Gonzalo Rivas - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Gonzalo Rivas

The Transformation of Research in the South

El incremento en la productividad no ha sido un factor que haya contribuido de manera significati... more El incremento en la productividad no ha sido un factor que haya contribuido de manera significativa al crecimiento de Costa Rica. En parte, ello se puede explicar por el magro desempeno que el pais presenta en materia de innovacion. En este texto se efetua un diagnostico de las principales debilidades del sistema institucional de apoyo publico a la innovacion en el pais, mostrando que existen importantes espacios de mejora. Luego se presenta un conjunto de recomendaciones en orden a mejorar el ordenamiento y el funcionamiento de la institucionalidad del sector, y una propuesta de instrumentos publicos para impulsar de manera mas decidida la innovacion en el pais, particularmente de parte del sector privado.

Research Papers in Economics, 2014

O conjunto dos capitulos deste trabalho aponta e elabora importantes alternativas de politica cap... more O conjunto dos capitulos deste trabalho aponta e elabora importantes alternativas de politica capazes de retomar e sustentar novas formas desenvolvimento apropriadas, coesas e duradouras. Ao mesmo tempo, instiga e mobiliza reflexoes sobre a relevância, tanto de aprendermos e acumularmos conhecimentos com experiencias passadas, como de sermos capazes de vislumbrar novas possibilidades, modelos e instrumentos de politicas.

The results of Chile's profound economic liberalizations remain the subject of ongoing debate... more The results of Chile's profound economic liberalizations remain the subject of ongoing debate. Using the Total Factor Productivity approach (TFP); we review the industrial sector performance during the 1975-1988 period. Our analysis shows that greater competitiveness dictated by economic liberalization was not accomplished through technical change but, rather, through intensive factor use (1976-81), or extensive factor use (1984-88). After exhaustion of the "easy phase", new levels of productive efficiency necessitated technical innovation, that is, investment in equipment, training. and reorganization of productive processes. However, after the 1982-83 crisis, firms did not follow this path: previous financial stress and low wage costs determined a growth path based on extensive use of labor, thereby delaying technological modernization of the industrial sector.

Base de dados : LILACS. Pesquisa : 392658 [Identificador único]. Referências encontradas : 1 [ref... more Base de dados : LILACS. Pesquisa : 392658 [Identificador único]. Referências encontradas : 1 [refinar]. Mostrando: 1 .. 1 no formato [Detalhado]. página 1 de 1, 1 / 1, LILACS, seleciona. para imprimir. experimental, Documentos relacionados. Id: 392658. Autor: Rivas, Gonzalo. ...

Diversos paises de America Latina y el Caribe se encuentran impulsando politicas de estimulo al e... more Diversos paises de America Latina y el Caribe se encuentran impulsando politicas de estimulo al emprendimiento dinamico. A partir de la revision de iniciativas desarrolladas en Brasil, Chile y Uruguay, que otorgan apoyo en las distintas fases de evolucion de los emprendimientos, se extraen lecciones tentativas tanto sobre la pertinencia de las distintas intervenciones como sobre el diseno de las mismas. El bajo impacto que hasta el momento han tenido las intervenciones publicas en este plano llama a interrogarse sobre la pertinencia de estas politicas para los paises de la region y sobre el orden en que debieran ponerse en practica las distintas intervenciones. En particular, se pone de manifiesto que en condiciones de baja intensidad de la actividad de innovacion el desarrollo de fondos de capital de riesgo, que apoyen empresas en fases tempranas, se enfrenta a severas dificultades por la ausencia de un flujo de proyectos suficientemente atractivos. La sustitucion de la iniciativa ...

Resumen Este documento aborda la situacion de la Banca de Desarrollo en Chile, particularmente en... more Resumen Este documento aborda la situacion de la Banca de Desarrollo en Chile, particularmente en su contribucion a superar los problemas de financiamiento de las pequenas y medianas empresas. Primero se presenta un diagnostico de las acciones actuales en la materia, para luego concentrarse en posibles mejoramientos de las intervenciones, asi como areas en las que la Banca de Desarrollo podria hacer nuevos aportes. La conclusion es que Chile ha usado, y usa, intensamente este mecanismo, y que existe un amplio abanico de acciones que tendria sentido emprender. La presencia de fuertes prejuicios en contra del concepto de Banca de Desarrollo actua, sin embargo, como un freno para un debate serio e informado sobre el tema en el pais.

Research Papers in Economics, 2006

This publication represents a first step in positioning the Inter-American Development Bank as a ... more This publication represents a first step in positioning the Inter-American Development Bank as a focal point of information on knowledge-related activities in its borrowing member countries. It presents in a consolidated way a set of available and internationally comparable indicators that map the performance of Latin America and the Caribbean countries in the three most important areas of the emerging knowledge economy: education, science and technology (S&T), and information and communication technology (ICT) and benchmarks this performance against that of other advanced and developing countries.

Arias, and Stein, 2014), presented a thorough examination of the potential role of productive dev... more Arias, and Stein, 2014), presented a thorough examination of the potential role of productive development policies (PDPs) as tools to close the productivity gap that increasingly separates Latin America and the Caribbean from developed and converging economies. Public-private collaboration was identified as a key requirement for successful PDPs, and so a follow-up volume, Two to Tango: Public-Private Collaboration for Productive Development Policies (Fernández-Arias et al., 2016), delved into this subject. Twenty-five examples of mostly successful public-private collaboration were examined in an effort to identify the key features that can render such collaboration successful from a productive development point of view. Perhaps surprisingly, we found that successful PDPs in general, and examples of successful public-private collaboration for PDPs, could be found in many countries, including some in which the overall performance of the public sector is not particularly good, and in which overall productivity growth has been quite disappointing. In this discovery we found reasons for hope. We did not think of these cases as the exceptions that prove the rule but, rather, as examples that prove that the rule can be broken. Success in productive development is not unheard of in our region. It is just not common enough. Not surprisingly, strong, highly capable productive development agencies were found in all successful examples. Given the proper mix of technical, organizational and political capabilities, or TOP capabilities for short, many agencies not only showed themselves up to the tough challenges of PDPs, but also, and perhaps more importantly, they were able to become increasingly good at them. xii Building Capabilities for Productive Development Highly effective productive development agencies, however, are not the norm in the region. This naturally led to the question of how such highcapability agencies and institutions can be developed. This book provides some preliminary answers, based on detailed analysis of 17 different cases in Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Uruguay. Our research suggests that a combination of institutional design features, what we call an enabling environment, and good, agency-level practices can lead to more capable agencies with an ability to learn, which in turn can make successful PDPs more common. In terms of enabling conditions, it turns out that room for experimentation is crucial. Experimentation, however, will necessarily entail some failures. An agency does not become better at its job shielding itself from the possibility of failures, but by making sure to learn from them. A combination of operational flexibility (something closer to privatesector operational rules than to traditional central government rules) and protection from short-term, partisan political pressures, along with competence, credibility, and the ability to recruit and retain top talent complete the enabling conditions. An important note on talent recruitment and retention is that compensation is only part of the equation, and frequently not the most important one. A sense of mission, of being part of something important, of working in a highly effective organization, and knowing that working in an agency will enhance rather than reduce career opportunities later on seem more important, and harder to achieve. Turning to good practices, our results convincingly show that there is no one way to arrive at successful PDPs and any such notion should be dismissed from the outset. Capabilities can be acquired by hiring those who possess them; they can be developed internally, through training, participation in international knowledge and practice networks, mentoring and other methods; and they can also be expanded by integration with other agencies and organizations that have complementary skills. Similarly, successful PDPs require no particular level of political support. Support from the highest political level has proven indispensable in some cases, while in others it all but guarantees that a program will not survive a change in administration. In still other cases, support from local authorities and public agencies working alongside private sector organizations has proven essential for long-term policy stability. Goal orientation and a deep-seated organizational desire to accomplish something meaningful are nearly universal features of successful organizations. And this sense of mission, this commitment to high performance standards xiii Foreword is, more often than not, the result of the efforts of policy entrepreneurs and high-caliber leadership at the top of successful agencies. We all want the recipe for success-a recipe that could be applied anywhere, independently of the individuals heading an organization at any given time. But our results suggest that high-quality leaders are essential. If that is the case, agencies need not rely on good luck to acquire outstanding leaders. Recruitment practices can be deliberately designed to increase the likelihood of hiring exceptional leadership. However, a note of caution: without the correct enabling conditions discussed above, no leader can be effective. Moreover, in certain environments high-quality leadership may be scarce and this supply side constraint cannot be eased by good recruitment practices. Training, mentoring, and recruitment outside the local or national economy may need to be considered in those cases. Finally, good leadership may be irreplaceable, but any organization worth its salt should try to turn capabilities that are originally brought in by individuals into capabilities that reside in the organization. Many tools are available for this purpose, among them the institutionalization of good, but flexible, practices; mentoring; ensuring that individual capabilities are shared; and pairing of new recruits with seasoned veterans. Exceptional leadership, brought from the outside if necessary, may be necessary to jump start a high performance, high capability productive development agency. However, really good agencies eventually should be able to grow high-caliber leadership and ensure the smooth transfer of institutional knowledge internally.

Innovation and Inclusion in Latin America, 2016

Most Latin American economies have a limited degree of innovation. Regardless of the indicator us... more Most Latin American economies have a limited degree of innovation. Regardless of the indicator used, comparisons of the reality of the region to the more developed countries show substantial differences that have grown larger over time, rather than diminishing. Even more worrisome, however, are that the gaps vis-a-vis other emerging economies—especially in Asia—have widened as well.

Los estudios que han permitido la elaboración del libro han sido realizados por consultores nacio... more Los estudios que han permitido la elaboración del libro han sido realizados por consultores nacionales.

Doubts exist in many Latin American countries regarding the possibility of successfully implement... more Doubts exist in many Latin American countries regarding the possibility of successfully implementing policies to support productive development. After briefly presenting the theoretical background that justifies this kind of interventions, this document reports on the headway made in the development of criteria to guide the implementation of such policies - the area that has been poorly developed in the experience

En los últimos años, el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo ha jugado un papel muy activo en la pr... more En los últimos años, el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo ha jugado un papel muy activo en la promoción de la competitividad de la región. Esta lógica se basa en el supuesto de que las empresas, cooperando entre ellas y con instituciones públicas y privadas, pueden desarrollar ventajas competitivas que serían imposibles de alcanzar en forma aislada. En este documento nos

El incremento en la productividad no ha sido un factor que haya contribuido de manera significati... more El incremento en la productividad no ha sido un factor que haya contribuido de manera significativa al crecimiento de Costa Rica. En parte, ello se puede explicar por el magro desempeño que el país presenta en materia de innovación. En este texto se efetúa un ...

The Transformation of Research in the South

El incremento en la productividad no ha sido un factor que haya contribuido de manera significati... more El incremento en la productividad no ha sido un factor que haya contribuido de manera significativa al crecimiento de Costa Rica. En parte, ello se puede explicar por el magro desempeno que el pais presenta en materia de innovacion. En este texto se efetua un diagnostico de las principales debilidades del sistema institucional de apoyo publico a la innovacion en el pais, mostrando que existen importantes espacios de mejora. Luego se presenta un conjunto de recomendaciones en orden a mejorar el ordenamiento y el funcionamiento de la institucionalidad del sector, y una propuesta de instrumentos publicos para impulsar de manera mas decidida la innovacion en el pais, particularmente de parte del sector privado.

Research Papers in Economics, 2014

O conjunto dos capitulos deste trabalho aponta e elabora importantes alternativas de politica cap... more O conjunto dos capitulos deste trabalho aponta e elabora importantes alternativas de politica capazes de retomar e sustentar novas formas desenvolvimento apropriadas, coesas e duradouras. Ao mesmo tempo, instiga e mobiliza reflexoes sobre a relevância, tanto de aprendermos e acumularmos conhecimentos com experiencias passadas, como de sermos capazes de vislumbrar novas possibilidades, modelos e instrumentos de politicas.

The results of Chile's profound economic liberalizations remain the subject of ongoing debate... more The results of Chile's profound economic liberalizations remain the subject of ongoing debate. Using the Total Factor Productivity approach (TFP); we review the industrial sector performance during the 1975-1988 period. Our analysis shows that greater competitiveness dictated by economic liberalization was not accomplished through technical change but, rather, through intensive factor use (1976-81), or extensive factor use (1984-88). After exhaustion of the "easy phase", new levels of productive efficiency necessitated technical innovation, that is, investment in equipment, training. and reorganization of productive processes. However, after the 1982-83 crisis, firms did not follow this path: previous financial stress and low wage costs determined a growth path based on extensive use of labor, thereby delaying technological modernization of the industrial sector.

Base de dados : LILACS. Pesquisa : 392658 [Identificador único]. Referências encontradas : 1 [ref... more Base de dados : LILACS. Pesquisa : 392658 [Identificador único]. Referências encontradas : 1 [refinar]. Mostrando: 1 .. 1 no formato [Detalhado]. página 1 de 1, 1 / 1, LILACS, seleciona. para imprimir. experimental, Documentos relacionados. Id: 392658. Autor: Rivas, Gonzalo. ...

Diversos paises de America Latina y el Caribe se encuentran impulsando politicas de estimulo al e... more Diversos paises de America Latina y el Caribe se encuentran impulsando politicas de estimulo al emprendimiento dinamico. A partir de la revision de iniciativas desarrolladas en Brasil, Chile y Uruguay, que otorgan apoyo en las distintas fases de evolucion de los emprendimientos, se extraen lecciones tentativas tanto sobre la pertinencia de las distintas intervenciones como sobre el diseno de las mismas. El bajo impacto que hasta el momento han tenido las intervenciones publicas en este plano llama a interrogarse sobre la pertinencia de estas politicas para los paises de la region y sobre el orden en que debieran ponerse en practica las distintas intervenciones. En particular, se pone de manifiesto que en condiciones de baja intensidad de la actividad de innovacion el desarrollo de fondos de capital de riesgo, que apoyen empresas en fases tempranas, se enfrenta a severas dificultades por la ausencia de un flujo de proyectos suficientemente atractivos. La sustitucion de la iniciativa ...

Resumen Este documento aborda la situacion de la Banca de Desarrollo en Chile, particularmente en... more Resumen Este documento aborda la situacion de la Banca de Desarrollo en Chile, particularmente en su contribucion a superar los problemas de financiamiento de las pequenas y medianas empresas. Primero se presenta un diagnostico de las acciones actuales en la materia, para luego concentrarse en posibles mejoramientos de las intervenciones, asi como areas en las que la Banca de Desarrollo podria hacer nuevos aportes. La conclusion es que Chile ha usado, y usa, intensamente este mecanismo, y que existe un amplio abanico de acciones que tendria sentido emprender. La presencia de fuertes prejuicios en contra del concepto de Banca de Desarrollo actua, sin embargo, como un freno para un debate serio e informado sobre el tema en el pais.

Research Papers in Economics, 2006

This publication represents a first step in positioning the Inter-American Development Bank as a ... more This publication represents a first step in positioning the Inter-American Development Bank as a focal point of information on knowledge-related activities in its borrowing member countries. It presents in a consolidated way a set of available and internationally comparable indicators that map the performance of Latin America and the Caribbean countries in the three most important areas of the emerging knowledge economy: education, science and technology (S&T), and information and communication technology (ICT) and benchmarks this performance against that of other advanced and developing countries.

Arias, and Stein, 2014), presented a thorough examination of the potential role of productive dev... more Arias, and Stein, 2014), presented a thorough examination of the potential role of productive development policies (PDPs) as tools to close the productivity gap that increasingly separates Latin America and the Caribbean from developed and converging economies. Public-private collaboration was identified as a key requirement for successful PDPs, and so a follow-up volume, Two to Tango: Public-Private Collaboration for Productive Development Policies (Fernández-Arias et al., 2016), delved into this subject. Twenty-five examples of mostly successful public-private collaboration were examined in an effort to identify the key features that can render such collaboration successful from a productive development point of view. Perhaps surprisingly, we found that successful PDPs in general, and examples of successful public-private collaboration for PDPs, could be found in many countries, including some in which the overall performance of the public sector is not particularly good, and in which overall productivity growth has been quite disappointing. In this discovery we found reasons for hope. We did not think of these cases as the exceptions that prove the rule but, rather, as examples that prove that the rule can be broken. Success in productive development is not unheard of in our region. It is just not common enough. Not surprisingly, strong, highly capable productive development agencies were found in all successful examples. Given the proper mix of technical, organizational and political capabilities, or TOP capabilities for short, many agencies not only showed themselves up to the tough challenges of PDPs, but also, and perhaps more importantly, they were able to become increasingly good at them. xii Building Capabilities for Productive Development Highly effective productive development agencies, however, are not the norm in the region. This naturally led to the question of how such highcapability agencies and institutions can be developed. This book provides some preliminary answers, based on detailed analysis of 17 different cases in Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, and Uruguay. Our research suggests that a combination of institutional design features, what we call an enabling environment, and good, agency-level practices can lead to more capable agencies with an ability to learn, which in turn can make successful PDPs more common. In terms of enabling conditions, it turns out that room for experimentation is crucial. Experimentation, however, will necessarily entail some failures. An agency does not become better at its job shielding itself from the possibility of failures, but by making sure to learn from them. A combination of operational flexibility (something closer to privatesector operational rules than to traditional central government rules) and protection from short-term, partisan political pressures, along with competence, credibility, and the ability to recruit and retain top talent complete the enabling conditions. An important note on talent recruitment and retention is that compensation is only part of the equation, and frequently not the most important one. A sense of mission, of being part of something important, of working in a highly effective organization, and knowing that working in an agency will enhance rather than reduce career opportunities later on seem more important, and harder to achieve. Turning to good practices, our results convincingly show that there is no one way to arrive at successful PDPs and any such notion should be dismissed from the outset. Capabilities can be acquired by hiring those who possess them; they can be developed internally, through training, participation in international knowledge and practice networks, mentoring and other methods; and they can also be expanded by integration with other agencies and organizations that have complementary skills. Similarly, successful PDPs require no particular level of political support. Support from the highest political level has proven indispensable in some cases, while in others it all but guarantees that a program will not survive a change in administration. In still other cases, support from local authorities and public agencies working alongside private sector organizations has proven essential for long-term policy stability. Goal orientation and a deep-seated organizational desire to accomplish something meaningful are nearly universal features of successful organizations. And this sense of mission, this commitment to high performance standards xiii Foreword is, more often than not, the result of the efforts of policy entrepreneurs and high-caliber leadership at the top of successful agencies. We all want the recipe for success-a recipe that could be applied anywhere, independently of the individuals heading an organization at any given time. But our results suggest that high-quality leaders are essential. If that is the case, agencies need not rely on good luck to acquire outstanding leaders. Recruitment practices can be deliberately designed to increase the likelihood of hiring exceptional leadership. However, a note of caution: without the correct enabling conditions discussed above, no leader can be effective. Moreover, in certain environments high-quality leadership may be scarce and this supply side constraint cannot be eased by good recruitment practices. Training, mentoring, and recruitment outside the local or national economy may need to be considered in those cases. Finally, good leadership may be irreplaceable, but any organization worth its salt should try to turn capabilities that are originally brought in by individuals into capabilities that reside in the organization. Many tools are available for this purpose, among them the institutionalization of good, but flexible, practices; mentoring; ensuring that individual capabilities are shared; and pairing of new recruits with seasoned veterans. Exceptional leadership, brought from the outside if necessary, may be necessary to jump start a high performance, high capability productive development agency. However, really good agencies eventually should be able to grow high-caliber leadership and ensure the smooth transfer of institutional knowledge internally.

Innovation and Inclusion in Latin America, 2016

Most Latin American economies have a limited degree of innovation. Regardless of the indicator us... more Most Latin American economies have a limited degree of innovation. Regardless of the indicator used, comparisons of the reality of the region to the more developed countries show substantial differences that have grown larger over time, rather than diminishing. Even more worrisome, however, are that the gaps vis-a-vis other emerging economies—especially in Asia—have widened as well.

Los estudios que han permitido la elaboración del libro han sido realizados por consultores nacio... more Los estudios que han permitido la elaboración del libro han sido realizados por consultores nacionales.

Doubts exist in many Latin American countries regarding the possibility of successfully implement... more Doubts exist in many Latin American countries regarding the possibility of successfully implementing policies to support productive development. After briefly presenting the theoretical background that justifies this kind of interventions, this document reports on the headway made in the development of criteria to guide the implementation of such policies - the area that has been poorly developed in the experience

En los últimos años, el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo ha jugado un papel muy activo en la pr... more En los últimos años, el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo ha jugado un papel muy activo en la promoción de la competitividad de la región. Esta lógica se basa en el supuesto de que las empresas, cooperando entre ellas y con instituciones públicas y privadas, pueden desarrollar ventajas competitivas que serían imposibles de alcanzar en forma aislada. En este documento nos

El incremento en la productividad no ha sido un factor que haya contribuido de manera significati... more El incremento en la productividad no ha sido un factor que haya contribuido de manera significativa al crecimiento de Costa Rica. En parte, ello se puede explicar por el magro desempeño que el país presenta en materia de innovación. En este texto se efetúa un ...