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Innovating Research Methods for Latin American Voices

Puerto Viejo, Limón, Costa Rica September 4–6, 2024.

The INDEEP Latam PhD Academy Camp is an event created by the VIVA Scholars that is focused on qualitative research project design.  Its goal is to support scholars in navigating the pressures of high-level publications, while also addressing the urgent need for impactful actions in marginalized or underdeserved communities of Latin America.

The purpose of this event is to provide a forum for PhD students  and junior scholars to dialogue on topics such as research assumptions, paradigms, theories, concepts, access to data, methodologies, and practical implications in the context of management and organization studies in Latin America and other non-Anglo-American and non-European contexts.

Puerto Viejo, Limón, Costa Rica
September 4–6, 2024.
APPLICATION DEADLINE: June 5, 2024

The PhD students and junior scholars selected for this program will present their research projects and receive feedback and advice on how to conduct research that both appeals to and supports high-level publications that can make impactful contributions to marginalized communities and society at large.

This is a unique opportunity to join a vibrant and diverse community of highly motivated PhD students,  junior scholars and distinguished faculty dedicated to researching Latin America and other non-Anglo-American and non- European contexts contexts. The program is supported by the VIVA Idea Chairs at EGADE Business School of Tecnológico de Monterrey in Mexico and INCAE Business School in Costa Rica.

The INDEEP Latam PhD Academy Camp is a response to the emergent interest of high-level international journals to publish (empirical) studies from underrepresented contexts outside of North America, Europe, and Australia. One example for this intererest is the recent call  by  The Financial Times for publications in outlets such as Journal of Management Studies and Academy of Management Review to include more scholarly voices from the (so-called) Global South. Beyond merely responding to this call, the Camp aims at methodologically challenging the conventional methods used when studying marginalized and under-served communities in these regions. Scholars engaging in this type of research face a two-fold endeavor: to serve the often impoverished and non-Western communities under study and to comply with the expectations of editors and reviewers of academic journals. While a growing body of literature—such as that of decolonial theory—has reflected on such methodological challenges, these discourses are largely theoretical and normative. Thus, they fall short in providing practical advice for how PhD students interested in studying marginalized Latin American communities can navigate the demanding process of developing, executing, and publishing their research projects.

The purpose of this event is to:

  • Provide a forum for dialogue on topics such as underlying research assumptions, paradigms, theories, concepts, access to data of fields, methodologies, and practical implications in the context of management and organization studies in Latin America and other non-Anglo-American and non-European contexts;
  • Give PhD students and junior scholars the opportunity to present their research and receive detailed and specific feedback and advice with a focus on the theoretical and methodological challenges of developing research in marginalized and under-served communities in Latin America and other non-Anglo-American and non-European contexts;
  • Inspire young researchers and provide them with practical tools for engaging in research and fostering their intellectual identity in today’s research landscape, characterized by increasing pressure for both high-level publication and high-level impact; and
  • Build scholarly networks and job opportunities among young and senior researchers and provide career guidance with respect to developing research on marginalized and under-served communities in non-Aglo-American and non-European contexts.

The Programme:

A central component of the event will be the presentation of participating doctoral students’ own research projects, and related discussion. The aim of these presentations is to gain a broad understanding of the implicit or explicit theoretical and methodological challenges involved in developing, executing, and publishing research projects. This is realised with a specific focus through lenses such as decolonial studies, aesthetics, embodiment, and others that reflect the need for innovative approaches to studying Latin America and other non-Anglo-American and non-European contexts.

Invited scholars will introduce essential philosophical, methodological and practical issues surrounding management and business research in Latin America and similar contexts. Furthermore, they will provide knowledge and support for dealing with conceptual and practical challenges associated with some of the innovative research methods that are currently being constructed as a means to genuinely explore these regions. Knowledge and discussions around research, theories and methodologies will be contextualized in relation to studies involving empirical observations and collaborations with marginalized and under-served communities and their liveworldly contexts. Additionally, guidance will be offered on navigating the demanding endeavor of writing for and publishing in highly-ranked academic journals.

The format will consist of site visits, lectures, workshops, and participant presentations, feedbacks and discussions. Lecturing scholars will present on key challenging issues and introduce relevant themes that will then be processed and deepend through interactive sessions to which all participants are expected to contribute. A component of the workshops will be tied to a local Indigenous community.

Institutional support and faculty members:

The INDEEP Latam PhD Academy Camp is supported by the VIVA Idea Chairs at EGADE Business School at Tecnológico de Monterrey and INCAE Business School.

VIVA Idea is a think-action tank focused on connecting research and impact. One way it does this is by fostering spaces where researchers and PhD students can exchange views, projects, methodologies, and dialogues in service of contextualized knowledge, aiming to promote social progress and different forms of sustainable living and position the Latin American voice in the international scientific community. VIVA Scholars—a network of academics from top business schools in the Latin American region, including EGADE (Mexico), INCAE (Costa Rica), Fundação Dom Cabral (Brazil), and IAE Business School (Argentina), and international scholars from other regions interested in developing research projects in Latin America—is one such space.

VIVA Scholars—a network of academics from top business schools in the Latin American region, including EGADE (Mexico), INCAE (Costa Rica), Fundação Dom Cabral (Brazil), and IAE Business School (Argentina), and international scholars from other regions interested in developing research projects in Latin America and other non-Anglo-American and non- European contexts —is one such space, bringing together scholars and experts as well as young researchers and communities.

Confirmed Faculty:

Pablo Fernández

 (Senior editor, Organization Studies), IAE Business School, Argentina

Urs Jäger

INCAE Business School, Costa Rica

Wendelin Kuepers

Karlshochschule University, Germany

Rajiv Maher

EGADE Business School Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico

Heiko Spitzeck

Fundação Dom Cabral, Brazil

Felipe Symmes

EGADE Business School Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico

José Pablo Valverde

 VIVA Idea, Costa Rica

Applications and registration feeds:

Applicants are expected to write a short cover letter (max 3 pages), describing their (research) project, focusing on challenges and problems related to relevant methods and/or theory development and discussing innovative methodological practices for studying marginalized and/or under-served communities in Latin America or other non-Angloamerican contexts. Applicants must also describe their career goals in terms of navigating the pressure of achieving high-level publication while also working to address the urgent need for impactful actions in marginalized or under-served communities in these contexts.

There is no cost to apply, register, or participate, however, students must cover all of their travel, meals and accommodation costs.

Note: Hotel accommodation will be organized through the event.

Applications process:

  1. Click HERE to acces the application form.
  2. Applications must be submitted by no later than June 5, 2024.
  3. The organizing faculty will conduct a double-blind review of all applications.
  4. Applicants will receive a notification.
  5. Information for booking travel and accommodations will be provided.

Please direct questions to: Felipe.symmes@tec.mx
Felipe Symmes, Research professor at EGADE Business School Tecnológico de Monterrey and Chair VIVA Idea Schmidheiny