Doing Business In The New Latin America: A Guide To Cultures, Practices, And Opportunities

By Thomas H. Becker

From Tijuana to Tierra del Fuego, Latin America is remarkably misunderstood, often viewed merely as a source of cheap labor, where corrupt politicians and drug lords run rampant. As a result,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0275981320
• ISBN13: 9780275981327
• Release Date: November 2004
• Publisher: Praeger Pub Text
• Length: 266 Pages
• Weight: 1.42 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.3" x 1.0" x 6.3"

Customer Reviews

Holistic Overview of the Latin American Business Landscape

Dr. Becker obviously knows Latin America -- from the beginning of the book, where he makes some critical, but often little-known distinctions about Latin America, the author establishes solid credibility about his knowledge of the region and his passion for its culture and people. I do not have an economic development background and I am not an entrepreneur, but I love Latin America. I have traveled in several of its countries and some day may wish to work again for an organization that does business there. I read this book in part to validate and build upon some of the professional experiences I have had in the region. I also read the book to get a sense of resources I can find to help me find companies who may be doing business there. The most important lesson I really learned came early in the book when he makes a distinction between common law and civil law and describes how differences between these legal systems have impacted the United States and Latin America respectively -- I really see how the structure of the legal system, in addition to several other demographic and cultural influences, has really characterized both region's resulting histories. I was less interested in how to set-up and pursue business in the region, but I was fascinated with the negotiation tips he gave. The book dates from 2004, so it would also be interesting to see if some of his predictions about transparency and modernization have actually come to pass. In short, I recommend the book for anyone looking to get his feet wet in the region or who has interest in the region and would enjoy a holistic account of how to maneuver oneself as an American businessman in the Latin American region, or domestically with the U.S. Hispanic population.

Hands-on tips to make the deal happen, lively writing

Thanks for a book that spells out how to find prospects, convert them to customers and still get paid. As marketing manager of a company that does not have bottomless pockets, large staff, or endless amounts of time, this book probably has rescued me from taking some very expensive, frustrating and time-consuming wrong turns.

Excellent Book

A very interesting, well-written book. It covers both the current status of business and business needs in latin america and also the cultural aspects of doing business there. Most books cover one topic or the other. This one blends both into a good read. Gives good, practical tips on negotiation techniques, dealing with the government bureaucracy, impression mangement, marketing to latin american consumers and business leaders, etc. Makes you think of dealing with the latin american market from a whole new perspective. Buy it if you are thinking about doing business in latin america or even if you are already there.

Small USA based business exploring Latin America for opportunity

Thanks to Dr. Becker for explaining in practical and action oriented detail the growth opportunities in Latin America for my small USA based company. After stumbling onto our first Mexican client, my team and I thought we better learn more about how Latin American business operates. Becker clearly highlights the economic and cultural factors that shape doing business in the region, as well as provides many "real-world" tips on how to spot opportunities, avoid pitfalls, and develop long term, profitable customers. An excellent book that provides current market intelligence on Latin America in an easy-to-read form. Chris Slocum

Must read. Must re-read. Must recommend to others.

I highly recommend this book for anyone doing business in Latin America. I recently expanded my business into Central and South America and was desperately in need of education regarding the business practices and social customs of these new markets. I am usually more critical in my reviews, but Doing Business in the New Latin America exceeded my expectations tenfold, so please forgive my enthusiasm. I was expecting a dry and analytical tome in the style of the two other books I had already read: Winning Strategies for the New Latin Markets and Latin America's Economy: Diversity, Trends, and Conflicts. These books were beneficial in their own way, but Doing Business in the New Latin America is in an entirely different league. With only six chapters and 236 pages, you might think that the scope of the subject matter would be limited, but Thomas Becker has managed to cover every base by presenting only the most cogent and relevant material. This book is written with a casual professionalism--I felt as if I were having a conversation with a well-informed friend. Topics that elsewhere are lackluster and uninspired are here presented with enthusiasm and even humor. This book was actually fun to read. I began speed-reading the text, but quickly found so much worthy content that I finished the book word-for-word. My second time through, I marked up the pages for later reference, only to discover that I marked up almost every page so much that my business partner had to order his own copy. The chapter: Using Cultural Literacy to Hone Your Competitive Edge (alone worth the price of the book and the investment of time) explains not only the current and relevant customs and rituals of Latins, but gives them context by explaining the origins and evolution of those customs. I found these stories to be as fascinating as they were useful. I was horrified to learn that many of my new Latin relationships were already tainted by numerous easily-avoided faux pas and that I had missed opportunities that this book made clear to me. Still, my business has only begun to capitalize on this vast new market and the lessons I learned in this book will, I'm certain, be incredibly beneficial. The entertaining quality of this book does not overshadow its pragmatism. There are negotiating and selling tips (that are contrary to anything you've ever learned in the U.S.), communication methods, risk avoidance strategies, management practices, and brilliant applications of old-fashioned business approaches to an entirely new market. I particularly enjoyed the contrasts between the business styles and social norms of our two cultures, often presented in crystal-clear tabular format. I was surprised to learn, for instance, that the U.S. fascination with individualism is not well received in Latin America, where collectivism is the norm, especially among workers. The comprehensive index makes this book an excellent reference source. A Latin associate mentioned guayabe