Search

Purpose – The present paper aims to analyze how the performance of hotels located on the Spanish Mediterranean coast (peninsular and Balearic) and Canary coast is affected by the degree of business agglomeration in tourist districts. If agglomeration affects hotels positively, then the externalities generated in tourist districts will be relevant when locating an establishment. Otherwise, the reason why hotels group together geographically would be more related to the suitability of beaches as a tourist destination. The study also analyzes the impact that regions or autonomous communities have on hotel performance. Design/methodology/approach – The hypotheses are tested by multiple linear regression in which hotel profitability acts as the dependent variable which can be explained by independent variables such as the greater or lesser agglomeration of tourist companies at the destination and the autonomous region where the hotel is located. Findings – The results show that hotels situated at destinations with a higher degree of agglomeration are less profitable, probably due to the greater rivalry that exists among nearby competitors. However, in accordance with the theory of tourist districts, one could expect hotels located at destinations with a higher degree of agglomeration to be more profitable because of the greater externalities generated within the district. In this sense, it is possible that hotel location decisions were based more on the natural advantage model, where firms look for specialized inputs like beach or climate, than on production externalities models. Research limitations/implications – It was necessary to work with secondary information sources which contain no data about RevPar (revenue per available room) or GopPar (gross operating profit per available room), the hotel profitability measures most often used in research studies. Practical implications – The paper could be useful for hotel companies, when they are deciding on a location, and

Purpose – India has emerged as one of the major players on the new international business scene. Its unstoppable economic growth since reforms in 1991 has become the focus of attention of researchers in the area of international business and management. The purpose of this paper is to review the research on India that has been published in top business and management journals, with the aim of knowing what are the most influential papers, what are the issues that have received the most attention, which are the main findings or what more needs to be done in terms of research. Design/methodology/approach – The choice of journals was based on previous literature reviews. The authors reviewed 94 papers on India published in the 11 journals selected for the 1991-2010 period. Findings – The main results of the review are as follows; although there was great variety between the methodologies used, quantitative papers, including papers that used primary data, were the most frequent. With regard to journals, Journal of World Business, Journal of International Business Studies, International Business Review and Asia Pacific Journal of Management were the journals that had published the most papers on India during this period. The most popular topics were cultural influence and comparison between countries, business practices, studies which focus on one sector or company in India and the business operations and management of foreign companies in India. Originality/value – The most important contribution of this paper is the overview it provides of the main papers published on business and management in India for the 1991-2010 period: a period which witnessed significant changes in the country's economy. The paper identifies the journals which have devoted the most interest to this geographical region, which authors have contributed the most and which have been the most popular topics and findings.

Purpose – In recent years, China and India have been experiencing a process of economic and social transformation that is unprecedented in recent human history. The consequences of the spectacular resurgence of these two Asian giants are profound and far-reaching, and are causing the centre of gravity of the world economy to be drawn inexorably toward these countries. The aim of this paper is to offer a comparative approach to the reality of China and India as regards business and strategic management. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews previous literature that has focused on comparing various issues related to business and management in China and India. Findings – The paper highlights the points of convergence and divergence in the developmental patterns of China and India, the key factors for success in each country, the entry modes that could be used and the business opportunities they offer. Originality/value – The paper provides a comparison between China and India with regard to business and strategic management, analysing the main similarities and differences between the two Asian giants.

Purpose – The number of papers focusing on foreign companies doing business in China has increased significantly since the open-door policy came into effect in the late 1970s. Performance has been one of the most researched topics. This paper aims to carry out a review of the empirical papers which have analysed the performance drivers of foreign companies in mainland China. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reviews 62 empirical papers dealing with the performance of foreign firms in mainland China, published in ten leading international academic journals between 1978 and 2006. Findings – An analysis of the main findings is offered, along with a summary of the theoretical approaches, methodologies, samples and performance measures used. Originality/value – The paper identifies the factors which contribute to greater performance in mainland China. Although other studies have reviewed the literature in the Chinese context, none had specifically tackled this topic through a comprehensive review.

Nowadays, China is one of the most important destinations for international expansion of firms from all over the world. Based on the traditional theory on foreign direct investment and the resource-based view of the firm, this paper analyzes the influence of various tangible and intangible firm-specific factors on the choice amongst three different modes of entry into China: representative office, joint venture and wholly-owned subsidiary. The results obtained suggest that the size of the investing firm, its performance as well as its experience regarding the country have a positive influence on the choice of types of foreign direct investment that involve a high level of resources commitment. In addition, the specific aim of the project affects these relationships.

Purpose – Several important managerial factors, such as training, information and communication technologies and information systems (ICT/IS), and environmental management, can be related to total quality management (TQM) in the hotel industry. This paper aims to analyse how TQM is associated with these factors and to verify whether more TQM-committed hotels achieve higher performance. Design/methodology/approach – The empirical data were collected from a sample of 301 three-to-five-star Spanish hotels. A cluster analysis was carried out to identify the different TQM commitment levels, after which a regression analysis tested the TQM-performance link. Findings – Managerial factors are significantly further developed in hotels with a stronger TQM commitment, which also have higher performances. TQM does not seem to influence all the performance variables measured. Practical implications – Hotels showing a stronger commitment to TQM develop more advanced management systems and achieve higher performance levels. Therefore, hoteliers should invest in TQM, as this could help them to become more competitive. Originality/value – The link between TQM and managerial factors, along with the relationship between TQM and performance, has been expanded in the literature on TQM in the hotel industry.

Purpose – The idea that knowledge management can be a potential source of competitive advantage has gained strength in the last few years. However, a number of business actions are needed to generate an appropriate environment and infrastructure for knowledge creation, transfer and application. Among these actions there stands out the design of an organizational structure, the link of which with knowledge management is the main concern here. More specifically, the present paper has as its aim to identify the characteristics of organizational structure that facilitate the development of knowledge management processes. Design/methodology/approach – The research strategy used to achieve this aim is the multiple case study method, which has been applied to six Spanish firms of recognized international prestige characterized by their excellence and proactivity in matters of knowledge. Findings – In general terms, the results show that these companies adopt flexible, increasingly flat organizational forms with fewer hierarchical levels which not only allow but also encourage communication and teamwork among staff members so that everybody can interact more easily. This makes it possible for employees to take better advantage of their competencies, generating organizational routines and increasing the value of their contributions thanks to the freedom of action they are given. Originality/value – The main contribution made in this paper lies in the fact that, from a study of business practices, it describes the way in which certain Spanish companies construct knowledge socially and orient their behavior through their organizational structure.

Purpose – Faced with increasing environmental problems, traditional methods for transmitting information regarding corporate environmental actions are insufficient. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to suggest the environmental capital report, the knowledge map and the balanced scorecard as alternative instruments to provide the environmental information needed to develop internal corporate activity and meet the requirements of society. Design/methodology/approach – A practical approach is applied to facilitate understanding of some sections of these tools, analysing the GRI reports of certain environmentally proactive firms. Findings – The findings show that the environmental information provided relates mainly to collaborations established with stakeholders and to the development of internal processes aimed at preserving and protecting the environment. Accordingly, it could be said that the environmental capital report proposed in this paper seems to be materialized in the GRI report. Moreover, the production and R&D sections of the knowledge map and the internal processes and relational perspective sections of the balanced scorecard are the most common environmental information given by the companies analyzed. Originality/value – The value of this paper lies mainly in showing several tools that could be used by companies in order to spread their efforts in protecting and preserving the environment.

Purpose – This study has a twofold purpose: to identify the competitive strategies and advantages of hotels located in the province of Alicante (Spain); and to inform hotel managers about how some key strategic variables (size, type of hotel management, category and competitive advantage) impact on hotel performance. Design/methodology approach – A study of the population was carried out using a questionnaire addressed to hotel managers. A principal components factor analysis was performed to identify business strategies. In addition, hotels were grouped together according to the key strategic variables and the degree of development of the different business strategies implemented. Findings – A comparative study of the performance levels achieved by each strategic group was carried out for the purpose of checking whether any of them produced significantly higher performance levels. In the light of the results, if hotels are to achieve higher performance levels, they should preferably be medium or large sized, belong to a chain, increase their category and base their competitive strategy on improvement and dimension. Practical implications – Strategic groups simplify the complex strategic reality in which hotel managers develop their professional activity. Thanks to the creation of these groups, managers acquire an aggregate knowledge of the business strategies and advantages of the hotels operating around their establishments and can equally be aware of the performance levels reached in each group analysed. This information also allows hotel managers to identify the strategic variables which must be developed to avoid being left behind inside their group in competitive terms or to join a different group which they may eventually consider more interesting in terms of strategy or performance. Originality/value – This study provides a method to identify strategies and competitive advantages within the hotel industry and additionally suggests strategic actions for hotel

Purpose – The aim of the paper is to study the reasons for the adoption and certification of quality systems and the subsequent impacts on performance. Design/methodology/approach – The methodology selected is a study based on the perceptions of two hotel managers in Spain. Findings – On the one hand, the results show that the most important reasons to adopt and certify quality systems are internal and, on the other hand, that although positive effects on performance can be identified, the impact on financial performance is low. Originality/value – The value of this paper lies in that it provides the perceptions of hotel managers for others who wish to know the reasons leading to the implementation and certification of a quality system and the subsequent impacts on performance.

Information systems outsourcing is a constantly growing practice in all sorts of organisations. This paper analyses the level of information systems outsourcing at Spanish public universities. It also means to determine if factors such as the size, both of universities and of their information systems departments, as well as the degree of involvement of rector’s and general manager’s teams in matters related to information technologies can have an influence on the outsourcing level. With this aim, a survey has been made among the information systems managers in all the universities under examination.

The aim of this paper is to determine the main reasons that lead to information systems outsourcing, the reservations that are initially present in front of this kind of contract and the factors considered necessary for the success of outsourcing in the case of Spanish public universities. With this aim, a survey has been made among information systems managers in those universities. The results show the possibility of establishing a typology of universities depending on the position they have adopted with respect to outsourcing.

Analyzes the improvements in organizational behaviour needed to maximize the efficiency of information systems (IS). For this purpose, studies the mutual relationships among information technologies (IT), IS and organizational culture. Then, focuses on how the organizational culture influences this specific process distinguishing between informatic culture and informational culture, the latter being the one allowing an adequate implementation and development of the IS. Finally, underlines the cultural consistency which the implementation of an IS requires. In order to do this, measures the degree of technical and financial feasibility of the IS regarding the quantitative and measurable effort an organization must make to implement it, together with the consistency of this system with the pre-existing culture. When considering the need for a cultural change, argues that the best choice is a “bubble-like” cultural implementation.