Registration Deadline: 15 June, 2022
Registration Requirements: You must have an active AIB membership in order to register for this event. If you are not a current AIB member or your membership is set to expire before 6 July 2022, please purchase or renew before using our conference registration form.
Conference Theme: Learning from Uncertainty: Building a Resilient and Sustainable Latin America and the Caribbean
Conference Submission Deadline: January 24, 2022 (23:59 EST)
Overview: The discussion of uncertainties in the world has been a persistent agenda in business and academia, involving financial crisis, political instability, institutional changes, and conflicts. A “new normal” usually settles following turmoils and changes the status quo. Although the consequences of some crises are circumscribed to the country where the events originated, others disseminate well beyond borders. The coronavirus pandemic is such a case. Its spread worldwide directly impacted local communities, mainly in health, social, and economic parameters. A “new normal” established an unusual behavior around the world. People are practicing physical and social distancing, using masks and other hygienic products. Traditional businesses started to execute rapid changes related to home-office, e-commerce, or creating innovations and new business models. Traditional universities and schools implemented online and then, hybrid classes while producing new teaching methodologies. Public institutions employed digitalization to continue providing public services to their population. Local governments increased intervention with restrictions of business hours, people’s movement, or even closing borders. All these changes affected economies, social lifestyles, health conditions, consumer behavior, and the way of doing local and global business.
In this way, the current period of uncertainty and a “new normal” scenario bring extraordinary challenges and opportunities to international business researchers, particularly in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). This region has undergone a long history of uncertain times with political-economic instability. At the same time, LAC firms and organizations have developed many competencies to navigate turbulent waters, such as a strong survival instinct, frequent and flexible changes in short periods of time, business model innovation, and an internationalization strategy to offset risk in the home market. But, what about now with this “new normal” situation and uncertainty period? What kind of learning did LAC firms and organizations have during this uncertainty period? How do LAC entrepreneurs, firms and organizations behave? What kind of transformation needs to be done by LAC firms and organizations? What are the challenges and opportunities for LAC entrepreneurs, firms and organizations regarding environmental, social, health, political, and economic issues? What are the strategies adopted by LAC firms to prosper and compete globally? What are the main changes in LAC’s consumer behavior and business models with these uncertain times? Which innovations emerge during this uncertainty period?