The Role of Flagship Firms, External Actors and Support Institutions in the Emergence of Successful Export Activities in Brazil: Two Industrial Cluster Studies

This paper examines the process by which firms in a cluster start to export based on systemic interactions and the process of diffusion of exporting as a business strategy within the cluster. Two Brazilian manufacturing industries are studied, and within each one a geographic cluster was identified as the origin of dynamic export growth. Players in each industrial cluster, as well as other significant players, were interviewed or identified using secondary sources, and extensive secondary data research was undertaken to study clusters’ historical development. Detailed analysis and a comparison of the two experiences made it possible to draw some general conclusions concerning the similarities and differences between the two clusters in terms of the adoption and diffusion of exporting.Cluster, Exports, Innovation, Brazil

The Emergence of New and Successful Export Activities in Brazil: Four Case Studies from the Manufacturing and the Agricultural Sector

This paper investigates the emergence of new successful export activities in Brazil through the analysis of four industry case studies: furniture, swimwear, soybeans and grapes. Extensive secondary data research was done to study industries’ historical development and to understand the elements that affect the discovery of new export-oriented activities and their diffusion in the economy. Detailed analysis was carried out to identify the role of public sector in the discovery and diffusion process, if any. Comparison of the four experiences show different models of diffusion and demonstrate how barriers to discovery, spillovers and institutions responses varied dramatically among the cases. The paper tries to extract some general conclusions concerning the role of pioneer firms, external actors and public sector institutions. Some lessons learned are presented aiming to help policymakers to design positive policy interventions in Latin America countries.

Challenging the Uppsala Internationalization Model: a Contingent Approach to the Internationalization of Services

Some authors have questioned whether the well-known Uppsala internationalization model would be generalizable to services. We take one of the model’s assumptions – that firms will follow a gradually increasing resource commitment path in each country – and challenge whether it would hold up under specific service characteristics or particular combinations of environmental variables and service characteristics. We review the literature in search of more appropriate dimensions for the classification of services that would allow for the test of the Uppsala model’s assumption. Based on purely conceptual reasoning, supported by previous empirical studies, we propose some hypotheses about how service firms would be expected to behave – in terms of their choice of foreign entry mode - under certain circumstances and what the performance implications would be expected to be. These hypotheses are contrary to the Uppsala model’s predictions. This paper is solelyconceptual, so the key constructs (environment and service-specific variables) would still require operationalization before the hypotheses can be empirically tested

Equivalência de escalas de distância psíquica de item único: um teste no Brasil

Despite the broad acceptance of the concept of psychic distance, problems related to measuring the construct have persisted in empirical studies. Although researchers have developed and used a variety of instruments, no study has, thus far, concerned itself with making a comparative evaluation for the purpose of assessing their equivalence. The present study sought to evaluate several single-item scales to measure psychic distance as a summary construct. Four data collection instruments in the literature were identified, and applied to a final sample of 365 university students. Approximately one fourth of the sample answered each questionnaire. A range of statistical tests were carried out in order to identify the features of the respective instruments as well as to assess their equivalence and validity. The results enabled to compare features and showed that only two of the instruments produced equivalent results. All of the scales correlated strongly; however, the performance of the scales in the tests did vary. The Stöttinger and Schlegelmilch (1998) scale has the capacity to be used with a greater range of statistical tests and presented superior results in practically all of the tests carried out. It is the scale recommended to researchers wishing to utilize single-item measures of psychic distance.Key words: psychic distance, measurement scales, summary construct, single-item scales.Apesar da ampla aceitação do conceito de distância psíquica, ainda persistem problemas relativos à medição do construto. Embora os pesquisadores tenham desenvolvido e utilizado vários instrumentos, nenhum estudo, até o momento, preocupou-se em realizar uma avaliação comparativa com o propósito de verificar a equivalência das escalas. O presente estudo procurou contribuir para a avaliação de diversos instrumentos que utilizam escala única para medir a distância psíquica como construto-síntese. Quatro instrumentos de coleta de dados foram identificados na literatura e aplicados a uma amostra final de 365 universitários. Aproximadamente um quarto da amostra respondeu a cada questionário. Diversos testes estatísticos foram utilizados para identificar as características de cada instrumento assim como para avaliar sua equivalência e validade. Os resultados obtidos permitiram comparar as características, mostrando que apenas dois instrumentos produziram resultados equivalentes. Todas as escalas se mostraram fortemente correlacionadas, mas o desempenho das escalas nos testes mostrou variações. A escala de Stöttinger e Schlegelmilch (1998) pode ser utilizada em grande variedade de testes estatísticos e apresentou resultados superiores em praticamente todos os testes realizados. Trata-se, portanto, da escala mais recomendada aos pesquisadores que desejarem utilizar uma medida de item único de distância psíquica.Palavras-chave: distância psíquica, escalas de medida, construto-síntese, escalas de item único

Respuestas estratégicas a la turbulencia ambiental: un estudio de cuatro "clusters" exportadores brasileños

This paper investigates strategic responses to the global economic crisis that began in 2008, combined with the appreciation of the local currency and the intensification of Asian competition, of four Brazilian clusters comprised of producers and exporters of traditional manufactured products, with different levels of export intensity (footwear, furniture, wines and beachwear). The data were obtained from personal interviews with various actors (entrepreneurs, industry experts, government agents and members of local associations) and a wide range of secondary sources. The clusters present different responses depending on their degree of dependence on external markets, the possibility of redirecting production to domestic markets and level of cooperation.Este artículo investiga las respuestas estratégicas a la crisis económica mundial que comenzó en 2008, junto con la apreciación de la moneda local y la intensificación de la competencia asiática, de cuatro clusters brasileños formados por productores y exportadores de productos manufacturados tradicionales, con diferentes niveles de intensidad de exportación (calzado, muebles, vinos y ropa de playa). Los datos se obtuvieron a partir de entrevistas personales con diversos actores (empresarios, expertos de la industria, agentes gubernamentales y miembros de asociaciones locales) y una amplia gama de fuentes secundarias. Los clusters presentan diferentes respuestas dependiendo de su grado de dependencia de los mercados externos, la posibilidad de reorientar la producción hacia los mercados internos y el nivel de cooperación

A Questão da Metodologia na Investigação Científica do Desenvolvimento Humano

The present paper aims at presenting and discussing the main characteristics and contemporary tendenciesconcerning methodological issues related to scientific research in developmental psychology. From a sociocultural constructivistcritical perspective, we argue that methodological issues necessarily imply in complex interconnections between theory andmethods, as well as point at the fundamental role played by epistemological assumptions. Therefore, constructs traditionallyused in psychology such as "data" and "variables" are here analyzed in terms of their contribution to knowledge constructionwithin the realms of developmental psychology, particularly when development is defined as change processes instead ofchange outcomes. We propose that the traditional dichotomy between quantitative and qualitative methods should be overcome,due to the necessary intrinsic connections between research questions and methodological options. The potential representedby microgenetic methodologies to approach the investigation of developmental processes is here emphasized, andillustrated by references to an empirical study carried out by our research team.O presente artigo visa discutir as principais características e tendências atuais da metodologia de pesquisa na área do desenvolvimento humano. A partir de uma perspectiva socio-cultural construtivista, analisa-se a necessidade de que a questão metodológica seja concebida no contexto das relações entre teoria e método, destacando-se o papel fundamental da explicitação epistemológica nos projetos de investigação científica. O significado de construtos tradicionalmente utilizados pela psicologia tais como "dados" e "variáveis" são aqui examinados em termos da construção do conhecimento na psicologia do desenvolvimento, particularmente quando desenvolvimento é concebido como processo, e não resultado, dos processos de mudança. Enfatiza-se, igualmente, a necessidade da superação da tradicional dicotomia entre métodos quantitativos e qualita­tivos, ressaltando-se a sua adequação em função das questões a serem investigadas. O valor da metodologia microgenética para o estudo dos processos de desenvolvimento é aqui analisado, sendo ilustrado pela apresentação de trechos de um estudo empírico realizado em nosso laboratóri

Comportamento Empreendedor de Empresas Maduras na Internacionalização: Evidências de um Setor de Alta Tecnologia

The study investigates the international trajectories of leading entrepreneurial firms in the Brazilian software industry using an international entrepreneurship perspective. The following research question guided the study: How does a mature entrepreneurial firm’s international expansion evolve and how does it differ from a typical international new venture’s path? The research adopts the case study method of investigation. The study analyzes three cases of leading high-tech Brazilian firms in the software development industry, whose internationalization processes occurred at least ten years after inception. The analysis uses a cross-case comparison, followed by a pattern-matching analysis with the extant literature on international new ventures and born globals. The results show that the late internationalization of the mature entrepreneurial firms examined in this study differs markedly from that of INVs or BGs on the following aspects: risk taking, competitive strategies, international vision since inception and entrepreneur´s previous international experience. Nevertheless, the two types of firm have in common innovativeness, proactiveness and networking capabilities.O estudo investiga as trajetórias internacionais de empresas empreendedoras líderes na indústria brasileira de software, sob a perspectiva do empreendedorismo internacional. A seguinte pergunta de pesquisa guiou o estudo: Como ocorre a expansão internacional de uma empresa empreendedora madura e como se diferencia de uma típica trajetória de novos empreendimentos internacionais (INVs)? A pesquisa adota como método de investigação o estudo de caso. São analisados três casos de empresas líderes de alta tecnologia brasileiras no setor de desenvolvimento de software, cuja internacionalização ocorre pelo menos dez anos após sua fundação. A análise utiliza a comparação entre casos seguida pela comparação com os padrões apresentados na literatura sobre novos empreendimentos internacionais e born globals. Os resultados mostram que a internacionalização tardia das firmas empreendedoras maduras, examinadas no presente estudo, difere substancialmente das INVs e BGs nos seguintes aspectos: aceitação de riscos, estratégias competitivas, visão internacional desde a fundação e experiência internacional do fundador. No entanto, os dois tipos de empresas têm em comum a inovatividade, a atitude proativa e o uso de redes na internacionalização