Vol. 4 No. 3 (2010)

This issue examines the state of International Business Research in Latin America.

It is a special issue, dealing with a relevant and current theme, made possible by the knowledge, thoroughness and dedication of Prof. Álvaro Cuervo-Cazurra (Sonoco International Business Department, Moore School of Business, University of South Carolina and Chair of the Scientific Committee, AIB-LAT Conference 2010). The Managing Committee and the Editorial Board would like to thank him for his magnificent work, and all the editorial work required to identify authors, complete the revision process and accept the requirements established for GCG.
The articles reflect the high level of International Business Research in Latin America, not only for their academic quality, but also for their contribution to the region. The articles in this issue were finalists for the best work at the 2010 Meeting of Latin American Chapter of the Academy of International Business (AIB). They all passed the double revision process at the conference and the assessment of the Guest Editor for this special issue and the Management Committee. This is our guarantee of the high standard of the works published.
This special issue opens with an article by Prof. Cuervo-Cazurra (Chair of the Scientific Committee, AIB-LAT Conference 2010) and Prof. Liberman (Conference Chair, AIB-LAT Conference 2010), in which they assess the state of international business research in Latin America, and present each of the articles. For these two professors, the works cover a range of aspects under the topic in question, and can serve as a laboratory for the identification of new fields of study of companies in other regions. The articles in this special issue reflect the variety of good research which can be done through the study of businesses in Latin America. 

The first three articles examine the behavior of multinational companies. Muritiba, Albuquerque, Bertoia and Frech analyze the influence of psychic distance, a term used to describe a concept including cultural, administrative, economic and geographical distance, on the overseas expansion of multinational companies. Barcellos, Cyrino, Oliveira and Fleury examine the relationship between internationalization and performance in 73 Brazilian companies. Ramsay, Alvim, Forteza and Micheloni review the relationship between internationalization and performance in a study which combines a review of available literature with primary and secondary data. 

The remaining three articles examine the behavior of foreign investors in Latin America. Stringer and Ge study the expansion of two businesses from New Zealand in the agricultural industry in Latin America. Zambaldi, Mascerenhas, Bernardes and Neto analyzed the relationships and behavior of an offshore service provider in Brazil. Finally, Amal, Tomio and Raboch study the determining factors for direct foreign investment (DFI) in Latin America, based on a sample of 27 countries. 

We would once again like to thank all those who make the smooth running of this journal possible: members of the Consultative Committee, Editorial Committee, Editors and Associate Area Editors, evaluators, authors and above all, our readers. 

Editor in Chief