Sobre Francisco Rodríguez Cascante y Ricardo Martínez Esquivel (coords.), Sujetividades esotéricas. Estudios sobre masonería, espiritismo y teosofía en Costa Rica

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Innovation models and interdisciplinarity in science, technology and innovation policy in Costa Rica

Purpose This paper aims to analyse innovation models and interdisciplinarity in science, technology and innovation (STI) policy in Costa Rica between 2015 and 2021. The core focus is to evaluate the public policy in light of the groundwork that sustains the designed and proposed actions. Design/methodology/approach The authors applied a qualitative approach to build a set of dimensions and conducted content-analysis of selected documents. The analysis encompasses all current STI public policy documents in Costa Rica, including the planning instruments of the Central Government and the National Policy on STI. Findings The main findings show that STI policy in Costa Rica is based on different innovation models, but the projects and instruments themselves show the predominance of the reductionist model. Innovation receives a residual role. In turn, interdisciplinarity is based on the concept of convergence, which limits disciplinary collaboration to the natural, physical and engineering sciences, minimising contributions from other fields of knowledge to an instrumental role in innovation processes. Practical implications The authors conclude that the interlinkage between open innovation models, the participation of diverse societal actors and the inclusion of an interdisciplinary perspective leads to inclusive and more democratic public policy, allowing more sectors and organisations to benefit from innovation processes. This would imply a greater reach and impact of the policy, conditions that translate into innovation achievements and a better return on public investment. Originality/value This paper contributes to current discussions on STI policy by studying the implications of the link among policies, innovation models and interdisciplinarity.

Satisfaction Factors That Predict Loyalty in Ecotourism: A Study of Foreign Tourism in Costa Rica

Recently, foreign tourists have revealed a growing interest for natural environment enjoyment. This study aimed to: (a) identify the service satisfaction factors and (b) analyze the influence that satisfaction factors exert on the loyalty of ecotourists. The empirical analysis was carried out in Arenal National Park and Caño Negro Wildlife Refuge in Costa Rica, a country with international prominence in ecotourism due to the wealth of resources in its protected areas. A factorial analysis and the stepwise multiple regression method were performed for the data analysis of 246 surveys made in situ. Results show three satisfaction factors in ecotourism: “nature and culture”, “infrastructure”, and “service”, where “nature and culture” was the most influential predictor of tourists’ loyalty. The study also found a positive correlation between satisfaction and loyalty in ecotourism. This research will provide relevant insights to public institutions and private companies efficient planning and benefit the community and protected areas.

¿Puede la COVID-19 avanzar la política social inclusiva? Las transferencias monetarias de emergencia en Centroamérica

La pandemia de la COVID-19 generó en América Latina una triple crisis social, económica y de salud cuyas consecuencias persistirán por muchos años. A la vez, sin embargo, muchos consideran que la pandemia y las respuestas a la que dio lugar constituyen una oportunidad única de consolidar políticas públicas más inclusivas en el futuro. ¿Hasta qué punto es esto cierto? Este documento aborda esta pregunta a través de un análisis de las oportunidades creadas por la adopción de transferencias de emergencia -un instrumento novedoso y popular en toda la región— en Costa Rica, El Salvador y Guatemala. Se trata de tres países distintos en cuanto al nivel de desarrollo de su política social pero donde, a la vez, existe una urgencia común por adoptar políticas más inclusivas que reduzcan los altos niveles de desigualdad. A partir de la triangulación de distintas fuentes (incluyendo debates legislativos, análisis de prensa y entrevistas a actores), describimos las respuestas que se dieron a la pandemia en general y, los programas de transferencias de emergencia en particular. Consideramos los resultados de corto plazo en cada país y profundizamos en los cambios que han podido generar en las narrativas, instrumentos de política y actores estatales de cara al futuro. Este documento de trabajo constituye un aporte a la discusión sobre el concepto de oportunidad en tiempos de crisis en América Latina y en el mundo en general, así como una contribución empírica significativa para la comprensión de las respuestas a la pandemia en Centroamérica, la región menos estudiada de América Latina.