The Role of Cooperation Agreements in the Internationalization of Spanish Winery and Olive Oil Family Firms

Abstract Purpose – This study aims to identify the mediating role of cooperation agreements in the relationship between family involvement in international firms and their level of international commitment. Design/methodology/approach – The study focuses on Spanish international wine and olive oil companies that have varying levels of family involvement. The final sample consists of 263 companies. SmartPLS was used to perform the analysis. Findings – A higher level of family involvement in business implies greater difficulties with cooperation agreements. Additionally, family involvement is negatively associated with the firm’s level of international commitment, and the perceived difficulties of cooperation agreements mediate this relationship. Practical implications – This study is of interest to business managers with different levels of family involvement. The study clarifies their perceptions of cooperation agreements and international business commitment. Managers of firms with a high level of family involvement should emphasize the multiple benefits of cooperation agreements for international strategy performance rather than the drawbacks of cooperation. Additionally, through cooperation, companies can learn about destination markets, which may help them to focus their resources effectively in those markets. Originality/value – This study contributes to the literature on the internationalization strategies of family businesses. This study is the first to address the mediating role of cooperation agreements in the relationship between family involvement and international commitment

Corporate Corruption Prevention, Sustainable Governance and Legislation: First Exploratory Evidence from the ltalian Scenario

This paper aims to identify the main issues and drivers of sustainable corporate governance to prevent corruption, analysing the interaction between the principal governance body–Board of Directors–and the implementation and application of corruption prevention plans by pointing out exploratory evidence from the company sample. This paper is built upon two steps. First, the content analysis research method is applied, selecting a sample of Italian companies and analysing information from the corruption prevention plans to establish the role of the Board of Directors in the management of company's system. Second, the level of the implication of Board of Directors in drafting through the identification of the Global Indicator is investigated, measuring the degree of the Board of Directors' involvement and making use of the content analysis's results. Additionally, a linear regression between the Global Indicator, companies dimensional indicator and performance indicators is carried out with the aim to define variables affecting this process. The paper proposes exploratory evidence which shows a deep understanding of the governance body in the construction and application of the corporate corruption prevention plans, taking into consideration crucial information from: the anti-corruption national legislation (Law 190/2012), risk management and organization model (Legislative Decree 231/2001), corporate sustainability and compliance programs adopted by companies. The originality of the findings derives from the need to establish an integrated sustainable corporate governance model directed at preventing corruption. Thus, this paper proposes not only the analysis of the Italian companies' compliance sustainable models to prevent corruption in their corporate governance but shows the path for future research on the topic

Intangibles en la Internacionalización de las Bodegas Españolas: percepción directiva y comparada entre empresas familiares y no familiares

Purpose: To determine which of the intangible resources possessed by companies from the Spanish viticultural sector can serve as a source of competitive advantage in the development of their international strategies. Exploratory study of the impact of the different intangible resources possessed by Spanish wineries on the development of their international strategies: differences depending on the family-owned or non family-owned character of the viticultural companies in question. Design/methodology/approach: Empirical quantitative study of descriptive nature basically using the analysis of information gathered from surveys carried out with managers in Spanish wineries, family and nonfamily, representative of the sector in the national context. Findings: Companies from the Spanish viticultural sector show an intangible resource endowment, as a source of competitive advantage in the development of their international strategies. This endowment varies depending on the resources analyzed (technological, human, organizational and relational resources) and, in some aspects, does vary depending whether the firm is family-owned or not. Research limitations: We have focused our study in only one economic sector completely. The same analysis or study in other industrial sectors would provide different results from those achieved in this study. Practical implications: The main challenges facing Spanish wineries in achieving success are emphasized taking into consideration their intangible resource endowment, in order to reinforce their competitive position in international markets. Social implications: This study points out the way that different public and private organizations and institutions of the viticultural sector could help wineries to overcome the challenges that have been set out in this study. Just as it directs which different policies and how they should be applied to the intangible resources in the viticultural sector. Originality/value: Although there is numerous data and information about the International trade of the Spanish viticultural sector, no previous study has focused on the analysis of these companies’ intangible resources as a source of competitive advantage in the development of their international strategies. Furthermore, none of these previous studies have taken into account whether the winery is family-owned or not. It is a first piece of work that leads the foundations about the effective resource endowment of Spanish family wineries

FACTORS INFLUENCING CIRCULAR ECONOMY IMPLEMENTATION IN SME BUSINESS MODELS: THE CASE OF SPAIN

Nowadays, Europe has to add more value to the resources it uses and make all sectors more productive. Hence, the transition to a circular economy (CE) requires a stronger link between waste reduction and resource efficiency. Small and medium- sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly aware of the benefits of closing loops and improving resource efficiency, creating competitive advantages, and accessing new markets. In the learning of valuing waste as a resource and apply the lessons of the natural world, in which nothing is wasted, SMEs embraces the CE to achieve sustainability. In this regard, the agro-food system plays an important role since it needs agricultural practices aimed at optimising yields and improving the natural resources, which are crucial for embracing CE. We use a mixed methodology, a survey, where 161 SMEs took part, together with six interviews to characterise the sector. The main findings point to the lack of technical and technological resources of olive oil mills, even though they consider innovation crucial to achieve a competitive advantage. Therefore, the European Union (EU) policies, in general, and the Spanish ones, in particular, should reinforce the “Green Economy” and help SMEs incorporate CE principles into their business models

The Impact of smart technologies on the management and strategic control: a structured literature review

This research proposes a systematic literature review (SLR) of the application of big data, analytics, business intelligence, and artificial intelligence to company management and strategic control. Thus, this paper attempts to answer the following research questions: 1) How is the literature on the application of big data, analytics, business intelligence, and artificial intelligence to management and strategic control developed in the business, management and accounting fields? 2) On which aspects of this application does the literature focus? 3) What are the implications that arise for companies? In this paper, we used a longitudinal study of research documents in the form of last decade literature collected from Scopus database as the leading source for the international scenario. After, we selected business, management, and accounting areas, and screened the titles and abstracts of the research documents, we based the final result on 60 scientific documents as sources relevant to the aim of this SLR. The findings highlight four main topic clusters. We specifically explain smart technologies’ usefulness for each analyzed business function, and, while adopting a critical perspective, we point out the interesting current streams of research resulting from the application of new sources of technology. We conclude by proposing valuable insights gleaned from the study. Thus, our results are useful for both the academic and the professional community

Corporate corruption prevention, sustainable governance and legislation: First exploratory evidence from the Italian scenario

This paper aims to identify the main issues and drivers of sustainable corporate governance to prevent corruption, analysing the interaction between the principal governance bodyeBoard of Directorseand the implementation and application of corruption prevention plans by pointing out exploratory evidence from the company sample. This paper is built upon two steps. First, the content analysis research method is applied, selecting a sample of Italian companies and analysing information from the corruption prevention plans to establish the role of the Board of Directors in the management of company's system. Second, the level of the implication of Board of Directors in drafting through the identification of the Global Indicator is investigated, measuring the degree of the Board of Directors' involvement and making use of the content analysis's results. Additionally, a linear regression between the Global Indicator, companies dimensional indicator and performance indicators is carried out with the aim to define variables affecting this process. The paper proposes exploratory evidence which shows a deep understanding of the governance body in the construction and application of the corporate corruption prevention plans, taking into consideration crucial information from: the anti-corruption national legislation (Law 190/2012), risk management and organization model (Legislative Decree 231/2001), corporate sustainability and compliance programs adopted by companies. The originality of the findings derives from the need to establish an integrated sustainable corporate governance model directed at preventing corruption. Thus, this paper proposes not only the analysis of the Italian companies' compliance sustainable models to prevent corruption in their corporate governance but shows the path for future research on the topic

Exploratory evidence on anticorruption activities in the Spanish context: A sustainable governance approach

This paper aims at discovering a sustainable corporate governance approach by analysing the interaction between the board of directors and the application of corporate corruption legislation by Spanish companies. Thus, the objective of this paper is to define the role of the board of directors in corporate corruption prevention activities. Based on a case study using the Gioia methodology, our research seeks to identify the role of the board of directors compared with that of control activities (i.e., corruption prevention activities) within the management system of the company. Thus, this study sheds light on the role of Board of Directors in the implementation of corporate corruption prevention in accordance with the anticorruption Spanish legislation (Organic Law 1/2015) as well as corporate responsibility and related compliance programs adopted by companies. Our findings are original in defining sustainable corporate governance as a means of preventing corruption and safeguarding corporate sustainability. The debate on corporate sustainability in the economic systems of several states is the point of departure for this study, which analyses characteristics of anticorruption models of the Spanish companies, offering a framework for further research on sustainable corporate governance and corporate sustainability