Sofofa In The First Half Of The 1950s: ¿Transition Or Transformation?

Abstract

The first half of the 1950s was a complex one for Chilean entrepreneurs and their leadership. The acute problems arising from the deterioration of the country’s social and economic conditions and the threat posed by the “populist phase” (1952-1955) of Carlos Ibáñez’s government, had profound repercussions within the “entrepreneurial world” and its organizations. The traditional leadership was challenged by a new generation of emerging leaders who criticized their political strategies, tactics as well as their ideological postures. On this last score, a gradual adherence to the tenets of the “new liberalism” gained momentum. In this article, that process is analyzed from its inception until its culmination in 1955. For analytical purposes the events in SOFOFA–the “beach-head” of the “new liberalism” in Chile- during that period, are taken as a case study.

Keywords: SOFOFA, entrepreneurs, crises, change.