The emergence of world-class companies in Chile: Analysis of cases and a framework to assess integration decisions

This study discusses important corporate strategy decisions made by some of the most prosperous companies in Chile within an environment of deregulation and openness to international trade. The study uses a case analysis and develops a basic framework that facilitates the understanding of some of those decisions. The findings contradict, in part, the view that liberalization might favor an entrepreneurial focus and might promote the emergence of intermediaries. The cases in this study show that, despite being in an environment of deregulation and openness, these companies have become world-class through the integration of their business activities.