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Purpose – Based on the knowledge-based theories of the MNC, this research aims to develop and test a holistic model to analyse the relationship between the strategic knowledge management (SKM) processes undertaken by subsidiaries and MNC performance. Additionally, it focuses on determining the impact that the relational context can have on knowledge creation and transfer inside the internal network of an MNC. Design/methodology/approach – The research hypotheses are tested by partial least squares (PLS) with data from a sample of Spanish subsidiaries of foreign multinational firms belonging to high-technology and knowledge-intensive sectors. Findings – The results confirm that: the implementation of a SKM by a subsidiary positively impacts on knowledge creation; the knowledge created by a subsidiary positively influences knowledge transfer, increasing the knowledge existing in the MNC; the knowledge transfer across all MNC units has a positive impact on MNC performance; the subsidiary’s relational context arises as a mediating variable between the knowledge created by a subsidiary and its transfer to the rest of the MNC. Originality/value – The research proposes a holistic model that contemplates the joint interaction of the variables knowledge creation, knowledge transfer and performance. In addition, the proposed model contemplates the variable SMK of the subsidiary as the beginning of the knowledge creation-knowledge transfer-performance process. Finally, the mediating role of the relational context in the relationship between knowledge creation and transfer is analysed.

This paper contributes to the growing research about Human Resource Management (HRM) by examining the interrelationships between High Performance Work System (HPWS) and their effects on firm performance in the hotel industry. Recent studies stress the need to delve deeper into this link considering the role that may be played by certain dynamic capabilities as mediating variables (Patel, Messersmith, & Lepak, 2013; Prieto-Pastor & Martin-Perez, 2014). The current study proposes a multiple mediating model and tests the mediation. More specifically, this research establishes that human resource flexibility (HRF) and organizational ambidexterity (OA) play a mediating role in the HPWS-performance relationship. A variance-based structural equation modeling (Partial Least Squares) has been applied to a sample of Spanish hotel firms. The results obtained support the mediation hypotheses according to which HRF and OA play a critical mediating role in the HPWS-performance relationship.

Purpose: The purpose of this paper – based on the conviction that the human resource is by far the most strategic or distinctive resource available to firms competing in hospitality and tourism industries – is to objectively analyze the research on HR developed in the domain of tourism and hospitality management between 1997 and 2016. The aim is to “identify” and “represent” the “intellectual structure” of the field examined. Design/methodology/approach: “Bibliometric” methods are utilized: document citation and co-citation analyses, as well as social network analysis (SNA). Findings: The paper provides an interesting inventory of the theoretical foundations of knowledge developed around HR in the field under study by different theoretical frameworks and scientific disciplines, such as marketing or psychology. However, its main contribution is to identify an important gap in the literature in the specific area of management. Research limitations/implications: The present study has several limitations resulting from the utilization of “bibliometric” methods applied in the analyses performed. As for the implications, these are more than obvious. Originality/value: The authors believe that research developed here provides – through a kind of “meta-analysis” – a valuable outlet from which future researchers could benefit, giving them easier access to the theoretical foundations on which HR research in the field in question is based. This work also suggests some paths for future development or research in the field within the context of hospitality and tourism industries.

The relationship between family-firm status and internationalization strategy has been widely discussed in the family business literature. However, prior studies did not address this topic in the case of the Spanish hotel industry, even though this being a highly internationalized sector with a high proportion of family firms. For this reason, the aim of our study is to examine whether the family character of Spanish hotel chains has conditioned their internationalization strategies., La relación entre el carácter familiar de la empresa y la estrategia de internacionalización ha sido ampliamente abordada en la literatura sobre empresa familiar. Sin embargo, no existen trabajos que hayan analizado este tema para el caso concreto del sector hotelero español, aun siendo un sector que cuenta con una alta presencia de este tipo de empresas y, además, estar altamente internacionalizado. Por este motivo, el objetivo del presente trabajo es explorar si el carácter familiar de las cadenas hoteleras españolas ha condicionado su estrategia de internacionalización.

Purpose: Focusing on the growing importance of Indian multinational corporations in the past decades, this paper aims to understand how establishment mode decisions in a foreign market can differ depending on a series of factors. Specifically, the authors examine how institutional distance, including cultural distance and political risk, could affect these decisions, and how international acquisition experience could moderate this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: The authors test their hypotheses using data from 114 outward foreign direct investments between 2000 and 2010. Findings: The findings suggest that experience in international acquisitions increases the likelihood of subsequent acquisitions in high-risk and culturally distant countries. Originality/value: By considering that the country of origin also matters, some differences among emerging-market multinational corporations (MNCs) may arise. Besides, since empirical research focusing on emerging-market MNCs is scarce, more empirical studies are needed to analyze the influence of cultural distance and political risk on some decisions. In the case of India, there are also additional motivations for analyzing those institutional factors. First, since this is a country with significant linkages to Western countries, it is interesting to know if the influence of cultural distance is similar or not. Second, there is a lack of empirical evidence on the relationship between political risk and establishment mode choice in the case of Indian MNCs. To fill this gap, the first aim of this paper is to analyze how cultural distance and political risk affect the establishment mode choice of Indian MNCs. Moreover, recognizing international experience to be an important factor in explaining international expansion, we focus on international experience interactions with sources of uncertainty inherent in the host market.

The present paper brings together two of the research lines which have proved most relevant in the field of strategic management during the last few years: the importance of knowledge as a source of competitive advantage; and the ease of access to that resource within clusters and/or industrial districts. More specifically, our work focuses on the tourism sector, analysing the extent to which the profitability of Spanish vacation hotels located along the Mediterranean coastline depends on internal and external knowledge, that is, on the knowledge resources generated at each destination. A multiple linear regression is designed for the empirical analysis. The evidence supports the hypothesis that the external knowledge generated at each destination is statistically significant, even though internal knowledge turns out to be more relevant in terms of hotel profitability.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore whether the use of high-performance work systems (HPWSs) facilitates the development of organizational ambidexterity directly or through a mediating variable such as ambidextrous organizational culture. Design/methodology/approach – The theoretical model and the hypotheses proposed were tested using a sample of 100 Spanish hotels. The data analysis method used was the partial least squares. Findings – The results of the research confirm that HPWSs exert a direct influence on organizational ambidexterity. HPWSs shape and integrate exploitative and exploratory activities through the construction of a culture that promotes organizational diversity and shared vision, which are needed to shape a suitable context for ambidexterity. Therefore, ambidextrous organizational culture emerges as a mediating variable between HPWSs and organizational ambidexterity. Finally, the ambidexterity of hotels has a positive impact on their performance. Originality/value – The present paper presents new alternatives when undertaking research on organizational ambidexterity. More specifically, this research incorporates a mediator variable called ambidextrous organizational culture between HPWSs and organizational ambidexterity, which has not been considered before.

La localización de las industrias en general y las empresas en particular ha sido un tema de gran importancia en economía desde el trabajo seminal de Alfred Marshall (1890; 1920) quien, mediante la observación, se dedicó a analizar por qué las empresas se co-localizan en lugares particulares. Además, en las últimas décadas se ha producido un aumento en el número de estudios empíricos que investigan las fuerzas motrices detrás de las decisiones de localización de las empresas industriales (Arauzo-Carod et al., 2010). Por otro lado, un tema candente es el que se dedica al estudio de las industrias creativas y ello ha motivado el estudio de su localización. El término “industrias creativas” es una categoría todavía reciente en el discurso político, académico e industrial (Cunningham, 2002), sin embargo, está emergiendo claramente un importante debate sobre el papel de la creatividad y la cultura como factores determinantes para el desarrollo económico local (Power y Scott, 2004; Ginsburgh y Throsby, 2006). En este trabajo abordamos estos temas desde una perspectiva de las economías de aglomeración aplicando un análisis comparativo al caso de España y Reino Unido., The location of industries in general and firms has been a subject of great importance in economics since the seminal work of Alfred Marshall (1890; 1920) who, through observation, devoted himself to analysing why companies are co-located in particular places. In addition, in the last decades there has been an increase in the number of empirical studies that investigate the driving forces behind the locational decisions of industrial firms (Arauzo-Carod et al., 2010). On the other hand, a burning issue is the one that is dedicated to the study of the creative industries and this has motivated the study of its location. The term "creative industries" is still a recent category in political, academic, and industrial discourse (Cunningham, 2002), but a major debate is clearly emerging about the role of creativity and culture as determinants of local economic development (Power and Scott, 2004; Ginsburgh and Throsby, 2006). In this work we approach these issues from a perspective of agglomeration economies applying a comparative analysis to the case of Spain and the United Kingdom.

In the needs of having a deeper knowledge about the implementation of the Balanced Scorecard, we analysed the Valenciana Community’s Footwear Sector, through its association, which represents with 220 companies, nearly the 50% of the Spanish one. This case study was carried out by using an online questionnaire designed to get information about the general knowledge of this Performance Measure System. The company’s size and the relationship between National/International market-share is not related with implementation of the Balanced Scorecard, but does the set of products offered: companies that offer footwear for ‘woman+man+children’, are more likely to have a Balanced Scorecard implemented. Continuing with this paper, a second research should be carried out to dig deeper in the companies identified with a Balanced Scorecard implemented, in order to know how it was developed and works in those companies. More case studies should be carried out to analyse the other half of the Spanish companies as well, and this sector in other countries, to go further in this sector at world level., En la necesidad de tener un conocimiento más profundo sobre la implantación del Cuadro de Mando Integral, hemos analizado el sector del calzado en la Comunidad Valenciana, a través de su asociación, que representa con 220 empresas, casi el 50% del sector en España. Este caso de estudio se ha llevado a cabo mediante el uso de un cuestionario online diseñado para obtener información sobre el conocimiento general de este sistema de medición del rendimiento. La implantación del cuadro no está relacionada con el tamaño de la empresa ni con el reparto de la cuota de mercado nacional/internacional, pero sí con los productos ofrecidos: las empresas que ofrecen calzado conjuntamente para mujer-caballero y niño, tienen más probabilidad de tener un Cuadro de Mando Integral implantado. Continuando con este trabajo, se sugiere realizar una segunda investigación para profundizar en aquellas empresas que cuentan con un Cuadro de Mando Integral implantado, para conocer cómo ésta se ha llevado a cabo y cómo funciona. Se recomienda estudiar la otra mitad del sector del calzado en España, así como en otros países, para profundizar más en este sector a nivel mundial.

Purpose: The present study has as its aim to identify the organizational management practices that involve intellectual capital as facilitators of innovation in its diverse formats, in Ecuador-based shrimp exporting companies. Design/methodology: The research of a qualitative nature was based on the Grounded Theory as a support for data analysis and collection. The personal interview was used in order to obtain the text corpus. The five resulting clusters served as the basis to apply inductive processes: open coding; axial coding; and selective coding, as a methodological activity meant to help interpret concepts and relationships. Findings: The organizational practices associated with intellectual capital in shrimp exporting companies are focused on structural and human capital management, where innovation has developed from the demands for the implementation of quality management systems in accordance with international regulations. Research limitations/implications: The main contribution made by the present study lies in establishing a primary reference framework for the design of strategic alternatives that involve strengthening intellectual capital as a way to generate sustainable competitive advantages in the companies belonging to this sector. Social implications: Shrimp exports, which stand out for being one of the most significant sources of income in Ecuador, contribute to local development by means of employment generation, mainly in rural communities. The exposure to organizational routines linked to intellectual capital provides a chance to come closer to the reality of this sector. This can prove useful for executives and public policy managers to prioritize an approach which influences the generation and maintenance of competitiveness at a firm level, and also impacts on the development of the regions where such business are located. Originality/value: Faced with the absence of works applied to this sector, the present work explores the reality of shr

The relationship between family-firm status and internationalization strategy has been widely discussed in the family business literature. However, prior studies did not address this topic in the case of the Spanish hotel industry, even though this being a highly internationalized sector with a high proportion of family firms. For this reason, the aim of our study is to examine whether the family character of Spanish hotel chains has conditioned their internationalization strategies, La relación entre el carácter familiar de la empresa y la estrategia de internacionalización ha sido ampliamente abordada en la literatura sobre empresa familiar. Sin embargo, no existen trabajos que hayan analizado este tema para el caso concreto del sector hotelero español, aun siendo un sector que cuenta con una alta presencia de este tipo de empresas y, además, estar altamente internacionalizado. Por este motivo, el objetivo del presente trabajo es explorar si el carácter familiar de las cadenas hoteleras españolas ha condicionado su estrategia de internacionalización.

Purpose: The present study has as its aim to identify the organizational management practices that involve intellectual capital as facilitators of innovation in its diverse formats, in Ecuador-based shrimp exporting companies. Design/methodology: The research of a qualitative nature was based on the Grounded Theory as a support for data analysis and collection. The personal interview was used in order to obtain the text corpus. The five resulting clusters served as the basis to apply inductive processes: open coding; axial coding; and selective coding, as a methodological activity meant to help interpret concepts and relationships. Findings: The organizational practices associated with intellectual capital in shrimp exporting companies are focused on structural and human capital management, where innovation has developed from the demands for the implementation of quality management systems in accordance with international regulations. R e s e a r c h li m it a ti o n s / im plic a ti o n s: The main contribution made by the present study lies in establishing a primary reference framework for the design of strategic alternatives that involve strengthening intellectual capital as a way to generate sustainable competitive advantages in the companies belonging to this sector. Social implications: Shrimp exports, which stand out for being one of the most significant sources of income in Ecuador, contribute to local development by means of employment generation, mainly in rural communities. The exposure to organizational routines linked to intellectual capital provides a chance to come closer to the reality of this sector. This can prove useful for executives and public policy managers to prioritize an approach which influences the generation and maintenance of competitiveness at a firm level, and also impacts on the development of the regions where such business are located. Originality/value: Faced with the absence of works applied to this sector, the present work explo, Peer Reviewed

El presente trabajo propone como objetivo el estudio de los efectos de una serie de factores inhibidores e influenciadores, sobre la intención del comportamiento y uso de la banca electrónica en el caso de los adultos mayores. Estos factores son agrupados en tres categorías: 1) factores de interacción personal; 2) factores de riesgo percibido; y 3) factores relativos a las ventajas buscadas. Mostramos, tras su contrastación con una muestra de 396 mayores de 60 años, el efecto positivo de los factores personales y los relativos a las ventajas buscadas, mientras que los factores asociados al riesgo juegan un papel inhibidor del uso de la banca electrónica. El modelo estructural fue valorado mediante PLS (Partial Least Squares) con un adecuado ajuste global. Los resultados permiten identificar aquellos factores que pueden favorecer o perjudicar el proceso de aceptación y uso de la banca electrónica en los mayores., The objective of this paper is to study the effects of inhibitory and influencing factors on the behaviour intention and use of electronic banking in the case of the elderly. These factors are grouped into three categories: 1) personal interaction factors; 2) perceived risk factors; and 3) factors relating to the expected benefits. We show a positive effect of personal factors and those related to the desired benefits, while the factors associated with risk play an inhibiting role in the intention and use of the e-banking. We use a collected survey of 396 individuals over 60 years of age. The structural model was evaluated by PLS (Partial Least Squares) with an adequate global fit. The results allow identifying those factors that may favour or prejudice the process of acceptance and use of electronic banking in the elderly.

[EN] Since the beginning of the 21st century, Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs) are emerging as major global players. Some of them have carried out significant foreign direct investments (FDIs) in developed countries. The main objective of these outward FDIs is to access strategic assets like internationally recognised brands or technological and managerial know-how. As a result, Chinese MNEs are receiving increasing attention in the international management literature. The study of these emerging-market MNEs has generated an interesting epistemological debate among researchers on the applicability of traditional theoretical frameworks. The main question is whether conventional arguments originated in MNEs coming from developed-countries are still valid in the case of developing-country MNEs. While some scholars argue that the analysis of emerging-market MNEs requires new theory, others argue that no new theory is required. Drawing on the transaction cost theory, this paper aims to contribute to this debate by analysing the determining factors of establishment mode choice by Chinese MNEs, namely the choice between acquisition and greenfield investment. From a sample of 88 Spanish subsidiaries of Chinese companies, results show that strategic asset-seeking and a lower growth rate of the Spanish economy are associated with a greater preference for acquisitions. However, industry’s technological intensity turned out to be not significant., [ES] Desde el inicio del siglo XXI, las multinacionales chinas se están erigiendo en actores principales del nuevo escenario global. Algunas de ellas han efectuado inversiones importantes en países desarrollados con la finalidad de conseguir activos estratégicos como marca o know-how. Estas multinacionales chinas están recibiendo una creciente atención en la literatura sobre dirección internacional de la empresa. Como consecuencia, se ha suscitado un debate académico sobre si los marcos teóricos convencionales resultan aplicables para explicar su comportamiento internacional o si se necesitan nuevos modelos teóricos que se adapten mejor a sus peculiaridades como multinacionales procedentes de una economía emergente. Nuestro trabajo pretende contribuir a este debate analizando, desde la teoría de los costes de transacción, los factores determinantes del modo de establecimiento utilizado por las empresas chinas, es decir, la elección entre adquisiciones o nuevas filiales propias. A partir de una muestra de 88 empresas radicadas en España con participación china, nuestros resultados indican que la búsqueda de activos estratégicos y una menor tasa de crecimiento de la economía española se asocian con una mayor preferencia por las adquisiciones en detrimento de las nuevas filiales propias. Sin embargo, la intensidad tecnológica del sector no resulta significativa en la elección del modo de establecimiento.

The present research paper shows the results of an analysis of the existing literature on one of the topics that has sparked the most interest amongst scholars and researchers in the fields of international management and entrepreneurship: born global firms and international new ventures (INVs). Concretely, with the aim of identifying and visualising the intellectual structure of research on this phenomenon, a total of 124 research papers whose titles contain the above terms are analysed. The methodology is mainly based on the bibliometric techniques of document citation and co-citation analyses and the analysis of social networks (SNA)., El presente trabajo de investigación muestra los resultados de un análisis de la literatura existente sobre uno de los ‘tópicos’ que más interés suscita entre estudiosos e investigadores en los campos de la dirección internacional y el entrepreneurship: el de las empresas nacidas globales (BG) e international new ventures (INV). En concreto, a fin de tratar de identificar y visualizar la estructura intelectual o base de conocimiento de la investigación desarrollada sobre dicho fenómeno, un total de 124 artículos de investigación en cuyo título figuran los términos anteriormente descritos, fueron analizados. En cuanto a la metodología utilizada, la misma se halla fundamentada en el uso de técnicas bibliométricas –en particular, de los análisis de citación y co-citación de documentos (DCA)– y el análisis de redes sociales (ARS).

In this paper, we are concerned with describing the reality of cocoa manufacturing firms from the perspective of knowledge management and its dimensions, through the perception of the managers and those responsible for the transformation process. The associations of small cocoa producers in Ecuador are dedicated to growing and marketing their product through intermediaries or directly to exporters. Processing has not been part of their business. However, some associations stand out because they are able to obtain some cocoa derivatives through artisanal production. This activity is carried out mainly by women, maintaining presence in the local markets mainly through fairs.

The aim of this research is to identify the practices of knowledge management implemented by the associations that process artisanal products of cocoa in the province of El Oro (Ecuador), considering the dimensions of generation, transfer and application of knowledge. A qualitative methodology based on a semi-structured interview was carried out. The interview was designed according to the knowledge’s dimensions identified on the literature and a software called T-Lab (version 8) was the tool applied to analyze the stories. The results show that the generation of knowledge is reflected in the search and use of opportunities derived from good relations with the external environment., El objetivo de esta investigación consiste en identificar las prácticas de dirección del conocimiento implementadas por las asociaciones que procesan artesanalmente productos derivados de cacao en la provincia de El Oro (Ecuador), considerando las dimensiones de generación, transferencia y aplicación del conocimiento. Se aplicó una metodología cuantitativa basada en entrevista semiestructurada, diseñada de acuerdo a las dimensiones del conocimiento, aplicando el software T-Lab (versión 8) para el análisis de relatos. Los resultados muestran que la generación del conocimiento se refleja en la búsqueda y uso de oportunidades derivadas de las buenas relaciones con el ambiente externo.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, Chinese multinational enterprises (MNEs) are emerging as major global players. Some of them have carried out significant foreign direct investments (FDIs) in developed countries. The main objective of these outward FDIs is to access strategic assets like internationally recognised brands or technological and managerial know-how. As a result, Chinese MNEs are receiving increasing attention in the international management literature. The study of these emerging-market MNEs has generated an interesting epistemological debate among researchers on the applicability of traditional theoretical frameworks. The main question is whether conventional arguments originated in MNEs coming from developed-countries are still valid in the case of developing-country MNEs. While some scholars argue that the analysis of emerging-market MNEs requires new theory, others argue that no new theory is required. Drawing on the transaction cost theory, this paper aims to contribute to this debate by analysing the determining factors of establishment mode choice by Chinese MNEs, namely the choice between acquisition and greenfield investment. From a sample of 88 Spanish subsidiaries of Chinese companies, results show that strategic asset-seeking and a lower growth rate of the Spanish economy are associated with a greater preference for acquisitions. However, industry’s technological intensity turned out to be not significant., Desde el inicio del siglo XXI, las multinacionales chinas se están erigiendo en actores principales del nuevo escenario global. Algunas de ellas han efectuado inversiones importantes en países desarrollados con la finalidad de conseguir activos estratégicos como marca o know-how. Estas multinacionales chinas están recibiendo una creciente atención en la literatura sobre dirección internacional de la empresa. Como consecuencia, se ha suscitado un debate académico sobre si los marcos teóricos convencionales resultan aplicables para explicar su comportamiento internacional o si se necesitan nuevos modelos teóricos que se adapten mejor a sus peculiaridades como multinacionales procedentes de una economía emergente. Nuestro trabajo pretende contribuir a este debate analizando, desde la teoría de los costes de transacción, los factores determinantes del modo de establecimiento utilizado por las empresas chinas, es decir, la elección entre adquisiciones o nuevas filiales propias. A partir de una muestra de 88 empresas radicadas en España con participación china, nuestros resultados indican que la búsqueda de activos estratégicos y una menor tasa de crecimiento de la economía española se asocian con una mayor preferencia por las adquisiciones en detrimento de las nuevas filiales propias. Sin embargo, la intensidad tecnológica del sector no resulta significativa en la elección del modo de establecimiento.

This article focuses on the tourism sector, analysing the extent to which the degree of firm concentration in industry is higher or lower among the tourist districts located along the Spanish Mediterranean coastline depending on the knowledge resources generated by the institutions located at each destination (universities, vocational training centres (VTCs) and technological centres). Certain factors, such as the technical characteristics of the generated knowledge and the absorptive capacity of firms, influence the power of attraction that such institutions may exert for new firms to join the tourist district. For that reason, a U-shaped relationship between agglomeration and institutional knowledge is proposed. The empirical evidence supports this hypothesis for the knowledge generated by universities and higher-level VTCs, though not for the knowledge generated by medium-level VTCs and technological centres.

The present paper brings together two lines of research that the literature has more often than not studied separately: the generation of externalities in industrial districts; and the international strategy based on location advantages. The application of industrial district approach principles serves to identify the tourist holiday districts situated along the Spanish coastline. This is followed by an analysis of the extent to which the degree of firm agglomeration specific to each district, as well as the presence of institutions generating specific technical knowledge, influence the globalization of the tourism sector, both regarding internationalized Spanish hotel chains and foreign hotels installed in Spain.

The Chinese hotel sector has experienced spectacular growth in recent years. Furthermore, it is expected that Chinese hotel chains will increase their presence abroad in the future. One of the key decisions in the internationalization process of hotel firms is the choice of entry mode into a foreign country. Many different factors influence this strategic decision. From a sample of 185 entries carried out by the largest Chinese hotel firms, this study analyses some of the main firm factors that might influence entry mode choice. The results support the relationship between the entry mode of Chinese hotel chains and firm size, previous international experience and asset intangibility.

Decisions regarding firm internationalisation, especially when it comes to choosing which market entry mode to use, have been one of the most frequently discussed topics in academic literature in the last few decades. Many studies have been conducted from different perspectives, either focusing on one or several sectors or analysing companies from a specific country. Nevertheless, there are few studies dealing with the Chinese hotel industry. The aim of this study is to analyse the relationship between environmental and firm-specific factors and entry mode choice by the largest Chinese hotel chains. Using a sample of 185 entries, the results show that cultural distance, market attractiveness, firm international experience, asset intangibility, firm size and the number of Chinese outbound tourists visiting each country are determining factors of entry mode choice.

En el tercer año de funcionamiento de la red se ha continuado con el trabajo iniciado en los cursos anteriores relativo a la revisión y actualización del material docente −teórico y práctico− empleado en las asignaturas “Dirección Estratégica de la Empresa I” y “Dirección Estratégica de la Empresa II”, impartidas ambas en el tercer curso del grado en ADE y en el cuarto de DADE y TADE. Se considera ya asentada la metodología de evaluación continua centrada en la resolución y discusión en clase de casos breves, la cual fue desarrollada inicialmente en el curso 2014-2015. Por otro lado, durante el presente curso, los miembros de la red han realizado un estudio a partir de la opinión de los estudiantes del grado en ADE y del MBA sobre el tipo de información que la Universidad debe transmitir a la sociedad acerca del coste de sus actividades docentes e investigadoras. Se trata de un estudio que se enmarca en otro más amplio en el que también participan otras universidades españolas. Los resultados fueron presentados en las XV Jornadas de Investigación en Docencia Universitaria, celebradas en la Universidad de Alicante.

The international expansion of emerging-market multinational enterprises (MNEs) is becoming a research topic of increasing interest among international business scholars. One of the specific research questions arising is whether conventional theoretical arguments originated in studies on developed-country MNEs are still valid for explaining the international behavior of emerging-market MNEs. Drawing on the institutional theory, this paper argues that the influence of host country institutional factors on location decisions differs between Chinese and Indian MNEs. We hypothesize that the negative impact of both cultural distance and political risk on location decisions is lower for Chinese MNEs as compared to Indian MNEs. From a sample of 832 outward foreign direct investments (OFDIs) we obtain empirical support for these hypotheses.

The international expansion of multinational enterprises (MNEs) is one of the topics most frequently discussed amongst international business scholars. In particular, decisions regarding firm location and its effects on performance have received great attention. The results obtained in the study about this relationship are inconclusive, though, since a large number of studies have been conducted from very different perspectives. One of these perspectives suggests that the location in agglomerations allows MNEs to benefit from potential knowledge spillovers encouraging innovation and local adaptation. However, this co-location increases the risk of imitation by domestic companies as well. Furthermore, the acquisition by each firm of the external knowledge generated by means of concentration depends on its internal capabilities, and especially on its absorptive capacity. The aim sought with this work consists in analyzing the location decisions adopted by MNEs in an attempt to clarify the following issues: Are MNEs more likely to be established in agglomerations? Which companies benefit the most from geographical proximity in terms of innovation, domestic or foreign ones? What is the role of absorptive capacity? The results obtained in the analysis, carried out with a sample of firms and using data from a survey conducted in 2013 by PITEC, reveal the differences between foreign and local companies when it comes to using external knowledge., La expansión internacional de las empresas multinacionales (EMNs) constituye uno de los tópicos más analizados por los académicos e investigadores. En particular, una línea de investigación que ha recibido gran atención es la relativa a las decisiones sobre localización y sus efectos sobre la rentabilidad empresarial A pesar de este interés y como consecuencia de la diversidad de perspectivas adoptadas, los resultados sobre la relación entre localización y rentabilidad no son concluyentes. Una de estas perspectivas sugiere que la localización en aglomeraciones permite a la EMN beneficiarse de los flujos de conocimiento que allí se generan, lo cual facilita la innovación y la adaptación local. Sin embargo, la co-localización también aumenta el riesgo para las EMNs de ser imitadas por las empresas domésticas. Además, para cada compañía la adquisición del conocimiento externo generado con la concentración empresarial depende de sus capacidades internas, especialmente su capacidad de absorción. En este contexto, el objetivo de este trabajo consiste en analizar las decisiones de localización adoptadas por EMNs con la intención de clarificar los siguientes aspectos: ¿Tienden las EMNs a localizarse en aglomeraciones empresariales? ¿Qué empresas se benefician más de la proximidad geográfica en términos de innovación, las domésticas o las multinacionales extranjeras? ¿Qué papel juega la capacidad de absorción? Los resultados obtenidos en el análisis, el cual ha sido realizado con una muestra de empresas a partir de la base de datos del PITEC 2013, revelan las diferencias existentes entre las empresas multinacionales y locales en lo que se refiere al uso del conocimiento externo generado con las aglomeraciones.

Partiendo de la importancia de la actividad camaronera para Ecuador y el conocimiento como recurso estratégico, en este trabajo se caracterizan las prácticas organizacionales de la dirección del conocimiento, desde la dimensión de la generación. Se usó la técnica estadística multivariante de análisis factorial exploratorio que sirvió para estudiar las dimensiones o factores que subyacen a las relaciones entre variables, se plantearon 36 preguntas mediante un cuestionario aplicado a una muestra de 26 productores camaroneros de la provincia de El Oro., Based on the importance of shrimp farming for Ecuador, and knowledge as a strategic resource, this research characterizes the organizational practices of the knowledge management, from the generation dimension. The multivariate statistical technique of exploratory factor analysis was applied to study the dimensions or factors underlying the relationships between variables. A questionnaire randomly implemented to 26 shrimp producers from the province of El Oro.

This paper studies the tourist districts of the Spanish coastline, analyzing how its characteristics influence the competitiveness of the hotels located inside them. Specifically, the work is divided into three differentiated parts. Firstly, it is analyzed how the degree of business agglomeration in the tourist districts affects the profitability of the hotels, obtaining the conclusion that the relationship between these two variables follows a U-shaped form. Secondly, the study tries to determine whether the concentration of tourism enterprises in a district depends on the existence in the place of knowledge resources coming from institutions. Conclusions obtained in this second part are different depending on the source of knowledge. Finally, the third part analyzes the relationship between the degree of business agglomeration in each district with the propensity of hotel chains to internationalize, as well as with the possibility that foreign chains are located in Spain., Este trabajo estudia los distritos turísticos de la costa española, analizando cómo las características que los definen influyen en la competitividad de sus hoteles. El trabajo se divide en tres partes. En la primera se analiza cómo el grado de aglomeración empresarial de los distritos turísticos identificados afecta a la rentabilidad de los hoteles, llegando a la conclusión de que la relación entre estas dos variables tiene la forma de U. En la segunda, se trata de determinar si la concentración de empresas turísticas en un distrito depende de la existencia en el lugar de recursos de conocimiento procedente de fuentes institucionales, obteniendo conclusiones diferentes en función de la fuente de conocimiento. En la tercera, se relaciona el grado de aglomeración de empresas turísticas de cada distrito con la propensión de las cadenas hoteleras a internacionalizarse, así como con la posibilidad de que cadenas extranjeras se localicen en España.

Gran cantidad de literatura ha proporcionado evidencia empírica acerca de la existencia de las economías de aglomeración o economías externas que surgen de la concentración de empresas en un espacio geográfico determinado. En estos entornos competitivos, las empresas co-localizadas son capaces de obtener elevados niveles de productividad y eficiencia en su actividad empresarial, así como alcanzar ventajas competitivas sostenibles. Esta evidencia apoya, especialmente, las teorías de Marshall y Jacobs, considerando en sus planteamientos la especialización y diversidad industrial respectivamente. El presente trabajo estudia las diferentes contribuciones y enfoques en torno a las economías de aglomeración además de analizar cómo afectan las economías de urbanización al crecimiento de las regiones. Con este fin, se analiza el crecimiento en 165 países de todo el mundo en el año 2015 y, en el caso de España, en el periodo comprendido entre 1990-2015. Por otro lado, se analiza la composición sectorial de algunas de las principales ciudades de España., Great amount of literature has provided empirical evidence about the existence of the agglomeration economies or external economies that arise from the business concentration in a geographical certain space. In these competitive environments, colocated firms are able to obtain major levels of productivity and efficiency in his managerial, as well as the possibility to achieving sustainable competitive advantages. This evidence supports, specially, the theories of Marshall and Jacobs considering in their approaches the specialization and industrial diversity respectively. The present work studies the different contributions and approaches concerning the agglomeration economies, moreover analyzing how the urbanization economies affect to the growth of the regions. For this purpose, it is analyzed the growth in 165 countries around the world in 2015 and for the case of Spain in the period from 1990 to 2015. Additionally, the sectorial composition is analyzed in some of the main cities in Spain.

El uso de redes sociales es una realidad entre los estudiantes universitarios, por lo que debemos sacar partido en las aulas de esta tecnología. En las asignaturas que impartimos estamos usando una red social online (Facebook) para ilustrar y complementar los materiales de las mismas, aunque su uso es totalmente voluntario. Nos planteamos evaluar la opinión de los estudiantes sobre el uso de redes sociales online. Para ello hemos realizado una encuesta entre los mismos calibrando los puntos a favor y en contra del uso de redes sociales online por su repercusión en los estudios. En la presente memoria se exponen los resultados y conclusiones elaborados a partir de dicha encuesta.

En este trabajo se recoge el trabajo realizado durante el curso 2016-17 por la red docente MBA UA, cuyo objetivo último era establecer procesos de mejora de la docencia del máster analizando la opinión de los estudiantes, de forma que se pudiera diseñar una propuesta para mejorar la metodología docente en el mismo. Esta memoria recoge el análisis realizado y las principales conclusiones obtenidas. Se podría decir que queda más que justificada por la literatura y por la opinión del alumnado la necesidad de introducir nuevas metodologías que fomenten el aprendizaje experiencial, pero la realidad hace que sea muy complicado la implantación en la práctica.

Dentro del sector turístico, el sector hotelero español representa uno de los sectores más dinámicos. Prueba de ello es la gran cantidad de decisiones estratégicas de crecimiento que son tomadas continuamente por las empresas hoteleras españolas. Entre estas estrategias de crecimiento, el presente trabajo se centra en las estrategias de diversificación geográfica. Concretamente, se analiza la evolución en la diversificación internacional de las cadenas hoteleras españolas durante los años 2008-2014 y su relación con la rentabilidad empresarial. Para complementar el análisis, también se analiza la relación entre la diversificación y otras variables empresariales como el tamaño y la antigüedad., The hotel sector is one of the most dynamic tourism industries in Spain and one of the most important industries for the Spanish economy. Proof of this is the large number of growth strategies that are continuously carried out by Spanish hotel companies. Within these growth strategies, this paper focuses on geographic diversification strategies. More precisely, we analyze the evolution of the international diversification of Spanish hotel chains during the years 2008-2014 and its relationship with performance. Moreover, we investigate the relationship between geographic diversification and other firm-specific factors such as size and age.

Dadas las actuales exigencias competitivas de un entorno cada día más global, la elección de una localización concreta por parte de las empresas multinacionales no sólo responde a la búsqueda de nuevos mercados sino también de conocimientos externos que favorezcan la innovación y su adaptación local. Ello explica que algunas de estas empresas elijan como emplazamiento lugares caracterizados por un mayor nivel de concentración empresarial, asumiendo un mayor riesgo de ser imitadas. Sin embargo, en última instancia, el acceso y el aprovechamiento del conocimiento externo depende de la habilidad de cada compañía para participar de las redes en las que se crea y comparte dicho conocimiento y para rentabilizarlo en forma de innovaciones de producto, proceso, prácticas organizativas y/o comerciales, mostrando los resultados alcanzados las diferencias existentes entre empresas foráneas y locales., Given the current competitive demands of each time more global environment, the choice of a specific location by multinational companies not only responds to the search for new markets but also of external knowledge which encourages innovation and local adaptation. This explains the fact that some of these companies choose as location, places characterized by a higher level of business concentration despite the high risk of being imitated. Ultimately, however, the access to and the use of external knowledge depends on the ability of each company to participate in the networks where knowledge is created and shared; depending also on the capacity of the firm to apply it in innovation of products, processes, organizational and/or commercial practices. Results show the differences between foreign and local companies.

The present research paper shows the results of an analysis of the existing literature on one of the topics that has sparked the most interest among scholars and researchers in the fields of international management and entrepreneurship: born global firms or international new ventures. Concretely, with the aim of identifying and visualising the intellectual structure of research on this phenomenon, a total of 124 research papers whose titles contain the above terms are analysed. The methodology is mainly based on the bibliometric techniques of document citation and co-citation analyses and the analysis of social networks.

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore if human resource (HR) flexibility facilitates the development of organizational ambidexterity, which in turn has positive effects on firm performance. Design/methodology/approach – The research hypotheses are tested by partial least squares with data from a sample of 100 Spanish hotels. Findings – The results confirm a total mediator effect of organizational ambidexterity on the relationship between HR flexibility and performance. However, it was not possible to check that such flexibility directly influences performance. This may be due to the fact that HR flexibility has a gradual effect on the development of organizational ambidexterity. Research limitations/implications – The results of this study contribute to the knowledge on the impact of HR flexibility on performance. This paper, thus, stresses the strategic role that HRs play within organizations, insofar as their flexibility makes it possible to develop a highly relevant organizational capability such as ambidexterity. The study’s limitations are the analysis technique utilized (it assumes linearity between latent variables) and that the research only explores the hotel industry. Practical implications – HR managers need to consider that HR flexibility contributes to developing organizational ambidexterity and the ability to combine the learning of exploration and exploitation, which affects the firm’s performance and, therefore its competitiveness. Originality/value – The results of this study can contribute to broaden the knowledge about the impact of HR flexibility on performance. In fact, the studies on HR flexibility performed so far have focused on analysing the role played by that flexibility as a mediator variable between high performance work system and performance. This work goes one step further, trying to examine the extent to which HR flexibility influences the ability to undertake exploitation and exploration processes at the same time. This

La ambidestreza organizativa es una capacidad estratégica de suma importancia en la actualidad tanto para la innovación de productos/servicios como para el éxito empresarial. Este trabajo aborda el análisis de la ambidestreza desde una óptica poco estudiada hasta el momento (la dirección de los recursos humanos), y en un sector en el que han sido escasas las contribuciones académicas en relación a la ambidestreza organizativa, como es el sector hotelero. Los objetivos de esta investigación son conocer en qué medida un sistema de dirección de recursos humanos de alto rendimiento (HPWS) contribuye al desarrollo de la ambidestreza, si la cultura organizativa actúa como variable mediadora en esta relación y el efecto de la ambidestreza organizativa en el desempeño hotelero., Organisational ambidexterity is currently a very significant organisational capacity for innovation of products / services and for business success. This article tackles the analysis of ambidexterity from an angle largely unexplored so far (human resources management), and in a sector —the hotel industry— with scarce academic contributions on organizational ambidexterity. The goals of this research are finding out how much high-performance human resources work systems (HPWS) contribute to developing ambidexterity, if organisational culture is a mediator variable in this relationship, and the effect of organisational ambidexterity on hotel performance.

Muchas cadenas hoteleras apuestan cada vez más por diversificar su cartera de hoteles, creando nuevas enseñas o marcas, y por diversificar sus mercados geográficos entrando en nuevos destinos. Esta pluralidad les permite diferenciarse, acceder a nuevos segmentos de clientes y satisfacer nuevas demandas, dejando así de depender de un único mercado o destino. En este artículo se analiza la evolución en los últimos años de la diversificación geográfica y de producto en las cadenas hoteleras españolas más internacionalizadas. Se analiza, además, si existe relación entre ellas y otras variables como la antigüedad o el tamaño de la empresa., Many hotel chains are increasingly committed to diversifying their hotel portfolio, creating new brands or trademarks, and expanding to a range of geographical markets by entering new destinations. This plurality allows them to differentiate themselves, by accessing new client segments and satisfying new demands, thereby no longer depending on a sole market or destination. This article analyses the progress of geographical and product diversification of the most internationalised Spanish hotel chains in recent years. There is also an analysis of whether there is a relationship between them, and other variables such as the age and size of the company.