Enterprises In Spain Research Articles

Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Spain: The Role of Competences and Skills

Adoption of Artificial Intelligence in Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Spain: The Role of Competences and Skills

Environmental Management Maturity: The Role of Dynamic Validation

Maturity models enhance the performance of companies by prescribing a trajectory through stages of increasing capability. However, a recent review of maturity models concludes that current maturity models hardly meet the design principles required for prescriptive use. To address this deficiency, we conducted semistructured interviews and a Group Model Building study with industrial companies in Spain in which we studied the progression toward a Leading Green Company as the highest maturity stage of environmental management. The findings from the study were tested using surveys with enterprises in Spain, Italy, and the United Kingdom, semistructured interviews in the United Kingdom and case studies in Spain. Using these data sources, we develop a causal model that captures an idealized environmental management maturity dynamic progression though stages. By mapping maturity stages to feedback loops connected to actions to improve those maturity levels, system dynamics can help companies articulate policies for transitioning toward higher maturity stages.

New Insights into Non-Listed Family SMEs in Spain: Board Social Capital, Board Effectiveness, and Sustainable Performance

This study proposes an original structural model that analyzes the relationship between sustainable firm performance, and a board of directors’ external and internal social capital. Data collected in 232 non-listed and family-run small and medium-sized enterprises in Spain suggest that the effects of boards’ internal and external social capital on sustainable firm performance were partially transmitted through board effectiveness. However, external social capital influences board effectiveness and sustainable firm performance more than internal social capital. Moreover, interlocks only reinforce the relationship between a board’s external social capital and its effectiveness. Our research offers the following main contributions: (1) A proposed structural theoretical model, (2) a focus on both internal and external social capital, unlike previous literature that emphasized only one perspective, and (3) empirical evidence that supports literature on the interlocking interaction between a boards’ internal and external social capital.

Innovation, Risk, and Uncertainty: A Study of Tourism Entrepreneurs

Innovation is inherently associated with risk and uncertainty, and the engagement of entrepreneurs with these is central to the innovation process. Entrepreneurs are not passive actors but, through learning, they contribute to the dynamic capabilities of the firm across the innovation process. Drawing on 57 interviews with entrepreneurs in tourism small and medium enterprises in Spain and the United Kingdom, the article identifies how risk and uncertainty are understood to change throughout the innovation process in the key areas of technology, finance, markets, and organizations. It also examines how tourism entrepreneurs respond to risk and uncertainty through a range of strategies, especially the harvesting of knowledge and networking. However, engaging with uncertainty remains elusive and relies as much on intuition as on reasoning.

Evolution of inbound openness profiles in the innovation practices of small and medium-sized enterprises in Spain and Portugal

The purpose of this article is to shed light on the patterns of inbound open innovation practices of SMEs and to explore potential size and country specificities. We base the analysis on data provided by three waves of the Eurostat Community Innovation Survey (CIS) for Spanish and Portuguese firms. The study identifies five innovation clusters with different openness profiles: closed innovators, absorbers of specialised knowledge, acquirers, co-operators and absorbers of industry knowledge. We find no substantial differences between small and medium-sized firms with regards to their innovation profiles, but there are substantial differences between the profiles of Spanish and Portuguese firms and the trends in said profiles. Portuguese firms increasingly rely on technology acquisition and Spanish firms on public institutions. These results could help shape national policy on intellectual property and public research systems, among others.

Female Executives in the Service Sector: The Case of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises in Spain

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and women are important agents for economic and social development. This study attempts to understand how the economic crisis has affected the behavior of SMEs with high female participation in the decision-making process. To that end, the quantitative research focused on a sample of 425 small and medium-sized enterprises in Spain relying on a questionnaire-based survey. The results of the empirical study offer new evidence on the effects of the recession on decision-making female-dominated bodies in organizations and illustrate the importance of corporate governance issues. In addition, the research provides greater knowledge of female entrepreneurs in a country severely affected by the global economic crisis. Several recommendations are proposed to provide a theoretical basis for governments to reduce glass ceiling and promote women’s empowerment policies.

Is ethical management of human resources inherent to social enterprises European tradition model versus Anglo-Saxon model

Social entrepreneurship has become an economic reality with great potential to provide a response to the existing social challenges. In this paper we identify two models of social enterprise, and we provide, for the first time, evidence from the human resource management of social enterprises in Spain. This allows us to analyse whether these social enterprises manage their human resources in an ethical way, and whether a different ethical human resource management exists in the two models. We have designed a questionnaire using the ethical practices of the ethical human resource management model as a basis. The results reveal that social enterprises in Spain manage their human resources ethically and a difference does not exist between the two models identified. We conclude by outlining the implications for a better understanding of ethical practices in human resource management in social enterprises.

Profit efficiency and its determinants in small and medium-sized enterprises in Spain

This paper estimates profit efficiency and its determinants in small and medium-sized manufacturing enterprises in Spain. The stochastic frontier methodology and the model proposed by Battese and Coelli (1995) were used to determine the impact of the technological and environmental differences between these companies on their efficiency. The results indicate that the average profit efficiency of food SMEs is 49.37%. The results also reveal that company size, export orientation, government assistance and labour productivity are all positively related to the efficiency of food SMEs; age, however, is negatively related. Finally, the strategic implications of these findings are discussed.

Employee‐Owned Firms from a Stakeholder Perspective

AbstractThis study focuses on the role of employee‐owned firms (EOFs) in value creation from a stakeholder perspective. EOFs have been defined as Social Economy enterprises in Spain following guiding principles that in our opinion should empower stakeholder governance. Therefore, the impact of employee share ownership on value creation for shareholders and stakeholders has been measured on the basis of a sample of 1006 enterprises. The results reveal that EOFs have a positive and significant influence on the distribution of value in favour of the employees but not the other stakeholders. This finding, which allows us to partially accept one of the proposed hypotheses, is consistent with previous evidence that EOFs set their objectives to maximize the value obtained by the participating employees through their financial participation in the business, and not, therefore, to maximize profits. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Asymmetries in the Maintenance Performance of Spanish Industries before and after the Recession

Abstract: Until the last few decades, maintenance has not been considered of special importance by organisations. Thus, the number of studies that assess maintenance performance in a country is still very small, despite the relevance this area has to the level of national competitiveness. This article describes a multicriteria model integrating the fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) with multi-attribute utility theory (MAUT) to assess the maintenance performance of large, medium and small enterprises in Spain, before and after the recession, as well as the asymmetries in the state of maintenance between different activity sectors. The weightings are converted to utility functions which allow the final utility of an alternative to be calculated via a Multi-Attribute Utility Function. From the Spanish maintenance data for different industrial sectors in 2005 and 2010, 2400 discrete probability distributions have been produced. Finally, a Monte Carlo simulation is applied for the estimation of the uncertainty. The results show that the economic crisis experienced by Spain since 2008 has negatively affected the level of maintenance applied, rather than it being considered an area that could deliver cost reductions and improvements in productivity and quality to organisations.

Diversity of eco-innovations: A quantitative approach

Despite a high academic interest in eco-innovation, a clearly defined common understanding of the characteristics of eco-innovations is largely missing. Existing research on this topic is still mostly qualitative, fragmented, difficult to compare or aggregate and generally specialised on certain aspects. Quantitative research is deemed necessary to improve the knowledge base and measurement of essential aspects regarding the characteristics of eco-innovation. The aim of this study is to quantitatively explore the underlying structure of the eco-innovation concept based on the current knowledge of those characteristics and to advance on the quantification of a four-dimensional framework proposed in the past (Carrillo-Hermosilla et al., 2010). Industrial small and medium-size enterprises in Spain were asked to quantify a set of variables according to the perceived relevance for the firm of a realized eco-innovation. Factor Analyses were conducted on 197 collected data sets. Our statistical results reveal how the identified characteristics shape an underlying structure of eco-innovations along the four dimensions (design, user, product-service and governance) proposed in that article. The analysis identifies the factors which make up these dimensions, allowing a characterization of eco-innovations with considerably less complexity. The final impact of eco-innovation on the environment goes in tandem with and is usually mediated by considerable impacts at the company level (including internal management and organizational practices) which lead to changes in products and processes. Furthermore, our results stress the critical role played by users and clients' engagement and acceptance and cooperation with other stakeholders in the eco-innovation process. The eco-innovation may entail radical, path-breaking changes in existing relations between the firm and its production network. This article contributes to advance the understanding of the phenomenon by providing a comprehensive view and a common perspective.

Dispositional Employability and Online Training Purchase. Evidence from Employees' Behavior in Spain.

This article explores the relationship between dispositional employability and online training purchase. Through a sample of 883 employees working for enterprises in Spain, and a using principal component analysis and binomial logit probabilistic models, the research revealed two main results. First, it was found that dispositional employability is characterized by five factors: “openness to changes at work,” “career motivation and work resilience,” “work and career proactivity,” “optimism and engagement at work,” and “work identity.” Second, the research also found a double causality in the relationship analysis between dispositional employability and online training purchase. However, this causality is not direct. In explaining dispositional employability, certain motivations and types of behavior of employees participating in online training are significant. In particular, greater sensitivity toward career-related personal empowerment, a greater predisposition toward developing new experiences at work, and a greater awareness of the fact that positive job outcomes are related to preparation conscientiousness. In explaining online training purchase, employees who are more motivated and who better identify with their jobs are more likely to pay. Moreover, employees who spend more time on training and have less contact with new trends in their jobs, find it hard to keep calm in difficult situations, and have a greater predisposition toward effort, and preference for novelty, variety and challenges at work are more likely to purchase online training.

The effects of the crisis on marketing innovation: an application for Spain

Purpose This study aims to identify the structural features of companies that have implemented marketing innovations at two different points, 2008 and 2010 (before and during the crisis). Design/methodology/approach The sample, obtained from the Technological Innovation Panel, consists of two subsamples of 9,415 enterprises each. The information was processed using a binomial logit model, parametric and non-parametric tests for independent samples and a test of structural stability. Findings Differences were found in the results from 2008 and 2010: enterprises in Spain were less likely to implement marketing innovations in 2010 than in 2008; the effect of an enterprise’s size on how likely it was to innovate in marketing decreased by more than half between the two periods; the likelihood of innovating in marketing increased in enterprises that also pursued organizational innovations; and in contrast to 2008, in 2010, the enterprises that were most likely to innovate in marketing were those that exported to countries outside the European Union. These findings show that innovation is part of the business ethos and that public policies that support exports can also foster innovation. Originality/value Marketing innovation has received little attention in the literature. We believe that marketing innovation can help to improve an organization’s results, even in times of economic crisis.

The Long-Term Impact of Foreign Multinational Enterprises in Spain: New Insights into an Old Topic

The role of foreign capital and technology in the economic and social progress of late-developing countries remains a controversial issue in both academic and policy circles. In this essay, we examine the case of Spain in the light of the academic literature from the 1960s to the present. First, we identify and contextualize the intellectual concerns and controversies of two important generations of economists and historians and their approaches to the specific issue of multinational enterprises (MNEs). We then discuss what we consider to be the seven major contributions of recent Spanish scholarship in terms of: 1/ new quantitative evidence on FDI inward flows and firm demography analyses of foreign MNEs; 2/ new approaches to the transfer of technology by MNEs; 3/ collective and individual case studies of foreign MNEs, with a focus on their impact on local capabilities; 4/ identification of patterns of investment by MNE home countries; 5/ identification and study of the local actors of inward FDI; 6/ new perspectives gained from the history of international relations; and 7) new evidence on processes leading from inward FDI to outward FDI. We argue that the time is ripe for comprehensive re-assessments of the long-term impact of foreign MNEs and the role of Spain in the global economy.

Does R&D offshoring lead to SME growth? Different governance modes and the mediating role of innovation

Research summary: In this article, we address the role of R&D offshoring strategies in the sales growth of small‐ and medium‐sized enterprises (SMEs). We propose that different governance modes of R&D offshoring—insourcing versus outsourcing—may lead to growth, but that they differ in their effects. In turn, we argue that innovation mediates the relation between international R&D sourcing strategies and sales growth. Based on a large database of SME manufacturing enterprises in Spain, we find that offshore outsourcing positively affects sales growth both directly and indirectly, while offshore insourcing only affects sales growth indirectly via innovation results. The analysis reveals different contributions of each governance mode to sales growth and the mediating role of innovation in the relation between R&D offshoring and firm growth.Managerial summary: We analyze how different governance modes of international R&D sourcing—offshore insourcing and outsourcing—may contribute to growth in SMEs. Modes of offshore R&D outsourcing positively affect the growth of sales in two ways. One effect is direct, produced by improved efficiency, flexibility, enhanced resources, and access to new markets. And the other effect is indirect as offshore R&D outsourcing favors the achievement of innovations, and this in turn, positively affects firm growth. For their part, captive modes only exert an indirect effect. Offshore R&D insourcing contributes to the achievement of innovations, and thus, ultimately to firm growth in so far as these innovations enable SMEs to increase sales. Therefore, innovation results perform a mediating role in the relation between R&D offshoring and sales growth. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

La empresa social en España y en Italia durante la crisis ¿un laboratorio de innovación económica y social?

En este artículo analizamos el desarrollo de empresa social en España e Italia en el marco de la crisis económica y social, en términos de difusión y marco jurídico. De esta manera, definimos los confines del “ecosistema” de la empresa social en los dos países e identificamos elementos comunes y especifidades. La hipótesis es que la empresa social representa una herramienta de generación de respuestas proactivas a la crisis, impulsando trayectorias de innovación económica y social, y contribuyendo a un modelo de desarrollo económica y socialmente sostenible. La innovación surge de la capacidad de las empresas sociales de generar respuestas innovativas a demandas emergentes, de su capacidad de crear al mismo tiempo valor social y económico, de satisfacer necesidades individuales y colectivas, de activar dinámicas de cambio de medio y largo plazo, de estimular dinámicas de emprendimiento, de empoderamiento y de valorización en el territorio. Sin embargo, el carácter innovador de la empresa social no surge simplemente de una empresarializacción del Tercer Sector tradicional, y mucho menos como consecuencia de la transferencia de servicios fundamentales del estado a asociaciones, cooperativas y empresas sociales, si con eso se persigue el simple objetivo de reducción de los gastos públicos. Al contrario, detrás de la retórica de la innovación social se puedan esconder proyectos de reducción de los gastos de servicios a través de la reducción de los salarios y de la cualidad de los servicios. El artículo, a partir de la comparación de la difusión del fenómeno y de las perspectivas de desarrollo en España y en Italia, termina con una reflexión crítica sobre las luces y sombras, los riesgos y las oportunidades, relacionados con la difusión de la empresa social, o sea, de la integración de la acción solidaria y la acción económica en prácticas que son al mismo tiempo empresariales y con finalidades sociales.

Mi trabajo es mi vida. La incrustación de los mundos de la vida y del trabajo en empresas españolas

En base a 20 etnografías realizadas en empresas españolas, este texto analiza formas emergentes de imbricación entre los mundos del trabajo y la vida. Si a partir de la Revolución Industrial se da una tendencia a la autonomía del proceso de trabajo con respecto a los entornos vitales de los trabajadores, actualmente se observa una tendencia inversa en ciertas empresas. Esta rearticulación se produce en varios sentidos:
 a) en el desvanecimiento de la frontera que separa el trabajo de la vida cotidiana; b) en la reinserción de dimensiones afectivas en los procesos laborales; c) en el fomento de la reciprocidad y la sociabilidad en el ámbito económico; y d) en la producción de experiencias signifi cativas en el trabajo. ¿Nos hallamos ante una reconciliación emancipadora de la vida y el trabajo? O, por el contrario, ¿se trata de una colonización del mundo de la vida por el mundo productivo? Proponemos explorar una tercera vía de análisis, la de la modernidad refl exiva.

El método Delphi como técnica de diagnóstico estratégico. Estudio empírico aplicado a las empresas de inserción en España

The work aims to conduct a strategic diagnosis of insertion enterprises in Spain, identifying its main weaknesses, threats, strengths and opportunities, and strategic actions to be implemented. The Delphi method is a technique based on a questionnaire to experts, including qualitative methodologies in Business Management, appropriate for exploratory and quantitative techniques that do not provide enough information. The study results show that these firms have little qualification of human resources and excessive financial dependency of Public Administration, which will force the implementation of strategies for professionalization of its staff and searching for alternative funding sources.

El clima laboral en la Empresa Familiar: Un Estudio Empírico

The aim of this paper is to analyze the concept of laboral climate in the context of family business, through a study in 282 family businesses in a total of 500 small and medium enterprises in Spain. The theoretical model analysis was based on the F-PEC scale of Astrakhan, Klien and Smyrnios developed to measure the influence of the family in organizational behavior. The results reveal the importance of strategic aspects in the perception and construction of the climate more than other seemingly important as the conflict or separation between the personal and professional aspects.

The Role of Regional Public Enterprises in Spain: Room for a Shadow Government?

The main objective of this paper consists of analyzing regional public sector enterprises (PSEs) inSpain. We provide a general overview of Autonomous Communities (ACs) financial resources inthe context of the Stability and Growth Pact and Budgetary Stability Act. From 2002, such regula-tion imposes stringent constraints on indebtedness. We investigate the PSEs as an alternativeto traditional financing mechanisms. Descriptive and econometric analyses confirm our expectationsrelated to this shift effect. In a dynamic context, a significant link between public debt and the cre-ation of PSEs debt shows that ACs used public enterprises to avoid stringent financial rules.