Food security, crop protection, biodiversity, and human and environmental health are among the main needs and concerns of society. Modern biotechnology and life sciences represent a constantly evolving area that is key for the rational use of natural resources – resources that in turn are indispensable for societal development.This book features the outcomes of the IV International Biotechnology and Biodiversity Congress, held in Guayaquil, Ecuador, 2018. It includes extensive revi...

Development Connections takes stock of recent advances in what is broadly known as Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs). The authors seek to discover how information and telecommunication technologies affect both the public and private sectors in Latin America and how they can optimize ICT returns to society.

Since the 1950s, subsidiaries of the most prestigious foreign multinationals have played a key role in Brazilian economic development, thus creating a very competitive domestic market. On top of this, government interventions in the last few decades have been inconsistent and contradictory, resulting in a series of economic crises. Only the most resilient Brazilian firms have been able to survive and prosper in this challenging environment. This book, first published in 2011, analyzes a va...

The book contributes to answering the questions raised by mayors, governors, and federal government officials in Brazil: "What can cities do to improve economic performance and create jobs?" The question is approached through a review of theories and policy options for city competitiveness, preliminary benchmarking of Brazilian cities.The book concludes that to become and stay competitive, cities need to strive to reduce the cost of doing business by improving services, infrastructure, and re...

Small scale producers in developing countries lack easy access to efficient logistics services. They are faced with long distances from both domestic and international markets. Unless they consolidate their trade volumes they face high costs which diminish their ability to trade. However the process of consolidation is not without cost nor does it occur on its own accord. As a result the consolidation is typically handled by intermediaries. Using case studies of sisal and soybean supply chain...

In addition to providing the reader with a thorough overview of the trends in HR strategies and practice and the challenges faced by HR executives in Latin America, this book also explores cultural issues critical to conducting business and understanding human resource management in this region.Structured in two distinct parts, Davila and Elvira's comprehensive book moves from a general overview of the economic, managerial and leadership styles found in Latin America to the current...

Latin America today presents a dynamic but challenging business landscape. Although foreign investment in the region has risen, Asia’s increasing role in the global economy is a challenge to Latin America’s competitiveness. At the same time, Translatina firms – Latin American trans-national companies – continue to grow in capital and influence.This original collection explores the tensions between the strategic HRM policies demanded by global competition and local approaches rooted...

This book analyzes the adverse effects of globalization and liberalization — acutely manifest in the increased financialization of capital and the concomitant global financial crisis of 2008–09 — on the labour force, especially in the developing countries. Drawing upon case studies from several countries including India, Columbia, Malawi, Brazil and Thailand, it highlights the worsening plight of working class as a whole and informal labour in particular. The essays examine issues such as ...

Explores the impact of country and firm specific factors, the role of institutions and governments, the strive for compensation of initial disadvantages and the struggle in finding ways to counterbalance late coming into the international arena in the process of internationalization.

This publication presents tools and techniques for measuring service delivery in health and education and people's experiences from the field in deploying these methods. It begins by providing an introduction to the different methodological tools available for evaluating the performance of the health and education sectors. Country specific experiences are then explored to highlight lessons on the challenges, advantages and disadvantages of using different techniques to measure quality in...

Western business owners and managers are increasingly interested in doing business in Mexico. Yet few have thoroughly investigated the country's business climate and culture. This collection of new essays by contributors who work in and research the business culture of Mexico takes a combined academic and real-world look at the country's vibrant and dynamic commerce. Topics include business and the government, conceptions of time, Mexican entrepreneurialism and the place of women in busine...

This volume is the result of the 2012 International Economic Association's series of roundtables on the theme of Industrial Policy. The first, 'New Thinking on Industrial Policy,' was hosted by the World Bank in Washington, D.C, and the second, 'New Thinking on Industrial Policy: Implications for Africa,' was held in Pretoria, South Africa.