La sostenibilidad busca la prosperidad de las generaciones presentes sin afectar la capacidad de forjar prosperidad en las generaciones futuras. Por su parte, las inversiones de impacto se caracterizan por ser instrumentos de financiación que apalancan financieramente emprendedores, proyectos y empresas con propósito orientado a la sostenibilidad. El presente artículo pone de manifiesto la forma en que las inversiones de impacto brindan apoyo al desarrollo del sector de las microfinanzas en América Latina. Se hace especial énfasis en Colombia, país que posee una economía relativamente estable y es estratégico desde el punto de vista geográfico para la cobertura de la región, lo que hace que los inversionistas de este tipo se sientan, en parte, atraídos por situar allí sus operaciones. La metodología utilizada parte de un análisis de tipo inductivo e interpretativo, mediante entrevistas semi-estructuradas a líderes de tres fondos de inversión (IC Fundación, Incofin y Bamboo Finance) complementado con los respectivos informes de sostenibilidad de las empresas apoyadas.

Associative ventures in the rural sector seeks to exploit group commercial activities of small family-based productive units. There efforts are added to reach common goals that aim at increasing its sustainability. Through associativity it is possible to manage knowledge that leads to technological innovations that allow increasing productivity and, economic benefits to members. However, in order to achieve that level, there is a need for accessing to funding resources, which has been proved as difficult in nature. The latter has become one of the main obstacles for developing these initiatives since rural entrepreneurs use to exhibit a risky profile. Accordingly, impact investing takes the place of a genuine funding alternative taking into account its dual purpose (i.e. obtaining economical return and generating a positive impact on society). Impact investments are specifically designed to promote sustainable development through innovative solutions that generate added value on a permanent basis. The present research aims to establish, from an impact investing perspective, what are the main challenges to sustainability upon those ventures. An analysis with an inductive approach is proposed through semi-structured interviews with managers of three organizations: IC Foundation, Agrosolidaria and Corseda. Results obtained define the following challenges to face: education, leadership, competition within free market, associative organizational structure, fair trade, and solidarity. The importance of the study lies in the transferability of its findings to other contexts, which can contribute to higher levels of competitiveness and development.

El fenómeno conocido como decoupling implica la desconexión entre el discurso y la acción organizacional; la incoherencia entre el decir y el hacer. El presente trabajo pretende ilustrar el decoupling asociado con la sostenibilidad empresarial mediante el uso de un caso de estudio particular. Para ello, se hace referencia a un incidente ambiental producido por una empresa multinacional perteneciente al sector de la minería del carbón a gran escala en Colombia. Además de resaltar la relevancia teórica de un concepto poco aplicado en el contexto de los países en vías de desarrollo, este estudio contribuye a la identificación del decoupling como fenómeno que permite comprender situaciones de disociación entre la política y las acciones en el ámbito de la empresa. En este sentido, el estudio de caso también permite comprender la caracterización del decoupling como práctica organizacional controvertida, identificando escenarios de aplicación con diferentes niveles de premeditación. Adicionalmente, desde el punto de vista práctico, y dado su enfoque normativo, el presente estudio resalta el decoupling como un comportamiento contraproducente para los objetivos de sostenibilidad de las empresas y de la sociedad entera.

En el presente trabajo se propone evaluar el grado de imparcialidad en la percepción general sobre la importancia de los diversos stakeholders junto con lo que ellos reclaman y afirman. Para ello, se pondrán a prueba los constructos relacionados con la influencia, interés, legitimidad y urgencia en un escenario real de crisis medio-ambiental. El estudio propuesto consiste en la evaluación de percepciones sobre un estudio de caso real, a partir de un análisis de correspondencia múltiple aplicado sobre una muestra representativa de estudiantes profesionales de diferentes nacionalidades en una escuela de negocios Francesa acreditada internacionalmente. A partir de los resultados es posible determinar que, contrario a lo esperado en estudiantes con alta formación en negocios, aún se encuentran ciertos sesgos respecto a la importancia que se le debe dar a cada stakeholder en los constructos analizados.

Framed by the normative dimension of the crisis communication literature, this study examines and compares the messages conveyed by two large companies in the South American extractive industry when dealing with catastrophic crises. By focusing on the application of the ethics of care principles, this study illustrates two divergent ways of conducting interpersonal relationships and benevolence as a virtue when communicating with stakeholders in the aftermath of two recent socio-environmental disasters involving human losses in Venezuela and Brazil. For this purpose, the offending companies’ official responses obtained from various public sources are analyzed, both within and across the two cases, in light of a proposed outline of the theoretical framework at issue. The results show the contrasting ways in which these companies approached their stakeholders through crisis responses when referring to crisis casualties. Furthermore, the study compares the two cases’ backgrounds and argues that the socio-political context influences the corporate decisions on crisis responses.

The present work addresses the question of how companies belonging to the natural resource industry use to perform greenwashing practices to their organizational value chain processes. For this purpose, a multi-case approach with five different cases in the Colombian context is adopted. Through the data analysis, an exemplification of each of the five value chain greenwashing transgressions at the company level is provided. Besides highlighting a real-life problematic with several implications in a sensitive context, the contributions of this work are twofold. First, the work contributes to reinforcing the notion of greenwashing and related transgressions by clarifying a concrete way of identifying certain deceptive practices related to the organizational value chain under certain conditions. Second, this work promotes the transferability of the concepts used for elucidating the reality of the value chain greenwashing phenomenon at different levels and in various geographical contexts. Finally, both theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

This paper aims to analyze concealment and deception in self-defeating organizational crisis response strategies and the possible consequences of their adoption on a company’s reputation. It represents an example of where every guideline to address stakeholders after a crisis was dismissed. It investigates a major environmental incident that took place in Colombia in 2013 and studies how the responsible company responded to the incident through the examination of company reports, media statements and national and international newspaper articles. The analysis shows that in addition to environmental damage, the company’s reputation was affected by the way the company responded during this crisis. The outcomes highlight the importance of the manner in which a crisis response is managed, as these types of mistakes often aggravate reputational damage. This paper is an invitation for companies to be quick, consistent and transparent with their responses when facing their stakeholders in moments of crisis. Not doing so may aggravate not only social but also economic and environmental impacts. Contrary to other contributions on the subject, this study implies that a misleading crisis response, including concealment and deception, can be an even greater challenge to a company’s reputation than the crisis itself.

Resumen: Este artículo analiza las fortalezas y los retos de la investigación participativa y transformadora desde un enfoque biocultural a partir del estudio de caso con la comunidad Muisca de Sesquilé “los hijos del maíz”. Este enfoque implica promover la participación conjunta en todas las etapas de la investigación, cumpliendo con un compromiso ético en su desarrollo. Aunque esta experiencia aplicó principios éticos de la investigación biocultural y propició espacios de coinvestigación y diálogo permanente, también enfrentó retos metodológicos y una serie de barreras institucionales que dificultaron la participación de la comunidad. Estas barreras, que desconocen los derechos bioculturales de los pueblos Indígenas, los derechos territoriales, el enfoque diferencial de derechos, y la Consulta y el Consentimiento Previo, Libre e Informado, sobrepasan las capacidades y recursos de los investigadores y limitan el alcance del proceso participativo y el efecto transformador de la investigación biocultural. Abstract: This article analyzes the strengths and challenges in participatory and transformative research, from a biocultural approach based on the case study of Los hijos del maíz, a Muisca community from Sesquilé. This approach promotes joint participation in all research stages and agrees to follow an ethical code in its development. For this experience, ethical principles of biocultural research were applied and spaces for co-research and permanent dialogue were fostered. However, the community faced methodological challenges and a series of institutional barriers that made it difficult for them to participate. These barriers –which ignore the territorial and biocultural rights of indigenous peoples, the differential approach to rights and Consultation and Free, Prior and Informed Consent –exceed the capacities and resources of researchers and limit the scope of the participatory process and the transformative effect of biocultural research. Resumo: Este artigo analisa os pontos fortes e os desafios da pesquisa participativa e transformadora a partir de uma abordagem biocultural com base no estudo de caso da comunidade muisca de Sesquilé “os filhos do milho”. Essa abordagem envolve a promoção da participação conjunta em todas as etapas da pesquisa, cumprindo um compromisso ético em seu desenvolvimento. Embora essa experiência tenha aplicado os princípios éticos da pesquisa biocultural e promovidoespaços para a pesquisa conjunta e o diálogo permanente, ela também enfrentou desafios metodológicos e uma série de barreiras institucionais que dificultaram a participação da comunidade. Essas barreiras, que ignoram os direitos bioculturais dos povos indígenas, os direitos territoriais, a abordagem de direitos diferenciados e o consentimento e consulta livres, prévios e informados, excedem as capacidades e os recursos dos pesquisadores e limitam o escopo do processo participativo e o efeito transformador da pesquisa biocultural.

Abstract: In the current era, dat7a is considered the new oil, and the role of data analysts is indispensable. This article explores the benefits and growing demand for data analytics in Colombia. It examines how analytics is transforming sectors such as health, business, and education, and discusses the challenges of data quality and availability. Furthermore, the importance of collaboration between the public, private, and academic sectors is highlighted to maximize the potential of data analysis. Finally, recommendations are provided to address the talent shortage and improve technological infrastructure to fully capitalize on global opportunities. Resumen: En la era actual, los datos se consideran el nuevo petróleo y el rol de los analistas de datos es indispensable. Este artículo explora los beneficios y la creciente demanda de la analítica de datos en Colombia. Se examina cómo la analítica está transformando sectores como la salud, los negocios y la educación, y se discuten los desafíos de la calidad y disponibilidad de datos. Además, se destaca la importancia de la colaboración entre los sectores público, privado y académico para maximizar el potencial del análisis de datos. Finalmente, se presentan recomendaciones para enfrentar la escasez de talento y mejorar la infraestructura tecnológica para capitalizar plenamente las oportunidades globales.

Individualism or communalism? This is a very important question about how societies can live, develop, work and solve problems. Throughout history, this question has been considered from philosophical, sociological, anthropological, psychological, political, economic, and even theological or spiritual perspectives. Perhaps we will not find a solution, and the possibilities of reconciling these two concepts seem slim. Today, with Carolyn Smith-Morris' book, we approach the question from the experience of Indigenous communities. The title of the book is "Indigenous Communalism," but the author will point out several times throughout the book that we cannot fully understand communalism without considering individualism. In her own words, the goal of this book “has been to initiate more overt attention to the individual and communal together, encapsulating (without resolving) the tensions that create human societies, and to value Indigenous communalism as the central feature of Indigeneity that it is” (Smith-Morris, 2020, p. 136). ¿Individualismo o comunalismo? Esta es una pregunta muy importante sobre cómo las sociedades pueden vivir, desarrollarse, trabajar y resolver problemas. A lo largo de la historia, se ha reflexionado sobre este tema desde los puntos de vista filosófico, sociológico, antropológico, psicológico, político, económico, e incluso, teológico o espiritual. Quizás no encontremos ninguna solución y parecen pocas las posibilidades de conciliar estos dos conceptos. Hoy, con el libro de Carolyn Smith-Morris, que se titula en español Comunalismo indígena, abordamos la cuestión desde la experiencia de las comunidades indígenas. En esta línea, la autora señalará varias veces que no podemos entender plenamente el comunalismo sin tener en cuenta el individualismo. En sus propias palabras, se refiere a que su objetivo fue “iniciar un esfuerzo de atención más abierto a lo individual y lo comunal juntos, encapsulando (sin resolver) las tensiones que crean las sociedades humanas, y valorar el comunalismo indígena como la característica central de la indigeneidad que es” (Smith-Morris, 2020: 136).