Organizations In Spain Research Articles

The German Secret State Police in Spain: Extending the Reach of National Socialism

ABSTRACTGermany encroached in Spain's internal affairs that followed providing military support the Spanish Civil War in the interest of pursuing National Socialist objectives through the establishment of an extensive apparatus of National Socialist organisations in Spain, including the Gestapo. Cooperation was officially established between Spanish and German police on 25 November 1937, which was extended to the Spanish political police on 31 July 1938, when they entered into a secret agreement with the German Gestapo for mutual assistance. The Gestapo trained the Spanish ordinary police and political police to contribute to maintaining the Franco regime in control of Spain, just as the Gestapo in Germany was charged with investigating and suppressing all forms of anti-state tendencies, and exported its methods and proceedings to Spain under the guise of contributing to the struggle against the alleged danger of worldwide communism. In addition to cooperation with Spanish police on suppressing dissent against the Franco regime, other functions related to serving the interests of National Socialist Germany, which deployed the Gestapo for various purposes while Spain constituted an extension of National Socialist Germany's sphere of influence. This was ensured through the Gestapo maintaining a presence in Spain until 1945.

PIAAC results on opportunities for informal learning in the workplace in Spain / Resultados PIAAC sobre las oportunidades para el aprendizaje informal en el puesto de trabajo en España

This article uses data from the PIAAC (Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competences) Background Questionnaire to describe conditions related to informal learning (IL) in the workplace and opportunities to learn informally in organizations in Spain. PIAAC data indicate that in Spain, informal learning processes in organizations are a common, everyday practice. However, some differences have been found in the intensity of this learning by gender, the position that the employee occupies and the business sector in which the organization is framed. This study opens some future avenues to develop further knowledge about IL mechanisms and practices in the workplace, as a strategy to help towards the development of people and organizations.

Multiple struggles in fighting violence against women: implications among Romani women leaders in Spain

ABSTRACTBackground: Violence against women (VAW) is a central issue in gender studies and one that has united feminist activists from around the world. But this does not mean that this struggle is singular: indeed, one can say that there are many, diverse and sometimes even contradictory struggles occurring throughout the world.Objectives: To identify and analyze the different struggles faced by women from Roma organizations in Spain in relation to VAW and their work with affected women.Methods: Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted among women actively involved in Roma associations in different Spanish cities, in 2015. An inductive thematic analysis was used to analyze the empirical materials.Results: Our analysis resulted in three themes that captured different struggles that women from Roma organizations have faced: ‘between persistence and rupture of restrictive gender norms’, ‘invisibility and normalization of violence against women’ and ‘willingness and trust in daily work with women’. The activities related to VAW carried out by the interviewed women were more related to their personal initiatives and abilities than to strategies proposed by the organizations they work for.Conclusions: The results show the need to support the initiatives of Romani women and their own struggles related to identity. This is what makes them true promoters of social change and, more specifically, change related to gender relations both within and outside of their communities.

Validating the influence of stakeholders and sources when implementing business sustainability practices

The objective of this paper is to either validate or disprove the critical role of stakeholders and sources present in organisations, the relevant marketplace, business networks and society at large, in situations where organisations implement sustainable business practices. Two hundred thirty companies were ultimately selected to take part in the study. Eighty-nine usable questionnaires were returned, generating a final response rate of 38.5%. The key informants or targeted respondents were managers of CSR departments or in charge of sustainable development at the selected companies. The empirical findings indicate major similarities and minor differences between organisations in Spain and Norway across two studies. By extension, the empirical findings appear to be valid and reliable through time and across contexts. An important contribution of the current study emerges from the empirical findings regarding the influence of stakeholders and sources on the implementation of sustainable business practices in Spanish organisations. The current study has limitations, being restricted to Spanish organisations which are compared to another study based on Norwegian organisations. Though the findings indicate validity and reliability through time and across context, further research should be undertaken, such as to validate or disprove the empirical findings in a non-European and Western context, such as Africa or Asia.

Validating the influence of stakeholders and sources when implementing business sustainability practices

The objective of this paper is to either validate or disprove the critical role of stakeholders and sources present in organisations, the relevant marketplace, business networks and society at large, in situations where organisations implement sustainable business practices. Two hundred thirty companies were ultimately selected to take part in the study. Eighty-nine usable questionnaires were returned, generating a final response rate of 38.5%. The key informants or targeted respondents were managers of CSR departments or in charge of sustainable development at the selected companies. The empirical findings indicate major similarities and minor differences between organisations in Spain and Norway across two studies. By extension, the empirical findings appear to be valid and reliable through time and across contexts. An important contribution of the current study emerges from the empirical findings regarding the influence of stakeholders and sources on the implementation of sustainable business practices in Spanish organisations. The current study has limitations, being restricted to Spanish organisations which are compared to another study based on Norwegian organisations. Though the findings indicate validity and reliability through time and across context, further research should be undertaken, such as to validate or disprove the empirical findings in a non-European and Western context, such as Africa or Asia.

Testing Scenarios to Achieve Workplace Sustainability Goals Using Backcasting and Agent-Based Modeling

Pro-environmental behaviors have been analyzed in the home, with little attention to other important contexts of everyday life, such as the workplace. The research reported here explored three categories of pro-environmental behavior (consumption of materials and energy, waste generation, and work-related commuting) in a public large-scale organization in Spain, with the aim of identifying the most effective policy options for a sustainable organization. Agent-based modeling was used to design a virtual simulation of the organization. Psychologically informed profiles of employees were defined using data gathered through a questionnaire, measuring knowledge, motivations, and ability. Future scenarios were developed using a participatory backcasting scenario development methodology, and policy tracks were derived. Dynamic simulations indicated that, to be effective, organizational policy should strengthen worker participation and autonomy, be sustained over time, and should combine different measures of medium intensity for behavior change, instead of isolated policies of high intensity.

Vetos y resistencias en el fracaso de la reforma de la planta local en España

La Ley de Racionalización y Sostenibilidad de la Administración Local de 27 de diciembre de 2013 ha sido el último intento legislativo de profunda incidencia sobre la organización de la planta local en España. Una Ley nacida sin consenso y que ha fracasado en sus objetivos. Este artículo quiere hacer, desde el punto de vista de la política un análisis de las causas de ese fracaso. Según indican algunos autores como Alba y Navarro «la literatura más relevante del gobierno local en España proviene de estudiosos del Derecho Administrativo altamente orientada al marco jurídico, la posición jurídica de la unidad local de gobierno y las cuestiones relacionadas con los procedimientos legales». La Ley nace de una necesidad impuesta por la Unión Europea para controlar el déficit de la administración local, nace sin consenso, y fracasa en el intento de reducir la planta local. Este último resultado es del máximo interés porque puede observarse dentro de un marco comparativo entre modelos en Europa. En el marco europeo existen iniciativas de reducción de la planta local que pueden resumirse en dos modelos: arriba-abajo que tiene con característica una norma emanada del legislativo central y aplicada en la esfera local (Dinamarca pero también Grecia) y abajo-arriba que fundamenta en la voluntariedad la consecución de la disminución de entes locales (España). Una Ley tan reciente ha encontrado vetos y resistencias por parte de los actores implicados que han hecho imposible su aplicación como consecuencia de enfrentamientos entre el centro y la periferia de la organización institucional española o en el enfrentamiento entre partidos políticos y el poder de veto que tienen actores tan significados como las Comunidades Autónomas y los propios Ayuntamientos objeto de la norma.

Validating a triple bottom line construct and reasons for implementing sustainable business practices in companies and their business networks

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to validate a triple bottom line (TBL) construct, as well as to describe the TBL reasons for implementing sustainable business practices in companies and their business networks.Design/methodology/approachThis study reports on the validation of a TBL construct, in a Spanish context, of a study originally conducted in Norway. In this validation study, 230 companies were selected for participation. A total of 89 usable questionnaires were returned, generating a response rate of 38.5 per cent.FindingsThe empirical findings indicate major similarities and minor differences between organizations in Spain and Norway across two studies. By extension, the empirical findings appear to be valid and reliable across contexts and through time.Research limitations/implicationsThis study explains the structural properties of the main reasons for business sustainability (economic, social and environmental) and business sustainability efforts in companies and the supply chains or business networks.Practical implicationsBusiness sustainability efforts need to be assessed in a systematic manner, and the validated TBL construct offers a foundation for doing this, though it needs to be complemented with other elements and details in connection with business sustainability.Originality/valueBusiness sustainability efforts have been evolving over time and are increasingly seen to consider economic viability, as well as environmental sustainability and social responsibility. This study deals with how these elements of TBL are interrelated with respect to business sustainability.

¿Son las mujeres más sensibles a los derechos de los animales? Sobre los vínculos entre el animalismo y el feminismo

In this paper we will present on the one hand, the data about women’s presence in animal rights movements in Spain; on the other hand, we will try to find explanatory frameworks that clarify which are the link that connects feminist sensibility to animal rights sensibility. We have made a survey on the percentage of women in the membership of the most important animal rights defense organizations in Spain and, with these results, we have made a review of different theoretical frameworks which can explain this significant gender orientation in animal welfare defense. Finally, we claim that there is a bond between patriarchal ideology and ecological exploitation, in the sense that both share domination and gender oppression. In this sense, the sensitivity to animal rights mobilizes moral feelings of fraternity with nature.

Assessing Financial Condition of Municipal Sports Agencies: A Data Benchmarking Approach

This study analyzes the development of the financial condition of local decentralized public sports services over a period of 10 years, obtaining benchmarks to serve as a point of reference. In order to do this, the elements of flexibility, independence, and sustainability are analyzed through three indicators in 2,139 observations obtained from municipal sports service organi-zations in Spain from 2002 to 2011. The majority of the organizations show results that are theoretically adequate in terms of flexibility and sustainability, but not independence. For this reason, the statistics presented can be used as a point of reference in order to classify the organizations in the sector according to their financial performance.

The European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Association Annual Congress.

The European Society of Cardiology Heart Failure Association Annual Congress.

Does family structure affect children's academic outcomes? Evidence for Spain

Several sociodemographic phenomena have changed family organization in Spain over the last few decades, where less structured forms than the traditional nuclear family have gained in importance. In view of the importance of children's and adolescents’ education, we aim to identify the effect of non-nuclear family membership on academic outcomes of Spanish children in fourth-year primary education and adolescents in second-year secondary education. To do this, we use a propensity score matching approach to compare the impact of family structure on student performance, measured through grade retention and mathematics scores, with the results of standard econometric models. The results show that non-nuclear family membership has a significant negative impact on student grade retention with more significant differences among older students. In addition, this family structure is only found to have a consistently negative effect on mathematics scores for secondary education students.

Onward Migration as a Coping Strategy? Latin Americans Moving from Spain to the UK Post-2008

Research has highlighted that increasing numbers of third-country migrants who have acquired European Union (EU) citizenship in one EU Member State employ the freedom of movement that it provides to onward migrate to other EU destinations. A range of socio-economic, cultural, and educational factors have been found to drive migrants to move onward to try to fulfil their migration aspirations across multiple locations. This paper suggests that analysing onward migration through the relational lens proposed by the mobility paradigm better acknowledges the processual and dynamic nature of this migration pattern and its motivations. Drawing from a small-scale project focusing on Latin American migrants (with EU citizenship) who have relocated from Spain to the UK post-2008, the paper presents a distinctive form of reactive onward migration. Research is based on secondary data analysis and semi-structured interviews with key informants from voluntary and statutory organisations in Spain and the UK. It finds that, as their socio-economic conditions deteriorate in Spain, some Latin Americans decide to mobilise their civic and social capital (EU citizenship, transnational networks) to move to the UK in search of employment. Yet, the full mobilisation of this civic capital is jeopardised by their limited linguistic and economic capital and the structural constraints that these onward migrants encounter in the UK. By considering the factors that mediate some Latin Americans' post-2008 experiences of stasis and movement between Spain and the UK, this study enhances conceptualisations of onward migration and illuminates cross-border dynamics of migration and precarity within the EU. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Blurring the borders between old and new social movements: the M15 movement and the radical unions in Spain

This article analyses the relationships between the M15 movement and radical labour organizations in Spain. Based on semi-structured interviews and document analysis, it concludes that to the extent that the economic crisis has evolved, the relations between the M15 and the trade unions have moved from mistrust to convergence. This is especially evident in the case of radical trade unionism with which the M15 shares several features. Although the M15 has been studied as an example of a ‘new social movement’, recent changes suggest certain shifts in relation to the type of activated subject and to the motivating factors for collective action. One of the consequences of this is the closeness to the institutions of the workers’ movement, which blurs the borders between old and new social movements.

Asociación entre calidad del servicio deportivo, valor y satisfacción de usuarios en España

Los modelos conceptuales facilitan la gestión de los servicios deportivos que explican, pero los desarrollados en otros países no ofrecen garantías para ser reproducidos correctamente en España. El objetivo del estudio fue comprobar la reproducibilidad del modelo de evaluación de los servicios deportivos propuesto por Murray y Howat (2002), en el contexto de las organizaciones deportivas en España. En una muestra de 2667 usuarios de servicios deportivos españoles, se relacionaron los conceptos calidad, valor percibido y satisfacción, utilizando modelos de ecuaciones estructurales. Los resultados indicaron el papel de la calidad como antecedente del valor percibido y de la satisfacción de los usuarios. No se encontró relación entre el valor y la satisfacción. Este estudio supone un paso hacia el desarrollo de modelos más integrales, para ayudar a los administradores de los servicios deportivos españoles a establecer estrategias que incrementen la satisfacción y fidelidad del usuario.

What characterizes leading companies within business excellence models? An analysis of “EFQM Recognized for Excellence” recipients in Spain

This paper investigates whether there is a specific approach to the adoption of best management practices embedded in the EFQM Excellence Model, which characterizes leading “Recognized for Excellence” organizations in Spain. In addition, it studies which practices within EFQM's enablers predict high performance. In contrast to most previous research that used surveys of managers' perceptions, this study uses the actual criteria and sub-criteria scores attained by organizations in their assessment for EFQM recognition. Scores of a population of 216 organizations, which were assessed in the period from March 2011 to March 2013, are analyzed via ANOVA, factor and regression analyses. The findings show that Spanish organizations adopt the best practices encompassing the EFQM model in a similar fashion: organizations on average follow parallel trends in the scores received per criterion, and there are no significant differences in the importance attributed to enablers. Either role models are being followed, or most organizations know what is expected by the assessors and try to fulfill these expectations. Consequently, an imitative process disseminates and legitimizes the EFQM model in Spain. In addition, it is found that the People criterion makes a difference in attaining high performance, thus emphasizing the relative importance of the softer dimension in Quality Management. This study contributes to the management literature on best practices, by highlighting a consistent trend in the use of the EFQM model, and also provides insights to managers on how to better allocate resources within Business Excellence Models.

Allocation of fishing possibilities, incentives and outcomes: Insights from Basque fishermen's organisations in Spain

There is a need for effective mechanisms to be in place in order to allocate fishing possibilities. This seems crucial so that distributional concerns regarding this issue are properly addressed. This paper aims at providing insights into the allocation of fishing possibilities from Basque fisheries. We put forward this case in terms of its outcomes to the incentives deployed by the allocation system. The institutional substratum plays a key role in the outcomes of the system. In fact, the fishermen's traditional collective approach predominates even though the management system tends towards individual rights allocation and promotion of rights transferability. This is particularly notable in the case of inshore Basque fisheries.

Differences in cancer drug assessment between Spain and the United Kingdom

ObjectivesThere is no Spanish Government agency resembling the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) in the United Kingdom (UK) that carries out a centralised evaluation and makes decisions about funding. Therefore, we aim to assess the differences between NICE and the Spanish bodies in terms of their respective processes. We compare the decisions concerning cancer drugs in the assessments made by NICE/Single Technology Appraisal with assessments made by MADRE methodology. MethodsWe included all cancer drugs assessed by NICE and all MADRE reports made using a shared reports process (GENESIS) and reports from Catalonia (CAMDHA) and Andalucía (GFTHA). We compared the number of drugs assessed, the decisions taken by NICE and Spanish organizations and timelines. ResultsBetween January 2011 and December 2013 NICE appraised 24 cancer drugs. In Spain, 44 reports were produced using MADRE methodology. For the 14 drugs assessed by both NICE and Spanish bodies, NICE rejected a high proportion of the drugs (50% versus 26%). GENESIS, with a median of 8months, made decisions more quickly than NICE (13.5months) and GFTHA (17months). The slowest organisation was CAMDHA (24.5months). ConclusionsMore drugs are assessed in Spain than by NICE because there are more organisations in Spain doing this work and their processes are simpler. NICE rejects more drugs as it uses cost-effectiveness thresholds that lead to a ‘not-recommended’ decision, and Spanish bodies recommend cancer drugs for subgroups of patients where better results can be obtained. Timelines are better for Spanish Committees, probably because of the greater number of steps in the appraisal process by NICE.

Intensification and isolation: psychosocial work environment changes in Spain 2005-10.

Work organization in Spain has traditionally been based on a high proportion of passive work. Changes in the labour market in Europe and the economic crisis that began in 2008 may have had an impact on the pace of work in Spain. To estimate the prevalence of exposure to high-strain work and passive work in 2010 compared with 2005 and to analyse the distribution by gender, age and occupation of workers exposed to high strain and iso-strain in 2010 compared with 2005. Two representative samples of the Spanish working population were compared. Unweighted and weighted prevalences in 2010 were calculated and compared with those in 2005. In the 2010 sample of 5110 workers, 29% (95% CI 27.8; 30.7) were exposed to high strain (of whom 83% had low social support). There was an increase of 6% (95% CI 3.8; 7.1) in high strain, and of 7% (95% CI 5.2; 8.3) to iso-strain, compared with 2005 (n = 7612). In 2010, as in 2005, the proportion of manual workers exposed to strain and iso-strain was more than double the corresponding proportion in non-manual workers. There has been an intensification of work, reduction in social support and a notable increase in exposure to high strain and iso-strain. The class inequalities reflect the segmentation of the Spanish labour market.

The relationship between interpersonal conflict and workplace bullying

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the role that conflict management styles play in the relationship between interpersonal conflict and workplace bullying. Design/methodology/approach – A survey study was conducted among 761 employees from different organizations in Spain. Findings – Results suggest that an escalation of the conflict process from task related to relationship conflict may explain bullying situations to some extent. Regarding conflict management, attempts to actively manage conflict through problem solving may prevent it escalating to higher emotional levels (relationship conflict) and bullying situations; in contrast, other conflict management strategies seem to foster conflict escalation. Research limitations/implications – The correlational design makes the conclusions on causality questionable, and future research should examine the dynamic conflict process in more detail. On the other hand, to the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study empirically differentiating interpersonal conflict and workplace bullying. Originality/value – This study explores how conflict management can prevent conflict escalating into workplace bullying, which has important implications for occupational health practitioners and managers.