Abstract or Keywords
Despite the increasing economic importance of the Latin American region and its growing involvement in global trade, business studies involving emerging markets such as Brazil are rare. Cross-country academic studies tend to concentrate on developed regions such as North America and Europe, and more recently Asia, while ignoring countries in Africa and South America. Brazil, in particular, has been under a global spotlight as a BRIC member for the last decade and continues to draw attention as a significant player in world trade and as an attractive option for multinational expansion and foreign direct investment. Despite controversies, the host country to the World Cup in 2014 and summer Olympics in 2016 is likely to continue to establish its presence internationally and solidify its importance in international business. The Brazilian market is becoming increasingly middle class, and a recent surge in purchasing power has contributed to the country’s growing demand for goods and services and larger appetite for foreign goods. And yet, Brazil remains practically unknown in the global academic research arena.