Abstract
The purpose of this chapter is to identify the labor inclusion practices of Colombian micro and small enterprises (MSEs). Building a more fair and equal society requires an organizational culture and clear policies for labor inclusion. MSEs are organizations that can contribute to this purpose given their importance because they are the source of employment of more than 16 million Colombian people and generate 80% of the jobs in this country. Through descriptive research, and by applying a questionnaire to 78 MSEs from different sectors nationwide, it was possible to determine the labor inclusion practices followed by these organizations. It is mainly concluded that labor inclusion practices by the MSEs surveyed are not high. Of the 78 companies that participated in this study, which were selected from a non-random convenience sample, less than half (41%) have hired vulnerable people and have in their organizations between one and three collaborators in situation of vulnerability.
TopInclusive Practices In Organizations
For organizations to be able to provide a service and to produce and market their products, they need, among other things, collaborators to help them comply with their trade name. Having a positive impact on the environment in which they operate is essential to remain in the market. For this reason, organizations must maintain good practices that allow them to contribute to society with employees who are not socially excluded, which means that it is necessary to internally implement responsible practices related to the hiring of personnel, management, and investment in human resources, in addition to investment in health and safety at work, in management of change and in maintaining a healthy working environment. Creating inclusive jobs and offering fair and equitable wages are some of the main ways in which organizations can contribute to society. Performing actions to the contrary generate situations that threaten the development of individuals and, therefore, the development of their families and their generations to come. “Companies with good internal sustainable practices contribute to society with employees not socially excluded” (Contreras, Pedraza-Avella & Herrera-Gomez, 2015, p. 137).
In Colombia, there are the following vulnerable groups, among others: People with disabilities, young people, seniors, students, single women, Venezuelans, single parents head of household, people of limited resources or from marginalized communities, displaced people, people with different sexual preferences, ex-convicts, people with a certain degree of alcoholism, women in situations of domestic violence, people of African descent, reintegrated, rehabilitated by drugs and indigenous people. Some of these populations will be discussed next.
Espinosa and Yesenia (2017) describe the implementation of an action plan for the improvement of labor inclusion practices in the company Tecfood S.A. in Ecuador, which achieves the visualization and awareness of inclusion and they state that the organization needs policies for the management of personnel with disabilities, as well as to comply with the regulations on hiring personnel with disabilities, to improve access to the facilities of personnel with disabilities, and a career plan for staff with disabilities.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Administrative Department of the Civil Service: It is a technical, strategic, and transversal entity of the Colombian government that contributes to the well-being of Colombian people through the continuous improvement of the management of civil servants and institutions throughout Colombia.
MSEs: Micro and small enterprises.
FSADSMES: The Foundation for the Strategic Analysis and Development of SMEs is a private non-profit organization of a foundational established by the Universities of Cantabria, Murcia and Politecnica of Cartagena and the Governments of the Region of Murcia and Cantabria, through their Economic Councilors. The main objective to is create a space for collaboration in the economic and social areas of SMEs, both at a national and an international level, in order to jointly carry out activities and work of study, teaching and research, to facilitate and promote the exchange of information and knowledge, as well as mutual advice, and to develop those projects that are of common interest. Therefore, its goals are the Formation, Research, Development and Transfer of knowledge on SMEs at an international level.