The determinants of changes in the organization of production: Evidence from Spanish plant-level data

In this paper we empirically examine the determinants of changes in the organization of production using detailed information on a data set from a new plant-level survey of 1003 plants covering the full range of manufacturing industries in Spain. In particular, and among many other things, survey respondents were asked how service outsourcing practices had changed in the last three years. The answer to this question is indicative of the changes in the importance of backward integration for each of the plants studied. Using other information provided in the survey, we relate the reported changes in outsourcing to changes in other relevant dimensions as possible determinants of the boundaries of the firm. These dimensions are: plant size, downstream market power, cost of inputs, price and quality of the final good and technological progress. Our findings show that outsourcing increases are strongly positively correlated with increases in market share and in market competition. We also find that outsourcing increases when plants face simultaneous increases in product quality and product prices and that it decreases when plants face simultaneous increases in market share and market competition. Finally, we find that multi-plant and one-plant firms adjust their outsourcing practices differently to outside changes. Since neither TCE nor PRT theories of vertical integration fully explain the patterns found in our data, we close this paper by following Adam Smith's claim that the extent of the market seems to be the only factor consistently limiting the degree of specialization in our setting.outsourcing; vertical integration; competition; manufacturing plants;

Is Seniority-Based Pay Used as a Motivation Device? Evidence from Plant Level Data

In this paper we use data from industrial plants to investigate if seniority-based pay is used asa motivational device for production workers. Alternatively, seniority-based pay could simplybe a wage setting rule not necessarily related to the provision of incentives. Unlike previouspapers, we use a direct measure of seniority-based pay as well as measures of monitoringdevices and piece-rates. We find that firms that offer seniority-based pay are less likely tooffer explicit incentives. They are also less likely to invest in monitoring devices. We alsofind that firms that offer seniority-based pay are more likely to engage in other humanresource management policies that result in long employment relationships. Overall theseresults suggest that seniority-based pay is indeed used as a motivation device.Human resource management practices, incentives, monitoring

A firm-level analysis of differences between adopters and non-adopters of ICT

Information and Communication Technologies investments have drastically modified the competitive markets due to the impact on firm performance and productivity. This paper aims to analyse the differences between ICT adopter firms and non-adopter firms. OLS regressions and ordered logit models provide the methodological approach. From data based on a questionnaire survey to 327 Spanish firms in 2002, the empirical results indicate the essential role played by some variables in the ICT adoption. The results confirm, for example, the influence of variables such as firm size. The role of human capital and competitive strategies based on product and service quality are relevant in ICT adoption. The paper is organised as follows. First, the section 1 introduces the paper. The section 2 provides the establishment and explanation of the theoretical hypotheses. This section is followed in the section 3 by the methodology adopted in this study, including both the model and the data sources employed in the estimations. Some basic statistics and the results of the model estimations are presented and interpreted in the penultimate section, before concluding the paper with some remarks on the findings and important implications in the ICT adoption

El sobreconsumo y el infraconsumo de televisión en España

La televisió continua sent una de les activitats a les que major quantitat de temps dediquem diàriament. No obstant això, de vegades se li dedica menys temps del que es voldria (infraconsum), mentre que en altres succeeix el contrari (sobreconsum). En aquest context l'objectiu d'aquest treball ha estat analitzar quines són les característiques sociodemogràfiques dels televidents i els comportaments cap a la televisió que es troben associades a una major presència del sobreconsum i el infraconsum televisiu. Per a això s'ha examinat informació estadística sobre una mostra de 1000 teleespectadors espanyols. Els nostres resultats indiquen que tant el sobreconsum com el infraconsum de televisió estan més presents entre les dones que entre els homes, així com que els teleespectadors d'entre 65 i 74 anys d'edat són els que millor ajusten la quantitat que consumeixen de televisió als seus desitjos. El sobreconsum està més associat a veure diversos programes simultàniament i continuar veient la televisió encara que el contingut no sigui del seu gust, mentre que el infraconsum està relacionat amb encendre la televisió sense saber què s'emet. Els resultats obtinguts posen de rellevància la necessitat de tenir en compte la quantitat i no només la qualitat en els estudis sobre consum televisiu. També mostren que el infraconsum i el sobreconsum televisiu són fenòmens complexos que exigeixen la utilització de perspectives d'anàlisi multidisciplinar.Television viewing is one of the activities to which we devote a significant amount of time every day. At times, however, people may watch less TV than they would like (underconsumption), while at other times, the opposite is the case (overconsumption). In this context, the aim of this study was to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics of viewers and explore television behaviors associated with a greater incidence of television overconsumption and underconsumption. The statistical information is drawn from a sample of 1,000 Spanish viewers. Our results indicate that both overconsumption and underconsumption are more prevalent among women than among men, and that viewers between 65 and 74 years old are those whose television consumption best matches their personal wishes. Overconsumption is more closely linked with watching several TV programs at the same time, and continuing to watch television even though the content does not appeal to the viewer. Underconsumption is related to switching on the TV set without knowing what is on. The results obtained show the need to take into account quantity, not only quality, in studies of television viewing. They also show that television underconsumption and overconsumption are complex phenomena that require inquiry from a multidisciplinary range of analytical perspectives.La televisión continúa siendo una de las actividades a las que mayor cantidad de tiempo dedicamos diariamente. Sin embargo, en ocasiones se le dedica menos tiempo del que se quisiera (infraconsumo), mientras que en otras sucede lo contrario (sobreconsumo). En este contexto el objetivo de este trabajo ha sido analizar cuáles son las características sociodemográficas de los televidentes y los comportamientos hacia la televisión que se encuentran asociadas a una mayor presencia del sobreconsumo y el infraconsumo televisivo. Para ello se ha examinado información estadística sobre una muestra de 1000 telespectadores españoles. Nuestros resultados indican que tanto el sobreconsumo como el infraconsumo de televisión están más presentes entre las mujeres que entre los hombres, así como que los telespectadores de entre 65 y 74 años de edad son los que mejor ajustan la cantidad que consumen de televisión a sus deseos. El sobreconsumo está más asociado a ver varios programas simultáneamente y continuar viendo la televisión aunque el contenido no sea del agrado, mientras que el infraconsumo lo está a encender la televisión sin saber qué se emite. Los resultados obtenidos ponen de relevancia la necesidad de tener en cuenta la cantidad y no solamente la calidad en los estudios sobre consumo televisivo. También muestran que el infraconsumo y el sobreconsumo televisivo son fenómenos complejos que exigen la utilización de perspectivas de análisis multidisciplinar

The Diffusion of Pay for Performance across Occupations

In this paper the differences in the incidence of pay for performance plans between occupations in a sample of Spanish manufacturing establishments are analyzed. Our results show that there are significant differences between occupations in the incidence of individual, group and firm or plant pay for performance plans. The roles of establishment size, multinational ownership and the human resources management department in the incidence of pay for performance plans and their variability of use across occupations within the same firm are also studied. These factors are found to correlate to a greater use of pay for performance and, in most cases, this effect is homogenous across occupations.incentives

The Process of Wage Adjustment: An Analysis Using Establishment-Level Data

This article presents a study of the influences on the factors that shape wage adjustments. The cost of living, comparability with other firms' wages, the fulfilment of collective agreements at sector level, the need to recruit and retain employees, the performance of the organisation, and the climate of industrial relations are included as factors of interest. The analysis was carried out using a sample of Spanish manufacturing plants. Our results show that the structural characteristics of the establishment such as its size or foreign ownership, as well as the wage setting arrangements and trade unions, play a role in explaining the importance of the factors mentioned in shaping wage adjustments. The human resource management policies adopted by the employer seem to be less relevant, although the qualification of workers and the use of pay for performance have a significant impact on the process of wage adjustment.pay settlements, collective bargaining, wage negotiation

What Are the Factors Behind Pay Settlements? Evidence from Spanish and British Data

This article presents a study of the determinants of pay settlements in a sample of Spanish and British establishments. We find that variables such as establishment size and age, foreign ownership, labour costs, the existence of internal labour markets, a strategic approach to human resource management and pay setting institutions are related to the factors that shape pay adjustments. Moreover, our findings show that there are significant differences in the determinants of pay settlements between Spain and Great Britain. We suggest that the labour market institutions developed in each country influence pay setting decisions.compensation systems, labor market institutions, wage settlements, establishment level data

Performance Appraisal: Dimensions and Determinants

The determinants of the dimensions that shape a formal system of performance appraisal are studied in relation to a sample of Spanish manufacturing establishments. In particular, the factors that influence the measures used to evaluate performance, the person who carries out such appraisal and its frequency are analysed. Our results show that the characteristics of the establishment exert a significant influence on the configuration of performance appraisal. Specifically, we find that the use of practices complementary to performance evaluation and the structural factors of the establishment are found to correlate closely with the dimensions of formal performance appraisal.performance appraisal, monitoring, establishment characteristics, dimensions of appraisal

La relevancia del dpto. De calidad y su relación con la implantación de la gestión de la calidad.

La implantación progresiva en las empresas de las ideas y técnicas asociadas con el concepto de “Gestión de la Calidad” ha sido quizá la manifestación más patente del cambio y la innovación organizativa ocurrida en las mismas en los últimos tiempos. Par

Distributed interference and data buffer management for cognitive radio

Future wireless communications are focused on develop new paradigms of spectrum reuse, i.e. cognitive radio, where radio frequencies can be taken into used if no other use is detected. In this way, these systems need mechanisms for interference control. In this work we study the use of a distributed system based on cognitive radio. Scheduling transmitters and data rate optimization algorithms have been implemented in order to balance the secondary user transmissions and maximize the data rate transmission. Radio sensors are used to monitor the interference levels generated by the different transmitters. The system model has been implemented in MATLAB and analyzes its behaviour through several simulations