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The demand for eco-products due to the exigency of friendly and environmental production could affect the employment of the firms. This paper tests whether product and process eco-innovations boost employment in Spain differentiating by the environmental goals (material and energy efficiency and environment responsiveness), by the level of qualification of the workers, and by the dirtiness of the industries. We apply a Green Harrison model, using the Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for Spain from 2008 to 2016. Results show a positive relationship between all types of product eco-innovations and employment, while the influence of process eco-innovations on employment depends on the environmental goals, the level of skills, and the industry. Specifically, distinguishing by industry there is a labour-saving effect in clean industries and a labour-friendly effect for low-skilled employment in dirty industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In February 1888, the workforce at the British-owned Rio Tinto mines went on strike seeking better wages and conditions. As part of their struggle, the miners joined an alliance of local landowners and communities to oppose the company's open-air calcination operations. These threw vast quantities of poisonous sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere, severely damaging the health of workers and local communities. This paper suggests the strike, the first such environmental action in Spain, was an example of broad-based political resistance to the application of free market ideology to the process of industrialization. It builds on Karl Polanyi's theory that the unconstrained operation of free markets in the fields of land, labour and finance, advocated by radical economic liberalism, results in existential threats to the social fabric of nations. This leads groups with widely different interests to unite and press for state intervention to curtail the freedom of markets, in the wider interest of society's survival. The Rio Tinto strike which ended with the massacre of a defenceless crowd of protesters and strikers, provides a good example of Polanyi's proposition, as well as illuminating a tragic and often over-looked event in the history of environmental studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent literature documents a secular increase in the sales-weighted average markup in the United States, a phenomenon that was driven by large and productive firms at the top of the profit distribution. Using rich administrative balance-sheet data, this paper documents the behaviour of markups in Spain before, during, and in the aftermath of the Great Recession. We show that markups rose during the financial crisis. Unlike in the U.S., these dynamics were driven by small and unproductive firms following an increase in their average costs due to a high and increasing share of fixed costs, especially overhead labour expenses. Despite the rise in markups, profit rates fell, especially amongst smaller firms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the moderating role of knowledge strategy between threat of imitation and pioneering orientation (PO) in tourism and hospitality firms (THFs) located in cultural destinations. First, it studies the moderation of knowledge exploitation strategy and knowledge exploration strategy separately. Second, it analyzes the moderating effect of combined knowledge strategy, which includes exploitation and exploration. The sample consists of 215 THFs located in World Heritage Cities (WHCs) in Spain. The results show divergent moderating roles. While knowledge exploitation strategy positively moderates the relationship between the threat of imitation and PO, the moderating effect of knowledge exploration strategy is negative. Moreover, combined knowledge strategy also moderates the relationship between threat of imitation and PO. This study contributes to the empirical literature by analyzing different knowledge strategies and highlighting the need for simultaneous consideration of exploitation and exploration of knowledge in THFs located in tourism destinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effectiveness of Science and Technology Parks (STPs) as instruments of innovation policy has generated thriving debate among academics, practitioners and policy makers. A gap in the existing literature on STPs is that research mostly does not consider STPs' heterogeneity. The present paper aims at filling this gap, analysing the influence of different STP characteristics on their tenants' performance. Using data on 849 firms and 25 STPs from the 2009 Community Innovation Survey for Spain and a survey of STP managers respectively and after controlling for a wide set of firms characteristics, we find that: (i) firms located in very new or longer established STPs show better innovative performance; (ii) the size of the STP and its management company positively affects the innovative performance of tenants while services provision has no effect on firms' achieving better results; and (iii) firms in less technologically developed regions benefit more from location in an STP. Theoretical, policy and managerial contributions of our research are discussed in the paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: While the born global (BG) phenomenon has been well established in the literature, studies on accelerated internationalization of firms in the service sector have been scarce, particularly for the specific case of knowledge-intensive services (KIS). The purpose of this paper is to explore which competitive characteristics differentiate KIS BGs from other KIS firms in the context of a peripheral region. Design/methodology/approach: The empirical focus of this study comprehends primary survey data from 250 Spanish KIS firms (Andalusia) that have been internationalized and analyzed through ordinal and ordinary least squares regressions. The authors address the "born-global effect" on five features of interest, namely, entry mode, technological capabilities, qualification of staff, external resources and quality of services. Findings: Results suggest that KIS BGs in Andalusia perceive exports as a more relevant form of internationalization than its non-BG peers. Also, KIS BGs in Andalusia present higher levels of technological intensity. Differences in terms of staff qualification, access to extramural R&D resources and the quality of services could not be identified. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation of this research concerns its cross-sectional character, thus hindering the evaluation of developmental trajectories taking place in the cohort under scrutiny. Such an approach would allow a better comprehension of the competitiveness dynamics in internationalized KIS firms. Also, because this assessment is geographically restricted to Andalusia, Spain, the authors recommend caution in establishing direct comparisons and appropriation of results for other regional/national contexts. Practical implications: Recommendations for public policy include establishing the necessary infrastructures to encourage the technological development of KIS companies and provide support – through export promotion agencies, for instance – for early approximation with foreign markets. Taking into account the contributions of KIS firms for the development of a peripheral economy, this involves the need to establish instruments that provide strategic information to internationalize, as well as lines of funding for these companies. Originality/value: Empirical evidence on KIS BGs is needed to fully grasp its differences to other internationalized service firms. The analysis within this specific domain represents an advance in the literature on this subject. Also, the context of peripheral regions – considering their economic differences to core areas – has been understudied. The elaboration and application of the survey have allowed the authors to have access to primary in-depth data and, therefore, to build a better understanding of KIS BGs in Andalusia, Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper investigates the incentives and inhibiting factors of eco-innovation capacities in the firm. Firms materialize the objectives of eco-innovation from a reactive attitude to external pressures, to a more proactive attitude that implies the voluntary incorporation of eco-innovation activities. This variability in the behaviour of companies with respect to the level of eco-innovation development has been a motivator for the research. However, despite the importance of this research question, this has been approached in a dispersed way from multiple approaches. From a dynamic capabilities perspective, we assume that the innovation capacity of the firm encourages eco-innovations. Our paper is focused on the process of eco-innovation, identifying the elements that facilitate or hinder the eco-innovation in the firm. We study the Spanish case, using a panel from the Spanish Innovation Survey, with a sample of 5461 Spanish firms. The results highlight that the complexity of the eco-innovation process negatively affects the decision to develop eco-innovations. However, our results suggest that institutions and organizations of the Spanish environment are making efforts to compensate these obstacles and provide incentives to develop eco-innovations. Highlights • We model investigates the incentives and inhibiting factors of eco-innovation. • Our focus is on the process of eco-innovation from dynamic capabilities perspective. • The complexity of the eco-innovation process negatively affects to develop eco-innovations. • Results show that the experience facilitates the development of future eco-innovations. • The institutions provide incentives to develop eco-innovations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper has as its aim to analyse multinational enterprises' location decisions from the perspective of the knowledge-based firm in an attempt to answer the following questions: Are innovative MNEs more likely to be located in areas with a higher degree of agglomeration? Who benefits to a greater extent − in terms of innovation − from geographical proximity with other agents: national or foreign enterprises? What role does absorptive capacity play in the relationship between agglomeration and innovation? According to this research work, agglomeration differently influences the innovation of MNE subsidiaries – through knowledge spillovers – depending on the types of agglomerated companies. The analysis performed with a sample of firms located in Spain includes local and foreign companies and uses data from a survey conducted by the National Statistics Institute (INE for its Spanish initials) in 2016. The results show that the agglomeration of similar enterprises favours innovation amongst foreign firms, as opposed to local ones, which absorb both positive and negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses how management (organisational and marketing) innovations influence non-R&D technological innovators’ performance. Drawing on Community of Innovation Survey data to examine 5878 non-R&D Spanish firms, results indicate that the joint introduction of management innovations with technological innovations improves technological innovative performance thanks to the creation of complex innovation capabilities. Thus, the joint adoption of management and technological innovations in tandem is linked to a premium effect on performance based on complementarities. Non-R&D technological innovators heavily use organisational and marketing activities in order to compensate for their lack of engagement in R&D activities. This is the first paper that brings the management innovation literature into the non-R&D technological innovators debate, using a resource-based view framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the territorial effects of the LEADER approach in Southern Europe, by analysing the region of Andalusia (Spain). Our research has revealed that, in many cases, projects were concentrated in the most dynamic, most populated areas, with a well-established business network with the financial and organizational capacity required to access European funding. In these areas, the economic leadership of the most dynamic municipalities has been reinforced at the expense of more depressed areas with little social capital and few businesses. These programmes have not, therefore, helped to mitigate territorial imbalances. In a minority of rural areas, however, this trend was not observed, which shows that although territorial inequality is a widespread problem in the practice of neo-endogenous rural development, it does not affect all areas to the same degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to explore whether collaborating with public research organizations (PROs) contributes to strengthening the innovation culture of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). We examine to what extent their innovation culture is reinforced by collaborations with research organizations and investigate the type of organizational strategies that enhance this effect of collaboration. The empirical study is based on a survey of firms that collaborate with the largest Spanish PRO, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC). Our results indicate that SMEs differ greatly in their capacity to strengthen their innovation culture through collaboration with research organizations. We show also that firms with formal innovation plans that develop internal and external search strategies are more likely to improve their innovation culture as a result of collaboration with PROs. These findings provide managers with new insights into how to strengthen their firms' innovation culture through collaboration with research organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper, which is of interest to practitioners, will analyse companies in the manufacturing sector that hold Spanish and European environmental patents, linking the registered green patents with the economic and financial characteristics of the companies. Specifically, the relationship between green patents and the collaboration of companies with research and development (R&D) centres is analysed. The results of surveying an ad-hoc database comprising 1606 Spanish companies indicate that the ways in which the companies collaborate with R&D organisations can shed light on green patent holdings in the Spanish manufacturing companies. Moreover, the authors find that financial performance, age, and size are all significant factors in the development of green patents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the most commonly used agile methods is Scrum. Capability Maturity Model Integration for Development (CMMI-DEV) is currently the de facto framework for process improvement and for determining the organizational maturity of software development companies. CMMI-DEV and Scrum share certain characteristics, and even though they were developed for different purposes, they can be complementary to each other; and as such, they are not in competition. This paper presents a case study of the relationship between level 2 of CMMI-DEV 1.3 and Scrum. This research has focused on the relationships between Scrum and level 2 of CMMI-DEV 1.3. The objective of this research paper is to evaluate how Scrum helps implement a process model such as CMMI-DEV. A detailed case study was conducted among Spanish IT companies. The case study was designed according to established guidelines for cases studies. There were eight principal activities: case study design, case selection, case study procedures and roles, data collection, analysis, plan validity, study limitations, and reporting. The results obtained show that most of the process areas of CMMI-DEV level 2 had been improved by using Scrum. Other issues detected arose during the formal appraisals and illustrated how it is possible to verify with Scrum that the specific goals of CMMI-DEV have been implemented. In addition, it highlights how the use of open-source tools was useful in improving the process in the companies involved. Based on the case study carried out, the addition of Scrum methodologies may improve the increase in quality of software processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A sense of belonging is a crucial factor determining the identification of the firms in industrial districts. From the social capital perspective, this paper analyses how the structural and relational dimensions of social capital determine a firm's sense of belonging to the industrial district. The study analyses a sample of 213 companies belonging to two Spanish industrial districts. Results of the survey offer an important contribution to the specific literature by finding the explanatory factors with which to distinguish between groups according to their level of embeddedness in the district. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine wage differences between part- and full-time workers distinguishing by gender by using a large Spanish matched employer-employee data set and an econometric decomposition that permits to decompose wage differences by quantiles of the wage distribution.Design/methodology/approach The research is based on cross-section matched employer-employee microdata from a large representative survey (the Encuesta de Estructura Salarial) which is carried out with a harmonised methodology common to all European Union member countries and that has been designed specifically to provide reliable evidence about characteristics of the wage distribution such us wage differentials associated with the type of working time. From a methodological point of view, the econometric decomposition technique proposed recently by Fortin et al. (2011) to decompose wage differences between part-time and full-time workers by quantiles of the wage distribution is applied. This methodology has the advantage over similar techniques that provides a detailed decomposition of wage differentials and has not been used before to examine the wage impact of part-time jobs.Findings The results show that the significant raw wage gap that part-time workers experience in Spain differs substantially along the wage distribution. In the case of part-time females, the wage disadvantage is mostly explained by their relative endowments of characteristics (and particularly by their lower endowments of human capital and their segregation into low-wage sectors) but a significant wage penalty still persists, increasing along the wage distribution. In the case of males the wage disadvantage is only found in the lower part of the distribution and it is due both to their worst endowments of characteristics and a significant wage penalty.Research limitations/implications The evidence for Spain shows that the part-time work tends to affect differently to the wages of males and females, with a higher part-time penalty for males, as predicted by the “flexibility stigma” hypothesis, and penalising low-qualified men in the lower part of the wage distribution and high-qualified women in the upper part of the distribution the most.Originality/value The analysis contributes to the literature by examining wage differences along the wage distribution for both genders using econometric decomposition methods, an aspect that to the authors’ knowledge has been examined only scarcely in the international literature with non-conclusive evidence and has not been examined in previous studies for the Spanish case. In this vein, Spain is a particularly interesting analysis case from an international perspective of the wage consequences of part-time jobs, given that in contrast with most other advanced countries a majority of part-time employment in this country is involuntary and this phenomenon is especially affecting disadvantaged groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent decades have witnessed an increase in the number of eco-innovative solutions which improve the environmental performance of firms whilst also helping them remain competitive. However, the implementation of eco-innovation in Spain has faced certain difficulties, and the number of eco-innovations being put into practice is limited. This paper conceptualises ecoinnovation processes, in order to assist their adoption by firms. Also, the most relevant obstacles and incentives to eco-innovation are analysed, as well as the specific capacities and changes that eco-innovation involves for the firm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper shows how Balanced Scorecard perspectives can be used to analyze and define the strategic objectives followed by the five large electricity generating and distributing companies in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The aim of this paper is to analyze the evolution of the implementation and integration of standardized Management Systems (MSs) such as ISO 9001 and ISO 14001. Specifically, we study the implementation of different standards during a four-year period (2006–2010) and we examine the level of integration of different MS elements such as the resources, documentation, goals and procedures during this period. Additionally, the paper aims to evaluate the impact of integration on companies over time, namely the difficulties experienced by firms during the integration of MSs in organizations with more than one MS. In order to accomplish these objectives, the first dynamic study on the integration of MSs has been undertaken. In order to compare firms that integrate their MSs in two different moments in time, two empirical studies were conducted, one in 2006 and one in 2010. These studies used a survey directed to firms with more than one MS in Catalonia (Spain). This paper contributes to the understanding of how firms that have an Integrated Management System (IMS) integrate their standardized MSs and how they perceive the challenges related to managing the IMS over time. It also demonstrates that firms integrate their MSs rather than keep them separated, therefore showing a tendency toward integration over time. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

SME innovation strategy and motivation has become one of the most challenging subjects of innovation policy. New innovation models proposed recently have captured the attention of policy makers. However, these models seem for the most part to be applicable to medium-sized or large enterprises. The objective of this paper is to analyse the open innovation model in the case of outsourced cooperative R&D in SMEs. Although the driving forces for outsourcing innovation in SMEs are in some respects similar to those for large firms, others are linked to lack of resources, but both have in common the pursuit of efficiency in R&D and technology transfer. This paper is based on an empirical study of open innovation in SMEs and proposes a model for analysing the critical elements which influence performance and strategic alignment between R&D performers and their partners (in most cases, SMEs). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose -- The purpose of this paper is to analyze how the educational level and diversity of a firm's top management team (TMT), moderated by strategic consensus, influence its innovation performance. Design/methodology/approach -- Using Poisson regression analysis, the proposed models were tested on 97 innovative Spanish firms selected from the Dun and Bradstreet database of 2000. Findings -- Results show that a higher educational level in the TMT has a positive and direct effect on innovation performance, while functional diversity and diversity in TMT tenure have a direct and negative effect. However, in a situation of strategic consensus in the TMT, the relationship between functional diversity and innovation is positive. Originality/value -- The paper makes several contributions to previous research. First, few studies have considered the influence of the characteristics and composition of the TMT on the organization's innovation performance. Second, this paper responds to the calls of researchers to enrich the upper echelon theory by considering strategic consensus as a process of interaction between the members of the TMT that modifies the relationship between TMT diversity and the firm's innovation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to test the individual effects of total quality management (TQM) on customer results, people results, society results and quality performance in a small- and medium-sized enterprise (SME) context. The research is based on information from 85 ISO 9000 certified SMEs in Spain. A number of regression analyses are applied in order to examine the impact of TQM on these four results and identify which factors of TQM have the greatest effect. After analysing the survey data, 10 SMEs were randomly selected for individual visits, in order to check the results. The results show that TQM may improve customer results, people results, society results and quality performance. TQM factors related to training and specialist training are showed to be the most significant predictors of quality outcomes. The contribution of this paper is to study this association in SMEs in Spain. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this theoretical-empirical study is to investigate the bidirectional relationship between Corporate Social Responsibility and Financial Performance in Spanish listed companies. A complete theoretical framework - based on agency, stewardship, dependency resources, and stakeholder theories - provides the basis for the conceptual model. An important contribution is the use of a social behavioral index formed by four components: Global Reporting Initiative participation, Dow Jones Sustainability Index firm inclusion, Good Corporate Governance Recommendations compliance, and Global Compact signee. The conclusions drawn from the empirical study performed on the companies registered on the Madrid Stock Exchange demonstrate positive relationships in both directions, namely that the social is profitable and that the profitable is social, thereby originating a positive feedback virtuous circle. The results of this analysis have practical applications in the boardroom; they are proof that all social policies increment financial resources, and vice versa, that increased financial performances lead to greater social benefits. As a consequence, this paper encourages all board members to seriously weigh investing financial resources in developing policies that boost the levels of social behavior components in order to contribute globally to the improvement of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we use a panel of manufacturing firms in Spain to examine the extent to which they use internal and external sources of information (customers, suppliers, competitors, consultants and universities) to generate product and process innovation. Our results show that, although internal sources are influential, external sources of information are key to achieve innovation performance. These results are in line with the open innovation literature because they show that firms that are opening up their innovation process and that use different information sources have a greater capacity to generate innovations. We also find that the importance of external sources of information varies depending on the type of innovation (product or process) considered. To generate process innovation, firms mainly rely on suppliers while, to generate product innovation, the main contribution is from customers. The potential simultaneity between product and process innovation is also taken into consideration. We find that the generation of both types of innovation is not independent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Innovation is considered to be one of the key factors that influence the long-term success of a company in the competitive markets of today. As a result, there is a growing interest in the further study of the determining factors of innovation. Today, the focus is on these factors related to people and behavior, emphasizing the role of organizational culture, as a factor that can both stimulate or restrain innovation, and therefore affect company performance. However, there is little empirical research linking these variables, particularly in the Spanish context. The purpose of this paper is to study these links by using a sample of industrial companies. The results show that culture can foster innovation, as well as company performance, or it could also be an obstacle for both of them, depending on the values promoted by the culture. It has been found specifically, that an adhocratic culture is the best innovation and performance predictor. Based on these results, it can be concluded that, innovation mediates the relationship between certain types of organizational cultures and performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to show how managing human capital companies are able to enhance their corporate reputation and financial performance. In particular, this preliminary study analyses the impact of human capital on reputation perceived by employees and financial performance (by means of the return on capital employed -ROCE-). Using a database of Spanish audit sector and applying an exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, three factors of human capital are obtained (Staff Quality, Staff Management and Staff Results) which have been related to the dimensions of employees' views of reputation and ROCE through a path analysis. The results reveal that staff quality (firms with creative employees, who perform their best and think actions through, and where there is no trouble if individuals left) has a significant and positive influence on all the dimensions of reputation. Staff management (firms with clear recruitment and succession training programs, upgrade employees' skills and employees who give their all) has a significant and positive impact on resource management, ethics and media reputation. Staff results (employees are satisfied and they do not have to bring down to others' level) have a positive and significant effect on business leadership, resource management, ethics and media reputation. No significant effects are found in when human capital factors and financial performance are linked as a consequence of the financial crisis. We also obtained unexpected results in the impact of reputation perceived by employees on financial performance. In any case, a practical implication for these results is that service companies which manage adequately their human capital can increase the employee views of corporate reputation, having the factor Staff Quality a double significant and positive influence on reputation than other two factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Even though there is a plethora of studies that analyze the effects of training on organizational performance, it is not clear how this transfer process of training to results takes place. The absorptive dynamic capability could be the core concept, which could help explain this transfer process of training translates into results. The purpose of this paper is to develop an approach to determine whether absorptive capacity mediates the connection between training and performance in Spanish family businesses (Absorptive Capacity-Based View). We illustrate our point by means of six case studies of Spanish family businesses, through the case study method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decade, rural historians have increasingly studied the wealthier sectors of rural communities. This paper seeks to analyze the economic activities of rural elites, focusing on the Midlands in the kingdom of Valencia during the fifteenth century. The combination of both notarial and court of justice registers provides a perspective on the multiple businesses of those families and offers insights into the general trends of European rural elites in the Middle Ages, as well as specific information about those in Valencia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there is a general recognition in the literature that training improves a firm's performance, empirical research does not always provide evidence to support this effect. One possible explanation is that training does not have a direct effect on performance but an indirect effect by improving other organizational outcomes. This paper suggests that organizational learning is one of those variables and that it mediates the relationship between training and performance and that the adoption of a learning-oriented training enhances performances through its positive effect on organizational learning. Using a sample of Spanish firms we obtain empirical evidence, which supports the view that this mediating effect is present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Our objective in this paper is to analyse which Spanish businesses are operating within China, what their reasons are for being in this country, study their difficulties and list their priorities for the coming years. Reasons for satisfaction and dissatisfaction are also analysed. Spanish firms operating in China are mostly in the services sector (56%), in particular, in the areas of professional services, such as advertising, legal advice, consulting, etc. Almost half of the Spanish businesses have established themselves in the Shanghai area. Contrary to what is usually believed, most firms set up business in China to access the market, and not to employ low cost labour. In terms of continuity, the answer is almost unanimous: most Spanish firms plan to stay in the country for the next few years. Their main interest lies in accessing the opportunities of this vast market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The objective of this paper is to analyze why firms in some industries locate in specialized economic environments (localization economies) while those in other industries prefer large city locations (urbanization economies). To this end, we examine the location decisions of new manufacturing firms in Spain at the city level and for narrowly defined industries. First, we estimate firm location models to obtain estimates that reflect the importance of localization and urbanization economies in each industry. Then, we regress these estimates on industry characteristics related to the potential importance of labor market pooling, input sharing, and knowledge spillovers. Urbanization effects are high in knowledge-intensive industries, suggesting that firms locate in large cities to benefit from knowledge spillovers. We also find that localization effects are high in industries that employ workers whose skills are more industry-specific, suggesting that industries locate in specialized economic environments to share a common pool of specialized workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents the results of a research study whose main objectives were to analyze and compare internal and external management system audits regarding their implementation and integration in Spanish companies. Nine variables were investigated, namely the audit team, schedule, strategy, plan, report, methodology, guidelines, frequency and outputs. The results show that there are some significant differences regarding the audit team formation, the auditing guidelines used and the frequency of conducting the audits. The rest of the variables did not exhibit significant differences between internal and external audits. In addition, the integration level of both these categories of audits is very high for all the audit elements analyzed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Spatial Data Infrastructures (SDIs) provide access to geospatial data and operations through interoperable Web services. These data and operations can be chained to set up specialized geospatial business processes, and these processes can give support to different applications. End users can benefit from these applications, while experts can integrate the Web services in their own business processes and developments. This paper presents an SDI-based territorial analysis Web information system for Spain, which gives access to land cover, topography and elevation data, as well as to a number of interoperable geospatial operations by means of a Web Processing Service (WPS). Several examples illustrate how different territorial analysis business processes are supported. The system has been established by the Spanish National SDI (Infraestructura de Datos Espaciales de España, IDEE) both as an experimental platform for geoscientists and geoinformation system developers, and as a mechanism to contribute to the Spanish citizens knowledge about their territory. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper describes a first-hand experience in Software Process Improvement within a Spanish Company which, since 2002, has been involved in an improvement programme led by our research group. We discuss the experience and the results of this improvement programme, as well as the lessons learned to deal with new future improvement initiatives in other companies of our environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to analyse the incidence of the implementation of ERP systems on the profitability of the biggest Spanish firms. To reach this objective, we sent a questionnaire to a sample of companies. We also gathered the financial statements of these companies. The main results indicate a significant decrement in the profitability of the companies that implemented an ERP system. The reason for this decrement was a reduction in the profit margin, which was caused by an increase in the operational expenses. The results also suggest that adopting firms manipulated earnings to hide the deterioration of their performance. The profitability of non-ERP firms remained unchanged, so the productivity paradox assumption is not supported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to assess the relationship between Human Resource Management (HRM) practices and organizational performance in Spanish firms from a financial and non-financial perspective (subjective). The empirical study was conducted with a sample of 102 firms in the region of Andalucía (Spain). The results of statistical analysis have shown the fundamental role of establishing HRM practices aimed at seeking the employees' commitment and its positive influence on organizational performance. Results also showed that the subjective measures for organizational performance better explained this phenomenon of study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The paper explores the bi-directional relationship between ISO 14001 certification and financial performance with the aim of shedding light on whether better performance is due to the beneficial effects of ISO 14001 or due to selection-effects where better performance precedes accreditation. The study uses a five year longitudinal analysis to compare the financial performance of firms in Spain before and after certification. The results of a multivariate panel data analysis find that firms with better than average performance have a greater propensity to pursue accreditation but there is no evidence that improvements in performance follow certification. This suggests that the inference that environmental variables cause improved financial performance may be unwise in research studies that can only measure association. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Recent studies in developed countries frequently emphasise the importance of outsourcing as a strategy for manufacturing industries to survive. However, there is little qualitative evidence that specifically describes outsourcers in mature industries with competitive problems, particularly in southern Europe. This paper attempts to fill this gap by investigating the distinctive traits of firms located in the most important Spanish footwear industrial districts. From a sample of 401 Spanish firms surveyed in January and February 2006, it was found that size, design and product innovation, prior institutional networks and location in specific industrial districts favour the development of outsourcing strategies. By contrast, clients’ prior networks are negatively related with contracting-out productive activities. These results are relevant in several dimensions. However, the positive impact of some districts in the externalisation decision should be specifically mentioned. Such evidence seems to: confirm the consistency of the competition—co-operation dynamics in some geographical areas and the decline of others; and point out the existence of divergences in the outsourcing strategies at district level due to product and market characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore and to explain the influence of representative variables of human capital and structural capital on the creation of business value. Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory analysis was initially performed on the degree to which firms actually used human and structural capital indicators, through a survey sent out to Spanish firms with a staff of 25 employees or more. Subsequently, by means of an explanatory analysis, the relationship was studied between the use made of the aforementioned indicators and a set of variables selected as representative of value creation. The information on value creation was taken from the Sistema de Análisis de Balances Ibéricos (SABI-AMADEUS) database. Moreover, in an attempt to corroborate the results of this explanatory analysis, a further independent variable was simultaneously introduced taken from the financial statements held on the same database and applied to the same sample of firms; known as the value added intellectual coefficient (VAIC), it analyses value creation efficiency. Findings – The explanatory analysis of multiple lineal correlations and regressions allows us to confirm the positive relation that exists between the use of human and structural capital indicators, and value creation measured by sales growth. Simultaneously, higher levels of the VAIC, in particular for the component that refers to the sum of the coefficient of human capital and structural capital, are also related to improvements in competitiveness reflected through an increase in sales figures. Research limitations/implications – Despite having identified a relation between intellectual capital and value creation, the study finds no evidence of a significant relationship between the use of human capital and structural capital indicators and dependent variables other than sales growth, such as return on assets (ROA) or productivity. The authors would have preferred to have obtained information from a larger number of firms, which would perhaps have contributed to finding new significant relations. This limitation suggests that further research is needed, such as carrying out large-scale longitudinal studies using panel data analysis. Originality/value – This analysis has a dual perspective based on observations taken from a survey and economic-financial analysis. It is a novel study in the Spanish context given that the analysis of aspects related to intellectual capital have on numerous occasions centred on large and/or quoted firms in that country, solely using information taken from secondary sources (databases). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper presents a web-based tool designed to improve internal and external document management for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) sector. For each specific project, the system creates an organisational document structure to be downloaded to the stakeholders'' PCs or servers and also to the web-based project management system (WPMS) that is being used to manage the entire project. A survey was conducted in Spain to define new user requirements in which the need for set rules on how to organise all the information related to a project was identified. The survey revealed that SMEs need to improve document management for large-scale projects. Based on the requirement studies, a concept model of information flow was developed and implemented in a web-based tool designed according to current standards and theories of classification and organisation of information related to construction. This system was evaluated by an independent panel of experts: academics, construction company representatives and software vendors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper is intended to present a descriptive analysis of a representative set of Spanish cooperative agreements in R&D activities between firms and Research Organisations (RO), including universities, public research centres and private institutes or associations. For this purpose, we have examined 800 collaborations (1995–2000) boosted by the public agency, Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI). Firstly, the main characteristics of the project have been studied such as investment, public subsidies, kind and number of partners and duration. Secondly, the various partners have been inquired about the reasons that have led them to cooperate in R&D. Finally, the results have been analysed from a global point of view and classified according to the nature of the partner with the aim of adopting a comparative perspective of the data. The results show that cooperation between firms and RO still is not the general pattern of behaviour in Spain for technological activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyse the effect of the availability of intangible resources (measured by way of Tobin’s q) on the probability of Spanish firms increasing their international diversification. We find that this impact is positive and statistically significant. We also discover that firms with a higher endowment of intangible resources increase their presence in their current markets (Concentration) and that those with a multinational status also expand to new markets (Scope). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Technology is of key importance to the growth of regional firms and economies. Research has shown the association between low technology development or take-up and regional disparities. Hence technology policy is moving closer to the heart of regional policies. European innovation programmes are intended to involve firms, large and small, in international technology research and development networks. The paper focuses on the involvement of Spanish firms in such programmes. Participation tends to be low if business R&D, presence of large firms, and the development of regional innovation systems are also low. Creation of R&D infrastructure through the Structural Funds has now to be prioritized at EU level and also define a new scheme of sectoral priorities in order to support R&D innovation activities in fields diverse from high-tech, if regions are to escape the 'low R&D trap'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Circular Economy (CE) model has recently gained a lot of attention as an effective way to cope with the urgent issues related to Climate Change and sustainability. The European Union (EU) has launched a series of reports, plans and activities known as the Circular Economy package which main goal is to expand the CE model throughout Europe, with large companies leading the initiative. This paper aims at assessing their engagement with the CE model, and if their actual understanding, practice and reporting of CE corresponds to the standards and principles promoted by the EU CE Action Plan. The research does also analyse if large companies' reporting in terms of CE can be assimilated to their environmental sustainability reporting or if they consider it a different topic, with different drivers. The reports of the largest companies in Spain (IBEX35) were studied in full detail as well as their environmental scores (ESG) from DataStream database, and activity sector. Results show interesting implications highlighting how companies' perception over CE, as reported, differs from the EU CE Action Plan approach and from the environmental sustainability framework, especially when taking into account the type of activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the spatial pattern of just-in-time (JIT) adoption for a sample of medium-sized and large Spanish manufacturing firms. JIT differs from other advanced manufacturing technologies because it relates directly to the spatial co-ordination of firms' internal production organisation with the external productive environment and depends on the quality of the transport system. Our results confirm the distinctive role of location for JIT adoption even after controlling for industry and plant-specific differences. We find that JIT adoption is greater in smaller cities but with higher transport accessibility indicating that urban congestion in larger urban areas likely reduces the benefits that firms may obtain from JIT implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]