The main objective of this investigation is to describe the current landscape of Industry 4.0 in Costa Rica. Industry 4.0 is a combination of technologies, such as robotics, big data, the Internet of Things (IoT), and artificial intelligence (AI). Latin America has mostly focused on the development of IoT technology. Costa Rica ranks second in terms of IoT implementation, with a strong focus on environmentally sustainable innovations.
New technologies emerge daily, and the IoT is among these technologies. Thus, after comparing Costa Rica with other countries and regions, there are several areas of opportunity to upscale these revolutionary technologies beyond the IoT. The government of Costa Rica and local businesses should work on a joint roadmap to upskill the population on using these technologies. Additionally, this research provides resources and opportunities for experimentation through design thinking, allowing more innovation creation based on trial and error to find the best solutions to implement to add value.
Rural tourism represents a social innovative approach with a goal to conserve natural biodiversity where local communities showcase their cultural heritage and biodiversity. Though, it entails more than just visiting an all-inclusive hotel, it requires a holistic business approach that is conscious of the current tourist market demands. These approaches must make the best use of internet-connected gadgets to transmit data, which is translated into transformative actions, with the objective of improving systems adaptability. However, in Costa Rica, tourism accounts for over a quarter of its total export revenue, especially ecotourism as the most significant form of economic tourism activity. This research analyzes the administrative model of eco-friendly-self-sustainable hotels in rural areas of Costa Rica. Additionally, rural tourism also helps to protect the environment and improve livelihoods of communities. Costa Rica has enormous and innumerable opportunities to develop eco-friendly tourism. There are many reasons why we can think of developing this kind of business within the country’s strategic development plans, such as geographical location, natural resources, social and political factors.
Purpose:This research seeks to investigate whether a remote working model has become a key factor influencing talent retention strategies during the covid-19 pandemic. Research Methodology:A mixed research methodology was applied following the grounded theory of conceptualization to assess data associations and explain their relationships. A situational analysis of relevant research related to the topic was conducted. Primary data collection included a total of 12 interviews issued to Human Resource personnel in the service industry and a survey to 115 people aged between 20-30 years who due to the covid-19 pandemic remain working remotely. Findings: We found out that 45% of people consider remote working as key when deciding on a new job. However much remote working has rapidly picked up momentum, managers still need to work on their management skills to enhance high-quality talent retention strategies and competitive advantage. Research limitations: We only focused on 17.47% of the labor force in the service industry who are between 20-30 years and due to covid-19 pandemic remain working remotely. However, most service industries had already implemented remote working models before the pandemic. Future research should include these companies as well and expand on the population scope. Practical Implications: The results could be used by managers to optimize productivity, efficiency and improve company talent retention strategies. Additionally, it offers employees work-balance benefits to consider for future jobs. Originality/Value: Remote working, talent retention strategies, and the service industry have been extensively researched. However, covid-19 influences a lot of these models and applicability especially in the service industry, unfortunately, it has been less explored.
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