Exploring strategies in the transportation and logistics industry in Latin America.

摘要

The implementation of profitable strategies requires an understanding of complex aspects such as cultural issues, politics, legal issues, economic systems, and technology transfer. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to understand the lived experiences of managers working toward the implementation of business strategies in the transportation and logistics industry in Latin America. The results reflect the experiences of a limited purposive sample of integrator and freight forwarder executives responsible for the implementation of strategies in Latin America. The data collection included indepth interviews with six integrators and six freight forwarders in the United States, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Mexico. The themes discovered included: leadership style, people development, understanding customer needs, regulations, culture, knowledge, flexibility, strategies, political, customized solutions, market share, cost model, customer service, and market intelligence. The findings revealed the importance of effective leadership when dealing with multiple challenges, including customer needs, regulations, culture, and political risk. The study revealed the leadership style favored in Latin America is transformational or charismatic. The level of people development promotes the creation of value-added solutions to support customer needs. The participants acknowledged doing business in Latin America was a cultural shock due to a lack of cultural training. A lack of flexibility and market intelligence affect the competitive positioning of multinational corporations doing business in Latin America. Recommendations include conducting a case study to gain in-depth understanding of customs regulations and government regulations and control imposed on the transportation industry.