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The number of university spin offs in the Spanish University System have increased in the last years. However, these companies still have to face financial and organizational problems, like the lack of management abilities of their founder members. Based on a panel of 72 spin offs created in Spain in the last decade, this paper analyzes the main problems of these companies, and proposes financial and organizational tools to solve some of them. As a result of this previous research, we describe, on the one hand, a series of applied initiatives in organizational design and human resources policies. On the other hand,from afinancial perspective, we propose the use of venture capital resource as potential financial instrument. This paper contributes to increase the data frame of university spin offs in Spain, and proposes new approaches to support the management abilities of entrepreneurs, through the proposal of applied organizational and financial tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many works have analyzed franchising and identified the major research lines regarding the scientific works published until that moment (Elango and Fried, 1997; Díez de Castro and Rondán, 2004). The present paper tries to follow this process. Moreover, it is identified the theories used by researchers to study franchising -agency theory, resource scarcity theory, risk extension theory, contractual theory, transaction cost theory, as well as signaling theory-, and explained its contributions to the literature. Subsequently, four research lines are highlighted in conjunction with main literature about the topic, and emphasized those studies developed by Spanish researchers under the form of papers, conference proceedings, books, book's chapters, as well as dissertations. In doing so, we attempt to offer a whole vision about franchising literature from the 60s up to date. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) researchers focus on the performance of the firms indexed in their field, and they reach different conclusions. This paper analyses if there are differences in financial performance of companies considered as highly socially responsible (those that compose the Spanish sustainability index FTSE4Good IBEX) as well as other IBEX companies not included in that index. We theoretically examine the relationship between a Jinn responsible behaviour and its financial performance. We also make an empirical study to analyse this relationship. The results show that the differential aspects between both groups of companies are market risk variables and debts and size variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper supplies a measure of the degree of firm's innovation performance. This indicator summarizes the impact of technological innovation activities on products, processes and sustainability of the firms. The data set used in this study was drawn up from the 2006 Panel on Technological Innovation (PITEC). The research focuses on firms that carried out a technological innovation from 2004 to 2006. We also show a characterization of Spanish innovative firms using the proposed indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies within the innovation systems perspective have not paid enough attention to the role that Vocational Training (VT) centres and technical workers can play in innovation processes. In this paper we review the recent international literature on the issue and present an exploratory case study carried out in the Northern Spanish region of Navarre, which has a high level of both industrial activity and VT education. The study is based on quantitative and qualitative evidence from industrial SMEs and VT agents. The different types of relationships between VT centres and SMEs are analysed: formal education, in-company work training, hiring of graduates, continuous training, and innovation-related services. Results show that firms have a highly positive perception of VT centres' more 'traditional' missions (graduate education and employability), but more advanced and innovation- related missions have a limited reach right now. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 'country/region of origin is a traditionally used strategy by food companies in order to differenriate their production from each other. Is the origin an useful strategy? Does it lead to differentiate a company's offer? This paper aims to resolve these questions from a theoretical perspective. In addition, a descriptive analysis of Spanish Designation of Origin's ham sector is developed. Such sector comprises only six Designations, so an in-deep analysis of all aspects related to place of origin will be easier [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current context of the so-called "Knowledge-based Economy" higher education institutions should give preferential attention to the new demands of stake holders information. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate the appropriateness of the universities incorporate information on intellectual capital in its current accounting information system. So, an empirical study has been designed to show the extent to which different accounting information users are demanding information on university intellectual capital for adequate decision making. To achieve this goal we designed a questionnaire that was sent to all members of the Social Councils in Spanish public universities. The results obtainedfrom this research show a list of the intangible elements on which universities should provide information in order to satisfy the changing information needs of its users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent Spanish law and regulations have turned gender balance on Boards of Directors into a necessary element to manage in companies. The aim of this paper is to identify the stakeholders demanding such gender balance to companies, according to the Methodology of Mitchell et al. (1997) and Agle et al. (1999). The results sugest the shareholders are the most important group, so it seems that the financial goals continue being a priority. But we also observe that the Government is perceived as a very important stakeholder. Despite managers acknowledge the Government has a lot of power, its importance is explained by urgency and legitimacy attributes. This fact makes us doubting about the effectiveness of any development of a compulsory law, beyond the current one. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we review the concept of corporate social responsibility. Subsequently we analyze the possibilities and problems of the use of benchmarking in CSR by analyzing the latest research that had developed a method of benchmarking. From this analysis we propose a homogeneous indicator that assesses 68 aspects related to the various stakeholders involved in CSR. It also provides information on the importance attached by respondents to these aspects. The results for each of the 5 sectors considered show the areas in which the work in CSR is greatest and others where improvement is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The construction sector has, in Spain, a remarkable importance, due to the contribution to GDP, around 10%, and employment (10%) and the wide business network it includes. The present economic situation and the residential market saturation have led to a sharp contraction in building activity, after a long period of growth. This is, therefore, a good time to perform a structural analysis to identify the determinants of profitability and assess the projection of the companies operating therein. This paper identifies the rules of competition and reasonable business expectations for coming years, using the Model of Five Competitive Forces. This analysis will show opportunities and difficulties for constructors as a tool in making decisions. The success of the strategy will depend on the management of strengths and capabilities, especially in times of change in the competitive environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spain, like Italy, the traditional leader of granite sector, has seen how China, India or Brazil have risen several positions on global production and export rankings. In a globalized context, it's necessary a good differentiation from international competitors, much more when this is a generic product that offers suitable prices and quality. One way to identify and differentiate it, is providing value by creating a brand. In this paper we study the utility of a strategy based on made in for Galicia, major production location for the industry in Spain; an alternative that seems attractive to enterprises, but whose implementation requires strong collaboration between firms and public and private institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companies need to measure brand equity to make the best tactical and strategic decisions related to this intangible asset. Therefore, this paper develops a measure of brand equity using a formative approach. Unlike previous research, this study proposes a second-order formative model and empirically validates this in two countries, Spain and the United Kingdom. With this aim, in addition to carrying out an individual analysis for each country, the measurement invariance is assessed following the recent procedure suggested by Diamantopoulos and Papadopoulos (2010). Results show that brand equity construct is characterised by some variations in its composition in the countries analysed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural innovation programs have been a real shock for certain European regions, because they have represented a huge investment that's needed for proper management to direct some structural funds. In this sense, this paper analyzes the investment of these programs in developing measures to support rural tourism sector, which marked a significant increase in supply at various levels: increasing rural accommodation, the number of beds available for tourists, rehabilitation of heritage, value and recovery of historical elements and the historical, cultural, architectural and natural countryside. The empirical analysis of this study is developed for the region of Castilla-La Mancha, using the latest information available investment under the Shift-share methodology, which identifies the different effects (global, structural and competitive) that these programmes have on these initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pressure exerted by interest groups is one of the main reasons that have led organizations to introduce Environmental Management Systems. Research provides evidence on the existing relationship between Stakeholders' pressure and their influence on business environmental management. The aim of this paper is to analyze 142 Spanish business centers, holders of ISO 14000 and /or EMAS certificates, in order to empirically probe the relationship between different kind of stakeholders and environmental management. We found a significant and positive relationship between stakeholders and environmental management within organizations. Additionally, the analysis clarified the individual influence of stakeholders (normative, organizational and social) on different aspects of environmental management. According to our analysis, this influence varies depending on each type of stakeholder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]