Research

I am interested in personnel, labor, and public economics.

Working Papers

Training Within Firms

Joint with Brayan Diaz, Julian Ramirez, Raffaella Sadun, Jorge Tamayo

This paper explores the organizational frictions that hinder training implementation within firms, focusing on the role of middle managers. Using administrative data from three large Latin American firms—a car manufacturer, a quick-service restaurant chain, and a retailer—the study finds that middle managers who actively promote employee well-being and development significantly boost training participation. These managers also foster improved team performance and reduce absenteeism, particularly during organizational change. The paper uses manager rotation and event study designs to show that the arrival of a “High Training” manager increases training take-up by up to 60%, enhances resilience to demand shocks, and improves HR outcomes like promotions and retention. A stylized model illustrates how middle managers influence training-related labor supply responses. The findings underscore the need to embed managerial behavior into the design and success of workforce development policies.

An Anatomy of Managerial Attention: Evidence from Retail

Joint with Achyuta Adhvaryu, Parker Howell, Anant Nyshadham, Jorge Tamayo

This study examines how managers’ ability to navigate complexity affects firm performance, leveraging administrative data and manager rotations in a large Colombian retailer. High-performing managers—identified through an AKM model—improve store outcomes by reducing stockouts, lowering inventory levels, simplifying product assortments, and executing better pricing decisions. These managers also reorganize staff by increasing hiring and retention in sales, pricing, and inventory (SPI) departments. Survey data reveal that effective managers are more focused on inventory logistics and pricing strategies, highlighting their ability to allocate attention efficiently in complex environments. The paper contributes to the literature on managerial fixed effects, complexity management, and organizational design.

VAT Holidays as Short-Term Economic Stimuli: The Case of Colombia’s “Días sin IVA”

Joint with José Martinez-Carrasco, David Muñoz, Alejandro Rasteletti, Diego Zamora

This paper evaluates Colombia’s “Días sin IVA” (DSI), a series of VAT holidays held between 2020–2022 to stimulate economic activity during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Using 1.3 billion transactions from Bancolombia and a repeated regression discontinuity design, the authors find that DSI increased store-level sales by 14% overall—even after accounting for intertemporal substitution. Both covered and uncovered sectors benefited, with electronics seeing the largest gains. Sales growth was strongest in stores serving lower-income consumers. The findings suggest DSI was effective in stimulating short-term consumption and provide evidence on the spillover effects of broad-based tax holidays in a developing economy context.