Local Business and International Business: Innovation as a Key Component of the International Strategy of Colombian Firms

This chapter outlines the key aspect adressed in the panel regarding the consolidation of business and industries in the local markets and the international expansio

The cross-country measurement invariance of the Business Cultural Intelligence Quotient (BCIQ)

Cultural intelligence (CQ) has been regarded as a key factor in international business success. A recently validated scale, the Business Cultural Intelligence Quotient (BCIQ), refines the CQ concept by applying it exclusively to the business context. The BCIQ aims at predicting long-term cross-cultural success using a combination of CQ factors, cognitive features, and measurable independent variables (Alon et al., 2016b). Using the multigroup exploratory factor analysis approach, we found low measurement invariance for the (BCIQ) instrument across eight countries (Austria, Chile, Colombia, Greece, Philippines, Poland, Spain, and Venezuela). Global knowledge was included as a covariate in the invariance test. We found that type of performance is related to some BCIQ dimensions in our multicountry sample of professionals. Our results provide additional evidence about the construct validity of the BCIQ and its appropriateness for cross-cultural applications. By knowing that the BCIQ is a reliable cross-cultural instrument for the measurement of CQ applied to the business context, managers can benefit by identifying the right individuals for international business assignments. © 2018, © The Author(s) 2017

Cas d’entreprise: La stratégie de croissance de comercializadora inducascos S.A] [Caso empresarial: A estratégia de crescimento de comercializadora inducascos S.A] [Caso empresarial: La estrategia de crecimiento de comercializadora inducascos S.A

Comercializadora Inducascos S.A. started operations in 1998 in the city of Medellin-Colombia, after going through various difficulties such as financial failures, bankruptcy, limited infrastructure and a small number of employees. I nducascos is now catalogued as a medium enterprise for the local context, because of the great volume of manufactured and commercialized helmets. Part of its growth strategy is based on the diversity of its product portfolio and a commercial structure that enables the presence of the company’s products in every segment of the Colombian market. The growth in motorcycles sales in Colombia, due to the Chinese motorcycle boom since 2005 in the country, and the evolution of regulations concerning helmets use, have contributed to the exponential increase of sales volumes since its creation. This case describes the decision making process of the founder Ramiro Agudelo, which results in the and internationalitation strategy of the company. © 2015, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. All rights reserved

Education-Related Factors in Cultural Intelligence Development: A Colombian Study

This article reports the results of a study inquiring about the role of education-related factors in the development of cultural intelligence. Five hundred fifty-seven students of a Colombian international business (IB) undergraduate program participated in the study. The psychometric properties of the measures were assessed by conducting exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and by calculating the corresponding reliability coefficients. T-tests and ANOVA analyses were carried out to test the hypotheses of the study. The results of the study suggest that second language proficiency, multicultural team membership, and participation in curricular and extracurricular activities promote the development of the cultural intelligence of undergraduate IB students

Standards certifcations and exports performance: Evidence form the Processed food industry in Colombia

The integration of the world economy and the internationalization of companies have resulted in consumers' demand for high quality goods. Standards have emerged as a way of reducing the information asymmetries that consumers face when purchasing a produc

Estimation of spatio-temporal recharge of aquifers in mountainous karst terrains: Application to Sierra de las Nieves (Spain)

We describe a method for estimating the daily, spatially distributed recharge of aquifers in mountainous karst terrains using a water balance. Water recharge into an aquifer is a highly variable process over both time and space. Many methods have been developed to assess aquifer recharge although most have been applied to detrital aquifers. Many karst aquifers, especially in Mediterranean areas, occur in mountainous environments where rainfall and evapotranspiration can vary considerably over space and time and where there are usually few rainfall and temperature monitoring stations. We have used an advanced geostatistical method to estimate daily rainfall and temperature. The method involves kriging with an external drift using a climatological semi-variogram model inferred by modified maximum-likelihood. The depth of the soil-epikarst layer is estimated from remote sensing and terrain analysis data together with field observations and electrical resistivity tomography. Because of the karst nature of the mountainous terrain, concentrated infiltration is allowed for in some places. The parameters are calibrated against the cumulative discharge of various springs. The method is illustrated by a case study of the Sierra de las Nieves aquifer in the mountainous karst region of southern Spain. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.E. Pardo-Igúzquiza, J.J. Durán-Valsero, P.A. Dowd, C. Guardiola-Albert, C. Liñan-Baena, P.A. Robledo-Ardil

Estimation of spatio-temporal recharge of aquifers in mountainous karst terrains: application to Sierra de las Nieves (Spain)

We describe a method for estimating the daily, spatially distributed recharge of aquifers in mountainous karst terrains using a water balance. Water recharge into an aquifer is a highly variable process over both time and space. Many methods have been developed to assess aquifer recharge although most have been applied to detrital aquifers. Many karst aquifers, especially in Mediterranean areas, occur in mountainous environments where rainfall and evapotranspiration can vary considerably over space and time and where there are usually few rainfall and temperature monitoring stations. We have used an advanced geostatistical method to estimate daily rainfall and temperature. The method involves kriging with an external drift using a climatological semi-variogram model inferred by modified maximum-likelihood. The depth of the soil–epikarst layer is estimated from remote sensing and terrain analysis data together with field observations and electrical resistivity tomography. Because of the karst nature of the mountainous terrain, concentrated infiltration is allowed for in some places. The parameters are calibrated against the cumulative discharge of various springs. The method is illustrated by a case study of the Sierra de las Nieves aquifer in the mountainous karst region of southern Spain.Instituto Geológico y Minero de España, EspañaFaculty of Engineering, Computer and Mathematical Sciences, University of Adelaide, AustraliaDepartamento de Geología, Universidad de Málaga, Españ

Genomic Landscape of Primary Resistance to Osimertinib Among Hispanic Patients with EGFR-Mutant Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): Results of an Observational Longitudinal Cohort Study

Background: Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations (EGFRm) represent one of the most common genomic alterations identified among patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Several targeted agents for patients with EGFRm have been proven safe and effective, including the third-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) osimertinib. Nonetheless, some patients will present with or develop EGFR-TKI resistance mechanisms. Objective: We characterized the genomic landscape of primary resistance to osimertinib among Hispanic patients with EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Methods: An observational longitudinal cohort study was conducted with two groups of patients, those with intrinsic resistance (cohort A) and those with long-term survival (cohort B). All patients were treated and followed between January 2018 and May 2022. All patients were assessed for Programmed Cell Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression and Bcl-2-like protein 11 (BIM)/AXL mRNA expression before starting TKI. After 8 weeks of treatment, a liquid biopsy was performed to determine the presence of circulating free DNA (cfDNA), and next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to identify mutations at the time of progression. In both cohorts, overall response rate (ORR), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were evaluated. Results: We found a homogeneous distribution of EGFR-sensitizing mutations in both cohorts. For cohort A, exon 21 mutations were more common than exon 19 deletions (ex19dels) for cohort B (P = 0.0001). The reported ORR for osimertinib was 6.3% and 100% for cohorts A and B, respectively (P = 0.0001). PFS was significantly higher in cohort B (27.4 months vs. 3.1 months; P = 0.0001) and ex19del patients versus L858R (24.5 months, 95% confidence interval [CI] 18.2-NR), vs. 7.6 months, 95% CI 4.8-21.1; P = 0.001). OS was considerably lower for cohort A (20.1 months vs. 36.0 months; P = 0.0001) and was better for patients with ex19del, no brain metastasis, and low tumor mutation burden. At the time of progression, more mutations were found in cohort A, identifying off-target alterations more frequently, including TP53, RAS, and RB1. Conclusion: EGFR-independent alterations are common among patients with primary resistance to osimertinib and significantly impact PFS and OS. Our results suggest that among Hispanic patients, other variables associated with intrinsic resistance include the number of commutations, high levels AXL mRNA, and low levels of BIM mRNA, T790M de novo, EGFR p.L858R presence, and a high tumoral mutational burden