Archive for May, 2008

Interviews

Interview to Félix Luna

SABF Board Member

Félix Luna

The SABF had the honour of having Félix Luna, a renown argentinian historian and writer, answer some questions referred to his vision of Southamerican Institutions. It is worth noticing that Luna has worked as professor of “History of Institutions” in the University of Buenos Aires, and also received the Konex prize for “Historical Biographies” in 1994.

SABF: What institutions do you consider key for the regional integration of South America? How could they be strengthened?

F.L.: I believe that the key institutions for regional integration and other progress purposes should be from the private sphere, and at the same time, they should come from a democratic context.

SABF: In what aspects do you consider that the lack of institutuionality affects the country’s development?

F.L.: The development of any country is affected by the lack of institutionality, if you consider the confidence that the country has to offer. A country without institutions, or with weak ones, is a country you cannot trust.



SABF: What is the influence of the formation of leaders in achieving institutional empowerment?

F.L.: Forming leaders in different areas is instrumental for institutional empowering, since they are the ones who must lead with the example when it comes to respecting the rules of institutionality.

SABF: What do you think can university students do to achieve the institutional empowerment?

F.L.: University students must be the first guardians of institucional empowerment, since the university itself will be strengthened by a clear institucional system. 

 

The SABF team would like to thank Félix Luna for having taken the time to share his knowledge and opinions with us. 

SABF News

Registration for SABF 2008 has ended

SABF Board Member

We are very glad to announce that more than 1200 students have registered at our site showing the increasing interest in the South American Business Forum.

We would like to thank all those young students who expressed their interest and enthusiasm! We consider very important to emphasize the effort and time invested by the applicants when writing their essays!

Every applicant will be informed of the jury´s decision via e-mail during the first days of June, 2008.

If you have any doubt, don’t hesitate to contact us: students@sabf.org.ar.

SABF News

Final weekend to Apply for SABF 2008

SABF Board Member

Have you started to write your essay? The application deadline is this Sunday, May 11th at 24.00 hs. (Time of Argentina)… But you still have got time, take advantage of the weekend! We do encourage you to participate in this amazing opportunity. You won´t have the opportunity to share ideas hand in hand with such outstanding people and students from around the world every day in such a wonderful city as Buenos Aires!!

Don´t forget you must choose one of the three sub-topics that come from the main topic “Empowering Agents of Change” which engage issues like institutions, entrepreneurship and resources. In the The Forum section of our web-page you will find a description of each sub-topic. To avoid any kind of inconvenience, we recommend not to wait until the last moment to submit your essay. Remember you may change all the information submitted (even the essay) until the application deadline.

The essay is the main piece of the evaluation process made by the jury in order to select the 100 participants. Remember that the essay extension goes from 1200 to 1600 words and all kind of figures, statistics or graphics that allow deeper analysis may be included. Remember NOT to include your name in the essay document. Do you need more information about the characteristic of the essay? Visit the Register section of our web site!

If you have any doubts, you already know that you can send us an email to students@sabf.org.ar. The entire Student Relations Department is waiting for your inquiries! =)

Miscellaneous

Agents of Change: A tool for leaders and Entrepreneurs

This post was written by Martín Zaffignani, Executive Partner of Easy Training Choice.

 

 

The purpose of this article is to briefly compare the Leader, Entrepreneur and Change Agent concepts.  It also intends to suggest and generate debate on what would be the practical approach for these three elements to interact with each other and consequently, obtain successful change processes and/or transformations.  Its final goal is to review at a high level the behaviour and abilities of those three previously mentioned roles, and most of all, to highlight the breaking though opportunity and obvious benefits of having the right Change Agents.

 

Beginning arbitrarily, one can point out that a Leader is the one who has a position of power and responsibility among other people:  he is acknowledged as such by the rest.  To exemplify, one could say that teachers, researchers, directors or managers, doctors, coaches, legislators, etc all of them take decisions that affect a certain group of people.  All of them foster change.

 

Determining whether a leader is good or bad is a subjective dimension that should be solved by each affected group of people.  Thus, it is convenient to focus on evaluating the leader´s effectiveness and efficiency that is, how he/she meets the specific objective in time and place.  This allows us to be more objective and to provide tools to construct a framework more applicable and/or more replicable.  Following this line of thought, it could also be added the analysis of quality and the time devoted to prepare the field for future changes that is, the leader´s vision.

 

In this way:  analysing the effectiveness, efficiency and the vision, one can evaluate and adjust the actions defined by the leader in order to change the status quo and transform it.

 

An Entrepreneur, from my point of view, is one type of leader.  Despite of having most of the competences of the latter, he/she lacks of wide or predetermined acknowledgement:  he has a specific position of power which he himself has built.  The Entrepreneur has an important and rare doses of perseverance and ambition, which makes him/her stand out from the status quo he sometimes unconsciously changes:  both levels (micro and macro.)

 

His/her decision taking process is permanent and he/she deals with it thoroughly and with great attention, like a Leader.  He/she is constantly in contact with the outside world detecting opportunities and threats in the short and mid run.

 

None of the roles mentioned previously are easy to carry out.  To be a leader and/or an Entrepreneur is a tempting task, but at the same time it is not simple.

 

In both cases, one of the key points of success is the way Leaders and Entrepreneurs interact with other people:  they supervise, make bonds, hire people, share their knowledge, etc.  In other words and in a broad sense, they do this with their team.

 

This last point helps me focus on the third role mentioned: Change Agent.

 

A Change Agent also share some of the characteristics Leaders and Entrepreneurs have, but basically he/she is a person who “operatively” helps a new context in an organization or any given “system” to take place.  Of course, the implementation of this new context includes, reaching the performance levels and/or the specific objectives defined.  A good Change Agent accomplishes his/her mission not only efficiently but effectively.

 

There are Change Agents in different positions within the Organization and there are various challenges they lead.  To be a Change Agent, it is more important to have true and accurate skills than to have a position or a certain type of previous technical knowledge.  This is so because within the transformational processes, there are different variables and dimensions to consider and negotiate, which go beyond any daily routine.  It could be mentioned:  material resources, money (budget), groups of people with different profiles and knowledge, synergy of effort, risk and mitigation factors, unforeseen issues and hazards.

 

Some change processes to be mentioned are:  the implementation of a new machine, a specific law, a new research technique, or the opening of a new course of studies at college.  This will require from the Change Agent to:

 

  • Understand and seize the purpose of the change.
  • Know the main changes or differences that the new context will bring.
  • Efficiently coordinate an action plan.
  • Carry out communication, negotiation and/or training activities.
  • Supervise the right participation and involvement on the part of the key groups or people.
  • Capitalize and communicate the partial or final benefits obtained.

 

To accomplish such challenges, Change Agents negotiate – as we have already mentioned – different variables, and in order to do that, they rely on at least these characteristics and skills:

 

  • They easily understand the connection between the strategic objectives of the process of change and each one of the plans or assigned activities.
  • They like hand-on experience:  they enjoy implementing solutions and seeing with their own eyes how something which was previously thought and planned has been effectively carried out;  they also have this feeling of “urgency”.
  • They tend to be passionate (not necessarily extroverted) with the tasks or activities they perform.  They are happy with the job they have, but this does not mean they are conformists.
  • Needless to say, they are down-to-earth and mature people which distinguishes them from the rest.
  • They know their limits: they know when, how and to whom ask for help.
  • They are acknowledged by the rest of the group.
  • The have the skills to negotiate projects: they can prioritize, delegate, control, reward, and punish.
  • They show results.

 

One of the many advantages of having this type of people is that it is a pleasure to work with them:  they tend to be loyal, honorable with simple and transparent codes.  Another benefit thought this is less evident is that those Change Agents who are well taken care of automatically stand out as a model of conduct to be followed by the rest of the group.

 

To conclude this first draft, I believe that one of the challenges Leaders and Entrepreneurs face is to identify, motivate, help to develop and keep: Change Agents.  This will make your company not only successful, but also long lasting and (ambitiously thinking) better with the passing of time.

Miscellaneous

What is Peru?

 

This article was written by Mary Laura Delgado Montes. She is a SABF´s delegate at Universidad Nacional de San Agustín in Peru

You’ve heard of Caral, the Nazca Lines, the Lord of Sipán, the ruins of Chavin de Huántar, Cápac Ñan (The Highways of the Incas) or perhaps even of Machu Picchu. The Peruvians are children of a country which has a rich natural and cultural history; a country which contained the Caral civilization, one of the oldest of the world, just as it was the home of the Incan Empire, which was the largest state in pre-Columbian America.

Peru’s geography varies from the arid plains of the Pacific coast, to the peaks of the Andes Mountains and even to the tropical jungle of the Amazon region, characteristics which give her a wide variety of natural resources. Each region is unique and has its own economic activities, but in general Peru has three axes of development. Mining is by tradition the motor which drives the Peruvian economy (Peru ranks second in the world in the production of copper and zinc, first in the production of silver and fifth in gold). The axes of its farming and tourist industries offer great potential for future prosperity.

Somebody once said that “Peru is a beggar seated on a bench of gold.” Judging by the current situation you might say he was right, because currently in Peru there is a high level of poverty, a lot of corruption, quite a few “informal” businesses, and a high mortality rate for new businesses. All of these problems are the results of different factors, factors which are improving slowly. A hopeful sign is the fact that the FMI (International Monetary Fund) raised to 7% its projection of annual growth within the Peruvian economy, a level which places Peru next to Argentina.

This year Peru is the headquarters of a forum where leaders, ministers and specialists from 21 different economies will meet. These economies represent 50% of the world population. The Forum of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) a unique, nongovernmental, world-class association which works on nonbinding commitments through open dialog and mutual respect for the viewpoints of all the participants. APEC does not impose contractual obligations; its decisions are made through consensus and its commitments are voluntary.

APEC has as its agenda the goals of Bogor, that is, free trade and investment in the region, with a goal of 2010 for the industrialized countries, and 2020 for those economies yet in development. For this year’s meetings Peru has proposed the primary theme of “A New Commitment for the Development of the Asian-Pacific Region.” The objective is to arrive at a consensus and an integrated strategy which will promote the sustainable development of the region and share its benefits among the members, through the active participation of governments, international financial institutions and the private sector.

If our political leaders are acting, we cannot just stand around and watch. As has been well said in the SABF, “we don’t have to wait to be professionals to achieve change.” We are the rulers of our own worlds, the world of Mary, the world of Georgina, the world of Alejandro… But these worlds don’t revolve around each of us, because that would be selfishness, rather these worlds spin around the development of humanity, of your country, of your city, of your school, of your family and of your neighbor.

Particularly in my School, we note the weaknesses in the students and in the professors. The problem is not that we lack the brains, (remember Caral, and the Incas…), but rather the problem is that we act like our own gods in regard to our own abilities. And what are we doing about it? Well, as a student of Industrial Engineering I belong to a team called the “Organizational Intelligence Unit.” This team is a group of university students who share the objective of raising the competitiveness of the School. “How?” you ask. Well, ingenuity is a part of us so we suggest different projects to achieve change. Using different communication tools (the magazine, the virtual classroom, the blog, tri-fold pamphlets, the web page…) we find that while change may not be easy, it is not impossible.

Every change requires a period of transition during which nothing is clear and nobody is satisfied. Our vision, persistence, teamwork and leadership are indispensable. In order that the change last, we must change and reinforce both cultures and systems.

If one works for change all by himself the effort is pretty much in vain; together it’s much easier. A long time ago Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile, Ecuador and Colombia were united by the highways of the Incas. Are we united today?

SABF News

Start feeling the SABF spirit!

The South American Business Forum offers its participants the opportunity to learn from the most prominent leaders from academic, political and intellectual spheres.

To start feeling the spirit of the SABF, the following are some of the speakers that will be participating in the SABF this year. They are selected by their outstanding career, prestige, values and integrity.

  • Douglas Casey – Economist, Best seller financial author, International investor
  • Alex Bottan – President & Regional Executive, General Electric
  • José Luis Espert – Economist
  • Pablo Devoto – President, Nestlé Argentina
  • Rob Britton – Advisor to the Chairman and former Managing Director of Brand Development & Advertising, American Airlines
  • Pablo Bereciartua – Executive Director, Center of Strategic Studies for Sustainable Development (CEEDS)
  • Ignacio Lartirigoyen – Director, Semillera Lartirigoyen
  • Rafael Alcaraz – Professor, Instituto Tecnológico de Monterrey
  • Juan Carlos Lucas – Director, Innova Consulting
  • Juan Martín de la Serna – Vicepresident, Mercado Libre
  • Laura Gé – President, Consultora Integration Cono Sur

We hope you can participate in the SABF this year! You won’t have the opportunity to share ideas hand in hand with such outstanding people every day. You have less than a week to complete your application. Don’t let this opportunity get away!

Current Affairs

Food for thought: Entrepreneurship in classrooms?

This post was written by Nino Makatsaria. She’s a student at Caucasus University in Georgia

I came across the article in NY post “A Classroom Path to Entrepreneurship”, that talked about the correct way of entrepreneurship teaching methods in colleges and universities. The article summarized the success story of Kansas based Professor Buzza who in his course of entrepreneurship gave his class the real world assignment and tied in classroom learning along with extracurricular activities on entrepreneurship. The, basic idea of the article was that, the entrepreneurship in colleges should not be taught purely in a traditional classroom with lectures and theoretical approaches, instead it should be a mix of the traditional classroom lectures, with business relevance and real world case studies on entrepreneurship. The article was very interesting and to tell the truth I agree with the idea of the article completely, and I think not only entrepreneurship, but most of the business courses, should contain some real world experiences or at least case study analysis methods, to make it more interesting for students…

But, this is not the point of this blog here, in the article, I noticed very interesting sentence, a fact actually, which I am sure, if read by US citizens or some other citizens of developed countries or even you my SABF blog readers, might have gone unnoticed, but from me, the person who comes from Georgia and who has undergone the post socialist high school and the university teaching courses/methods, this was a very interesting fact for me, that later that day, evolved as a food for thought on things that needs to be modified at least in post soviet countries education system:

“According to the Kauffman Foundation in Kansas City, Mo., more than 2,000 colleges and universities now offer at least a class and often an entire course of study in entrepreneurship.”

Comment: In my country, there does not exist even a book on entrepreneurship on university’s library book shelves, not to mention classes of whole semester courses!

Dear readers, think through the above noted sentences for several minutes??Have you thought through???
If yes, there is another food for thought: The US, according to reports, shows the highest levels of early-stage entrepreneurship activity (that are the entrepreneurs involved in setting up the business/ and or owner manager of new business) in the high income countries, sharing the third place, after the Iceland and Hong Kong, whereas Russia ( and I guess if research was conducted in Georgia we would have had same results as we all share post soviet countries system left overs), is the third from the last. The US, where market is quite saturated compared to HongKong and Iceland, and thus the achievable market growth is substantially lower as well, still holds the third place in early-stage of entrepreneurial activities than those of developing countries, where, if looked in terms of the economy, there should be more early stage entrepreneurial activities due to the market opportunities and ease of entrance on those markets. It should be noted also, that I researched the class offerings of Hong Kong and Iceland universities, and they also do offer, substantial classes, courses in entrepreneurship and small business management.

So, I think now, everyone gets my point now?..

- If not here it is: Encouraging entrepreneurship through educational systems can yield a positive return to your country in terms growth in number of early entrepreneurial activities, which in turn will contribute to country’s economic growth through new business creation, creation of new jobs, intensification of the competition and enhancement of the productivity of the country!