Contemporary Influences on International Business in Latin America

Environmental, Firm and Individual-level Factors

William Newburry, Leonardo Liberman, Moacir de Miranda Oliveira Jr., William Newburry, Leonardo Liberman, Moacir de Miranda Oliveira Jr.

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2019
• Print ISBN: 9783319983394
• eBook ISBN: 9783319983400
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: International Business
• Index: Business

Drawing on the best contributions from the 2015 and 2016 Academy of International Business Latin America Chapter (AIB-LAT) conferences, this collection provides analysis and research into the intertwined managerial environments from this vast and complex region.By systematically highlightingenvironmental, firm and individual-level influences on international business activities, the authors aim to divide the complex nature of this phenomenon into manageable pieces while simultaneously providing an understandable overview of important international business factors in the region. The book invitesreaders to think critically about how factors at any particular level can only provide one piece of the overall internationalization puzzle in the region.

© The Author(s) 2019

William Newburry, Leonardo Liberman and Moacir de Miranda Oliveira Jr. (eds.)Contemporary Influences on International Business in Latin AmericaAIB Latin Americahttps://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98340-0_1

Begin Abstract

1. Building a Whole from the Parts: Environmental, Firm and Individual-Level Factors

William Newburry¹ , Leonardo Liberman² and Moacir de Miranda Oliveira Jr.³

(1)

Department of International Business, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

(2)

Libens Research and Development, Santiago, Chile

(3)

Business Administration Department, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

William Newburry (Corresponding author)

Email: [email protected]

Leonardo Liberman

Moacir de Miranda Oliveira Jr.

Email: [email protected]

End Abstract

Since the chapter’s approval at the 2008 Academy of International Business (AIB) annual meeting in Milan, the AIB Latin America Chapter (AIB-LAT) has continually grown. Back in 2008, AIB-LAT had 27 members coming from Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico and the United States. The founding members were: Alexandre Faria, Ana Lucia Guedes, Andrés Castro Figueroa, Angela da Rocha, Belmiro N. Joao, Christian Felzensztein, Chile Dirk Boehe, Eva Stal, Francisco Castañeda González, Frederico Turolla, Jaime Alonso Gomez, Jairo Laser Procianoy, Jorge Carneiro, Leonardo Liberman, Luciano Barin Cruz, Luiz Alberto Campos, Ma. Teresa de la Garza Carranza, Marcela Anzola, Marcelo Andrés Machado, María Teresa Fleury, Miguel Olivas-Luján, Paulo R. S. Terra, Sandra Milena Santamaria, Sascha Furst, Sergio Garcilazo, Victor Almeida and Zandra Balbinot. Since then, AIB-LAT has held several conferences, meetings and academic activities that have evolved each year in both the breadth and depth of its activities.

The chapter held its Fifth and Sixth Annual Conferences in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The Fifth Annual Conference occurred in Santiago, Chile in January 2015 on the topic of Internationalization of Family and Entrepreneurial Businesses in Latin America. The Sixth Annual Conference was held in São Paulo, Brazil in February 2016 on the topic of Innovation Environments and Global Value Chains in Latin America. Together these topics of family and entrepreneurial business along with innovation and global value chains capture a much broader overarching theme within international business in Latin America: the multiple levels of influence on international business occurring at the environmental, firm and individual levels. The content of these two conferences captured these levels of analysis well across the spectrum of international business in Latin America. Several exemplars of these papers that focus on each influence level are contained in the following chapters in this volume.

Prior to overviewing the specific works in the volume, we think it appropriate to overview some figures concerning the AIB-LAT conferences to illustrate the current state of the organization. First, given that the organization is largely defined in terms of geography, it is relevant to look at the participants from the region. Figures 1.1 and 1.2 illustrate the number of authors from the two conferences located in Latin America based on their institutional affiliations. As can be seen, 81 out of the 122 program authors (66%) in Santiago had Latin American affiliations. Similarly, 187 out of 240 program authors (78%) in São Paulo were associated with Latin American institutions. Both conferences also had a significant number of participants from the United States (18 and 30, respectively), with 23 additional participants for each conference scattered from around the world, with Europe, Asia, Australia and the Middle East represented. Overall, these statistics suggest that the conference is fulfilling its primary mission within the broader Academy of International Business organization of serving authors in the region, while also providing outreach to scholars in other areas of the world—particularly those interested in pursuing scholarship focused on Latin America.

Fig. 1.1

AIB-LAT Santiago author affiliations

Fig. 1.2

AIB-LAT São Paulo author affiliations

A second component of the degree to which the conferences were Latin American in nature concerns the content of the papers presented. While the AIB-LAT conference does not limit itself to papers exclusively about Latin America, but also receives works within the broader area of international business along with those that cross regions, Latin America is nonetheless a key focus of the conference. In Santiago, 58% of the presented manuscripts directly concerned the Latin American context. In São Paulo, 56% focused directly on Latin America. As such, this demonstrates the strong Latin American focus of the conference, while also suggesting a dual, broader, international business focus as well.

Third, given that AIB-LAT is a chapter of the Academy of International Business, it is also interesting to consider the works that involve international collaborations involving authors from several countries . In Santiago, 23% of the manuscripts involved international collaborations. In São Paulo, 19% had authors from multiple countries . As such, in both conferences, the vast majority of works involved authors from a single country . This may be logical in terms of the logistical challenges of collaborating across borders, but is nonetheless an area which the chapter hopes to build upon in the future.

Finally, it is worth noting the gender of authors submitting papers for the two conferences. In Santiago, 34% of authors were female and in São Paulo, 36%. These percentages mirror a general pattern of greater male participation in academic activities in the region, and in most emerging markets globally.

Having reviewed the participants of the conference, we now turn to a discussion of the specific works in this volume, which cover a wide range of topics related to international business in the Latin American context.

Environmental-Level Factors

The work of Diego Bonaldo Coelho and Moacir de Miranda Oliveira Jr. (Chap. 2) examines the role of government , through governmental policies , in the aid of internationalization efforts by Brazilian mechanical and capital goods companies . Furthermore, the internetworking relationships between the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex-Brazil) and the Brazilian Association of Machinery and Equipment Manufacturers (Abimaq), which aids in international strategy development and facilities government support through various measures, is examined. After the selection of 104 unique cases, data analysis revealed that government instruments were not relevant, on average, for internationalization. However, the study finds a small group of companies , within the larger sample, where the government’s efforts were seen as relevant, thus meriting future research and presenting challenges for Brazilian business institutions . In this light, understanding that international competition is not a matter of choice but a necessity, this study carries a weight of significance as internationalization is an em...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Front Matter
• 1. Building a Whole from the Parts: Environmental, Firm and Individual-Level Factors
• 2. Public Instruments to Support Internationalization: The Case of Brazil Machinery Solutions
• 3. Regime Structure, Institutional Stability and Pro-market Reforms
• 4. Country Development Stage and the Level of Corporate Social Disclosure
• 5. Overcoming Institutional Barriers When Entering Brazil: A Legitimacy Perspective
• 6. Internationalization and the Tale of the Cabo Frio Beachwear Cluster
• 7. Investigating the Export Behavior of Family SMEs from Chile
• 8. Acculturation Process in Cross-border M&A: A Case Study of a Brazilian Automobile Firm
• 9. Exploring the Relationship Between International Service Performance and Personal Characteristics in the Latin American Context
• 10. Examining the Influence of Self-Efficacy, Optimism and Curiosity on the Performance of International Locals
• Back Matter