Competitive advantages and MNEs: A Latin American application

Purpose Small-scale forestry-based enterprising communities are particularly associated with their territory and, therefore, are very conditioned by the local culture. This paper aims to explore the relationship between culture and competitiveness in small-scale Latin-American forestry-based enterprising communities. Design/methodology/approach This study used 212 surveys in companies linked to the production, industrialisation and commercialisation sector of the forestry industry in the province of Misiones (Argentina), using partial least squares to analyse the relationships thereof. Findings Culture and competitive advantages improve the growth of small-scale timber businesses and growth, in turn, increases financial performance. However, culture does not have an impact on competitive advantage and no interaction effect of culture on competitive advantage was detected. The results can indicate that there might be a need to incorporate other concepts and operationalisation that are better suited to the geographical and industrial contexts in developing countries. Research limitations/implications The literature and measures used to operationalise variables in the survey did not necessarily succeed in capturing the culture in the studied small- and medium-sized enterprises. In addition, the design of the sample and subjective measures may partially condition the results. Practical implications For business managers and consultants, this study indicates that they must take into account the local culture to improve performance. Entrepreneurs must reorient the company strategy towards the long term, integrating local culture into their strategy to generate competitive advantages. Social implications Political authorities and social agents should also take into consideration the cultural aspects of the territory when implementing regulations and specific actions to improve the industry and strengthen the sense of community. The results highlight the vitality of animators and development agencies and of any factor that fosters social cohesion. Originality/value The paper shows a new approach to the relationship between culture and competitiveness in small-scale forestry-based enterprising communities, combining performance in a formal sector with the bazaar model.

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Technological Change and Innovation in Latin American Emerging Economies

Advances in Finance, Accounting, and Economics - Handbook of Research on Economic Growth and Technological Change in Latin America ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-6224-7.ch008 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 138-153

Author(s):

Luis Fernando Bustamante Zapata ◽

Isabel Cristina Betancur Hinestroza

Keyword(s):

Technological Change ◽

Latin American ◽

Innovation Management ◽

Original Research ◽

Competitive Advantages ◽

Pork Industry ◽

Business Environments ◽

Management Perspective ◽

Innovation And Technology ◽

Growing Economy

Innovation and technology, in appropriate business environments, are considered improvement and survival tools directly related to the establishment of competitive advantages. However, this must be accompanied by a growing economy, and, in some cases, governmental policies that encourage the industry. This chapter inquires about several factors involved in the innovation and technological change of the pork industry in Antioquia, Colombia, based on original research results and other contributions of the authors. The managerial assumption is simple: free trade and strategic moves of the biggest competitors indicate that Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the pork industry must accelerate their technological change via innovation management by addressing different factors that are hindering the establishment of competitive advantages. The authors offer a possible path of action from a management perspective to support that the industry will form an oligopoly should innovation management not occur.

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Value and quality creation: natural resources, industrialization and standards of living in peru 1950 to 1997

Cuadernos de difusión ◽

10.46631/jefas.1999.n9-10.05 ◽

1999 ◽

pp. 69-123

Author(s):

Santiago Roca ◽

◽

Luis Simabuko ◽

Keyword(s):

Economic Growth ◽

Economic Policy ◽

Natural Resources ◽

Latin American ◽

Washington Consensus ◽

Competitive Advantages ◽

Industrial Policies ◽

Standards Of Living ◽

Latin American Countries

Peru”s recent economic policy, like that of most Latin American countries! has followed the paradigm of the socalled “Washington Consensus”. Such paradigm precludes the implementation of “strategic” industrial policies as well as the active and deliberate construction of competitive advantages through measures that foster certain sectors or activities. “Washington-Consensus” thinkers hold that the “magic of the market” and its indiscriminate opening will allow countries to acquire the necessary long-term external competitiveness, promote economic growth and enhance standards of living, regardless of the country”s productive specialization.

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SPANISH INVESTMENT IN LATIN AMERICA IN THE FACE OF NEW CHALLENGES

Cuadernos Iberoamericanos ◽

10.46272/2409-3416-2016-1-56-61 ◽

2016 ◽

pp. 56-61

Author(s):

T. . Sidorenko

Keyword(s):

Latin America ◽

Latin American ◽

Competitive Advantages ◽

Crisis Period ◽

The Face ◽

New Challenges ◽

Latin American Countries

The article analyzes the main directions of expansion and location of Spanish multinationals in the economies of Latin America in the late XX - early XXI centuries. Particular attention is paid to the identification of the competitive advantages of Spanish companies, which would allow them to strengthen their position in the markets of Latin American countries in the post-crisis period.

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Science Diplomacy in Latin America and the Caribbean: Current Landscape, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

Frontiers in Research Metrics and Analytics ◽

10.3389/frma.2021.670001 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 6 ◽

Author(s):

Marga Gual Soler

Keyword(s):

Latin American ◽

Soft Power ◽

First Century ◽

Competitive Advantages ◽

International Affairs ◽

Practical Applications ◽

Science Diplomacy ◽

Global North ◽

Intellectual Foundations ◽

Successes And Challenges

Science, technology, and innovation are taking center stage in international affairs and increasingly influencing the geopolitical dynamics and a country's standing on the global stage. New scientific and technological advancements are acquiring greater strategic relevance to ensure competitive advantages in the twenty-first century global order. At the same time, international scientific collaboration contributes to generating and democratizing knowledge and improving relations between countries as a “soft power” tool to coordinate science-based solutions to transboundary problems, and to build bridges between countries with tense diplomatic relations. Science diplomacy is not a new concept, but most of its intellectual foundations and practical applications have emerged in the Global North. This article describes the diverse approaches, policies and practices adopted by Latin American and Caribbean countries at the national, sub-national, and regional levels. It analyzes their successes and challenges and identifies opportunities to guide the region toward a common science diplomacy strategy to achieve sustainable development through incorporating science as a permanent element in the foreign policy toolkit of Latin American nations. By documenting and illuminating best practices in the region, this article also seeks to balance the emphasis that has so far been largely concentrated on the regions of Europe and North America and contribute to future efforts and strategies for the development of sustainable science diplomacy mechanisms at the national, regional, North-South and South-South levels.

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The role of intellectual capital models in the analysis of the contribution of universities to development : an empirical study at the UNRC Faculty of Economic Sciences

Perspectivas ◽

10.19137/perspectivas-2021-v11n1a08 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 133-153

Author(s):

Paola Belén Bersía ◽

◽

Cecilia Rita Ficco ◽

Keyword(s):

Empirical Study ◽

Latin American ◽

Intellectual Capital ◽

Descriptive Study ◽

Competitive Advantages ◽

Academic Unit ◽

Documentary Analysis ◽

National University ◽

Important Input

The present work aims to show the importance of intellectual capital (IC) models in the analysis of the contribution of universities to development and to present the main results of the application of an IC model, designed by a group of researchers belonging to Latin American public universities, in the Faculty of Economic Sciences of the National University of Río Cuarto. To fulfill the stated objective, a descriptive study is carried out, combining documentary analysis with the application of a non-experimental design to carry out the proposed empirical study. The results reveal inefficiencies in the management of the IC of this academic unit, which warn about the existence of an important part of its components that can be enhanced to develop competitive advantages that generate future benefits for the institution and for the territory in which it is inserted. This information is an important input for the design of institutional policies.

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Modelo Comparativo de Índices Financieros, para la Evaluación de Compañías Comparables en Latinoamérica (A inancial index comparison model to evaluate management performance in similar latin american companies)

TEC Empresarial ◽

10.18845/te.v7i1.1329 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 7 (1) ◽

pp. 21

Author(s):

Sebastián Murillo Pérez ◽

Seth Francisco Ruiz Campos ◽

Jorge Benavides Chacón

Keyword(s):

Latin American ◽

Profit Margin ◽

Business Strategies ◽

Competitive Advantages ◽

Management Performance ◽

The Core ◽

Comparison Model ◽

Financial Index ◽

Index Comparison ◽

Latin American Countries

En nuestra realidad mundial, lacompetitividad es de máxima trascendencia paranuestras compañías, e incluso para los países.Esto es muy fácil afirmarlo, pero lo que sugiereen el fondo es que ya no es suficiente el manejodel desempeño, año a año, de la empresa, sino quees necesaria la comparación con otras empresasdedicadas a la misma actividad, con el fin deidentificar deficiencias o ventajas competitivas,para ajustar las estrategias del negocio. El actualartículo tiene la más alta relevancia en este tema,ya que presenta un modelo de comparación deíndices financieros mediante los cuales los paíseslatinoamericanos podrían compararse con otrosmercados. Los autores se dedicaron a la tarea derecopilar información disponible de países dela Eurozona para compararla con la de un paísde Latinoamérica, lo que ayudaría a definir, porejemplo, el nivel utilizado de recursos empresariales(activos, recursos de capital) o el margen deganancia esperado. A partir de lo anterior, el modelopuede ser usado por cualquier sector empresarial. ABSTRACTCompetitiveness is of the utmost importancefor companies and even countries in contemporaryglobal reality. Although easy to say, the core of thematter suggests that nowadays it is not enoughto manage performance on a year to year basis,but it is also necessary to compare it with othercompanies in the same course of business in orderto identify competitive advantages or deficiencies,and adjust business strategies accordingly. Thisarticle is highly relevant for this subject as itpresents a financial index comparison modelthrough which Latin American countries cancompare themselves to other markets. The authorscompiled information available for the Euro zonecountries in order to compare it to any LatinAmerican country, which could, for instance,be used to establish the level of entrepreneurialresources used (assets, capital resources), or theexpected profit margin, based on which the modelcan be applied by any entrepreneurial sector.

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