International Integration and Mandates of Innovative Subsidiaries in Spain

In this paper, we develop a general framework that integrates diverse driving mechanisms of subsidiaries evolving towards competence creating mandates. The relevant process is the mutual relationship between innovation scope and the internationalization of the market as the primary channel for learning in subsidiaries, and how the opportunity for units to gain competence creating mandates is notably influenced by their embeddedness in export networks. This has direct implications for increasing the international channels for learning and indirectly in terms of the effectiveness of host country development. The framework is applied to a sample of firms in the Spanish economy, a country that does not hold a leading position economically and technologically inside the EU bloc, which suggests that the evidence may be suitable for generalizing the organization and network embeddedness of other catching-up economies.- innovation, mandates, MNC, networks, subsidiaries

ICT and Cross-Country Comparisons: a Proposal of a New Composite Index

This paper focuses on the use and diffusion of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) as a mechanism that may reduce the global divide between rich and poor countries. Our main contribution deals with the importance of counting with accurate time-series data and a precise assessment of the components that define ICT indicators at a national level. Thus, a multiple imputation technique is carried out to estimate ICT missing data under the expectation maximization approach. The resulting dataset allows us to propose a more confident estimation of an ICT composite index based on the notion of national capabilities, the called NaCap Index. A distinctive feature of the NaCap is that it attempts to capture countries’ differences on education and structural elements, both determinant factors to attain positive impacts from the use of ICT. The calculation of the Nacap Index for a broad sample of 170 countries and for a time spam from 1991 to 2003 enable us to do cross-country and time comparisons in a more robust manner.La idea de partida en este trabajo es que las tecnologías de la información y las comunicaciones (TIC), particularmente su uso y difusión, pueden resultar ser un mecanismo que contribuya a la disminución de la desigualdad existente entre países ricos y pobres en la era digital. Nuestra principal aportación está relacionada con la importancia que tiene la disponibilidad de información estadística para períodos extensos y mediciones más precisas de los distintos componentes que definen el nivel de acceso a las TIC de los países. Se recurre al uso de una técnica de imputación múltiple para estimar los datos ausentes de TIC y, a partir de esta estimación, se realiza la propuesta de un nuevo índice complejo de difusión de TIC que aporta una más adecuada cuantificación de las capacidades nacionales: el índice NaCap. Una de las características distintivas del NaCap es que intenta capturar el papel diferenciado de los distintos niveles de acceso a la educación en relación con la complejidad de las tecnologías y otros elementos estructurales de las economías, entendiéndolos como factores determinantes del impacto de las TIC en el desarrollo de los países. La estimación de los valores que adopta el índice NaCap en 170 países durante el período comprendido entre 1991 y 2003 permite la realización de análisis dinámicos así como acometer comparaciones internacionales más amplias y precisas que las que permite la información disponible en otras fuentes estadísticas internacionales.Difusión tecnológica, Adopción de tecnologías, Brecha digital, Indicadores compuestos, Imputación de datos, Technology diffusion, technology adoption, Digital divide, Composite indicators, Data imputation.

Technology and the Generation of International Knowledge Spillovers. An Application to Spanish Manufacturing Firms

Technology is among firms ownership advantages explaining their internationalisation as, now for decades, the eclectic approach has highlighted. The debate about the positive versus negative effects that foreign capital generates in the host economy has gained a new relevance today insofar as, on the one hand, the concept of systems of innovation allows us to rethink the interaction with the domestic/recipient economies and, on the other, the increasing internationalisation of the technological activities of multinational companies (MNCs) introduces new forms of that interaction. Therefore, the possibility of generation of external effects by MNCs today demands a new reformulation of the problem. In this vein, one of the strengthening aspects commonly underlined is that foreign knowledge, not completely appropriable by the foreign firms, may spill over into domestic firms. However, since the findings of the empirical evidence are not fully confirmatory of the hypothesis, and taking into account the new conditions, this essay attempts to offer new light with research about the Spanish manufacturing firms. Two main issues are focused on this analysis. First, the importance of dynamics in the assessment of technological spillovers motivated by foreign direct investment (FDI), which is possible thanks to the availability of a panel data for manufacturing firms in Spain in the period 1991-1999. Second, the importance that technology may have for the generation of spillovers and to what extent the Pavitt taxonomy of industries is still useful for in depth analysis of such a learning process.Foreign capital, Foreign direct investment,Spanish manufacturing firms, Knowledge Spillovers

Internal and external factors of competitiveness in the middle-income countries

The diverse group of middle-income countries (MIC) is composed by some economies with an active behavior in exports of technology-intensive goods that is strictly better than the group average. One of the factors explaining such a result is the improvement of their national technological capabilities that affects the dynamism of their productive and trade structure generating competitiveness gains. There are grounded reasons to think that this is also a consequence of external effects and the potential impacts that both trade and foreign direct investments (FDI) flows generate in those economies where foreign companies have contributed to the industrialization and modernization of their productive systems. In this paper, we analyze the possibilities of integration of the MIC economies into the dynamic high-tech markets as the interplay between the role of FDI and their ability for the absorption and creation of technology. We will observe based upon empirical analysis with panel data (1998-2005), what is the relative importance of internal and external factors for the improvement of the international competitiveness in these developing economies.competitiveness, FDI, high-tech, middle income countries, competitividad, IDE, alta tecnología, países de renta media

Transformational Leadership, Task-Involving Climate, and Their Implications in Male Junior Soccer Players: A Multilevel Approach

Despite the well-known positive consequences of transformational coaches in sport, there is still little research exploring the mechanisms through which coaches’ transformational leadership exerts its impact on athletes. Multilevel SEM was used to examine the relationship between coaches’ transformational leadership style, a task-involving climate, and leadership effectiveness outcome criteria (i.e., players’ extra effort, coach effectiveness, and satisfaction with their coach), separately estimating between and within effects. A representative sample of 625 Spanish male soccer players ranging from 16 to 18 years old and nested in 50 teams completed a questionnaire package tapping the variables of interest. Results confirmed that at the team level, team perceptions of transformational leadership positively predicted teams’ perceptions of task climate, which in turn positively predicted the three outcome criteria. At the individual level, players’ perceptions of transformational leadership positively predicted teams’ perceptions of task climate, which in turn positively predicted teams’ extra effort and coach effectiveness. Mediation effects appeared at the team level for all the outcome criteria, and at the individual only for extra effort. Transformational leadership is recommended to enhance task climate, in order to increase players’ extra effort, their perceptions of the effectiveness of their coach, and their satisfaction with his/her leadership style

La Política Europea de I+D: Situación Actual y Perspectivas

La política europea en materia de investigación, desarrollo tecnológico e innovación está comprometida con el objetivo de lograr que la UE llegue a realizar un esfuerzo en I+D de 3% del PIB a lo largo de la presente década. El proyecto de construcción del Espacio Europeo de Investigación es entendido como fundamental si se pretende alcanzar una dinámica más competitiva de la UE, reto que se refleja en la orientación y los compromisos asumidos tanto en el Sexto Programa Marco de Investigación, Desarrollo Tecnológico y Demostración (PM), como en la definición de las líneas estratégicas de los trabajos preparativos del Séptimo PM. En este artículo se revisan las bases conceptuales, la situación actual y las perspectivas de futuro de este ámbito de la política europea.Política europea de I+D, Innovación, Espacio Europeo de Investigación, Programa Marco.

La lectura de textos literarios en el colegio ¿porqué no leen los estudiantes?

¿Porqué no leen los estudiantes de secundaria los textos literarios que les piden los docentes? Este artículo intenta contestar la pregunta refiriéndose a algunos de los aspectos que pueden provocar esta falta de gusto por la lectura. Uno de ellos se refiere a los cambios culturales ocurridos en las sociedades en los últimos tiempos, otro es la falta de ejemplo en el hogar, con padres que no son lectores y el último es el tipo de textos que se escogen en el colegio como obligatorios para la lectura. Estos, más la forma de enseñarlos en los colegios, son algunos de los factores que no están ayudando a que el estudiante adolescente se acerque con placer al texto literario

Neuropsychology Applied to Education: Theoretical Framework and Intervention Areas for the Reading Competence and Attention Difficulties

Neuropsychology applied to education context is focused on the evaluation, diagnosis, and intervention with students within the school environment. This discipline is providing the professional community with increasing knowledge about learning processes, neuropsychological grounds and neurodevelopmental levels of each educational stage in order to prevent difficulties and develop abilities such as reading competence. Within this context, the following review aims to capture the diversity of existing neuropsychological-based reading and attention interventions in all the levels of school classrooms. The article offers multiple suggestions to improve the body of knowledge in this promising area of neuropsychology. In conclusion, the neuropsychological intervention focused on essential learning tools such as reading processes and attention processes, is pertinent and useful to improve learning achievement and to prevent difficulties and disorders.2017-1