgages are a good complement to Colombia's pension system and confirm the feasibility of implementation at city level. It is recommended that the State stimulate the growth of this market and improve the corresponding regulatory framework. OriginalityThis study confirms the hypothesis that the reverse mortgages are a good complement to the pension system with city-level data. Specifically, it uses housing prices and mortality records from the main cities of the country (Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín) to capture their idiosyncrasies.

Epidemiology, clinical features, and classification of 3,404 patients with uveitis: Colombian Uveitis Multicenter Study (COL-UVEA).

To describe the epidemiology, clinical features, and classification of uveitis in a large cohort of Colombian patients. Data were collected from seven ophthalmological referral centers in the four main cities in Colombia. The study included patients with a confirmed diagnosis of uveitisfrom January 2010 to December 2022. Information on demographics, ophthalmic examination findings, uveitis classification, and etiology was recorded. The study reviewed 3,404 clinical records of patients with uveitis. The mean age at diagnosis was 41.1 (SD 19.0) years, and 54.2% of the patients were female. Overall, 1,341(39.4%) were infectious, 626 (18.4%) non-infectious, and four masquerade syndromes (0.1%). The most common types of uveitis were unilateral (66.7%), acute (48.3%), and non-granulomatous (83%). Anterior uveitis was the most common anatomical localization (49.5%), followed by posterior uveitis (22.9%), panuveitis (22.3%), and intermediate uveitis (5.2%). A diagnosis was established in 3,252 (95.5%) cases; idiopathic was the most common cause (27.7%), followed by toxoplasmosis (25.3%) and virus-associated uveitis (6.4%). The age group between 30 and 50 exhibited the highest frequency of uveitis. This multicenter study comprehensively describes uveitis characteristics in Colombian patients, providing valuable insights into its demographic and clinical features. The study findings emphasize the need to continue updating the changing patternsof uveitis to improve diagnosis and treatment strategies for diseases associated with intraocular inflammation.

Post-COVID-19 syndrome: Descriptive analysis based on a survivors' cohort in Colombia

BackgroundThe prevalence of post-COVID-19 Syndrome (PCS) is estimated to be between 10% and 20%. The main reported symptoms are fatigue, memory alterations, dyspnea, sleep disorders, arthralgia, anxiety, taste alterations, coughing and depression. This study aims to determine the prevalence of post-COVID-19 symptoms in a group of Colombian patients who were recruited during their outpatient appointments. MethodologyThis cross-sectional study was conducted between December 2021 to May 2022. It included patients from outpatient facilities located in five main cities in Colombia who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing and reported PCS in the following 12 weeks after their COVID-19 diagnosis. ResultsA total of 1047 individuals >18 years old met the inclusion criteria and were included in the study. The median age was 46 years old. 68.2% of the participants were female, 41.5% of the patients reported having a pre-existent condition (hypertension, anxiety disorder, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, obesity and asthma). Only 22% had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine prior to the COVID-19 episode registered. The more prevalent symptoms within our group are described as follows: fatigue (53.3%), dyspnea (40.3%), arthralgia and/or myalgia (43%), cephalea (40.5%), sleep disorders (35.7%) and coughing (31.3%). 72% of the patients presented four or more post-COVID 19 symptoms, 9% two symptoms, and 10% only one symptom. ConclusionThe findings of this study are consistent with international literature publicly available. The distribution and prevalence of post-COVID symptoms highlight the importance of further research to improve understanding and its potential consequences and implications in terms of quality of life and health care planning services.

Multidimensional Machine Learning Model to Calculate a COVID-19 Vulnerability Index.

In Colombia, the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed on 6 March 2020. On 13 March 2023, Colombia registered 6,360,780 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, representing 12.18% of the total population. The National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) in Colombia published in 2020 a COVID-19 vulnerability index, which estimates the vulnerability (per city block) of being infected with COVID-19. Unfortunately, DANE did not consider multiple factors that could increase the risk of COVID-19 (in addition to demographic and health), such as environmental and mobility data (found in the related literature). The proposed multidimensional index considers variables of different types (unemployment rate, gross domestic product, citizens' mobility, vaccination data, and climatological and spatial information) in which the incidence of COVID-19 is calculated and compared with the incidence of the COVID-19 vulnerability index provided by DANE. The collection, data preparation, modeling, and evaluation phases of the Cross-Industry Standard Process for Data Mining methodology (CRISP-DM) were considered for constructing the index. The multidimensional index was evaluated using multiple machine learning models to calculate the incidence of COVID-19 cases in the main cities of Colombia. The results showed that the best-performing model to predict the incidence of COVID-19 in Colombia is the Extra Trees Regressor algorithm, obtaining an R-squared of 0.829. This work is the first step toward a multidimensional analysis of COVID-19 risk factors, which has the potential to support decision making in public health programs. The results are also relevant for calculating vulnerability indexes for other viral diseases, such as dengue.

A multilevel approach to understanding the relationship between entrepreneurship and the urban environment

This document explores the relationship between the structure of cities and entrepreneurial intention EI, supporting empirical evidence of the incidence of exogenous regional factors on business activities. From a sample of Master Business Administration (MBA) students in fourteen cities in Colombia, EI is studied in an urban setting using a two-level binary logistic regression with random intercepts. The purpose of this document is to show empirical evidence for Colombia of the influence of the urban structure on entrepreneurial intention EI, disaggregating hard and soft factors and controlling the initial endowments of a sample of MBA students. At the individual level, EI is driven by gender, age and the presence of family entrepreneurs. In relation to the educational level of the fathers, the EI of the students is not being influenced by the academic training of the mothers. In the same way, our results suggest that the approximate urban structure of cities through hard and soft amenities stimulates EI in MBA students. Our results suppose systematic evidence in order to adapt the business ecosystem to the form and urban conditions of the main cities in Colombia.

Institutional Development in Main Colombian Cities: What Is Its Relation to Subjective Poverty?

AbstractSince a peace treaty in 2016, Colombia has faced a significant challenge to reduce poverty and strengthen its institutions. A few studies have analyzed the relationship between institutions and subjective poverty, but none has demonstrated this influence in the Colombian context at a municipal level. This article estimated a logit regression including a cluster effect to evidence the influence of municipal institutions over perceptions of poverty by the inhabitants of twelve main cities in Colombia in 2016. Findings include that having a better rule of law and fiscal performance, reducing political fragmentation to have better governance, guaranteeing property rights, fostering the benefits of metropolitan areas, and improving citizen participation reduce the probability of feeling poor.

Long-term Christmas Bird Counts describe neotropical urban bird diversity.

A significant gap in understanding the response of biodiversity to urban areas is the lack of long-term studies. Most of the information on urban birds comes from studies carried out in the northern hemisphere, and they include data that don´t exceed three years. Although short-term studies contribute to knowledge about bird community diversity and their spatial distribution in urban areas, they could be biased towards more conspicuous species. One of the few multi-temporal datasets available for birds in urban areas is the Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Using annual CBC data available between 2001 and 2018 from 21 urban and peri-urban sample sites assessed from the main cities of Colombia, we identified and analyzed long-term trends on the cumulative diversity of bird communities as well as on their spatial distribution. We estimated comparative trends in richness, number of individuals counted, similarity, and complementarity of avifauna for each city and sample site based on their responses to urbanization and dietary guilds. We identified almost a quarter of the species registered in Colombia (464 of 1954). The representativeness of the community obtained for 18 years exceeds 84%, showing richness that ranges between 214 and 278 species in the three cities. Bird species and individuals registered showed wide variation of the sample sites. We found more dwellers, insectivorous and granivorous species in urban areas, with frugivores relegated to peri-urban sites, usually coinciding with avoider species. Natural peri-urban areas and intra-urban wetlands and urban parks were the most important refuges for birds and maintained the highest avoider and utilizer species richness. Long-term inventories are fundamental for determining consolidated bird diversity and distributional patterns. This information established a baseline for decision-making and applying recommendations that allow reconciling the growing demand for urban areas with the need to preserve the native avifauna in megadiverse Neotropical countries such as Colombia.

Intraurban Geographic and Socioeconomic Inequalities of Mortality in Four Cities in Colombia.

Mortality inequalities have been described across Latin American countries, but less is known about inequalities within cities, where most populations live. We aimed to identify geographic and socioeconomic inequalities in mortality within the urban areas of four main cities in Colombia. We analyzed mortality due to non-violent causes of diseases in adults between 2015 and 2019 using census sectors as unit of analysis in Barranquilla, Bogotá, Cali, and Medellín. We calculated smoothed Bayesian mortality rates as main health outcomes and used concentration indexes (CInd) for assessing inequalities using the multidimensional poverty index (MPI) as the socioeconomic measure. Moran eigenvector spatial filters were calculated to capture the spatial patterns of mortality and then used in multivariable models of the association between mortality rates and quintiles of MPI. Social inequalities were evident but not consistent across cities. The most disadvantaged groups showed the highest mortality rates in Cali. Geographic inequalities in mortality rates, regardless of the adults and poverty distribution, were identified in each city, suggesting that other social, environmental, or individual conditions are impacting the spatial distribution of mortality rates within the four cities.

Millennials and the gender wage gap: do millennial women face a glass ceiling?

PurposeThis study aims to measure the gender wage gap among millennial workers in Colombia and determine if there is a marked wage difference between millennial women and men. Furthermore, this study analyzes whether millennial women face a glass ceiling, that is, whether there is a larger gender wage gap among workers earning relatively high wages.Design/methodology/approachThe study data included a sample of 2,144 millennial workers employed in 11 organizations located in the five main cities of Colombia. Oaxaca–Blinder econometric methods of wage decomposition were used to calculate both raw and adjusted gender wage gaps. The latter results in estimating the gender wage gap while controlling for observable characteristics related to individual, family, and labor. In addition, wage decompositions by education levels were carried out to approximate the extent of the glass ceiling among young workers.FindingsThe results show that millennial workers in Colombia face gender inequality in the labor market and that professional millennial women experience a distinct glass ceiling. The adjusted gender wage gap is 9.5%, and this gap increases with education level, increasing to nearly 14% among college-educated workers.Research limitations/implicationsThe empirical results are supported by a self-report survey of millennial workers. An important limitation is that the data include millennial workers employed in the formal sector and exclude the informal sector (activities not regulated or protected by the state), which represents an important part of the economy in developing countries.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the empirical literature on gender wage inequality for younger workers. This paper is original in reviewing the gender pay gap in Colombia using a primary dataset. Most of the work in this area has been done in developed countries and this research adds to the findings that have had focused on those nations.

Assessing the impact of recent Venezuelan immigration on housing rents in Colombia

ABSTRACT The economic and social crisis faced by Venezuela since 2013 has led to a massive migration of its population to neighbouring countries, with Colombia being the nation that has been the most impacted. This paper estimates the impact of Venezuelan immigration on housing rents in Colombia’s main cities. Using a repeated cross-section data of Colombian households between 2013 and 2019, along with an instrumental variables approach, this study finds that a 1% increase in the proportion of Venezuelan immigrants to residents in the main cities in Colombia raises housing rents, on average, by about 1.25%.

What determines own-account work in Colombia? Some empirical evidence for the years 2010 and 2013

The main objective of this paper is to analyze the effect of education, age, access to ICTs and physical and financial assets, as well as other personal and socio-economic characteristics on the probability of being a formal or informal own-account worker. In order to achieve this purpose, information will be used at the urban level for the twenty-one main cities in Colombia from the Great Integrated Household Survey 2010 (GISH), by the National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE) and the Colombian Longitudinal Survey of the University of the Andes 2013 (CLS). Based on these data, models that have a qualitative binomial and multinomial dependent variable are employed, correcting for selection bias. As main results, it was found that physical assets and access to credit have a positive marginal effect on the probability of being an own-account worker. On the other hand, the marginal effect of education was negative; the lower the educational level, the greater the probability of self-employment, especially regarding the informal work.

Comparación de los patrones espaciales e incidencia de la segregación residencial en las principales ciudades de Colombia

El artículo tiene como objetivo principal describir los patrones geográficos y la incidencia de la segregación residencial en Bogotá, Cali y Medellín en los años 2005 y 2018. A partir de una reflexión conceptual y metodológica sobre la importancia de hacer estudios comparativos en tiempo y contexto, se hace un planteamiento para medir la segregación residencial en las tres principales ciudades de Colombia en dos años diferentes y a diversas escalas para poder comparar cómo ha sido la incidencia de la segregación residencial y los cambios espaciales que ha presentado. Para ello se usan múltiples métodos de análisis espacial y estadístico que permiten la construcción de índices a dos escalas que llevan a la conclusión que la segregación presenta particularidades en sus patrones geográficos en las tres ciudades estudiadas. Entre las particularidades se encuentra que la segregación ha disminuido a escala macro, se presenta con mayor incidencia a una escala barrial y que hay una baja probabilidad de interacción entre los grupos de calidad de vida baja y calidad de vida alta.

La Ciencia Política en Colombia. Reflexiones sobre su quehacer investigativo

El artículo se centra en analizar el estado de la investigación científica de la ciencia política en Colombia. Por lo tanto, la investigación ahonda en el examen de los grupos que se encuentran reconocidos y avalados por Colciencias. De esta manera, se provee de información útil sobre las áreas de estudio en las que se encuentran enfocados los grupos de investigación en el país, así como la ubicación geográfica, el carácter público o privado y el género de los miembros adscritos. Entre los principales hallazgos se da cuenta de una disciplina orientada principalmente en la investigación en conflicto, seguridad y paz, junto a relaciones internacionales. A su vez, se evidencia una desatención en los temas de política comparada, metodología y economía política. Finalmente, el estudio plantea la necesidad de propender un mayor liderazgo de mujeres frente a los grupos y consolidar la investigación en ciencia política fuera de las principales urbes de Colombia.

Predicting Well-Being and Life Satisfaction in Colombian Adolescents: The Role of Emotion Regulation, Proactive Coping, and Prosocial Behavior

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between positive competences, such as emotion regulation, proactive coping and prosocial behavior, and Colombian adolescents' perception of their well-being and life satisfaction. Through a convenience sample, 930 7th and 9th grade adolescents attending 11 public and private schools in 2 main cities of Colombia answered to a set of scales that evaluate proactive coping, emotion regulation, prosocial behavior, perceived life satisfaction and well-being. Multiple linear regression analyses were conducted to evaluate models for adolescents' well-being and life satisfaction, with the positive competences taken as predictive variables. The model that showed the best fit and accounted for the greatest amount of variance in adolescents' well-being and life satisfaction included 2 dimensions of proactive coping (positive and social), emotion regulation and prosocial behavior. Recommendations for future research and the development of intervention programs to promote adolescents' well-being are presented.

Optimizing SVM models as predicting tools for sewer pipes conditions in the two main cities in Colombia for different sewer asset management purposes

Currently, sewer utility systems require extending management activities by developing tools, such as deterioration models, to face their aging problem. In the literature on sewer asset management, Support Vector Machines (SVM) have been a useful tool to predict and forecast pipe’s structural conditions. In this paper, the differential evolution method was implemented as an optimization tool for the hyper-parameters combinations to use in SVM-based models for two different management objectives (network and pipe levels). These models were applied to Colombia’s main cities of Bogotá and Medellin, resulting in a less than 6% deviation in the prediction of structural conditions in both cities at a network level. The DE-optimized SVM models at the pipe level show higher percentages of correct predictions in all structural conditions than non-optimized SVM models (conventional SVM model) for specific management objectives. Therefore, the relevance of optimizing the hyper-parameters of SVM models to improve predictions of the structural condition of unspecified sewer assets became apparent.

Millennials and the Gender Wage Gap: Do Millennial Women Face a Glass Ceiling?

This study aims to measure the gender wage gap among millennial workers in Colombia and determine if there is a marked wage difference between millennial women and men. Further, this study analyzes whether millennial women face a glass ceiling, that is, if there is a larger gender wage gap among workers earning relatively high wages. The study data included a sample of 2,144 millennial workers employed in 11 organizations located in the five main cities of Colombia. Oaxaca–Blinder econometric methods of wage decomposition were used to calculate both raw and adjusted gender wage gaps. The latter results in estimating the gender wage gap while controlling for observable characteristics related to individual, family, and labor. The results show that millennial workers in Colombia face gender inequality in the labor market and that professional millennial women experience a distinct glass ceiling. The adjusted gender wage gap is 9.5 percent, and this gap increases with education level, increasing to nearly 14 percent among college-educated workers. This paper contributes to the literature on workplace discrimination and gender wage inequality for younger workers, and it is original in reviewing the gender pay gap in Colombia using a primary dataset. Most of the work in this area has been done mainly in the developed countries and this research add to the findings which had focused on those nations.

Propuesta metodológica para la medición de la satisfacción de usuarios de internet móvil en Colombia

En la más reciente actualización al Régimen de Protección de los Derechos de los Usuarios de Servicios de Comunicaciones, se incluyó el requerimiento referente a que los operadores deben monitorear la satisfacción del usuario respecto a cada uno de los medios de atención por medio del indicador denominado Net Promoter Score (NPS). El NPS, a pesar de ser un indicador ampliamente utilizado en diversos sectores, en este caso solo indaga acerca de la satisfacción del usuario frente a la atención recibida por un determinado canal y no permite tener una mirada general de la satisfacción del usuario que abarque todos los aspectos y momentos de la prestación del servicio. En el desarrollo de la investigación, se propone un modelo de medición de la satisfacción de los usuarios de internet móvil, que además de contener el NPS permita medir de una forma representativa y comparable la satisfacción de los usuarios del servicio de internet móvil en las principales ciudades de Colombia, abarcando la experiencia del usuario en todas de las fases del ciclo de prestación del servicio

Perceptions of the Colombian business sector regarding its role in the post-conflict

The objective of this research is to analyze the role of the Colombian business sector in the post-conflict scenario and the construction of peace from the perception of entrepreneurs. It is a study framed in the empirical-analytical paradigm and the quantitative approach. The research has an explanatory level and non-experimental design. A questionnaire was used as a tool that was applied to 200 companies, from the main cities of Colombia, belonging to the commercial, services, manufacturing and financial sectors. The main findings show that entrepreneurs are willing to participate in post-conflict from different mechanisms, although there is a lack of knowledge of most of these. Likewise, employers’ concerns about the scope of their participation in the post-conflict are evident, which allows concluding the need for the State to establish clearly and precisely the linkage of the private sector in the process, and the ways of articulating the institutional activity with the possible support of companies.

Editorial

For the publication of volume 35, issue 64, of Cuadernos de Administración by Universidad del Valle, we have taken several steps in strengthening the dissemination of the knowledge that is brought forward with each new issue, all to continue consolidating ourselves as one of the most relevant publications in the area in Colombia. As a result of the call for this issue, and after a rigorous process of blind evaluation based on the judgment of the selected peers, we have decided to publish 7 papers on this occasion, which we hope will contribute to the expansion of knowledge and serve as drivers for reflection by our readers and reference for authors who are delving into these topics. We extend our gratitude to the members of the Editorial Committee, to the authors and to each of the peer evaluators because, through their work, they contribute to the improvement of our publication and to the dissemination of knowledge above all.The first paper is entitled “Individual unlearning from the point of view of managers in mergers and acquisitions situations in Brazil”, is the result of a research process based on the Brazilian companies managers study method, with mergers and acquisitions; among the results is that many of them have experienced some unlearning. This paper seeks to understand this phenomenon and to make possible its analysis in each context.
 “Sustainability index, evaluated by University Sustainable Development Units: Colombian University case study”, is the title of the second paper published in this issue. It corresponds to an index proposal constructed with a seven-step methodology. The index serves enterprise-wide decisions, where comparisons and best practices can be achieved.The third paper, “Perceptions of the Colombian business sector in relation to its role in post-conflict scenarios”, is where its authors present a very relevant topic from the perception of entrepreneurs about the “role of the Colombian business sector in the post-conflict and peace-building scenario”. Using quantitative methods, a survey was conducted on 200 companies located in the main cities of Colombia throughout different economic sectors. The results show that there is a willingness to participate in the post-conflict period, but there is a lack of awareness and some concerns about the extent of the participation. “Platforms for SMEs as business models: a user-centric activity system approach” is the fourth paper in this issue, where the authors reflect on the use of web 2.0 tools in SMEs and present their results on the acquisition and retention of users as a business strategy and their relationship with the value proposition and business model. In the fifth paper, “Limited financial rationality by owners or managers of Mexican micro-companies”, the authors propose a hierarchical categorization of the behaviors of the people who make financial decisions, from the analysis of limited rationality and within learning processes within the companies.“Simulation model for the management of internal container transport in a seaport” is the title of the sixth paper of this issue. The proposal seeks to make the containers internal transport process more efficient, incorporating other variables previously not considered directly. Applying the model can achieve increased operator productivity.Finally, the title of the last paper “MBAs and career development: a literature review from the perspective of human capital”, the authors systematize the results of their research on the subject in relevant journals on the effect of pursuing an MBA on management. They analyze three dimensions of human capital and present as a discussion, some implications and the possibility of new research. The content of each of these seven papers is the sole responsibility of their authors. This issue becomes a new opportunity for the national and international scientific community to judge the outcome of each of these proposals.

Employee involvement and job satisfaction: a tale of the millennial generation

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to empirically study the effect of employee involvement in the workplace on job satisfaction for millennial workers in Colombia.Design/methodology/approachData were obtained from a sample of 2103 millennial employees working in 11 companies of different sectors located in the five main cities of Colombia. Ordered probit models were estimated to study the effect of employee involvement on job satisfaction, in general, and how different forms of participative decision making in the workplace produce different impacts on individual satisfaction with objective and intrinsic aspects of the job, in particular.FindingsThe empirical results show that, for millennial workers, there is a positive link between employee involvement and job satisfaction. Moreover, there is a higher positive impact on job satisfaction when millennial workers participate in decisions on general aspects of the company than when they participate in specific decisions such as those concerning teamwork or main tasks at work. Another interesting result is that millennial workers attach high importance to intrinsic aspects of their jobs (such as the possibility to use their knowledge in the work), which may improve their satisfaction in a higher participative environment.Research limitations/implicationsThe results can present bias due to the use of self-report data from millennial workers. Another potential limitation is the cross-sectional nature of the data, which does not control for unobserved individual effects. The study may be extended to other developing countries to help identify results more precisely for different contexts.Originality/valueThe value lies in exploring the relationship between employee involvement and job satisfaction for millennial workers in the context of a developing country. The paper simultaneously considers different types of employee involvement and estimates their effects on different facets of job satisfaction.