Looking For Good International Partnerships: Bodegas Pirineos Ltd., A Case Study Within The Spanish Context

In an economic context increasingly more dynamic, complex, and globalized, those companies which are able to find first-rate business partnerships and to manage efficient relationships with them have a greater guarantee of success and profitability in their activity. Their products will get the desired standards of quality and firms will be able to distribute and to sell these products adequately. For local and national markets firms use to have enough knowledge, but their position will be more complicated if they decide to expand their business abroad. Capability and unawareness of the market structures, language are some of the most important limits for international expansion. In this context firms must dedicate resources to look for capable partnerships. Although trust or partnership image could be understood as key-factor for election, decisions involve greater risk and uncertainty. If selection is satisfactory firms will desire to build relationships with these partnerships and cooperation and commitment will arise. In other case, firms will look for other alternatives, when available. Furthermore, the smallest firms have fewer resources than bigger firms and, therefore, the management these situations could be more complicated: power-dependence relationships are unfavorable. Now wine is a fashionable product. Once local and national markets are mature, international markets are fundamental for the wineries expansion. But international distribution seems pretty complicated. While production must be near vineyards, consumption could be localized wherever consumers are. Firms do not have enough resources to distribute their production directly, and peculiarities of each country or region must to be considered: legal aspects, languageBig international wine distribution use to be controlled by few and powerful enterprises in each country, while small and specialized distributors have fewer scope. Therefore, dependence relationships for wineries could arise. This paper, by analyzing a specific Spanish case, Bodega Pirineos Ltd., identifies those factors that a Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) company assesses when choosing and deciding on building up a relationship with a specific international partnership that distributes its products. Sometimes distributors are understood as suppliers of services. Image, trust, communication, and cooperation are considered as prior elements, while commitment arises when relationships are satisfactory. When partnerships do not satisfy our firm, new alternatives are looked for. But if there is no more alternatives and Bodega Pirineos depends on this partnership it uses to maintain the relationship hopping new options arise. Some implications for other wineries or other SMEs firms could be derived from this paper

Preocupaçao pelo cliente: etica, responsabilidade au simplesmente negocio?

Este artigo, tomando como referencia basica os conceitos de Orientaçao ao Mercado (OM) e Responsabilidade Social Corporativa (RSC) pretende i) identifiar e analisar a importancia real daqueles fatores que deterrninam a maior au menor nivel de preocupaçao pelo cliente e ii) estabelecer um nexo entre ambos os conceilos (OM e RSC). Para aicançar as objetivos propostos a investigaçao esta baseada em um estudo de casas múltiplos (multiple case-study) de empresas pertencentes a setores diversos. Os dados sugerem que a pressao competitiva e as normas legais sao as fatores críticos de tal preocupaçao, enquanto que o padrao de responsabilidade social da empresa e um elemento secundario. Por conseguinte, em determinadas situaçoes o mercado pode atuar como mecanisme de ajuste soberano a longo prazo, enquanto que em outras sera necessaria articular um conjunto de normase leis que regulem a atividade dasempresas e prolejam ao consurnidor. As implicaçoes des les resultados e asconclusoes do estudo estao incluidas na parte final do artigo.Cet article prend pour reference de base les concepts d'orientation du Marché  (OM) et de Responsabilite Sociale Corporative (RSC) eta pour objectif il l´identification et l'analyse de l'imporrance reelle des tacteurs determinant le niveau eleve au mains eleve de preoccupation pour le client ii) l'etablissement d'un lien entre les deux concepts (OM y RSC). Pour atteindre les objectifs proposes la recherche est fondée sur une etude de cas multiple (muitiple case-study) d'entreprises appartenant a divers secteurs. Les données suggerent que la pression competitive et les normes legales sont les facteurs critiques de preoccupation, tandis que le modele de responsabifite sociale de l'entreprise represente un element secondaire. Par consequent, dans certaines circonstances, le marche peut agir comme mecanisme d'ajustement principal a long terme, alors que, dans d'autres cas, il sera necessaire d'articuler un ensemble de normes et de lois reqlerr-entant l'activite des enlreprises el proteqeant le consommateur. Les implications des resultats et les conclusions de l'etude sont comprises dans la partie finale de l'article.Este artículo, tomando como referencia básica los conceptos de Orientación al Mercado (OM) y Responsabilidad Social Corporativa (RSC) pretende i) identificar y analizar la importancia real de aquellos factores que determinan el mayor a menor nivel de preocupación por el cliente, y ii) establecer un nexo entre ambos conceptos (OM y RSC). Para alcanzar los objetivos propuestos la investigación esta basada en un estudio de casas múltiple (multiple case-study) de empresas pertenecientes a sectores diversos. Los datos sugieren que la presión competitiva y las normas legales son los factores críticos de dicha preocupación, mientras que el patrón de responsabilidad social de la empresa es un elemento secundario. Por tanto, en determinadas situaciones el mercado puede actuar como mecanismo de ajuste soberano a largo plaza, mientras que en otras será necesario articular un conjunto de normas y leyes que regulen la actividad de las empresas y protejan al consumidor. Las implicaciones de estos resultados y las conclusiones del estudio se incluyen en la parte final del artículo.This article, which uses the concepts of Market Orientation (MO) and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) as a basic reference, aims i) to identify and analyze the real importance of those factors that determine a greater or lesser degrée of concern for the customer and ii) to establish a connection between both concepts MO and CSRI. To analyze the proposed objectives, the research is based on a multiple case-study of companies from diverse sectors. The data suggests that competitive pressure and legal rules and regulations are the critical factors of that concern, whereas the company's pattern of social responsibility is a secondary element. Therefore, in certain situations the market can act as a sovereign adjustment mechanism over the long term, whereas in others a set of laws and regulations must be created to protect consumers. The implications of these results and the conclusions of the study are included in the final part of the article