Based on the papers and proceedings of a conference on Small-Scale Industry and Development in Latin America, and organized jointly by the International Institute for Labour Studies and the Insituto Latino Americano (Sao Paulo) in 1990, this book presents some of its key findings, and discusses the impact of special policies, administrative decentralization and the role of support institutions in small firm development in Latin America."
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.
Does enterprise participation in global markets ensure sustainable income growth? Policies have often been designed in the belief that this is true, but competitiveness and participation in international markets may take very different forms, and developing countries do not always benefit. This book presents a series of rich and original field studies from Latin America, conducted by the authors with the same consistent methodological approach, and represents a theory-generating exercise within clusters and economic development literature. The main question addressed is how Latin American small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may participate in global markets in ways that provide for sustainable income growth, the “high road” to competitiveness. In contrast, the “low road” is often typically followed by small firms from developing countries, which often compete by squeezing wages and revenues rather than by increasing productivity, salaries, and profits.
This book explores the achievements and obstacles confronting China and major Latin American countries in developing small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the context of new changes in “The Belt and Road” Initiative. In the first three chapters, the Chinese authors elaborate on the relationship between “The Belt and Road” Initiative and globalization, as well as strategies towards forming an increasingly close bond between China and Latin America. The book ends with chapters dedicated to analyzing the BRI conditions and effects on SMEs of Latin-American countries. These country specific chapters will show the specific opportunities and challenges the countries conditions, be they political, geological, etc. may have on the development of SMEs under the BRI. The book will be useful not only to industry leaders looking to better understand how they can potentially benefit from the BRI but also by the general public, as the book will explain what this new era of globalization, and more specifically the BRI, will mean for the world’s industries and society.
Age of Productivity offers a look at how the low productivity in Latin America and the Caribbean is preventing the region from catching up with the developed world. The authors look beyond the traditional macro explanations and dig all the way down to the industry and firm level to uncover the causes.
This edition of the Latin American Economic Outlook finds that the region has weathered the recent turbulence in the global economy with reletive strength. This edition focuses on the role of Small and Medium Enterprises in Latin America.
This volume uses the study of firm dynamics to investigate the factors preventing faster productivity growth in Latin America and the Caribbean, pushing past the limits of traditional macroeconomic analyses. Each chapter is dedicated to an examination of a different factor affecting firm productivity - innovation, ICT usage, on-the-job-training, firm age, access to credit, and international linkages - highlighting the differences in firm characteristics, behaviors, and strategies. By showcasing this remarkable heterogeneity, this collection challenges regional policymakers to look beyond one-size-fits-all solutions and create balanced policy mixes tailored to distinct firm needs. This book is open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0 IGO license.
This publication should be of special interest to all people working on program related to small enterprise development, including representatives of business associations, financial institutions, universities, business schools, research organizations, donors and national and regional development agencies, as well as to private consultants providing services in this field. The publication starts with a general introduction to the role of Business Development Services and the principles of good practice in this field and this is followed by chapters dealing with such subjects as: Voucher Programs for Training, the use of Matching Grants and the review of the Constancy and Training Market in Argentina. The book includes descriptions of a variety of case studies from Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Peru and some covering general experiences in the region and in various parts of the continent. This section reviews experience in the provision of services in Marketing, Technology, Information and the setting up and operation of Business Centres. Chapters are included on the process of networks through the clustering of small enterprises in various countries. The final section deals specifically with the role of the public sector in the establishment and operation of business development services. A contribution from Chile defines the appropriate role for the State and covers experiences in the role of business services in local economic development. There are further papers on private/public partnerships in the provision of services for small enterprises in Brazil and Argentina. The book sets out various approaches to the provision of business development services and the re-thinking of the role of the private sector, based on initiatives and experience in the Latin American region. The approaches are based on the realization of the objectives of cost-effective support services which are sustainable, have wide outreach and can have the optimum impact on the beneficiary enterprises and the local business environment.
Does enterprise participation in global markets ensure sustainable income growth? Policies have often been designed in the belief that this is true, but competitiveness and participation in international markets may take very different forms, and developing countries do not always benefit. This book presents a series of rich and original field studies from Latin America, conducted by the authors with the same consistent methodological approach, and represents a theory-generating exercise within clusters and economic development literature. The main question addressed is how Latin American small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) may participate in global markets in ways that provide for sustainable income growth, the “high road” to competitiveness. In contrast, the “low road” is often typically followed by small firms from developing countries, which often compete by squeezing wages and revenues rather than by increasing productivity, salaries, and profits.
