Sustainability performance in firms located in a science and technology park: the influence of knowledge sources and absorptive capacity

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to identify how firms’ sustainability performance is affected by external knowledge sources and absorptive capacity, accounting for the influence of being located in a science and technology park (STP). Design/methodology/approach – Drawing on data from the Spanish Technological Innovation Panel, the authors estimate the determinants of sustainability performance using fixed effects multiple linear regression models with robust standard errors. The analysis covers the period 2009–2016, with a total panel of 8,874 companies and a total sample of 47,870 observations. Findings – This study highlights the heterogeneity in on-park firms’ sustainability performance, which can be explained by the different capacities of these firms when it comes to embedding themselves in STP networks and processes and effectively absorbing the knowledge from the many knowledge sources that may be on offer in the park. Originality/value – This paper contributes to the literature by examining the influence of external sources of knowledge and absorptive capacity, and the relationship between them, on sustainability performance. This study approaches sustainability performance as an aggregate measure of firms’ competitiveness and potential for long-term survival from the triple bottom line perspective. In addition, this study examines the effect that location in an STP can have on business sustainability performance and, more specifically, the mediating effect that knowledge sources and absorptive capacity can exert on this relationship

The interplay between firms' capabilities and ownership in explaining environmental performance

Purpose This study empirically assesses the effects of two key types of organizational and managerial capabilities—dynamic capabilities, and coordination and cohesion capabilities—on environmental performance, considering the moderating effect of family ownership. By applying the tenets of the natural resource-based view and the dynamic capabilities theory, this paper offers new insights into the topic. Design/methodology/approach The article presents empirical evidence from a survey of 1,019 firms operating in the Spanish tourism sector analyzed using multiple linear regression. Findings Overall, our results show that both dynamic capabilities and coordination and cohesion capabilities have direct and synergetic positive effects on environmental performance. In addition, the results confirm recent studies that report conflicting evidence on how family ownership affects environmental performance: family ownership is found to exert a distinct direct effect on environmental performance and on the development and application of the capabilities required to improve such performance. Originality/value This article sheds light on the conceptual frontiers between the different types of capabilities, as well as provides practical ways of measuring them. The article also brings evidence to bear on the debate concerning the direct and moderating effect that family ownership exerts on the relationship between both types of capabilities over environmental performance. The results of this analysis confirm the complexity of the family ownership effect on this aspect, and provide important insights for both business practitioners and academics

Los destinos turísticos inteligentes en un contexto de crisis: principales retos a nivel empresarial y de destino

En estos últimos años, el concepto de Destino Turístico Inteligente (DTI) ha irrumpido con fuerza en toda estrategia de gestión avanzada de los destinos turísticos. Esta tendencia se ha exacerbado, además, como consecuencia de la pandemia global del COVID-19, al poner en valor estos DTI procesos de digitalización y sostenibilidad, claves también para dar respuesta a las nuevas necesidades de los turistas. Este trabajo pretende contribuir a la literatura sobre DTI analizando los principales retos y oportunidades que cada eje que compone este marco de actuación impone tanto sobre los gestores de los destinos como de las empresas que operan en este sector en un determinado destino turísticoNowadays, the concept of Smart Tourist Destination (STD) has burst into every advanced tourist destination management strategy. This trend has been exacerbated as a result of the global pandemic of COVID-19, as these STD have been enhanced by processes of digitalization and sustainability, which are key elements to responding to the changing tourist needs. This article aims to contribute to the literature on STD by analysing the main challenges and opportunities that each dimension integrating this model imposes on both destination managers and companies operating in tourist industry in a given destination

Dynamic capabilities and environmental performance: all in the family

Purpose This study adopts the dynamic capabilities perspective to analyze environmental performance in family firms and explores the moderating effects that both family involvement in the Top Management Team (TMT) and long-term orientation (LTO) exert on the relationship between dynamic capabilities and environmental performance. Design/methodology/approach The authors test the hypotheses on a database of 748 family tourism firms, using hierarchical regression analysis. Findings The authors' results show that both variables have a beneficial effect on building the dynamic capabilities to be applied to improving environmental performance. However, the moderating effect of family involvement is revealed to be more complex than that of LTO. Having a high degree of family managerial involvement positively moderates the effect of dynamic capabilities on environmental performance but only in family firms with highly-developed dynamic capabilities; conversely, in family firms with lower levels of dynamic capabilities not having this family involvement in the TMT is better. Originality/value This study helps advance the research on Spanish family tourism firms by adopting an approach that unveils the heterogeneity in dynamic capabilities among said firms, driven by the firms' idiosyncratic features in terms of family involvement in the TMT and their LTO. The article also provides practical insights for family business owners, managers and advisors and outlines important directions for future research

Un estudio de caso para analizar cómo ayudan los profesores en resolución de problemas matemáticos

Hay investigaciones que sostienen que influyen otras dimensiones además de las creencias respecto a la Matemática, Enseñanza de las Matemáticas y Aprendizaje de las Matemáticas en la actuación de profesores. Creemos que algunas de estas dimensiones pueden ser la idea de ayuda, de dificultad y comunicación que se usa con los alumnos. Analizamos con detalle una clase de la profesora Silvia para inferir cómo actúa en función de estas dimensiones. Para el análisis usamos la transcripción de una de sus clases con detalle. A través de este estudio perfilamos unos estilos en cuanto a las dimensiones estudiadas de algunos profesores españoles y, establecemos hipótesis de posibles inconsistencias de la profesora.Some investigations point out that, besides beliefs on mathematics and on mathematics teaching and learning, other dimensions’ influence teachers’ performance. Amongst these dimensions, we place the ideas of help, difficulty and communication, which is used with the students. One class by Silvia (a secondary teacher) is analyzed in detail in order to know how she performs against these dimensions. For this analysis we use the full transcription of the class. This study allows us to outline some styles in teaching of Spanish teachers depending on the studied dimensions. We also established hypothesis of possible inconsistencies in the performance of Silvia

Las capacidades directivas en la empresa familiar turística: ¿Es la profesionalización la clave para su desarrollo?

The main objective of this paper is to analyze the elements of the particular governance structure of the family business and the involvement of the family in the business in order to verify its effects on managerial capabilities. Likewise, professionalization in this type of company will be studied as a moderating variable. To address this analysis, the Resource and Capabilities Based-View and the Agency Theory will be taken as a basis. The empirical study is carried out on a base of 591 Spanish tourism companies using a multiple linear regression analysis. The results show that many of the peculiar characteristics of the family business have a negative effect on their managerial skills, preventing their proper development. However, the professionalization of the maximum responsible of the family business would contribute to alleviating these problems, facilitating the development of the said skills in the family business.Este trabajo tiene como principal objetivo analizar los elementos de la particular estructura de gobierno de la empresa familiar y la implicación de la familia en el negocio con tal de comprobar sus efectos sobre las capacidades directivas. Asimismo, se estudiará la profesionalización en este tipo de empresas como variable moderadora. Para abordar este análisis, se tomarán como base el Enfoque Basado en Recursos y Capacidades y la Teoría de la Agencia. El estudio empírico se lleva a cabo sobre una base de 591 empresas turísticas españolas mediante un análisis de regresión lineal múltiple. Los resultados demuestran que muchas de las características peculiares de la empresa familiar ejercen un efecto negativo sobre sus capacidades directivas, impidiendo su correcto desarrollo. Sin embargo, la profesionalización del máximo responsable de la empresa familiar contribuiría a paliar dichos problemas, facilitando el desarrollo de dichas capacidades en la empresa familiar

Servitización del Sector turístico: el modelo de destinos turísticos inteligentes (DTI) como impulsor del proceso de digitalización de los servicios turísticos

La importancia económica y social del sector turístico lo ha convertido en un sector clave en muchos países, como en España. A lo largo de las últimas décadas ha venido realizando una contribución inestimable al agregado de la producción nacional en términos de riqueza y personal empleado (Instituto Nacional de Estadística, 2019). No obstante, el modelo turístico actual adolece de ciertas debilidades, puestas de manifiesto y agravadas con la aparición y propagación de la COVID-19, y el forzoso cierre temporal de la actividad turística, con fuertes y negativos impactos, específicamente en lo que se refiere a la sostenibilidad económica (productividad) pero incidiendo también en la sostenibilidad social (equidad) y ambiental (capacidad de carga) (Gössling et al., 2020)

A Mobile Memory Game for Patients with Acquired Brain Damage: A Preliminary Usability Study

Memory rehabilitation and training is an important activity for patients with Acquired Brain Damage, including Cerebral Vascular Accident (stroke) and Traumatic Brain Injury patients. Although many interactive web-based and computer applications have been developed, the use of mobile devices apps has not been sufficiently studied from the point of view of its usability for these users. In this paper, a preliminary usability and accessibility study of a memory game for mobile devices (developed from scratch under Android OS) is presented. This study, based on the Shadow Expert Technique, allows improving the prototype and provides useful hints for increasing acceptability of Android applications, not only by Acquired Brain Damage patients but also by other people with cognitive disorders.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación PROCUR@-IPT-2011-1038-900000European Project GameUp AAL-2011-4-09

Basic Concepts in Pivot Tables

Departament d'Administració d'Empreses i Màrqueting. Codis assignatura: AE1010, EC1010, FC1010, TU0930, EI1029, EI1023, DA0210http://dx.doi.org/10.6035/Sapientia16

Electrochemical Magnetic Immunosensors for the Determination of Ceruloplasmin

Electrochemical immunosensors for ceruloplasmin (Cp) are reported for the first time. Two configurations involving magnetic beads (MBs) functionalized with Protein A or Streptavidin for immobilization of Cp antibodies were compared, using competitive immunoassay with synthesized alkaline phosphatase-Cp conjugate. Upon capturing MBs-immunoconjugates onto screen-printed carbon electrodes, quantification of Cp was accomplished by DPV measurement of 1-naphthol generated after 1-naphthylphosphate addition. Linear ranges of calibration curves and detection limits were 0.1–1000 µg/mL and 0.040 µg/mL (Protein A-MBs), and 0.025–20 µg/mL and 0.018 µg/mL (Strept-MBs). Good results were obtained in the determination of Cp in spiked human serum samples