State of the organizational learning field in Latin America and the Caribbean

2020 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 147-161 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Lucia Silva Santos ◽  
Andrea Valéria Steil ◽  
David Joaquin Delgado-Hernández
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Organizational Learning ◽  
Learning Styles ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Process Learning ◽  
Systematic Strategy ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
And Cluster Analysis

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to summarize the main methods and themes used on organizational learning (OL) and learning organization (LO) research in Latin American and the Caribbean. Design/methodology/approach A literature review was conducted by means of a broad and systematic strategy to locating, selecting and analyzing papers on OL/LO, written in different languages (English, Portuguese and Spanish). Systematic searches were carried out at the two databases (Web of Science’s Social Sciences Citation Index and Scopus), and 15 specific Latin American and Caribbean journals were identified as data sources for the review. A thematic analysis was carried out using NVivo and cluster analysis. Findings In all 79 papers published between 2000 and 2017 were included in the synthesis and results: 18 are theoretical papers and literature reviews and 61 are empirical papers (30 qualitative, 24 quantitative and 7 multiple methods). These empirical papers revealed the study of the OL/LO concepts in organizations located mainly in Brazil, Venezuela, Chile, Colombia, El Salvador, Mexico and Costa Rica. Five topics represent the main themes addressed on OL/LO studies in Latin America and the Caribbean and are avenues for future research in the field: (i) knowledge and KM (i.e. knowledge management), (ii) culture and leadership, (iii) innovation and improvement, (iv) learning (for example, learning process, learning styles), and (v) entrepreneurship and sustainability. Originality/value This paper provides a summary of the research methods and themes used in the OL/LO field in Latin America and the Caribbean, suggesting insights for future research.

Management and sustainability dilemmas in Latin America: introduction

2021 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17
Author(s):  
Olivia Hernandez-Pozas ◽  
Maria Jose Murcia ◽  
Enrique Ogliastri ◽  
Miguel R. Olivas-Lujan
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Design Methodology ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Literature Reviews ◽  
Editorial Work ◽  
Different Dimensions ◽  
Sustainability Challenges ◽  
Specific Contribution

PurposeThis article introduces readers to the Special Issue (SI, 34-1) of ARLA, edited (not exclusively) with the best papers of the Academy of Management's Specialized Conference, scheduled for April 2020 in Mexico City. The COVID-19 pandemic forced its cancellation, but the expert peer review and editorial work continued, to contribute to the emerging literature on Latin American Management and Sustainability.Design/methodology/approachGuest editors contributed their expertise based on required editorial processes and focused literature reviews on Management and Sustainability.FindingsThere are large management and sustainability challenges to Latin American practitioners and researchers, resulting in an increasingly urgent need to systematically document similarities and differences in the fields of Management and Sustainability. It is so because the region has been affected as few others before, during and after the pandemic. Thus, this issue summarizes the literature, presents eight new studies and offers suggestions for future research.Research limitations/implicationsManagement and sustainability in Latin America are wide subjects, with different dimensions and issues. This is a specific contribution that leaves much ground to be covered in the different subfields of the area, in research methodologies and conclusions.Originality/valueAn agenda for advancing the field of management and sustainability in Latin America, highlighted by the COVID-19 disruption; additionally, eight of the most advanced research in the field are presented, chosen from two tracks of a large number of contributions to a recent specialized conference organized by the Academy of Management.

Viewpoint: the need to evolve to a service logic mindset in Latin America

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Javier Reynoso
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Paradigm Shift ◽  
Journal Article ◽  
Service Organizations ◽  
Service Research ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Original Research ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Logic

Purpose The purpose of this viewpoint is to discuss the need to evolve from a service marketing approach to a service logic mindset throughout the organization in Latin America. In doing so, it addresses a void in the service literature due to the lack of attention on its uniqueness in this region. Design/methodology/approach To confirm the predominant approach of studying service and the need for a paradigm shift in service organizations, two independent journal article searches during 1989–2020 were conducted. The purpose was to learn where Latin American service researchers are focusing their research efforts and to discuss how the meaning of service applies to this region. Findings Forty-eight journal articles were analyzed and six distinctive groups were identified where service researchers are focusing their work on Latin America. Service has been studied mainly from the marketing perspective; with limited original research published in indexed journals; focused on making product-oriented promises, increasingly enabled by technology. The need for developing a service logic mindset throughout the organization has begun to be emphasized rather recently in the field. The variety of meanings of service and the complex context represent challenges for this enterprise. Research limitations/implications Future research is needed to work on a more comprehensive conceptualization of service at higher levels of analysis. Further context studies are required to enrich knowledge on service in Latin America. Service researchers and organizations should work on these two challenges to continue moving from the marketing perspective of service to a service logic mindset throughout the organization. Originality/value The paper points out the relevance of conducting further service research in Latin America, arguing that service has been studied mainly from the marketing perspective, and claiming the need to move to a service logic mindset. This viewpoint opens a discussion in the service research community toward a paradigm shift that, although inspired in Latin America, may not be necessarily limited to this region.

Latin American employment will not recover in 2016

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Typical Feature ◽  
Job Quality ◽  
International Labour Organization ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Economic Commission ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Wage Earners ◽  
First Time

Subject The outlook for unemployment in Latin America. Significance Unemployment in the region will rise this year for the first time since 2009, according to an October report by the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) and the International Labour Organization (ILO). There are also signs of deterioration in job quality and that households are beginning to feel the pinch of slower GDP growth. Impacts In Brazil, the number of wage earners fell in absolute terms in the first half of 2015, a trend that is accelerating. In a typical feature of economic slowdowns, the number of women seeking jobs will continue to increase sharply. An already large productivity gap between micro and larger businesses is likely to widen.

Latin America budget airline competition to intensify

2016 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Air Travel ◽  
Airline Competition ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Flight Frequency ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Regional Airports ◽  
The Cost

Subject The expansion of low-cost airlines in Latin America. Significance In late October, the first tickets for flights with Wingo -- a new no-frills carrier running routes between Colombia, Central America and the Caribbean -- went on sale. The new Colombia-based company is competing directly against several traditional and budget airlines for a share of the growing market for domestic and international air travel within the region. Wingo's creation, together with that of Viva Air Peru in November, highlights the continued disruption to a sector long dominated by a small number of high-cost carriers. Impacts Greater availability of reasonably priced international flights will boost Latin American tourism to the Caribbean. Cheap air travel may also help expand and consolidate regional trade ties, reducing the cost of business trips. Increased flight frequency and passenger numbers will help regional airports which have often operated below capacity.

Survival mode: how Latin American family firms are coping with the pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar Rogelio Ramírez-Solís ◽  
Maria Fonseca ◽  
Fernando Sandoval-Arzaga ◽  
Ernesto Amoros
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Family Firms ◽  
Family Businesses ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Content Type ◽  
June July ◽  
Family Entrepreneurship

Purpose The main objective of this manuscript is to describe the current situation of a sample of family business and their response to COVID-19 pandemic. This exploratory study analyzes a series of challenges faced by this type of firm in Latin America. This study puts special focus on how the pandemic is impacting transgenerational and family entrepreneurship and the sense of legacy in family businesses. Design/methodology/approach The authors performed an online survey during June–July 2020. The survey includes 20 questions to owners or executives of family businesses about how they had been facing the onslaught of the COVID-19 pandemic in their companies. The authors received 194 valid respondents from firms that have their headquarters in Mexico, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Chile and other Latin American countries. Findings The empirical analysis shows that family firms in Latin America have managed to survive and stay current through family entrepreneurship, protecting their heritage and relying on legacy. Out of four main competencies, “family entrepreneurship” was the most important on which business families relied to face this crisis. Research limitations/implications The authors were able to gather information from just under 300 participants. However, the authors decided to take into account only those complete responses in the survey, so the present analysis was carried out on the valid sample of 194 respondents. Practical implications The results of this study show that business families have managed to survive and stay current through family entrepreneurship, protecting their heritage and relying on legacy. Strategic leadership and intergenerational dynamics alone are not enough to face this crisis. Social implications Family firms, like other companies, have shifted their mindset over the last months from “how can we grow” to “how can we survive”. Consequently, what competencies are necessary to develop so that family businesses can cope with this and the following crises? How are Mexico and Latin America’s family-owned businesses navigating the economic disruptions resulting from COVID-19? This paper explores the role of family firms in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. Originality/value This study provides an overview of the coping mechanisms that some family businesses are implementing to overcome the challenges during the pandemic, putting focus on the specific context of Latin America. Family businesses represent approximately 60% of the region’s GDP, so their survival is completely relevant in terms of not only economic impact but also social development. Future research and implications are discussed.

IDB leadership vote may break Latin American tradition

2020 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Central America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Regime Change ◽  
Export Market ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Cuban American ◽  
American Tradition ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
A Minor

Significance Claver-Carone, a Cuban-American, could alter perceptions of the Bank’s traditional technical role in the region; his appointment is likely intended as a response to growing Chinese influence in Latin America. Impacts Washington aims to check the possibility of rising Chinese influence on the Bank’s activities, although Beijing remains a minor shareholder. Brazil’s support for Washington’s agenda risks roiling China, its main export market and investment source. The IDB will position itself as a major potential lender to Venezuela in the event of regime change there. The smaller economies of Central America and the Caribbean will remain particularly dependent on IDB lending.

Latin American recovery will prove elusive in 2016

2015 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Private Consumption ◽  
Regional Growth ◽  
Labour Markets ◽  
Political Crisis ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Economic Commission ◽  
The Caribbean

Subject Declining regional growth projections. Significance According to a report issued on December 17 by the UN Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the region's GDP contracted by 0.4% this year, slowing for a fifth consecutive year, and will grow by a mere 0.2% in 2016. Impacts Brazil's forecast 2.0% contraction next year partly reflects, and will contribute to, the country's political crisis. ECLAC's 0.8% growth forecast for Argentina depends on the new government's success in reactivating investment. If private consumption and investment continue to contract, the region's labour markets will weaken again next year.

Entrepreneurship research in Latin America: a literature review

2018 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 736-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tatiana Lopez ◽  
Claudia Alvarez
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Literature Review ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Systematic Literature Review ◽  
International Entrepreneurship ◽  
International Markets ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Field Of Study ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Entrepreneurship Research

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to focus on the state of entrepreneurship research in the Latin American context, with special emphasis on international entrepreneurship research developed in this region. Therefore, the aim and contribution are to identify the main themes in the literature about entrepreneurship and show the evolution of entrepreneurship research in Latin America to stimulate the research and provide future research lines. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is based in a systematic literature review, using 128 articles published between 2002 and 2018, in scientific journals in the region according to SCImago Journal & Country Rank. Findings The results show the evolution through the journals, authors, topics and methodologies used by the researchers. It is emphasized that there is a very low level of research in international entrepreneurship in Latin America. This result is coherent with higher levels of entrepreneurship in Latin American countries but very few oriented to international markets. This is one of the challenges considering the importance of this field. Originality/value Entrepreneurship is a field of study that has grown throughout history. Even so, in the Latin American context, research published in high impact journals is limited. This paper is the first systematic literature review and thematic analysis of research on the field of entrepreneurship in the Latin American context. In this way, it serves as encouragement for future research, providing possibilities and challenges within the field of study.

Measuring Latin America’s export dependency on China

2016 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 213-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlos Casanova ◽  
Le Xia ◽  
Romina Ferreira
Keyword(s):  
Latin America ◽  
Latin American ◽  
Bilateral Trade ◽  
Copper Ore ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Economic Relationships ◽  
The Past ◽  
Commodity Export ◽  
The Caribbean ◽  
Dependency Index

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to deploy an export dependency index to identify the sectors and countries in Latin America which are most exposed to fluctuations in Chinese demand. Bilateral trade between China and Latin America has grown very quickly in the past decade. As a consequence, economic relationships with Latin America intensified tremendously, as growing demand for resources drove China into relatively unexplored frontiers. Design/methodology/approach The Index measures the relative exposure of Latin American exporters to shifts in demand from China and is scaled from 0 to 1 (the higher the score, the more exposed an exporter is to disruptions of trade with China). The authors undertook the analysis using six-digit trade figures from the United Nations COMTRADE database (Harmonized System 2007 nomenclature) to ensure granularity and consistency and contrasted their results across two points in time, 2008 and 2014. The analysis was very comprehensive, covering the products that accounted for 80 per cent or more of all exports to China in 2014, for all countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. Findings According to our estimates, dependency on China increased overboard across Latin America for all countries and all sectors between 2008 and 2014. Absolute dependency levels were highest in Costa Rica, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela, Brazil, Panama, Peru, Chile, Guyana and Argentina. Of these, the largest exporters to China, namely, Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia and Venezuela, featured high dependencies concentrated around just four commodities: soy in the form of soybeans and soybean oil; crude oil; copper in the form of copper ore, copper cathodes and unrefined copper; and iron ore. These four commodities accounted for 80 per cent of the regions’ total exports to China. Originality/value This is one of few studies that look into Latin America’s commodity export dependency on China at such granular level.

Opportunities for academic smart libraries in the Caribbean

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Adrian St. Patrick Duncan
Keyword(s):  
Information And Communication Technologies ◽  
Academic Libraries ◽  
Information Access ◽  
The Body ◽  
Caribbean Region ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Services Delivery ◽  
The Caribbean

Purpose The purpose of this paper hinged on the concept of smart libraries and their development for the furtherance of information access, dissemination and information resources and services delivery in Caribbean libraries. Design/methodology/approach To conduct this research, the literature of smart libraries and technologically driven and their application in libraries were reviewed by examining existing literature on information and communication technologies and technology in libraries. Findings The literature highlighted that this technological advancement is not yet fully on stream in academic libraries of the Caribbean owing to the lack of financial, technological and organizational resources. It further outlined that certain aspects of library automation are fostered through the inclusion of technology. Research limitations/implications The limitation of this study is that only academic libraries of the Caribbean region were assessed. Other regions should be explored in future research. Originality/value The concept of smart libraries is an emerging issue with limited scope for scrutiny; a systematic and extensive review of recent research on smart in libraries is unavailable. This paper presents an overview of smart libraries or technologically driven libraries, its findings for potential research opportunities and development for academic libraries. In addition, it will build on the body of knowledge that is presently non-existent on smart libraries in the Caribbean.

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