Horizontes Empresariales

Aranceles en tiempos de turbulencia

Luis Méndez Briones — 2025-05-30

El anuncio, en un estilo poco convencional, del presidente Donald Trump de aplicar aranceles a las importaciones de bienes provenientes de diversos países del mundo ha puesto en alerta a la opinión pública internacional.

En su forma básica un arancel es un impuesto, ya sea específico o ad valorem, cuyo efecto eleva el costo de llevar bienes de un país a otro con la finalidad de proteger algún sector de la industria nacional. Es esa finalidad la que ha invocado el presidente Trump en su afán de hacer grande a los Estados Unidos otra vez (Make America Great Again).

Las reacciones no se han hecho esperar, dado que imponer este tipo de restricciones al comercio, no obstante favorecer a los productores nacionales, perjudica a los consumidores al obligarlos a demandar bienes a un costo más elevado que los mismos bienes en los mercados externos. El balance demuestra que entre los que ganan y los que pierden, termina siendo la sociedad en su conjunto la que se ve severamente afectada por esta forma de política comercial.

Practical strategies for the application of artificial intelligence in argentine SMES

Oscar Telmo Navós — 2025-05-30

This article analyzes practical strategies for the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Argentina, identifying key opportunities and challenges. It explores major emerging technological trends—such as quantum computing, autonomous AI agents, advanced robotics, synthetic humans, and invisible experiences—that are transforming business processes and enhancing productivity and human-machine interaction, the article examines how AI automates routine tasks while enhancing human capabilities through collaborative tools; for instance, it discusses the ReKnow University case from the Renault Group, a corporate model that integrates continuous training to preserve employability in the age of automation. Based on theoretical review and a case study, the article proposes a structured five-stage roadmap—diagnosis, initial implementation, scaling, consolidation, and impact—to guide Argentine SMEs in the gradual and effective adoption of AI. The conclusions highlight that AI, when applied progressively and aligned with organizational goals, not only improves operational efficiency but also serves as a strategic driver of transformation. Gradual adoption supported by a flexible organizational culture, continuous training, and committed leadership can boost SME competitiveness and strengthen relationships with customers and employees, ensuring a sustainable transition to the digital future.

Analysis of the disclosure of tax aspects in the chilean banking industry

José Alejandro Navarrete — 2025-05-30

This study analyzes the disclosure of tax aspects in the sustainability reports of Chilean banks included in the DJSI, using a qualitative methodology through content analysis. By examining the sustainability reports of the selected banking entities, patterns were identified in the way they report fiscal and tax issues. The results show that disclosure varies significantly across banks and that tax information is presented mostly in aggregate form, lacking details that allow for assessing the real impact of their tax policies on sustainability. It concludes that, although tax transparency has advanced, gaps in reporting remain that impede an accurate assessment of the entities' commitment to fiscal responsibility and sustainability.

The state as a determinant in the development and sustainability of MSES: a comparative analysis between Trujillo-Peru and Concepción-Chile

Danilo Sepúlveda Mellado — 2025-05-30

This essay compares the State’s role in the sustainability of micro and small enterprises (MSEs) in Trujillo, Peru, and Concepción, Chile. Using official statistics (INEI-REMYPE, ELE-7, SII, BCRP, FOGAPE) and recent scholarship, four critical gaps are identified. (1) Digitalization: 54% of Concepción’s MSEs issue e-invoices and use cloud-based platforms, versus only 18% in Trujillo; labor productivity is consequently 1.8 times higher in the Chilean city. (2) Human capital: 63% of Chilean MSEs employ technical or professional staff, compared with 27% in Trujillo. (3) Smart finance: Peru’s Reactiva program disbursed PEN 60 billion, yet only 23% funded technology upgrades; Chile’s FOGAPE Reactiva channeled 46% of its US$ 13.9 billion guarantees to automation and market expansion, pushing five-year survival rates to 71%. (4) Environmental performance: Biobío’s MSEs have cut their carbon footprint by 16-18%, far outperforming their Peruvian counterparts. The analysis concludes that policy coherence, decentralization and robust university-industry linkages are indispensable state conditions for turning MSEs into engines of inclusive and green development.

Distortions in a social security system

Fernando Rowland — 2025-05-30

In the beginning of the 1980’s was created an inividually funded system of pensions until today. Currently there is no document that evaluates the distortions caused by a pension system in terms of investment in human capital materialized by an individual over his life and between future and present consumption. Using an overlapping genrations model (OLG) of two periods and with values of a representative chilean person, we try to estimate both distorions. We found that an individually funded (or pay-as-you-go) system effectively generates a lower investment in human capital compared to a situation when the person does not participate in that system and also a greater distortion between present and future consumption.

Persistence of gender inequality in the colombian labor market: Gender gap analysis

Ana Milena García Mogollón — 2025-05-30

The objective of the study was to perform a detailed analysis of the gender gaps in Colombia, where several database studies express that women were the most punished with a labor income gap of 39.3% for the year 2021, which evidences that historical gender gaps exist in the Colombian society.
The study took elements of research with a non-experimental qualitative exploratory approach with a descriptive transactional design. Databases of national and international entities in Latin America were used. It was confirmed that female unemployment in the formal labor market has historically been higher than that of the male gender, within the active population. The sectors in which many women worked in various trades were in the accommodation and food services sector for the second quarter of the years 2019-2020. In the pandemic, this number of employed women fell, resulting in higher unemployment among women between 15 and 24 years of age. It was evidenced that indigenous and Afro-Colombian women have a labor participation 10 to 15 points lower than the national average. In rural areas, the female GPR is less than 35% with more than 70% of informal employment, creating a situation of structural exclusion. In conclusion, this is a problem that deepens over time and is aggravated by a high cost of living, which has been a trend in recent years, with high unemployment rates, greater informality than in the past few years, and a higher rate of unemployment. This affects women and young people of both sexes to a greater extent, has increased.