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Purpose: This paper aims to analyze how the legitimacy of the policy of external quality assurance (EQA) in Colombian higher education has evolved over the past 30 years through an examination of its two main instruments: the compulsory control of minimum quality standards for academic programs and institutions (registro calificado) and accreditations of excellence for programs and institutions. Design/methodology/approach: Based on the methodology of process-tracing, this paper offers a review of the main sequences of the policy of EQA in Colombian higher education: the origins (1990–1998), the expansion (1998–2011) and the contestation (2011–2021). In each sequence, the sources of the substantive and procedural legitimacy of the policy are analyzed. This analysis is based on qualitative data comprising semi-structured interviews with key informants, online information from the 2011 and 2018 student protests and official documentation. Findings: The policy of EQA in Colombian higher education had relatively high levels of substantive and procedural legitimacy during the first two sequences. However, the situation has become more ambivalent since 2011. On the one hand, internal contradictions and student movements' growing criticism of neoliberal policies have undermined some of the foundations of this policy. On the other hand, higher education institutions and the Colombian Government still have a positive perception of EQA and have recently revisited the policy to address some of its shortcomings. Originality/value: From a conceptual standpoint, this paper advances our understanding of how quality assurance in higher education gains, sustains or loses legitimacy by discussing and testing typologies of legitimacy in the analysis of a national system of EQA. From an empirical perspective, this paper provides a diachronic analysis of EQA in Colombian higher education, a case that has primarily been studied through a technical-rational perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to propose future public policy guidelines (FPPG) in sustainable regional development for Guaviare (Colombia) – a territory affected by environmental and social distress – for the year 2035. Design/methodology/approach: Following collective action theory and sustainable regional development literature, a foresight exercise was conducted using site focus groups and semi-structured interviews with local participants to identify future strategic change drivers and the most relevant social actors for the attainment of economic, social and environmental development in the Guaviare through FPPG. Findings: The findings suggest that the development of public policies regarding building consensus around Guaviare's economic, environmental and social issues, reducing conflict between the region's cultural and environmental ways, decreasing isolation from the centers of decision-making, increasing the transparency of public institutions and reducing insecurity to attract investments are all crucial to attaining sustainable regional development. Originality/value: Interdisciplinarity is implicit in the local perspectives on the problem that impedes sustainable development in San José del Guaviare. The paper's main contribution is the long-term vision that breaks away from the traditional short-termism in public policy guidelines in a Latin American context. Methodologically, the significant contribution is the convergent alignment of specific foresight methods toward public policy guidelines' analysis and design processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of the process innovation on export propensity in knowledge-intensive business services (KIBS) firms and non-KIBS firms in Colombia. Design/methodology/approach: For the empirical application, the authors use a unique primary data set drawn from the Global Competitiveness Project (GCP: www.gcp.org) that includes information for 57 Colombian KIBS for 2019. The authors use a binary choice model to test the proposed hypotheses on the relevance of KIBS and process innovation in explaining export propensity. Findings: The results showed a positive relationship between KIBS and business size with an export propensity, but this relationship is non-meaningful. Also, the findings showed a negative and non-significant relationship between a process innovation and business age with the probability to export. On the other hand, the evidence state that KIBS firms encourage the relationship between propensity to export and process innovation, which is to say that they are highly effective to increase the propensity to export. Finally, the industry increases the probability of export propensity. Originality/value: This study offers a new insight relating to KIBS, process innovation and their contribution to increasing export propensity. The findings of this paper offer relevant information to government policymakers to design strategies that promote export activity in Colombia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to analyze how Colombian Universities have incorporated the 2030 Agenda for sustainable development goals (SDGs) into their missions and visions. Design/methodology/approach: The study used a documentary design to analyze the content of the missions and visions of the 86 Colombian Universities registered with the Ministry of National Education (MEN). Findings: The study shows that universities are primarily aligned with Goal 13 as follows: climate action and this alignment is carried out to a great extent by the university's governance, culture and activities. In contrast, there was a predominance of intentions to address the social dimension of sustainable development (SD). Research limitations/implications: The study focused on examining universities' missions and visions, which leaves out other sources of information that could account for university practices linked to the SDGs and sustainability. Practical implications: The study's results reveal the degree to which the universities are aligned with the SDGs in Colombia, which serves as a basis for the formulation of guidelines by the MEN and other organizations to strengthen the processes that contribute to the 2030 Agenda. Originality/value: Research on how universities align with the SDGs is not a new topic, but it is scarce in the Colombian context. This research contributes to this gap by addressing the topic from a holistic and comparative perspective of SD education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The aim of this paper is to present a vision for university educator professional development, based on self-analysis of pedagogical styles and production of knowledge about the practices that promote education for sustainable development (ESD).Design/methodology/approach The “STSE” course is part of the department’s Professional Development Program. The course aims to articulate the relationship between ESD processes and university educator training through reflection on their practices. To accomplish this objective, the course promotes interdisciplinary groups of educators from different backgrounds. These groups are encouraged to introspect regarding their pedagogical styles. A survey is applied to encourage self-analysis of the four pedagogical style dimensions.Findings University educators adopt their own pedagogical styles based on the evolution of their practices. This information is useful in generating education, formation and transformation of new professionals in their respective fields. This knowledge also raises questions about ESD, and the construction of processes, values and attitudes to aid this education.Research limitations/implications This paper only describes the characterization stage of the university educator pedagogical styles through practice-related self-analysisOriginality/value This study builds pedagogical knowledge, promotes higher education transformation for sustainable development and strengthens the quality of university education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Through the case of the response to the 2017 Mocoa mudslide, the purpose of this paper is to contribute to a deeper understanding of why and how humanitarian response should be locally led, particularly in more complex contexts such as those affected by conflict. Design/methodology/approach: The study draws on qualitative data collected during a four-month period in 2017, with a focus on the immediate April 2017 emergency phase which presented the largest diversity of local, national and international actors. Findings: The study has found that competing legitimacy claims between the state and non-state response blocs led to tensions and confrontations between disaster response actors and consequently a problematic response process and outcome. The institutional map that was plotted based on locally perceived actor legitimacies indicates a local state-led response would have better served the broader goals of humanitarian support, development and peacebuilding. Practical implications: These findings have significant implications for the understanding of how the locally led response should be understood. Better alignment with local needs and feasibilities requires a differential outlook on what is to be understood as "local." This study puts forward the insider/outsider lens as a tool to identify the actors who possess local trust and legitimacy and are thus best suited to bridge the elements of the humanitarian-development-peacebuilding triple nexus. Originality/value: This study gives a voice to state actors, which was largely absent in previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, as few universities have assessed their ecological footprint (EF), a benchmark for Colombian universities is presented. Second, a practical calculation tool for measuring the EF in educational institutions (EIs) is developed. The purpose of this tool is to facilitate the process of assessing the EF in EIs that are starting sustainability initiatives and to unify criteria with those already involved. Design/methodology/approach: The development of the Ecological Footprint for Educational Institutions (EFEI) calculator is detailed showing the seven categories analyzed and the adaptation to the Colombian context. Findings: Results are presented from a case study of EFEI implementation at Universidad Icesi. Furthermore, the relation between these results and the action taken to mitigate EF at the university is detailed. Practical implications: Colombian EIs have recently joined the sustainable campus movement. The EF methodology and this tool serve to assess impacts and identify what EIs can do to ameliorate their environmental stewardship. Social implications: EIs are called on to lead by example in terms of sustainability, not only in teaching and researching cutting-edge technologies but also in being sustainable and transferring this knowledge to future generations. Originality/value: First, an EF benchmark for Colombian universities is presented. In addition, a unified methodology for EIs is developed. The availability of a standard tool will encourage other EIs to move forward in the effort to achieve a sustainable campus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to analyze drivers for the proactive disclosure of information via the web in Colombian non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as a strategy for fostering their legitimacy and responding to the institutional pressure to which they are subjected. Design/methodology/approach -- The web sites of 196 NGOs from Colombia have been analyzed, first, via an Online Transparency Index that is consistent with Cronbach a coefficient and later, by performing a Tobit regression analysis. Findings -- The proactive online disclosure of information in Colombian NGOs is very low. In spite of the high distrust of the resource management they receive, the financial information is the least aspect disclosed in their web pages. In addition, the larger NGOs are the entities that most disclose information via their web site. Likewise, the factors of "internationalization", "donations", "community services" and "dependence on voluntary work" show a positive effect on certain aspects of the online disclosure of information analyzed. Practical implications -- The lack of web use as a strategy for a proactive disclosure of information is clearly observed. Therefore, both obligatory and voluntary accountability mechanisms should be more aware of the need for fostering the benefits of a web site, as being transparent in a proactive manner will increase trust in this sector. Originality/value -- As the majority of the research papers related to online disclosure are focused on the corporate and public sector, this study addresses the issue of the NGO sector and particularly aims to contribute to the scarce literature regarding web use of entities from developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the extent and impact of corruption on public trust and on the stability of the Colombian police. The effectiveness of public controls, civilian oversight, and overseeing bodies is evaluated to determine the degree of impunity and the level of independence from other agencies of control. Design/methodology/approach – The research in this study is based on data analyses of surveys, interviews, and an observational approach. This paper considers four general surveys, namely: Latinobarómetro, Iberobarómetro, Global Corruption Barometer, Corruption Perception Indexes, and World Values Survey. The observation consisted of accompanying Bogotá police department teams for two months during the evenings between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. This study draws upon 20 interviews with police officers of all ranks. Additionally, an informal observation of police activities during the night was carried out to discover the occurrence of corruption, which was impossible to reveal by a more formal observation. Findings – Although corruption in the Colombian police force is presumably a generalized phenomenon, it is still one of the most appreciated agencies among Colombians. However, scandals have been cleverly mitigated by rhetoric and apparent purges and the setting-up of inoffensive mechanisms of control. Internal inspection and civilian oversight have been weakened – rendered ineffective by an increasingly powerful police leadership. Research limitations/implications – Since corruption is a concealed phenomenon, its analysis always causes problems. Police officers are reluctant to talk about the problem and there is an organizational denial of the phenomenon. Originality/value – The paucity of academic research on police forces in Latin America is still apparent and the field of study lacks a real degree of specialization. Similarly, there has been no empirical examination of issues pertaining to the study of the modern Colombian force. This paper thus attempts to compensate for the lack of empirical research on the Colombian police. It contributes to the overall literature on police corruption by explaining the organizational features of bribing and police corruption on the beat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The aim of this article is to apply a re-worked definition of ideology in order to account for cultural and political dimensions of contemporary armed conflicts. Design/methodology/approach - The paper analyzes communiqués, press releases, magazines, pamphlets, speeches, interviews and other communicational media produced by insurgent organizations in Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Colombia, particularly in the post-Cold War, in order to assess the characteristics of their ideological platforms. The extensive use of these primary sources aims at revealing the way the organizations see themselves, and how important ideological warfare is in their overall strategy. Findings - In the post-Cold War, and even in the early twenty-first century, armed guerrillas persisted in linking their armed struggle to ideological platforms, though in more flexible versions. Nationalism, fundamentalism and socialism are functional to their tactics and strategies, and have tangible effects at strategic and tactical levels. Research limitations/implications - Three sample cases have been revised exhaustively, but that methodology impedes the examination of a wider spectrum of post-Cold War insurgent organizations, which may balance the results here presented. However, the high relevance of the ideological component in contemporary armed conflicts, as shown in the Afghan, Congolese and Colombian cases, demonstrates the need for further academic works on this topic. Practical implications - Re-defining ideology, as the paper proposes, turns it into a powerful conceptual tool to be used in academic research, given that precisely the absence of comprehensive categories of analysis has prevented scholars from providing a full picture of the political and cultural dimensions of contemporary armed conflicts. Originality/value - As economic-focused researches on armed conflicts have dominated the field since the 1990s, the paper underlines the need for scholars to approach a broader scope in peace studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the effect that weak enforceability of property rights has on the human resource practices of firms operating in hostile business environment. Design/methodology/approach - This paper questions the role of the state as the only provider of stability and guarantor of property rights and hypothesizes that it is not governments, which tend to be weak in weak institutional settings, but private firms that act as the main force behind the protection of entrepreneurial investments. The approach consists in developing a case study about a farm (Hacienda Gavilanes) in rural Colombia, Findings- It is found that incentives together with inclusive human resources practices and empowerment are among those strategic arrangements that contribute most to the survival and sustainability of the farm today in a setting where legal enforceability is precarious. The replication of this policy might not be easy, however, because it requires a profound shift in the way landowners perceive workers in rural Colombia and many other parts of the world, Originality/value- The case presented in this paper provides valuable lessons beyond Latin America for other developing countries with similarly fragile governments and economic environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test the conditions that describe adjustment velocities to reach equilibrium under Cournot's duopoly model. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses a vector error correction (VEC) framework as the basis for determining and testing adjustment velocities using data about cellphone service in Colombia in the time period from 1995 to 2001. Findings – Empirical evidence suggests the following: first of all, companies operating in the cellphone market behave as cournot's competitors and have constant marginal costs; secondly, cellphone companies operating in the eastern zone of Colombia are in long-term equilibrium; and lastly, equilibrium adjustment velocities are statistically significant. As predicted by theory, in terms of welfare, the existence of equilibrium in Cournot's model implies that cellphone users in the eastern zone of Colombia enjoy a small consumer surplus. Originality/value – Testing the microeconomic implications of the equilibrium dynamics of Cournot's model, using a VEC framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to develop and empirically test the conditions that describe adjustment velocities to reach equilibrium under Cournot's duopoly model. Design/methodology/approach — The paper uses a vector error correction (VEC) framework as the basis for determining and testing adjustment velocities using data about cellphone service in Colombia in the time period from 1995 to 2001. Findings — Empirical evidence suggests the following: first of all, companies operating in the cellphone market behave as cournot's competitors and have constant marginal costs; secondly, cellphone companies operating in the eastern zone of Colombia are in long-term equilibrium; and lastly, equilibrium adjustment velocities are statistically significant As predicted by theory, in terms of welfare, the existence of equilibrium in Cournot's model implies that cellphone users in the eastern zone of Colombia enjoy a small consumer surplus. Originality/value — Testing the microeconomic implications of the equilibrium dynamics of Cournot's model, using a VEC framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Inclusion of animals in emergency contingency planning is not yet common practice in many countries. The purpose of this paper is to assess the need for and viability of such inclusion in Latin America. Design/methodology/approach – The study surveyed 1,882 pet owners in urban areas in Colombia, Costa Rica and Mexico to evaluate perceptions of pet owners with regard to their animals in emergencies. Findings – Overall 74.5 percent (confidence interval 72.5-76.5) said they would take their animals if evacuated. Only 16 percent (14.5-17.8) would leave their animals behind. Regular vaccination was carried out by 70.5 percent of owners (68.0-72.5): from 63.6 percent (60.8-66.2 percent) in Mexico to 87.5 percent (84.3-90.0) in Colombia. People in lower socio-economic levels were less likely to take animals to the vet, or to vaccinate or identify them, and more likely to leave their animal behind during evacuation. Practical implications – Results indicate both the need and the likely success of an animal contingency planning process in urban areas of Latin America. Originality/value – This is the first survey of its kind concerning disaster preparedness for pets in developing countries, and counters the common perception that in such countries owners are less attached to their pets and that inclusion of animals in emergency contingency planning is not important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to discuss sheepskin effects in Colombia based on repeated cross-section or pseudo panel data using cohorts in seven larges cities in Colombia. Design/methodology/approach - A Pseudo Panel Data methodology is used as the basis for determining and testing sheepskin effects using labor market microdata in Colombia in the time period from 1996 to 2000. Findings - Empirical evidence suggests that there are additional salary increases of 14 percent for individuals who hold a secondary degree and approximately 26 percent for holders of university degrees in Colombia. Originality/value - Testing sheepskin effects based on pseudo panel data using cohorts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - To provide an empirical contribution to analyse the dynamics of research groups in knowledge production in an interdisciplinary research field in two scientifically peripheral countries (Colombia and Brazil). Design/methodology/approach - This dynamic is analysed in the interdisciplinary area of immunology through a comparative study of Brazilian and Colombian research groups. The practices of publication, collaborative links and patterns of acknowledgements provided the framework for this study. Quantitative and qualitative tools were used; in particular a bibliometric study was complemented with information derived from semi-structured interviews with members of the research communities selected. Findings - The bibliometric study allowed the construction of some indicators: channels of publication, impact of the research outputs, citations and patterns of collaboration. Also, a database with acknowledgements was created to identify the different actors who take part in the process of knowledge production. These indicators, interpreted in the light of qualitative analysis, throw considerable light on how the different groups work on the cognitive and social aspects of knowledge production. Research limitations/implications - This study is limited to 31 leading research groups from Colombia and Brazil. Originality/value - This paper starts to redress the situation of a lack of empirical studies in developing countries in the use of acknowledgements as a tool to examine formal and informal scientific collaboration and as indicator of accountability to funding bodies. This work provides an empirical contribution to policy-makers and scientific communities in the task of understanding the dynamics of knowledge production in an interdisciplinary area combining different approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]