This book explores the emergence and evolution of family firms throughout Latin America, from the colonial period to the modern day. In the course of Latin American history, institutions evolved to create order and reduce the uncertainty of the market. Using institutional change theory, social capital theory in organizational settings and resource-based view as organizing frameworks, the authors show how differences among family business in the region developed by examining the influx of foreign settlers, the shift from state-owned enterprises to privatized family business groups, and the effect of globalization. This text, presenting cases of family firms across several countries, offers entrepreneurship scholars a fresh perspective of a neglected region. 

Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter 2. The syncretism (the first wave): The first family businesses in the region
Chapter 3. First migration flows (the second wave): A new culture of family businesses
Chapter 4. Mapping the formation of the family group (the third wave): From state[1]owned companies to large family group
Chapter 5. The new wave of global family entrepreneurs (the fourth wave)
Chapter 6. Conclusions, lessons learned and new avenues for further research.