¿Se Necesita «algo más» antes de un Consejo de Familia? El Papel de la Comunicación en las Familias Empresarias

Establishing a family council can be beneficial for business families. However, determining the optimal circumstances to do so can be challenging. While some experts argue that a family council always provides long-term benefits, recent research on family councils suggests that there are certain prerequisites for successful family council implementation. This paper explores the nature of these prerequisites by examining communication dynamics within business families. Olson’s Circumplex Model is transferred from family therapy to the context of the family council by applying Habermas’s criteria for an ideal speech situation. Within this framework, a communication continuum on which to position business families is developed. This continuum is then applied to three Spanish business families. The findings suggest that a family council is functional only when minimum communication standards are met within the business family. Otherwise, the family council may have a minimal or even a negative impact. Families with an active family council should prioritise its use as a space for dialogue to enhance the business family’s functionality before tackling any other tasks or functions.Establecer un consejo de familia puede ser beneficioso para las familias empresarias. Sin embargo, determinar las circunstancias óptimas para hacerlo puede ser todo un reto. Aunque algunos expertos sostienen que un consejo de familia siempre aporta beneficios a largo plazo, investigaciones recientes sobre consejos de familia sugieren que existen ciertos requisitos previos para que la implantación de un consejo de familia tenga éxito. Este artículo explora la naturaleza de estos prerrequisitos examinando la dinámica de comunicación dentro de las familias empresarias. El Modelo Circumflejo de Olson se traslada de la terapia familiar al contexto del consejo de familia aplicando los criterios de Habermas para una situación de habla ideal. Dentro de este marco, se desarrolla un continuo de comunicación en el que situar a las familias empresarias. Este continuo se aplica a tres familias empresarias españolas. Los resultados sugieren que un consejo familiar sólo es funcional cuando se cumplen unas normas mínimas de comunicación dentro de la familia empresaria. De lo contrario, el consejo de familia puede tener un impacto mínimo o incluso negativo. Las familias con un consejo de familia activo deberían priorizar su uso como espacio de diálogo para mejorar la funcionalidad de la familia empresaria antes de abordar cualquier otra tarea o función

Culture, tourism and World Heritage Sites

The recognition of a place as a World Heritage Site (WHS) by UNESCO is fundamental to preserve its historical and artistic inheritance and, at the same time, to encourage visits to that area. The purpose of this article is to contribute to the study of the relationship between WHS designation and cultural tourism, with a markedly sustainable character, through the presentation of the results of research conducted in the city of Cordoba (Spain). The study analyzes the sociodemographic profile of the tourists, the variables that influence their levels of satisfaction and loyalty, and the classification of the travelers through different variables. The principal results of the research show the significant educational level of the surveyed tourists, as well as the high level of satisfaction with the visit, the high number of countries of origin and the outstanding motivation for knowing the city's heritage roots

Vulnerability of Mesostriatal Dopaminergic Neurons in Parkinson's Disease

The term vulnerability was first associated with the midbrain dopaminergic neurons 85 years ago, before they were identified as monoaminergic neurons, when Foix and Nicolesco (1925) reported the loss of neuromelanin containing neurons in the midbrain of patients with post-encephalitic Parkinson's disease (PD). A few years later, Hassler (1938) showed that degeneration is more intense in the ventral tier of the substantia nigra compacta than in its dorsal tier and the ventral tegmental area (VTA), outlining the concept of differential vulnerability of midbrain dopaminergic (DA-) neurons. Nowadays, we know that other neuronal groups degenerate in PD, but the massive loss of nigral DA-cells is its pathological hallmark, having a pivotal position in the pathophysiology of the disease as it is responsible for the motor symptoms. Data from humans as well as cellular and animal models indicate that DA-cell degeneration is a complex process, probably precipitated by the convergence of different risk factors, mediated by oxidative stress, and involving pathogenic factors arising within the DA-neuron (intrinsic factors), and from its environment and distant interconnected brain regions (extrinsic factors). In light of current data, intrinsic factors seem to be preferentially involved in the first steps of the degenerative process, and extrinsic factors in its progression. A controversial issue is the relative weight of the impairment of common cell functions, such as energy metabolism and proteostasis, and specific dopaminergic functions, such as pacemaking activity and DA handling, in the pathogenesis of DA-cell degeneration. Here we will review the current knowledge about the relevance of these factors at the beginning and during the progression of PD, and in the differential vulnerability of midbrain DA-cells

Which Factors Favour Becoming a Technology-Based & Highly Innovative Firm? The Role of Knowledge, Technological and Managerial Capabilities, and Entrepreneurs´ Education Background

Which resources and capabilities ease the change to become a Technology-Based and Highly Innovative Firm –TB&amp;InnF–, focused in the creation of value to market? We analyse this question using a novel data panel assembled for 326 Spanish industrial firms, along the period 1984-2012. Our findings show the probability of becoming a TB&amp;InnF growths when firms are able to accumulate a high endowment of knowledge and technological capabilities, and a managerial team with: experience, strong power position and previous technical and managerial education. Results also indicate the CEO´s educational profile in management is preferable to a pure technical profile, because this complements firm´s knowledge and technological capabilities and enables the transformation of a scientific or technological project into a successful entrepreneurial innovation, which creates new value to market. This work is licensed under a&nbsp;Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.</p

Quality management as a driver of innovation in the service industry

[EN] This study identifies the combination of factors that lead to quality management reinforcing innovation capability as an organization's strength. The results from 133 Spanish service organizations show that competitive strategy, manager's motivation to adopt quality management, and customer orientation are the key factors that explain the presence of innovation capability as a firm's strength. As some pioneering research points out, the impact of quality management on innovation depends mainly on managers' interpretation of this management philosophy. When quality management focuses on discovering new customer needs and even new markets, it contributes to strengthen the organization's innovation capability.González-Cruz, TF.; Roig-Tierno, N.; Botella-Carrubi, D. (2018). Quality management as a driver of innovation in the service industry. Service Business. 12(3):505-524. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11628-017-0360-750552412

Analysis of the Relationship between Tourism and Food Culture

In recent years, gastronomy has established itself as one of the key elements for the enhancement, sustainable and consolidation of tourist destinations. The aim of this paper is to contribute to the advancement of knowledge on gastronomic tourism in European countries, specifically in the analysis of the relationship between gastronomy, culture and tourism as the research focuses on the city of Córdoba, Spain. The methodology of this research involved conducting surveys with foreign travelers who were lunching or dining at various restaurants in the historic area, and these facilities were characterized by having in their gastronomic menus major typical culinary products of the city using the concept of tapas, i.e., the presentation of gastronomy through small portions of food. The results of the study indicate that the healthy component of the gastronomy represents the main dimension. Based on the detected dimensions, three types of international visitors are established (healthy-cultural tourist, cultural tourist and generic tourist) which are considered valid and useful for segmenting the market. This highlights the importance given to gastronomy by tourists as part of the cultural identity of a place and the satisfaction achieved through the gastronomy of the city of Córdoba

Supervisor leadership style, employee regulatory focus, and leadership performance: A perspectivism approach

[EN] Drawing on regulatory focus theory, this research proposes that transformational leadership performance depends on followers' circumstances. The analysis of 125 people from two Spanish service firms reveals that, apart from transformational leadership, the presence of academic education, intrinsic job satisfaction and high customer contact, and the absence of family responsibilities, are core conditions for the presence of high leadership performance. The first contribution of this study is the direct inference of follower's regulatory focus from the observation of individuals' circumstances. The second contribution is that leaders should consider followers' circumstances to adopt a suitable leadership style while they enhance followers' regulatory focus.The authors acknowledge the Chair of Business & Humanism of the University of Valencia-Generalitat Valenciana and its private sponsors Caixa Popular and Seidor for the financial support to this research.González-Cruz, TF.; Botella-Carrubi, D.; Martínez-Fuentes, CM. (2019). Supervisor leadership style, employee regulatory focus, and leadership performance: A perspectivism approach. Journal of Business Research. 101:660-667. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.01.06566066710

El patrimonio cultural como factor de desarrollo turístico: estudio de caso en la ciudad de Córdoba

Intangible cultural heritage shapes the history of peoples. The present paper attempts to explore the concept of this type of heritage by focusing on the festivities of the Patios of Cordoba (Spain), declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) as an Intangible Culture Heritage in 2012. The aim of this paper is to present the main results of an investigation conducted on tourists participating in the Festival of the Patios in 2014, disaggregated by gender. The research shows that most of the tourists were university educated, with an average age above 50 years and an average income level.El patrimonio cultural inmaterial conforma la propia historia de los pueblos. El presente estudio trata de profundizar en el concepto de esta tipología de patrimonio y, específicamente, analiza la Fiesta de los Patios de Córdoba (España), declarada por la Organización de las Naciones Unidas para la Educación, la Ciencia y la Cultura (UNESCO) como Patrimonio Inmaterial de la Humanidad en 2012. El objetivo de este artículo es presentar los principales resultados de una investigación realizada a los turistas que participaron en la Fiesta de los Patios en 2014, desagregado por género. La investigación demuestra la presencia mayoritaria de turistas con estudios universitarios, con una edad superior a los 50 años y con un nivel de renta medio

Context as a provider of key resources for succession: a case study of sustainable family firms

Although succession is the single most important issue in family-owned businesses (FOBs), there is scarce comprehensive and integrative analysis of the context (i.e., the social, organizational, and normative setting) where succession events occur. Research usually focuses on the success or failure of succession processes, instead of the risks faced by FOBs during succession. The succession process takes time and multiple actors are involved. Therefore, succession is influenced by uncertainty and unforeseen events. This study addresses the aforementioned gap in the literature by investigating how context can reduce the risk of failure in succession. Based on organizational change theory and the resource-based view, this study considers family and business circumstances where interactions between actors take place and succession occurs. Since the research goal is deeply embedded in context, this paper presents a comparative case study of three Spanish FOBs that have experienced different kinds of organizational change in relation to management succession. The main conclusion is that risk of succession failure depends not only on detailed process design and planning, but also on a well-developed firm and family context that provides sufficient familiness resources to cope with unexpected events and address conflicts