Ownership Structure of Cooperatives as an Environmental Buffer.

In this paper, we propose that the ownership structure in the cooperative form acts as an environmental buffer. It is a mechanism to obtain stronger linkages with suppliers by internalizing them, and in this way, obtaining fundamental resources. Using this strategy, the cooperative form can isolate itself from adverse environments and from competition from other organizational forms. Although cooperatives have higher survival probability in any economic context, in rival ideological environments they have less support than other organizational forms. To test these ideas, we have chosen data from the Spanish olive oil milling industry for 1944–98. During this period, Spain changed from a dictatorial to a democratic regime and from a self-subsistence economy in the post civil-war period to a broad liberal international economy. The results show that, whereas other organizational forms are affected by economic and ideological influences, the cooperative form isolates itself by changing the competition level.

Relationship between legitimation, competition and organizational death: current state of the art.

There is agreement among ecology researchers that the concepts of legitimation and competition are partly responsible for organizational selection. Finding adequate measures to represent these concepts, however, has been elusive and has been the main obstacle to the development of this stream of investigation. On the basis of the germinal density dependence model, we identify two lines of research, which have generated seven distinct models. This survey shows that there has been a general tendency to use only three variables to measure legitimation and competition, which are often measured together. However, we argue that fruitful results have emerged when efforts have been made to separate both concepts and that there is some potential in using new measures (mass or concentration) which have so far only found limited application in the field of population demography. These findings, together with the inconclusive results of this stream of research, allow us to identify the existing gaps in the literature and comment on directions for future research.Sociología de la organización; Cambio organizativo;

El exceso de capacidad como determinante de la supervivencia empresarial : el caso de la industria de extracción de aceite de oliva

Este trabajo analiza el impacto de la utilización de la capacidad existente en una industria en la probabilidad de supervivencia de las empresas en la misma. Una novedad importante del mismo es que analiza diferencias en la probabilidad de supervivencia según la forma de propiedad de las empresas, cooperativas o no cooperativas, controlando el grado de utilización de la capacidad. La evidencia empírica se extrae de la industria de extracción de aceite de oliva y sus resultados muestran que el control sobre las materias primas, aceituna, de las cooperativas productoras de aceite aumenta las posibilidades de supervivencia.Publicad

Ownership Structure of Cooperatives as an Environmental Buffer

In this paper, we propose that the ownership structure in the cooperative form acts as an environmental buffer. It is a mechanism to obtain stronger linkages with suppliers by internalizing them, and in this way, obtaining fundamental resources. Using this strategy, the cooperative form can isolate itself from adverse environments and from competition from other organizational forms. Although cooperatives have higher survival probability in any economic context, in rival ideological environments they have less support than other organizational forms. To test these ideas, we have chosen data from the Spanish olive oil milling industry for 1944–98. During this period, Spain changed from a dictatorial to a democratic regime and from a self-subsistence economy in the post civil-war period to a broad liberal international economy. The results show that, whereas other organizational forms are affected by economic and ideological influences, the cooperative form isolates itself by changing the competition level.Publicad

Nuevas medidas de tamaño en ecología poblacional

En este trabajo va a desarrollar varios aspectos: 1) Profundizar y aportar un nuevo contraste en el estudio dentro del segundo nivel de análisis, ecología poblacional; 2) analizar las influencias sobre la probabilidad de supervivencia que existen entre dos formas organizativas clasificadas en función de la estructura de propiedad y forma de gobierno, es decir, asociativas frente a privadas y 3) aplicar nuevas medidas de competencia entre formas organizativas distintas de la densidad poblacional. El objetivo es aportar evidencia de las limitaciones del modelo de densidad cruzada al utilizar una variable dependiente que no permite recoger la idiosincrasia concreta de los conceptos que pretende medir en cualquier situación que se presente. Por este motivo, elegiremos nuevas variables que si bien han sido utilizadas en otros niveles de análisi

Relationship between legitimation, competition and organizational death: current state of the art

There is agreement among ecology researchers that the concepts of legitimation and competition are partly responsible for organizational selection. Finding adequate measures to represent these concepts, however, has been elusive and has been the main obstacle to the development of this stream of investigation. On the basis of the germinal density dependence model, we identify two lines of research, which have generated seven distinct models. This survey shows that there has been a general tendency to use only three variables to measure legitimation and competition, which are often measured together. However, we argue that fruitful results have emerged when efforts have been made to separate both concepts and that there is some potential in using new measures (mass or concentration) which have so far only found limited application in the field of population demography. These findings, together with the inconclusive results of this stream of research, allow us to identify the existing gaps in the literature and comment on directions for future research.Publicad

Ciencia, tecnología y empresa: un ecosistema necesario para el desarrollo territorial

La crisis económico-fiancieraque se viene padeciendo a nivelmundial desde el año 2007 requierede soluciones y respuestasinnovadoras para salir de ella y,fundamentalmente, para propiciarcrecimientos sólidos y sosteniblesen el tiempo. En este contexto,la Investigación, Desarrollo eInnovación desempeñan unpapel clave aportando basesconsistentes para impulsar elcrecimiento económico, mejorarel nivel tecnológico empresarialy progresar en el nivel de vidade la sociedad. Por otro lado, seha observado que la constituciónde redes organizativas y lacooperación entre los agentesque las integran inflyen de formapositiva en la competitividad

NUEVAS MEDIDAS DE TAMAÑO EN ECOLOGÍA POBLACIONAL*

En este trabajo va a desarrollar varios aspectos: 1) Profundizar y aportar un nuevo contraste en el estudio dentro del segundo nivel de análisis, ecología poblacional; 2) analizar las influencias sobre la probabilidad de supervivencia que existen entre dos formas organizativas clasificadas en función de la estructura de propiedad y forma de gobierno, es decir, asociativas frente a privadas y 3) aplicar nuevas medidas de competencia entre formas organizativas distintas de la densidad poblacional. El objetivo es aportar evidencia de las limitaciones del modelo de densidad cruzada al utilizar una variable dependiente que no permite recoger la idiosincrasia concreta de los conceptos que pretende medir en cualquier situación que se presente. Por este motivo, elegiremos nuevas variables que si bien han sido utilizadas en otros niveles de análisis

HR management during lean production adoption

This paper aims to identify the success factors linked to human resources management during the lean production (LP) adoption process. A model of these factors and their interrelationships is also to be built to understand the sequence that leads to the cultural change required in lean production adoption. A case study is carried out in selected same-industry companies that are on the same level in the supply chain and have recently completed LP adoption. Twelve first-tier production plants in the aeronautics industry were selected. Data were gathered from interviews with plant managers and the people in charge of LP in the plant. Data were analyzed using open and coaxial coding and triangulation both within cases and across cases. The results highlight a number of success factors that depend on the phase of the LP adoption process. In the phase prior to adoption, the success factors are the incorporation of external change agents and the management averting inertia, whereas in the other phases of the adoption process five main factors were found: training, communication, rewards, job design and work organization. The findings stress the importance of human resources being managed appropriately during LP adoption for LP to be accepted and adapted. There are a number of key aspects related to human resource management that should be taken into account during each of the phases that occur during the LP adoption process. Further developments include measuring the intensity of the relationships identified and combining qualitative and quantitative methodologies simultaneously to overcome problems with the limited generalization of the results. Practitioners in charge of LP adoption must be mindful of the key human resource management-related aspects before and during the LP adoption process and the guidelines to be followed in each of these aspects for the outcomes of LP to be achieved and maintained

Improving supply chain responsiveness through Advanced Manufacturing Technology: the mediating role of internal and external integration

Responsiveness is one of the key performance factors that firms need to face up to the challenges posed by today’s markets. Many manufacturing firms are investing in advanced manufacturing technology (AMT) with a view to improving competitiveness. However, empirical evidence shows that investments in AMT alone do not lead to improvements in performance. In this study, a model that links AMT implementation and responsiveness through internal integration and external integration is proposed. A sample of 441 Spanish industrial companies was used to test the model through structural equation modelling. The findings highlight that internal integration needs to be supplemented with external integration in order to ensure that the implementation of AMT will result in improved responsiveness. Supply chain managers should focus on integration within the supply chain – firstly internal and later external – to obtain returns on investments in AMT in the form of improved flexibility and more reliable and faster deliveries.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad ECO2010-22105-C03-0