Customer orientation of service employees in family businesses in the hotel sector

The business interactions between front-line employees and customers are crucial to evaluating service quality and for business performance. A gap has been identified in the literature on both customer orientation of service employees (COSE) and family businesses (FBs). These two concepts have never been studied together before. This study presents a concept that develops a theoretical model based on Hennig-Thurau (2004). This model drives research about the COSE and FBs in the hotel sector. The two main contributions are: (1) electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) is proposed as a consequence of COSE within FBs and (2) a questionnaire has been developed from relevant subscales to measure COSE and the two possible consequences derived from it (Customer Satisfaction and eWOM). A database from Iberic Balance Analysis System (SABI) has been selected to study these variables in the hotel sector, and it will be used in a future empirical study that is expected to provide support for the theory

Entrepreneurial Intentions: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose – The purpose of this research is to identify the main authors, the main influential universities doing research on EI, the main subject areas and the main productive academic journals on this topic. This paper also aims to shed light on the current knowledge and contributions to the field, in particular: co-authorships, co-words, research topics and cluster of themes. Methodology – The methodology is based on bibliometric techniques using mapping and clustering. The study has been conducted on 377 articles published in journals indexed in the Scopus database for a period of time of almost 24 years, from 01/01/1993 to 08/07/2016. VOSviewer software was used to conduct the analysis. Findings – Findings highlight the top authors, the ranking of the main journals and universities doing research in the field of EI. Another relevant contribution is the identification and classification of main research streams and gaps that have been highlighted. Originality/value – This paper is an attempt to clarify the state of the research and to analyse the progress of the studies on EI and to elaborate bibliometric studies that help to give some order to the variety of sources. This is helpful for new researchers approaching EI for the first time and also for those that are familiar with the field. Keywords Entrepreneurial intentions, bibliometric analysis, citation analysis, literature review Paper type Literature revie

International Management of Customer Orientation

This study investigates the role of customer orientation of service employees (COSE) and its influence on customer satisfaction and on electronic word of mouth (e-WOM), with a focus on international management. An empirical study was conducted amongst hotel customers with a final valid sample of 265 respondents. Digital capabilities have been included in the COSE model for the first time. Findings indicate that digital capabilities have a positive influence on customer satisfaction that is mediated by COSE. This study has also compared differences between international and national firms and also considered family businesses and non-family businesses. Results show that international hotels have a higher level of COSE than national hotels, mainly due to the technical skills of the employees, and the presence of a higher level of COSE in family businesses (FBs) rather than in non-family businesses (NFBs). Some contributions to academia and to international management have been discussed

Tratamiento quirúrgico con placa bloqueada en fracturas de fémur distal tipo C en pacientes mayores de 60 años

Objetivo. Determinar el resultado clínico, radiológico y complicaciones asociadas del tratamiento con placa bloqueada en fracturas distales de fémur tipo C en pacientes mayores de 60 años. Material y métodos. Estudio descriptivo retrospectivo de 16 pacientes. Se registraron variables epidemiológicas, comorbilidades, complicaciones y resultados clínicos y radiológicos. Resultados. Edad media de 75,3 años. El seguimiento medio fue de 13,5 meses. La flexión media postoperatoria de la rodilla fue de 61,6º. Sólo un 12,5% de los pacientes no referían gonalgia ni precisaban ayudas para la deambulación al final del seguimiento. Radiológicamente, en un 68,7% la translación femoral era mayor de 5 mm, y en un 31,3% la reducción en el plano lateral no era correcta. Se consiguió la consolidación de la fractura en 13 pacientes (86,6%), con un tiempo medio de 10,2 semanas. Como complicaciones hubo una pseudoartrosis, una consolidación viciosa y una infección. Discusión. El tratamiento de la fractura distal de fémur con placa bloqueada viene avalado en la literatura como un método fiable. Sin embargo, en nuestra serie, hemos tenido un alto porcentaje de malos resultados clínicos con presencia de dolor en la rodilla y necesidad de ayudas para la deambulación.Objective. To evaluate functional and radiographic results, and complications, after surgical treatment with locked plate in fractures of the distal femur in patients 60 years old or older. Material and methods. We reviewed 16 patients. We recorded epidemiological variables, comorbidities, functional and radiographic results. Results. Mean aged of 75,3 years. Mean follow-up of 13,5 months. Mean knee flexion of 61,6º. Only 12,5% of the patients did not refer knee pain and walked unaided. Radiologically, in 68,7% of the patients femoral translation was greater than 5 mm, and in 31,3% lateral reduction was not correct. Fracture healed in 13 patients (86,6%), in a mean time of 10,2 weeks. There were 1 nonunion, 1 malunion, and 1 infection. Discussion. Locked plating is a realiable treatment for distal femoral fractures. But, in our elderly serie, we experienced bad clinical results with high percentage of knee pain and walking aid

Application of Model-driven engineering to multi-agent systems: a language to model behaviors of reactive agents

Many users of multi-agent systems (MAS) are very commonly disinclined to model and simulate using current MAS platforms. More specifically, modeling the dynamics of a system (in particular the agents' behaviors) is very often a challenge to MAS users. This issue is more often observed in the domain of socio-ecological systems (SES), because SES domain experts are rarely programmers. Indeed, the majority of MAS platforms were not conceived taking into consideration domain-experts who are non-programmers. Most current MAS tools are not dedicated to SES, or nor do they possess an easily understandable formalism to represent the behaviors of agents. Moreover, because it is platform-dependent, a model realized in a given MAS platform cannot be properly used on another platform due to incompatibility between MAS platforms. To overcome these limitations, we propose a domain-specific language (DSL) to describe the behaviors of reactive agents, regardless of the MAS platform used for simulation. To achieve this result, we used model-driven engineering (MDE), an approach that provides tools to develop DSLs from a meta-model (abstract syntax), textual editors with syntax highlighting (for the concrete syntax) and code generation capabilities (for source-code generation of a model). As a result, we implemented a language and a textual editor that allow SES domain experts to describe behaviors in three different ways that are close to their natural expression: as equations when they are familiar with these, as a sequence of activities close to natural language or as an activity diagram to represent decisions and a sequence of behaviors using a graphic formalism. To demonstrate interoperability, we also developed code generators targeting two different MAS platforms (Cormas and Netlogo). We tested the code generators by implementing two SES models with the developed DSL. The generated code was targeted to both MAS platforms (Cormas and Netlogo), and successfully simulated in one of them. We conclude that the MDE approach provides adequate tools to develop DSL and code generators to facilitate MAS modeling and simulation by non-programmers. Concerning the DSL developed, although the behavioral aspect of MAS simulation is part of the complexity of modeling in MAS, there are still other essential aspects of model and simulation of MAS that are yet to be explored, such as model initialization and points of view on the model simulated worl

New linear stability parameter to describe low-β\beta electromagnetic microinstabilities driven by passing electrons in axisymmetric toroidal geometry

In magnetic confinement fusion devices, the ratio of the plasma pressure to the magnetic field energy, $\beta$, can become sufficiently large that electromagnetic microinstabilities become unstable, driving turbulence that distorts or reconnects the equilibrium magnetic field. In this paper, a theory is proposed for electromagnetic, electron-driven linear instabilities that have current layers localised to mode-rational surfaces and binormal wavelengths comparable to the ion gyroradius. The model retains axisymmetric toroidal geometry with arbitrary shaping, and consists of orbit-averaged equations for the mode-rational surface layer, with a ballooning space kinetic matching condition for passing electrons. The matching condition connects the current layer to the large scale electromagnetic fluctuations, and is derived in the limit that $\beta$ is comparable to the square root of the electron-to-ion-mass ratio. Electromagnetic fluctuations only enter through the matching condition, allowing for the identification of an effective $\beta$ that includes the effects of equilibrium flux surface shaping. The scaling predictions made by the asymptotic theory are tested with comparisons to results from linear simulations of micro-tearing and electrostatic microinstabilities in MAST discharge #6252, showing excellent agreement. In particular, it is demonstrated that the effective $\beta$ can explain the dependence of the local micro-tearing mode (MTM) growth rate on the ballooning parameter $\theta_0$ -- possibly providing a route to optimise local flux surfaces for reduced MTM-driven transport.Comment: 29 pages, 14 figure

Calculation of kinetic parameters βeff and Λ with modified open source Monte Carlo code OpenMC(TD)

This work presents the methodology used to expand the capabilities of the Monte Carlo code OpenMC for the calculation of reactor kinetic parameters: effective delayed neutron fraction βeff and neutron generation time Λ. The modified code, OpenMC(Time-Dependent) or OpenMC(TD), was then used to calculate the effective delayed neutron fraction by using the prompt method, while the neutron generation time was estimated using the pulsed method, fitting Λ to the decay of the neutron population. OpenMC(TD) is intended to serve as an alternative for the estimation of kinetic parameters when licensed codes are not available. The results obtained are compared to experimental data and MCNP calculated values for 18 benchmark configurations.Fil: Romero Barrientos, J.. Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear; Chile. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: Marquez Damian, Jose Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. European Spallation Source; SueciaFil: Molina, F.. Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear; Chile. Universidad Andrés Bello; ChileFil: Zambra, M.. Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear; Chile. Universidad Diego Portales; ChileFil: Aguilera, P.. Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear; Chile. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: López Usquiano, F.. Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear; Chile. Universidad de Chile; ChileFil: Parra, B.. Instituto de Física Corpuscular; EspañaFil: Ruiz, A.. Comision Chilena de Energia Nuclear; Chile. Universidad de Chile; Chil

Genome-Wide Linkage Scan of Bipolar Disorder in a Colombian Population Isolate Replicates Loci on Chromosomes 7p21–22, 1p31, 16p12 and 21q21–22 and Identifies a Novel Locus on Chromosome 12q

Background/Aims: Bipolar disorder (BP) is a severe psychiatric illness, characterised by alternating episodes of depression and mania, which ranks among the top ten causes of morbidity and life-long disability world-wide. We have previously performed a whole-genome linkage scan on 6 pedigrees segregating severe BP from the well-characterised population isolate of Antioquia, Colombia. We recently collected genotypes for the same set of 382 autosomal microsatellite markers in 9 additional Antioquian BP pedigrees. Here, we report the analysis of the combined pedigree set