Improving Marketing Competitiveness And Innovative Strengthening Through SMEs

Taiwan has been known for its effective policies and positive economic impact on the development of SMEs in that country.  Recognizing the importance of the role that government can play in the development of SMEs, Costa Rica has started developing policies to strengthen its SMEs.  Both countries rely heavily on SMEs to contribute to their productive capacities.  The parallel between Taiwan and Costa Rica presented indicates that the success Taiwan has had in strengthening SMEs may be useful for Costa Rica as it moves to the initial stages of strengthening SMEs

Strategically Enhancing Business Capabilities And Social Development In The Hispanic Community

Hurricane Katrina displaced more than one million people while destroying or badly disrupting more than 40% of Louisiana’s economic base. Thousands of small businesses ceased to exist. The socio-economic damage in the U.S. appears without precedent. The growing Hispanic population in southeast Louisiana presents a unique and distinctive socio-economic challenge. As Hispanics move into the region in large numbers seeking economic opportunities, specific needs are emerging. A variety of work and social skills must be developed and nurtured. Business skills and guidance must be offered.  These needs must be recognized and addressed to facilitate a holistic assimilation of a growing Hispanic population into southeast Louisiana and develop a strong and literate workforce.  The Hispanic Business Resources & Technology Center (HBRTC) was created by the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Louisiana (HCCL) in alliance with The Hispanic Apostolate Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, The Jefferson Parish School System, and Southeastern Louisiana University, to address the post-Katrina crisis in the New Orleans region and to address needs of Hispanic families and businesses.  The HBRTC is the first of its kind in the State of Louisiana to specifically address the myriad needs of the developing Hispanic workforce and community in Louisiana

Strategically Strengthening The Software Export Sector: A Benchmarking Comparison Of National Experience

Software as a product for export has proven to be a major economic engine in several economies, including those of India and Ireland.  Current development efforts underway in Costa Rica by a variety of firms contribute to the potential for software development to become a key export sector in the Costa Rican economy.  However, potential roadblocks in the form of governmental restrictions could impair the sector’s promise and inhibit the growth the sector is capable of encouraging.  In order to identify strategic priorities to strengthen the software export sector, a comparative study of the situation in Costa Rica and key factors for successful software export are discerned.  Heeks and Nicholson (2002) investigated three countries noted for their success with software exports: India, Ireland and Israel.  Success variables previously identified by researchers were analyzed by Heeks and Nicholson, producing five key factor dimensions identified as contributing to the success of those three economies.  It is these five key factor dimensions on which Costa Rica’s current situation are assessed

Enhancing Multilingual Capability Among Hispanics

Hispanics are the country’s largest and fastest growing minority, but they are not an easily identified racial or ethnic group (Pew Hispanic Center, Trends 2005). In 2000, the U.S. Census reported 32.8 million Hispanics or Latinos in the United States, representing 12% of the total population. By 2004, the Hispanic population was estimated to have grown to over 40 million, an increase of more than 23% in just four years. The largest increase in the Hispanic population is occurring in the southern United States (Pew Hispanic Center). Paralleling the growth of the Hispanic population, the Hispanic labor force will expand to nearly 10 million by 2020 (Pew Hispanic Center).  Language barriers and cultural sensitivities need to be addressed for optimal inclusion of this force in the U.S. The dramatic expansion of the Latino population in the State of Louisiana emphasizes the importance of this group, both socially and culturally.  At the same time it presents new challenges and demands a real approach for addressing the languages barriers and the cultural sensitivities inherent in such a socioeconomic shift

Enhancing Business Students International Capabilities Through Global Education Programs

Today, the development of a global vision is the cornerstone that guarantees personal, economic and social development, improves competitiveness, and strengthens democracy. Future business professionals will need to understand international business patterns and cultures in order to successfully work in corporations in either the United States or abroad. One way to achieve these goals is through the use of study abroad programs.  Study abroad programs develop cross-cultural awareness as well as the interpersonal and professional skills necessary to operate in a changing business environment.A common perception of North Americans is that they are in general ethnocentric and resist efforts to internationalize. While this may or may not be true for all those who reside in the United States, it is undeniable that future college graduates require a better education in international business and cross-cultural differences. The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business International (AACSB) has risen to this challenge by requiring participating schools to include a global perspective in their business education programs. In accordance with AACSB accreditation, colleges and universities must incorporate into their mission a focus on “strong and growing global economic forces” (AACSB Standards for Business Accreditation, 1991). For business schools, this entails covering topics that convey to students the United States’ role in the global environment and understanding economic and cultural dynamics that play a role in transactions between businesses in other countries. Teaching the intricacies of international business law and the difficulties associated with marketing to individuals of a different language cause can lead to a diminished learning environment in traditional classroom settings. In response to AACSB’s charge to improve education on international issues, some schools have stepped out of the classroom and literally moved courses into the global marketplace (Pretzels & Curico, 1996). This paper discusses the rationale for experiential education programs, the benefits of these initiatives to students, and current trends in international study abroad programs

Going It Alone: Developing An Independent Study Abroad Program

With a greater focus on internationalization, today’s business students are encouraged to participate in study abroad programs.  For smaller, regional business programs seeking a quality study abroad program, faculty and administrators may view “piggybacking” onto existing programs of larger universities as their only viable option.  However, piggyback participation in external programs may require that a university forsake its own standards and objectives, and accept the objectives of other study abroad programs.   Building on the experiences of one university’s study abroad program for MBAs, the idea that piggybacking onto other schools is the only means of creating a high quality international experience for students is rejected

Impacts Of Exchange Rate Fluctuations And Government Debt On Economic Performance For A Latin American Country

Applying the autoregressive conditional heteroskedascity (ARCH) model as developed by Professor Robert F. Engle (1982, 2001) and based on a 1970-2002 sample, real GDP was found positively affected by the peso depreciation, the U.S. economy, real M2 money, government spending and the expected inflation rate, and negatively influenced by government debt.  The gradual recovery of the U.S. economy is expected to help the Colombian economy.  An increase in government spending helps raise real output, but increasing government debt to finance rising budget deficits would reduce national output

Assessing Leadership And Entrepreneurial Capabilities In A Latin American Youth Program

PEGE has now ended its third year.  PEGE, a program that encourages students to become contributing members of Society upon graduation from high school instills in participants the tools, techniques and mindset of an entrepreneur.  The program initially implemented in an English speaking school located in Bogotá, Colombia is beginning to spread to other schools.  Students in the program have evaluated the program and its impact and are uniformly satisfied with the program and recognize its value

Inclusion Needs Of 3.0 Students In Latin America

Recent changes in information and communication technologies offer people unprecedented opportunities to generate and share knowledge. Currently, inclusion refers to equal opportunities for the 3.0 person and it is not limited to special physical needs or reducing the digital divide.  Faced with this reality, universities, in general must transform themselves. Open universities, in particular, will have to renovate themselves and build the scenarios required by new students. This research paper explores distance learning students’ new inclusion needs and proposes four strategies to attend them

Revisiting The Software Industry In Costa Rica: Achievements And Challenges

Costa Rica's economy like that of many developing and developed nations is largely service-based. The information and communication technologies (ICT) sector plays an increasingly key role in strengthening the service aspect of the economy.  A large part of the ICT sector is the software sector. This study is an update of a review of that sector’s contributions conducted in 2008.  In that effort, software producers’ characteristics and needs were investigated. The current article investigates the evolution of the sector and its competitive position in the business sector. The study is national in scope and represents a random sample of firms in the industry. The findings highlight the achievements and remaining challenges for the industry and provide public policy recommendations