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It has been argued that, within Europe, different models of management are discernible: the Latin, the Central and the Scandinavian. Focusing on the Latin model, analyses the concept of such a model through an examination of the data and by comparison with the other areas of Europe. Concludes that whilst there is no definite answer to the question of whether there is a Latin model there is evidence for the existence of such a model and its features are outlined.

This study aims to examine how the adoption of digital technologies affects the business competitiveness of countries in Latin American and European countries.

This study used a structural model based on factors representing the pillars of the Global Competitiveness Index: financial system, adoption of information and communication technologies (ICT), skills, labor market, product market, macroeconomic stability, business dynamism and gross domestic product (GDP) purchasing power parity (PPP) as a percentage of the total world value. The authors considered 17 Latin American and 28 European countries. The model was analyzed by partial least squares-structural equation modeling.

ICT adoption in Latin American countries is a strong predictor of business dynamism (66% of the variance), skills (81% of the variance), product market (75% of the variance), labor market (42% of the variance) and financial system (49% of the variance). Similarly, ICT adoption in European countries is a strong predictor of business dynamism (35.6% of the variance), skills (72.2% of the variance), product market (51.6% of the variance), labor market (81.7% of the variance, but with a negative path coefficient) and financial system (38% of the variance).

Latin American countries should create policies to build skills to increase ICT adoption, and improve business and labor market dynamism. A theoretical implication is that the authors propose two structural models based on the GCI that best explains competitiveness in Europe and Latin America.

Using GCI data, the authors present empirical evidence on the predictors of competitiveness across 17 Latin American and 28 European countries with a special focus on the adoption of digital technologies.

Identifying a single model of public administration in Latin America entails a simplification due to the variety of countries with different governance structures, administrative systems, historical legacies, and ways of addressing public sector reforms over time. Nevertheless, an extended feature among Latin American public administrations is the coexistence of Weberian models with patrimonialism and large-scale patronage practices. Although at first sight public administrations can formally contain all or most of the typical characteristics of a modern bureaucratic system, some of their practices are extraneous to everyday management. In this context, the waves of administrative reforms have sought, with different approaches, to strengthen the public machinery. An important point is that administrative reforms in Latin America largely followed a center–periphery pattern. Firstly, through the imitation of practices of the colonialist countries and later by importing reform packages from the central countries. Thus, this chapter goes over the main historical characteristics in the construction of the Latin American public administration, the reforms paradigms that have marked it and their consequences.

Mora and Acevedo (2019) report that the government spending multipliers in Latin American countries are notably higher than what is typically reported for developed economies. Latin American countries have been inclined toward using procyclical fiscal policies. Those policies have been perceived as being effective at mitigating the effects of the 2008–2009 Great Recession. This study aims to estimate the government spending multiplier using Latin American panel data from 19 Latin American countries from 2000 to 2018. The estimates are conditional on the extent of openness, capital mobility and economic freedom. Based on the results, the latter is important: the less economically free a country, the larger its spending multiplier. Lower economic freedom in Latin American countries can help to account for their large spending multipliers. In particular, restrictions on international trade are positively associated with multipliers. This is the case even while controlling the trade share of GDP.

The authors provide regression results that are conditional on the extent of openness, capital mobility and economic freedom.

The less economically free a country, the larger its spending multiplier. Lower economic freedom in Latin American countries can help to account for their large spending multipliers. In particular, restrictions on international trade are positively associated with multipliers. This is the case even while controlling the trade share of GDP.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is first study to estimate the fiscal multiplier conditional on economic freedom levels. The authors provide correctly calculated multipliers conditional on different levels of economic freedom. The authors point the way to future studies considering the effectiveness of fiscal policy conditional on institutional/policy quality.

Divergence in the development of East Asian and Latin American NICs is catching the attention of a growing number of political economists. This divergent development has sparked debates over THEORY between advocates of neo‐liberal and neo‐dependency approaches (Biersteker; Stallings: 370) in accounting for the regional divergence: does the East Asian success confirm modernization theory (neo‐liberalism) generally, or does each region require its own theory? (see Barrett and Whyte on Taiwan; Alschuler: chap. 4 and Lanzarotti: chap. 5 on Korea; Evans, 1987). East Asian “miracles” have led to equally bitter controversies over PRACTICE with regard to policy recommendations for third world nations: is the East Asian model exportable and is this desirable? (see Amsden; Fishlow; Broad and Cavanagh).

Although scarce in the literature of entrepreneurship, the Aztec and Mayas (as well as the Incas), two of the most important civilizations in ancient Latin America, are considered by us as entrepreneurs. This is our departing point for understanding where entrepreneurship was born and built in Latin America. Unfortunately, its indigenous communities still are far behind in terms of labor, quality of life, poverty, and economic opportunities. From the ethnic entrepreneurship theory and after a deep literature review, a model is proposed for our region, a starting point to analyze and understand its processes in our region, thus making an impact on the development of public policies that can ultimately alleviate and improve the condition of this communities, and by going back to its roots, give a clearer picture of the reasons behind the present and future condition of entrepreneurship in Latin America.

The chapter analyzed the conditions and challenges of entrepreneurship in Latin America. Looking at different stages of the Latin American context (ancient civilizations, postindependence/revolutions movements, neoliberalism), we argue that entrepreneurship in the region is under a fourth wave (the present globalization/geopolitical processes), flowing all across the region and manifests itself in different forms. Furthermore, it can be identified as a breaking point from the almost linear importation of Western positions, and proposing must be analyzed under a new perspective, where the future should be built around the different facets, positives and negatives, each of the waves had plunged into our societies. It is highlighted that new positions can be originated, and regional theories and methods can give a fresh, deep transformation and more precise understanding of Latin America in the present era, enriching the public policies in its diverse territories. The chapter invites to make a critical reflection to unleash entrepreneurship in the region, a millennial potential.

This paper aims to analyse the capital structure determining factors of Latin American and US corporations after the crisis of 2008, as a means of comparing theoretical assumptions and empirical results in markets of different efficiency levels.

The study sample comprises 1,091 companies belonging to the six largest economies in Latin America plus the USA, in the years 2009 to 2013. The authors performed a regression with data from a balanced overview, which were obtained by using the criterion of minimum weighted square.

The results demonstrated differences in determining factors of capital structure between companies from Latin America and from the USA. The pecking order theory was mostly observed in Latin American companies and the trade-off theory greater was closely aligned with US firms.

This research brings new contributions to the issue, once the differences and determinative of the debt profile in companies from different economic contexts are compared.

Este artículo analiza los factores determinantes de la estructura de capital de las corporaciones latinoamericanas y estadounidenses después de la crisis de 2008, para comparar los supuestos teóricos y los resultados empíricos en mercados de diferentes niveles de eficiencia.

La muestra del estudio comprende 1.091 empresas pertenecientes a las seis mayores economías de América Latina y Estados Unidos, entre los años 2009 y 2013. Se realizó una regresión con datos de una visión general equilibrada, que se obtuvo utilizando el criterio de cuadrado mínimo ponderado.

Los resultados muestran diferencias en los factores determinantes de la estructura de capital entre empresas de América Latina y de Estados Unidos. La Teoría de la selección jerárquica se observó principalmente en las empresas latinoamericanas y la Teoría del intercambio más cercana estaba estrechamente alineada con las firmas estadounidenses.

Esta investigación aporta nuevas contribuciones al tema, una vez que comparamos las diferencias y determinantes del perfil de la deuda en empresas de diferentes contextos económicos.

Endeudamiento, Intercambio, Asimetría de información, Selección jerárquica, Regresión agrupada

Artículo de investigación