Spanish Sector Research Articles

Growth and evolution of technical efficiency among entrant versus incumbent firms: the Spanish retail sector

This study investigates two objectives using a cohort approach: first, the firms' growth and, second, the technical efficiency of entrant and incumbent firms with a non-parametric approach, keeping in mind changes in the Spanish retail environment. The results obtained suggest, on the one hand, that evidence suggested by Gibrat's Law has not been fully proven. In this sense, smaller firms within their cohort membership grow faster than larger ones. On the other hand, our results indicate significant differences in the efficiency by sector. In this sense, entrant and incumbent firms shift the frontier in non-specialized and specialized sectors, respectively.

Capital structure of small companies in the Spanish footwear sector: relevant factors

This study suggests the preponderance of the pecking order theory over the trade-off theory when there are greater problems of information asymmetry, which is more usual in small-sized firms. The results show that debt level has an inverse relationship with non-debt tax shield and direct relationship with investment in fixed assets, supporting the trade-off theory. However, the positive coefficient of growth opportunities and negative coefficient of debt cost, age and cash flows is consistent with the prediction of the pecking order theory. Results taken from a sample of small Spanish companies in the footwear sector during the period 1998–2006, revealed that in absence of asymmetric information, firms with positive cash flows will prefer debt because (a) they want to maintain their optimal capital structure; (b) they have greater needs to shield this cash flow from corporate tax and (c) they are concerned about the problem of over-investments, which means that they issue debt in order to discipline the firm’s managers. The relationship between growth opportunities and debt level was positive. This is not surprising due to the need to finance these investment opportunities with debt, because rapidly growing firms are likely to have insufficient earnings to finance internally all of their growth. Furthermore, the low debt level of companies in the Spanish footwear sector also helps to explain this relationship due to the importance of R&D investments for this industry, which lenders value as strategic investments. Finally, small businesses face high transaction costs derived from typical agency problems and financial restriction on capital markets. Such high transaction costs justify the gap between the target and the current debt level and are responsible for the slow approach of their debt level to the target ratio.

The E-book and Spanish Scientific Publishers in Social and Human Sciences

The purpose of this article is threefold: (1) To study the course of development, approaches, and strategies of Spanish scientific publishers specializing in the humanities and social sciences; (2) to establish a profile of publishers based on their information and attitudes; and (3) to identify the opportunities and challenges which exist for publishers. In-depth interviews were conducted with twenty-eight relevant Spanish publishers; their attitudes were observed to be generally cautious, expectant, and in favour of maintaining the status quo, despite all being convinced that the e-book is an element transforming the publishing sector and that, in the near future, both the printed and electronic book will coexist. This study provides information direct from the publishers themselves, offering theorists detailed and accurate insight into the publishing sector and better opportunity to evaluate the impact of publisher attitudes on other agents implicated in the development of the e-book. The study puts on record the first stage of the irruption and consolidation of the e-book in the Spanish academic sector. It also establishes comparisons with publishing sectors of other countries.

Exploratory Analysis of Spanish Energetic Mining Accidents

Using data on work accidents and annual mining statistics, the paper studies work-related accidents in the Spanish energetic mining sector in 1999-2008. The following 3 parameters are considered: age, experience and size of the mine (in number of workers) where the accident took place. The main objective of this paper is to show the relationship between different accident indicators: risk index (as an expression of the incidence), average duration index for the age and size of the mine variables (as a measure of the seriousness of an accident), and the gravity index for the various sizes of mines (which measures the seriousness of an accident, too). The conclusions of this study could be useful to develop suitable prevention policies that would contribute towards a decrease in work-related accidents in the Spanish energetic mining industry.

La reforma de la Organización Común de Mercado del azúcar en la Unión Europea y su impacto sobre el sector remolachero en Castilla y León

The reform of the Common Organization of the Market (CMO) in sugar in the EU is responsible for a 50% loss in production quota for the Spanish sugar sector, with the closure of numerous factories and consequent loss of jobs. The aim of this article is two-fold: 1) to describe the process and basic features of the CMO reform in the EU and Spain, and 2) to present a method for the analysis of the impact of measures implemented in the Spanish sugar beet sector as a consequence of the CMO reform. The method is based on a positive mathematical programming model in which, in addition to sugar beet, other crops which compete with sugar beet for land, such as cereals and oilseeds are taken into account. As well as the agricultural policy measures applicable to sugar beet, the model takes into consideration all the measures of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) relative to crops competing with it. The measures derived from the Reform of the Common Organization of the sugar market vary from one autonomous region to another. In this study, the above-mentioned method has been applied to the case of Castilla y Leon, the autonomous region with the greatest production of sugar beet in Spain. The results, which show that the CMO reform entails a significant loss of profits for the sugar beet sector in Castilla y Leon, were obtained using data from the 2002 Red Contable Agraria Nacional to define the sugar beet sector, assuming that variations in cost and price are those published by the Ministerio de Medio Ambiente y Medio Rural y Marino between 2002 and 2009.

Evaluation of training effectiveness in the Spanish health sector

PurposeThe evaluation of training results in large groups with limited resources is one of the challenges of organisations. This paper aims to provide a methodological approach to facilitate evaluation of training among large groups. The paper presents the tools and the results of an evaluation of a whole training plan on the rational use of medicines addressed to 1,550 health professionals in Spain.Design/methodology/approachTwo questionnaires were administered to the trainees in order to evaluate transfer of training: one questionnaire upon finishing the training session and another one two months later. A total sample of 351 subjects was obtained from 53 different training programs linked with the rational use of medicines.FindingsResults show that most of the trainees had improved their professional performance, especially the duties related to the selection and use of medicines. Key factors for transfer, such as motivation and support from the organisation, which are present when the transfer is higher, were also detected.Practical implicationsThe research offers an easily applicable tool that can be used by organisations with few resources available for evaluation. The tool allows evaluation of the maintenance of the acquired learning, the particular changes in professional performance that prevail in time, and the factors that contribute to such changes.Originality/valueThis study provides a model to evaluate transfer of training that can be useful for practitioners and researchers who want to evaluate training effectiveness among large groups. It also contributes relevant information about the health sector and about large organisations with a lot of working offices, which could help advancing towards improving the effectiveness of training.

Conceptualizing networks as assemblages. A case study from the Spanish ceramics sector

Network structures are being used to explain social interactions within and between organisations in many ways that have become very influential. Many of the sociological features of organisations are captured very effectively by network descriptions, but such descriptions also retain serious limitations. Some network theories, for example, are composed of fragmented and internally inconsistent theories, while others depend upon essentialist and reductionist models. Perhaps a more serious problem is that networks describe relationships rather than explain the mechanisms through which these relationships function. This paper introduces the notion of assemblages as a corrective to these problems. The concept offers a clear, though suitably complex, framework with which to clarify the dynamics and structures that afford engagement and enable collective action among diverse elements of organisations. Using brief examples from recent research in the innovation literature, supported by an empirical case study in the Spanish ceramics sector, this paper will illustrate how reconceptualising network relationships in terms of their assemblages enables a more robust and consistent theoretical grounding for network research.

Leveraging the innovative performance of human capital through HRM and social capital in Spanish firms

Literature on Intellectual Capital provides interesting arguments about the key role of social and human capital, not only separately but also jointly, for innovation activities. Thus, given the acknowledged importance of these variables, this article studies (1) the direct relationship between social and human capital and innovative performance, (2) the links between these two components of intellectual capital, as well as the possible mediating role of human capital, (3) the effect of particular human resource management (HRM) practices (selection procedures, development programmes, empowerment and use of incentives on compensation) on social and human capital, and (4) the influence of innovative performance on firm performance. In our study, we define a population of firms in the most innovative Spanish sectors for an empirical test of this model, focusing on their R&D departments. Using data taken from 85 firms and applying Structural Equation Models, we have tested the hypotheses and obtained interesting results. It is the uniqueness of human capital, and not its value, which has a direct and positive effect on firm innovativeness. Such uniqueness, in turn, is enhanced through social capital and HRM practices such as empowerment and employee selection based on learning potential and interpersonal abilities. Social capital does not have, per se, a direct influence on innovation, but it indirectly does through human capital. Social capital, in turn, can be enhanced by the selection of individuals with learning potential and interpersonal skills, as well as by their involvement in decision-making processes. Finally, innovation improves firm performance.

LA RENTABILIDAD ECONÓMICA EXPLICADA A TRAVÉS DEL TAMAÑO. LAS EMPRESAS DE INGENIERIA CIVIL EN ESPAÑA

The profit and loss account shows the difference between incomes and expenses of a company during a financial year. However, the net income, as an absolute figure does not allow identifying the organizational efficiency or the efficiency in the use of resources. This explains the usefulness of economic profitability, among other indicators, to analyse efficiency. In this research, based on the analyses of the Spanish civil engineering sector, we have determined three ways to calculate the economic profitability, considering the operating income and three indicators of firm size. These indicators, proposed by the Spanish Accounting Plan as criteria to measure the size of the company, are the total amount of assets, the average number of employees in the financial year and the revenues from operations. The main objective of this work is two-fold. On one hand, we seek to group Spanish civil engineering firms in terms of their economic profitability. On the other hand, we try to determine the firm size indicators that characterize each group. Our findings show three groups of civil engineering firms in Spain, called star group, advance group and standard group. For each one of these categories, it has been determined which is the relationship between the different measures of economic profitability and the group assigned. The results show that the companies of the star group have a positive relationship with revenue from operations; companies of the advance group have a high return with regard to assets and a low number of employees; whereas the standard companies are been positively influenced by the number of employees and negatively by revenue from operations and assets.

Taxation and Regulatory Takings in Spanish Real Estate Sector

This article deals with the core of Spanish urban and land planning law: taxation and property rights fashioning in a single regulatory framework. One of the most sophisticated real estate markets in the civilised world largely relies on converting immovable assets into fungible entitlements. Any property is translated into a curious currency, named land value or use of land. This renders possible in-kind property taxation, paid to municipalities with this special currency. A wide array of techniques is at the service of this purpose, but some counterfeits must be taken into account as an unavoidable outcome of a tight restriction on the supply side.

Short-term monitoring of the Spanish government balance

AbstractWe construct multivariate, state-space mixed-frequencies models for the main components of the Spanish General Government sector made up of blocks for each one of its subsectors: Central Government, Social Security and aggregate of Regional and Local government sectors. Each block is modelled through its total revenue and expenditure categories, and encompasses a number of indicators, depending on data availability. The mixed-frequencies approach is particularly relevant for the case of Spain, given its institutional set-up and the specific data availability for the different subsectors. All in all, we provide models detailed enough in coverage, while at the same time manageable, to be used: (1) for real-time monitoring of fiscal policies with a focus on quarterly developments of the General Government sector, (2) for the monitoring of general government sub-sectors for which intra-annual data coverage is limited (Regional and Local governments), (3) to bridge (translate) into National Accounts available monthly information for the subsectors of the general government.

Key Management Information for Evaluating Improvement in Quality, Safety and Competitiveness in Microbiological Laboratories: The Spanish Case

The activity in which microbiology laboratories are engaged is essentially geared to the microbiological diagnosis of infectious diseases. It consists of isolating, identifying and determining the susceptibility of the micro-organisms to antimicrobials causing the disease. The wide diversity of applicable clinical samples and diagnostic methods represent two aspects differentiating the microbiology from other clinical laboratories.In the present day health environment have three very powerful emerging forces: patients, competition and technological change. Therefore Spanish public and private health is moving towards new management methods geared to quality safety and competitiveness improvement with a larger number of measures to be taken. Our research work starts from the evolution of regulations for these laboratories in the Spanish health sector, as well as the present management methods being applied aiming quality enhancement. The management indicators framework proposed in the key processes of a microbiological laboratory is a contribution to meeting and evaluating the requirements of quality improvement, safety and competitiveness in microbiological laboratories.

Labour market effects of public capital stock: evidence for the Spanish private sector

This paper provides a new rationale for the positive effect of public capital stock on employment and wages. We show that higher levels of public capital reduce wages along the wage equation and enhance employment due to the resulting larger elasticity of labour demand with respect to wages. The estimation of a structural model for the Spanish private sector reveals that this wage channel is empirically relevant. We use the estimated parameters to simulate the recent incidence of the ratio of public to private capital stock on the private sector economic performance. We find (i) sizeable effects on employment, capital stock and gross domestic product, and (ii) that the wage channel is particularly important for employment.

SECTOR DE LA FABRICACIÓN DE PRODUCTOS FARMACÉUTICOS EN ESPAÑA. REPRESENTACIÓN DE LAS EMPRESAS DE PARTICIPACIÓN EN LA INDUSTRIA

The Pharmaceutical industry is one of the most intensive sectors in scientific and technological research. Its innovative ability contributes to highly improve in the treatment of illnesses and has an important impact in other industry sectors. For all this reasons it becomes a strategic sector for all countries. This article is focused on the demographic structure of the pharmaceutical Spanish sector, in order to analyze the significance of the participation companies in this important economic activity.

Analysing cost efficiency in Spanish retailers with a random frontier model

PurposeThe aim of the paper is to estimate the cost efficiency of supermarket chains in the Spanish retailing industry.Design/methodology/approachThe methodology applied is based on a random stochastic frontier model that enables separation of the covariates in the cost function into homogeneous and heterogeneous variables. The methodology is applied to panel data on a sample of 78 supermarket chains between 2001 and 2004.FindingsThe results reveal high levels of cost inefficiency in the Spanish retail sector. The results also reveal that the random frontier models better describe Spanish retailers than homogeneous frontier models.Research limitations/implicationsThe generalisation of the conclusions of the study to the whole sector should be made with caution, given the fact that only one of the players in the distribution channel has been analysed.Practical implicationsManagers should be aware of the importance that cost efficiency has for their own firms. Further, a common government retailing policy will be unable to reach all retailing companies, since heterogeneity exists.Originality/valueFor the first time, the cost efficiency of the intermediaries in the Spanish retailing sector is studied.

The economic value of patent protection and rivalry in the Spanish electrical sector

The economic value of patent protection and rivalry in the Spanish electrical sector

Evaluating sustainability in organisations with a fuzzy logic approach

PurposeThe aim is to determine whether the organisations more strategically committed to their stakeholders present better social and financial performance and, based on this relationship, to determine the state of the art of the Spanish sectors' approach to sustainable development.Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyses the sustainability approach of a sample of 52 Spanish listed firms. This process is based on the study of different indexes generated in order to evaluate the company's commitment through its stakeholders, the social and financial performance of these organisations, and the relationship between them. Previous results showed a positive and not significant relationship between these variables and a positive financial performance. This paper replicates a former research by introducing a fuzzy‐ logic‐based methodology in order to generate the aforementioned indexes.FindingsThe current results support the conclusions formerly obtained and simultaneously demonstrate that big Spanish companies are at an incipient stage of development of a clearly sustainability‐oriented management.Research limitations/implicationsThe unavailability of a long series of organisations' sustainability information is an obstacle for a broader analysis. This research could motivate the usefulness of the fuzzy logic methodology for analysing the business sustainability approach and to develop studies on the corporate social performance.Originality/valueThe use of fuzzy logic methodology for the generation of indexes related to the organisation's social responsibility and sustainability results.

The Effect of Relationship Marketing Strategy on Franchise Channels

Commitment and satisfaction in business-to-business relationships have a great interest from a marketing perspective (Abdul-Muhmin, 2005). However, there is little relationship marketing research on franchising to determine the key drivers of franchisee performance (Chiou, Hsieh, & Yang, 2004; García, Sanzo, & Trespalacios, 2005). Therefore, we analyse the influence of relational norms and interdependence structure between franchisor and franchisee on commitment and the effect of these three variables on franchisee satisfaction. Data come from a survey of 102 franchisees operating in the Spanish franchise sector. Franchisee satisfaction is partially explained by the development of relational norms, commitment, and strong interdependence between franchisor and franchisee.

Organic Farming in Spain—Two Case Studies

This article's starting point is the definition of the organic farming concept. Basic data on the development of the Spanish organic sector in recent years are presented. In addition, the specific characteristics defining the two reference regions, Catalonia and Galicia, are detailed. These characteristics are drawn from the conclusions of field work carried out through interviews with a sample of producers. The objective of this field work was to increase knowledge about the organic production sector in the two study regions. The result is an outline of the defining characteristics in each of these regional areas.

An Analysis of the Spanish Toy Sector from a Dynamic Perspective on Product Strategy

The current research aims to contribute a descriptive study of the situation of the toy sector in Spain, by describing the product portfolio of each of the firms in the sector, and looking at the changes the companies have made in recent years. This study has shown how firms with very different portfolios coexist in the Spanish toy sector. Specifically, we find three types: specialist firms; generalist firms with quite deep portfolios; and firms with narrow portfolios of little depth. In the group under analysis as a whole, the generalists are the least frequent. The competitive framework that characterises the Spanish toy sector generally favours those firms opting to deepen their portfolios, and above all, those firms with wide portfolios. The great variability in this environment can help explain the superiority of the generalist firms evident from this study. With regards the evolution of the sector, we find a greater presence of specialists, and at the same time, and contrary to expectations, a significant decline in the depth of the portfolios.