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Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to bring the attention of the intellectual capital (IC) research and practice communities to the value of IC in hotels' efforts to resolve or mitigate environmental problems over time. This research has been set to examine the relationships between key KM and IC concepts including environmental knowledge structures and exploitation and exploration of environmental knowledge (EK) as drivers of environmental organisational learning. The research has also examined the relevance of pro-environmental behavioural intention capital (PEBIC) as a component of structural capital and therefore an integral part of the intellectual capital of hotels. Design/methodology/approach: The data analysis technique used to test the proposed conceptual model is partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM). Sample received from 87 companies from the Spanish hospitality sector in a longitudinal study (six years). Findings: The results support that environmental knowledge structures (exploitation and exploration) has a positive impact on PEBIC over time. In other words, environmental organisational learning has the capability to create structural capital in hotel over time. Originality/value: The research has addressed the challenges of exploration and exploitation of EK and PEBIC from a perspective not previously covered in the extant literature, further improved by the longitudinal nature of this study. Our focus on the hospitality sector makes this research relevant for management structures at numerous of hotels, as well as to their supply chains around the world. In addition, this research highlights the value to create structural capital through EK and organisational learning in the context of take care of our natural resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Banks are the backbone of the financial sector and catalysts in the economic development of any country. Current changes in their global business ecosystem make knowledge of about the fund-supplying and fund-demanding parties of the society a key resource for the fulfillment of banks’ investment and saving functions. This paper addresses the relationship between the performance and a learning culture that is supported by knowledge processes within the organization. Given the relevance of this subject for organizations from most knowledge-intensive domains, this research has focused on the Spanish banking sector. Using a structural equation model, feedback received from 215 employees from 142 individual branches from a major banking institution in Spain is studied. The results of the data analysis show that in addition to maximizing on what is already known about the customer base, employees’ learning about the potential new stakeholders and also about the internal strategies, tools, and techniques is directly related to the bank's performance, which, in turn, influences the economic recovery and socio-economic development. Results support that an active pursuit of learning within the context of the organization is required for banks to remain competitive in the dynamic, global business ecosystem, where international, national, and local banking sectors operate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spanish City Halls are making a great effort to develop citizen-targeted online services in an attempt to enhance their effectiveness and reduce expenses. Hence, citizens' engagement is essential for the adoption of e-Government services. In this research, an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is developed to test citizen engagement towards online e-Government services from a sample of 307 citizens who used the benefits adviser tool within a Spanish City Hall. To achieve this goal, a structuring equation model is developed and tested to confirm the explanatory power of citizen satisfaction on citizen engagement. The results obtained suggest that the core constructs of TAM (perceived usefulness, ease of use and attitude) significantly affect users' citizen engagement. This study also reveals a general support for citizen satisfaction as a determinant of citizen engagement in e-Government services. The implications of the findings are discussed and useful insights are provided on what policy to follow to establish the appropriate conditions to build citizens' engagement intent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The Spanish hospitality industry is facing environmental challenges which require organisations and individuals to learn new skills and practices and create new environmental knowledge. The aim of this paper is to analyse the relationships between an unlearning context and environmental knowledge. Design/methodology/approach – This paper analyses the relationships between an unlearning context and environmental knowledge and tries to identify whether environmental knowledge impacts on business outcomes through an empirical study of 127 Spanish hospitality companies. Findings – The results support the hypothesis that, in order to create environmental knowledge and hence foster the application of new environmental knowledge, companies need to provide and support an unlearning context. Research limitations/implications – It is important that managers provide an appropriate unlearning context to support the openness of individuals to new ideas and environmental awareness. Originality/value – This study provides hotel managers with a better understanding of the relationship between environmental knowledge and organisational outcomes and highlights that managers need to provide and support an unlearning context, which is customised and based on three frameworks: the framework for examining the lens through which individuals view situations; the framework for changing individual habits and the framework for consolidating emergent understandings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to enhance their effectiveness, public health institutions are making a great effort to develop online health care services targeted to all citizens. The initial acceptance of these services by patients is important but their success depends on its continued use, that is, on patients' electronic loyalty (eLoyalty). In this research, an integrated model combining the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and the Seddon's Model is developed to test online health care services success from a sample of 256 healthcare end users. The results obtained suggest that quality perception dimensions (i.e. information quality and system quality) are antecedents of perceptual dimensions of individual benefits (i.e., perceived usefulness and satisfaction) and of organizational impact dimensions (i.e. eLoyalty). In other words, by promoting the idea that citizens can become more aware of health care services success and respond to them, they will benefit themselves and others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of an organization's unlearning context and information systems (IS) capabilities on the organization's ability to challenge basic beliefs and to implement processes that are explicitly or tacitly helpful in the reception of new ideas (absorptive capacity). The authors also seek to examine the relationship between absorptive capacity and the existence and enhancement of innovativeness. Design/methodology/approach – These relationships are examined through an empirical investigation of 54 doctors and 62 nurses belonging to 44 hospital-in-the-home units (HHU) in Spain. Findings – The results show that absorptive capacity is an important dynamic determinant for developing a HHU's innovativeness. Moreover, this relationship is best explained with two related constructs. Firstly, the HHU's unlearning context plays a key role in managing the tension between potential absorptive capacity and realized absorptive capacity. Secondly, the results also shed light on a tangible means for health managers to enhance their units' innovativeness (quality of service) through IS capabilities. Research limitations/implications – The cross-sectional design does not allow observation of the short- and long-term impact of absorptive capacity on the unlearning context, information systems capability and HHU's innovativeness. Although the model presented here proposes sequenced relationships between absorptive capacities (PACAP and RACAP), the unlearning context and IS capability, the authors measure all these constructs at one point in time. Practical implications – This sequential model presented in this paper provides practical steps for managers interested in organizational structures that support organizational innovativeness. Originality/value – The contribution of unlearning context is related to its ability to prepare the ground for innovation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This study aims to explore the impact of the availability of work life balance (WLB) practices on organisational outcomes in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) mediated by the existence of a culture that supports WLB. Design/methodology/approach – An empirical study was performed with a sample of 229 SMEs representing the metal industry sector of Southeast Spain. Findings – The findings show that a WLB supportive culture mediates the effect of the availability of WLB practices on organisational performance. Research limitations/implications – Among the limitations of this study the authors highlight the transverse nature of the research and the data collection based on self-reports. Practical implications – Companies interested in increasing organisational outcomes should introduce WLB practices. Moreover, practitioners should enhance an organisational culture positive towards employees' balance, communicating their support towards WLB initiatives. Social implications – The availability of WLB initiatives in the organisations generates not only positive outcomes for employees (e.g. reduction of inter-role conflict, higher satisfaction, etc.), but also increases the organisational results for employers. Originality/value – This research focuses on SMEs and the results have implications for practitioners and academics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – SMEs may be trapped in a suboptimal stable equilibrium, as many overloaded managers are cutting back on their resources and may be over-investing in the development of exploration and exploitation processes rather than investing in mechanisms to facilitate an unlearning context. This paper proposes an unlearning context to manage an appropriate balance between exploratory processes and exploitative processes. Design/methodology/approach – This paper examines the relationship between and significance of two key factors of organisational learning (the exploration and exploitation of knowledge) within an unlearning context, and their effects on the improvement of the performance of SMEs. These relationships are examined through an empirical investigation of 229 SMEs in the Spanish metal sector. Findings – The results indicate that the effects of exploration and exploitation of knowledge on organizational performance are mediated through an unlearning context. Originality/value – The findings provide interesting insights into the drivers of organizational performance for SMEs using an unlearning context. SMEs need to provide for and support changes of perspective, of individual habits and in the framework for consolidating emergent understandings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Spanish healthcare system has undergone important changes, particularly with respect to the development of new hospital services. Today, more than ever, the factors that define the nature and structured of the Spanish healthcare environment (e.g. demand, costs, system deregulation) are undergoing rapid change thus obliging hospital administrators to develop and implement flexible and adaptive strategies in order to survive in an increasingly challenging environment facing hospital management. This work examines how the existence of some learning practices is linked to knowledge transfer and how this component is linked to relational capital. These relationships are examined through an empirical investigation of 54 doctors and 62 nurses belonging to 44 Hospital-in-the-Home Units. In an applied sense, the findings provide homecare practitioners with identifiable factors, which enable two learning models (conceptual and operational) and address the relevant issues by changing strategies at both the individual and organisational levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – Today, in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), entrepreneurs must take a more strategic perspective that is evidenced by the need to scan the enterprise to discover how they might improve customer relations as well as promote improved entrepreneurial actions. The paper aims to focus on this issue. Design/methodology/approach – This study examines the impact of the existence of an "open-minded context" in an organisation at time (T) on actions that concern the challenging of entrepreneurial actions at time (T+1). It also examines the relationship between explorative and exploitation processes and customer relations. These relationships are examined through an empirical investigation of data obtained from 107 SMEs from the Spanish telecommunications industry, using partial least squares (PLS). Findings – The results indicate that the effects of an "open-minded context" at time (T) on customer relations at time (T+1) are mediated through the existence of explorative and exploitation knowledge processes at time (T+1). Research limitations/implications – Practices which may be based on explicit knowledge or on tacit knowledge in the form of processes and routines need to be challenged prior to the adoption of new knowledge by the organisation. In such situations, it will be necessary to modify or even delete some knowledge in order to ensure that employees have access to the up-to-date explorative and exploitative knowledge processes necessary to maintain or enhance customer relations. Practical implications – In situations where organisations and their members face rapidly changing environments it is necessary to challenge the entrepreneurial actions which have been derived from the founding entrepreneurs. Originality/value – The paper examines how the nature and existence of an open-mindedness context is linked to the nature and existence of knowledge exploration and exploitation processes enacted by the workforce of an organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the information technologies provide organizational members with explicit concepts, such as writing instruction manuals, the 'organizational memory' provides individuals with tacit knowledge, such as systematic sets, routines and shared visions. This means that individuals within an organization learn by using both the organizational memory and the information technologies. They interact to reduce organizational information needs contributing to improve organizational innovativeness. However, the utilization of the organization memory or the technology infrastructure does not guarantee that appropriate information is used in appropriate circumstances or that information is appropriately updated. In other words, previous memories reflect a world that is only partially understood and assimilated, which might lead individuals to doing the wrong things right or the right things wrong. This paper examines the relative importance and significance of the existence of unlearning to the presence and nature of 'organizational memory and technology'. We further examine the effect of the existence of organizational memory and information technology on conditions that promote organizational innovativeness. These relationships are examined through an empirical investigation of 291 large Spanish companies. Our analysis found that if the organization considers the establishment of an unlearning culture as a prior step in the utilization of organization memory or the technology infrastructure through organizational innovativeness, then organization memory and technology have a positive influence on the conditions that stimulate organizational innovativeness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last decades, business competition has been increasingly among supply chains (SCs) rather than individual firms. Today, considering the challenges of environmental, social, and economic sustainability, it is becoming even more vital to coordinate and co-manage company resources, activities, and innovative efforts at the SC level. Consequently, knowledge, which is a critical resource for companies, needs to be managed properly not only in single firms but also across SCs. For the education of business managers, this implies a double challenge: first, to make students and future executives become aware of the knowledge management (KM) practices that can be adopted; second, to facilitate the assimilation of these practices for the effective management of SCs, to ensure higher economic and environmentally sustainable performances. Standard definitions and classifications can be of great help, but the current studies are very fragmented. This study contributes by exploring the literature and examining the KM practices that are proposed and defined by the different authors. A systematic review and a descriptive analysis of selected papers showed the trend and focus of papers in the KM and SC fields. In addition, based on the definitions and classifications drawn from the literature, this paper discusses a possible systematization of the key KM practices in SCs. The major contribution of this paper is the effort of re-definition and re-classification of KM practices and their potential importance for effective and sustainable SC management. This analysis can be especially useful for organizing KM courses targeted to current and future business managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]