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Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold. First, it aims to analyze the individual influence of different knowledge management practises (KMP) on firm performance. Second, it aims to analyze the mediating role of organizational learning (OL) between each KMP and performance. Design/methodology/approach A telephone-survey was applied in 2018 to the managers of 400 Spanish firms. The data retrieved was analyzed by using multiple regression analysis. Findings Knowledge generation (KG) and knowledge flow (KF) promote firm performance, while there is not a direct association between knowledge storage and performance. OL mediates the relationship between KG and performance, as well as between KF and performance. Research limitations/implications First, this research confirms that not all the KMP have a direct effect on firm performance, thus, future research would need to differentiate between different KMP. Second, this paper is pioneering in providing empirical evidence that OL mediates the KMP – performance relationship. Third, the empirical study was performed in a context non-researched yet by the literature considering KMP individually: Spain. Practical implications First, besides the results managers should focus their efforts in practises related to KG and application. Second, OL mediating suggests that managers should invest in managerial commitment to promote a shared culture, shared vision, open-mind to new ideas and a lot of dialogue. Originality/value This is the first study that investigates how KMP contribute to firm performance by incorporating the mediating impact of OL. The results will help organizations to identify the KMP improving the performance.

We investigate how the four dimensions of the dynamic capabilities (DC) construct (sensing, learning, integrating, and coordinating) individually affect firm performance and the moderating role of market orientation (MO) in the process. Our findings, based on a sample of 509 Spanish small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), suggest that not all DC dimensions are equally important for SME performance. We further found MO to significantly moderate the relationships between both the sensing capability and the learning capability and firm performance. The implications for research and practice are discussed.

The paper analyses the relatedness or interrelations in the joint adoption of different types of innovation (product, process, organisational, and commercial). We study the relatedness in t...

PurposeThe implementation of business excellence models is becoming a key competitive priority for companies, but the type of results they obtain by implementing such models and the importance of such results remain open issues. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the results obtained by companies that implement the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) excellence model, with a focus on their importance and nature.Design/methodology/approachAn empirical study was conducted in 68 Spanish firms that were immersed in the process of implementing EFQM. The methodology consists of a descriptive analysis and factor analysis in order to determine which groups of results are the most important. Finally, clusters of firms are analyzed to establish their profile in relation to these groups, using cluster analysis.FindingsThis study shows that the main results of the implementation of EFQM are an improvement in the external image of the company and an increased efficiency of internal processes. In addition, the results can be grouped into internal results, human resources results and economic results, with the first group being the most important. Finally, the results show that there are three groups of firms, categorized according to their results orientation: highly results-oriented, moderately results-oriented and minimally results-oriented.Practical implicationsCompanies are in a better position to anticipate and solve the problems that may arise during the implementation process if they understand the results of the implementation of EFQM, along with the motivations for and barriers to the implementation. Also, this research shows that the bodies promoting and motivating quality should make a special effort to emphasize the importance of non-financial results in companies that implement EFQM.Originality/valueThis paper extends the knowledge in the field of business excellence models by developing an instrument to measure implementation results from the perspective of quality managers who were specifically appointed to lead the implementation of the EFQM excellence model in companies.

Despite evidence pointing to differences between family and nonfamily firms regarding entrepreneurial orientation (EO), market orientation (MO), and learning orientation (LO), little is known of the relationships between these variables in the family business context. Drawing on the resource-based view (RBV) and a sample of 509 Spanish small and medium enterprises (SMEs), our results suggest that the family business context promotes the LO-EO link, which helps explain why some firms are more entrepreneurially oriented than other firms.

Firms develop and use multiple strategic orientations. However, the investigations considering more than one strategic orientation are scant and have paid scant attention to the singular context of family firms, despite the growing evidence of their special strategic behavior. To cover these research gaps, we analyze the combined effects of three strategic orientations (mainly, entrepreneurial orientation, learning orientation, and market orientation) on family firm's performance, by comparing family firms and non-family firms from Spain and Portugal. Our results show that the entrepreneurial orientation is the strategic orientation with higher impact on family firm performance, followed by market orientation, so, our work offers family firms some insights to an improved performance. In addition our work contributes to literature by corroborating the idea of strategic equifinality. RESUMEN: Las empresas desarrollan y utilizan múltiples orientaciones estratégicas. Sin embargo, pocos estudios han considerado más de una orientación estratégica y los existentes han prestado escasas atención las empresas familiares, a pesar de la creciente evidencia del comportamiento estratégico diferencial de estas empresas. Para cubrir este gap en la investigación, analizamos los efectos combinados de tres orientaciones estratégicas (orientación emprendedora, orientación al aprendizaje y orientación al mercado) en la performace de las empresas familiares comparando empresas familiares y no familiares de España y Portugal. Nuestros resultados muestran diferencias en el comportamiento estratégico de las empresas familiares, pero no encontramos diferencias en el desempeño, lo que corrobora la idea de la equifinalidad estratégica.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the understanding of the factors that influence small to medium-sized family enterprises (SMFEs) innovation decision. Design/methodology/approach – This paper utilises an original data set of 73 SMFEs employing 5-249 people to run binomial logistic regression model which considers the joint effect of both internal and external factors. Findings – The results confirm, on the one hand, a significant and positive relationship between the long chief executive officer (CEO) tenure, the prospector and analyser strategic orientation, and the innovation decision in the Spanish family firms. On the other hand, the results confirm a significant and negative relationship between the risk taking, the cost of innovation, the lack of qualified personnel, a customer indifference towards innovation, and the innovation decision in the Spanish SMFEs. Research limitations/implications – The results contribute to the development of theoretical and knowledge bases, as well as offering results that will be of interest to research and policy communities. The results are limited to a small sample size, single survey, using cross-sectional data. Practical implications – The findings have a bearing on business innovation strategy for policy makers. The results suggest that policy measures that promote long CEO tenures, and the prospector and analyser strategic orientation may have the greatest impact in terms of helping to facilitate innovation decision. Originality/value – A novel feature of the model is the consideration of the joint effect of both internal and external factors in SMFEs.

Although management literature mostly reports a positive association between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance, it also recognizes that different business contexts may prompt different manifestations of entrepreneurial orientation. Considering that family firms constitute the backbone of most economies across the globe, and based on arguments from socioemotional wealth perspective, this research aims to examine the moderating effect of being a family firm on the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and firm performance. The empirical study is based on primary information obtained from the chief-executive-offices of 402 small and medium-enterprises (SMEs) from Portugal, a country located in southwestern Europe, and one that has been scantly investigated by the literature in the confluence between entrepreneurial orientation and family firms. Results show that the family firm status weakens the relationship between entrepreneurial orientation and performance in the Portuguese SMEs.

This chapter is intended to analyze the extent to which businesses in Spain have adopted several flexibility-manufacturing practices. Specifically, this study explores firstly, sample-based differences in the results of comparative family firms versus nonfamily firms concerning practices for implementing manufacturing flexibility. Secondly, heterogeneity in this implementation process within different groups of family firms was explored. The gathered evidence suggests that the main differences with respect to practices for implementing manufacturing flexibility appear when specific characteristics surrounding family firms and related to the role of the CEO and family involvement in the management of the firm are considered.

This study aims to explore how family firms pursue strategies that promote strategic flexibility and knowledge-management (KM) practices to respond to strategic-renewal goals. Specifically, based on a knowledge-based view of the firm, the following research question is proposed: Are there heterogeneous groups of family firms in terms of knowledge management, strategic flexibility and strategic renewal goals? To answer this question, an exploratory study using a two-step cluster analysis is developed. It reveals natural groupings from a sample of 288 small and medium-sized Spanish family enterprises (SMEs). The results obtained identified three distinctive clusters of family firms, namely proactive family firms, transitional or adaptive family firms, and rigid family firms. After two-step cluster analysis, we also conducted analysis of variance (ANOVA) to confirm that significant differences amongst the three clusters exist. After heterogeneity been confirmed, a further profile of the cluster solution was provided by using CEO and board characteristics, as well as the generational stage of the company. The findings offer some counterbalance for those studies that tend to study family businesses as a homogeneous entity, thus permitting researchers to access more information, providing rich explanations for renewal managerial decision-making purposes in family firm contexts.

The present work is an attempt to contribute to the conceptual systematisation of the manufacturing flexibility types by synthesising the vast literature available after a systematic review. We classified the papers in two perspectives (hierarchical and strategic), and engaged in a systematic process of standardisation of the definitions and names of various flexibility types leading to a better understanding of them. This process allowed us to clearly show: (a) the existence of a broader consensus in the field than expected; (b) that problems are limited to concrete aspects related to the level of analysis or the scope of certain flexibility types; (c) the possibility of a theoretical integration between the two perspectives which would permit a standardisation of the names and definitions for the flexibility types which make up the manufacturing flexibility construct.

This paper presents the results of the empirical study conducted in 68 Spanish private firms which are immersed in the implementation process of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) excellence model, according to the Excellence in Management Club (the official representative and partner of EFQM in Spain which is a non-profit making organisation with the aim of being the reference and meeting point for organisations on their way towards excellence). The objective of this paper is to explore the main barriers of Total Quality Management implementation through the EFQM excellence model in Spanish private firms. The methodology consists of a descriptive analysis and factor analysis in order to determine the importance and the structure of these barriers. Finally, cluster firms and these groups are analysed to establish their profile by cluster analysis. The results show that the most important barriers are those related to the lack of time and the lack of physical and financial resources. The...

This paper presents the results of the empirical study conducted in 68 Spanish firms which are following the implementation process of the Total Quality Management (TQM) through the EFQM excellence model, according to the Excellence in Management Club (the official representative and partner of EFQM in Spain which is a non-profit making organisation with the aim of being the reference and meeting point for organisations on their way towards excellence). The objective of this paper is to analyse the motivations that lead Spanish firms to implement the TQM through the EFQM. First a review of literature is provided, followed by methodology which consists of a descriptive analysis and factor analysis in order to determine the importance and the structure of these motivations. Finally, cluster firms and these groups are analysed to establish their profile by cluster analysis. The results show that the most important motivations that drive firms to implement the TQM through the EFQM are internal motivations. Th...

The family business field of study has grown considerably in recent years in Spain. In fact, it is no exaggeration to say that twenty years ago there was barely any research in this field. In 1992, exactly 25 years ago, a group of family entrepreneurs founded the Instituto de la Empresa Familiar (IEF). IEF created the Chair in Family Business at Spanish universities to foster its inclusion in Business Administration syllabuses and promote its research by Spanish academics. This paper analyses the evolution of research into family businesses carried out by academics who are part of the IEF Network of Chairs, both at international and management level. To do this, the ISI Web of Knowledge database and Scopus were used as sources of information.

An atlas of susceptibility to pollution of 320 Spanish marinas is provided. Susceptibility is assessed through a simple, fast and low cost empirical method estimating the flushing capacity of marinas. The Complexity Tidal Range Index (CTRI) was selected among eleven empirical methods. The CTRI method was selected by means of statistical analyses because: it contributes to explain the system's variance; it is highly correlated to numerical model results; and, it is sensitive to marinas' location and typology. The process of implementation to the Spanish coast confirmed its usefulness, versatility and adaptability as a tool for the environmental management of marinas worldwide. The atlas of susceptibility, assessed through CTRI values, is an appropriate instrument to prioritize environmental and planning strategies at a regional scale.

An analysis of data from 443 Spanish hospitality firms highlighted four factors that encourage innovation. This original analytic model considered the joint effect on innovation of both internal and external factors but did not find that external factors—including government assistance programs—had a significant effect on hospitality innovation. The results confirmed a significant and positive relationship between hospitality innovation and four internal factors, namely, large firm size, membership in a business group (that is, a franchise, management contract, or membership association), willingness to change, and a sufficiently strong bureaucratic framework to manage and institutionalize any innovations.

The authors assess and measure the repercussions of the implementation and certification of an ISO 14001 environmental management system (EMS) on company organizational structure. They identify these e fects on Mintzberg's parameters of structural design by postulating a series of hypotheses. These hypotheses are then studied empirically among firms that have implemented the ISO 14001 EMS. With this empirical evidence, they conclude the key determinants of the intensity of organizational changes observed are EMS maturity, management involvement in the implementation process, and the prior existence of an ISO 9001 quality management system.