Entrepreneurship is a fundamental driver of growth, development, and job creation. While Latin America and the Caribbean has a wealth of entrepreneurs, firms in the region, compared to those in other regions, are small in size and less likely to grow or innovate. Productivity growth has remained lackluster for decades, including during the recent commodity boom. Enhancing the creation of good jobs and accelerating productivity growth in the region will require dynamic entrepreneurs. Latin American Entrepreneurs: Many Firms but Little Innovation studies the landscape of entrepreneurship in Latin America and the Caribbean. Utilizing new datasets that cover issues such as firm creation, firm dynamics, export decisions, and the behavior of multinational corporations, the book synthesizes the results of a comprehensive analysis of the status, prospects, and challenges of entrepreneurship in the region. Useful tools and information are provided to help policy makers and practitioners identify policy areas governments can explore to enhance innovation and encourage high-growth, transformational entrepreneurship.

This book looks at both the potential and limits of policies to promote entrepreneurship as an important vehicle for social mobility in Latin America and the Caribbean. Who are the region's entrepreneurs? They tend to be middle-aged males with secondary and, often, tertiary education who represent only a small segment of the economically active population in the six countries considered in this book. They come from families in which a parent is, or was, an entrepreneur. In fact, a parent's occupation is more important in the decision to become an entrepreneur than a parent's wealth, income or education. Middle class entrepreneurship tends to dominate the sample in part since this is the majority class in society. However, as a percentage of each social class, entrepreneurship tends to be higher in the upper class, followed by the middle and lower class. Entrepreneurs concentrate in micro enterprises with fewer than five employees. They enjoy greater social mobility than employees and the self-employed, but this mobility is not always in the upward direction. Entrepreneurs face multiple obstacles including stifling bureaucracy, burdensome tax procedures, and lack of financing, human capital, technological skills, and supportive networks. The support of family and friends and a modicum of social capital help cope with these obstacles to entrepreneurship.

This book explores the emergence and evolution of family firms throughout Latin America, from the colonial period to the modern day. In the course of Latin American history, institutions evolved to create order and reduce the uncertainty of the market. Using institutional change theory, social capital theory in organizational settings and resource-based view as organizing frameworks, the authors show how differences among family business in the region developed by examining the influx of foreign settlers, the shift from state-owned enterprises to privatized family business groups, and the effect of globalization. This text, presenting cases of family firms across several countries, offers entrepreneurship scholars a fresh perspective of a neglected region.

Entrepreneurship is a fundamental driver of growth, development, and job creation. While Latin America and the Caribbean has a wealth of entrepreneurs, firms in the region, compared to those in other regions, are small in size and less likely to grow or innovate. Productivity growth has remained lackluster for decades, including during the recent commodity boom. Enhancing the creation of good jobs and accelerating productivity growth in the region will require dynamic entrepreneurs. Latin American Entrepreneurs: Many Firms but Little Innovation studies the landscape of entrepreneurship in Latin America and the Caribbean. Utilizing new datasets that cover issues such as firm creation, firm dynamics, export decisions, and the behavior of multinational corporations, the book synthesizes the results of a comprehensive analysis of the status, prospects, and challenges of entrepreneurship in the region. Useful tools and information are provided to help policy makers and practitioners identify policy areas governments can explore to enhance innovation and encourage high-growth, transformational entrepreneurship.

Driven by expanding domestic markets and exports of natural resource commodities, Latin America has recently come into focus as an economic force in the international arena. Business in Emerging Latin America provides students with a comprehensive overview of the business environment of this emerging, dynamic region. The book begins at the macro level, focusing on the region’s geo-political, technological, social, competitive, and economic environments. It then moves to the micro level, devling into the mosaic of countries with distinct cultures and political economies that comprise Latin America. Capturing the dynamism of this region, Business in Emerging Latin America: Provides a thorough and nuanced understanding of the business environment Identifies major drivers of emerging market expansion within the region Analyzes the strategies of companies both within and outside of the region The book includes examples and cases from across the region, as well as chapters on entrepreneurship, leadership, HRM, sustainability, income inequality, social responsibility and transparency. An ideal resource for anyone considering a business venture in the region, the book will especially appeal to students of international business who have a particular interest in Latin America. For additional instructor resources, visit www.latinamericabusinessknowledge.com

This volume in the Academy of International Business Latin America Chapter (AIB-LAT) series presents research findings and theoretical developments in international business, with special emphasis on innovation, geography and internationalization in Latin America. Contributions are based on the best papers from the fourth annual AIB-LAT conference.

Entrepreneurship drives growth in any economy. It is about combining people with good ideas, vision, and courage, who risk their own capital—and their investors'—to develop new products and services. It is about innovation, technology development, and wealth creation. As a field of research and education, it is relatively new, and in the case of Latin America, it is full of promise. Studies undertaken by Babson College, one of the world's premier centers of entrepreneurship, show that Latin America is a hotbed of new business creation, but largely without the educational or institutional infrastructure to support it. This volume, the first of its kind, documents the initial state of the art in Latin American entrepreneurship—in practice, research, and education. This volume, the first of its kind, documents the initial state of the art in Latin American entrepreneurship—in practice, research, and education. Featuring contributions from local experts, the book explores a wide range of issues, including startups, venture capital and angel financing, technology incubators, family businesses, and management and gender issues, against the backdrop of innovations in education and government policies designed to develop entrepreneurial skills and promote economic growth through new business creation.

Annotation Elizabeth A. Kaye specializes in communications as part of her coaching and consulting practice. She has edited Requirements for Certification since the 2000-01 edition.

This book examines the outlook for Latin American entrepreneurs in the new global environment. Using case studies from across the region, the book highlights liberalization measures nations are adopting to facilitate small and medium size enterprise (SME) creation and growth, and existing barriers that are threatening SME sector gains.