Willingness to Comply with Corporate Law: An Interdisciplinary Teaching Method in Higher Education

Using an innovation training project, an interdisciplinary cross-sectional teaching strategy was developed to enhance students’ willingness to comply with the law. Thirty-five business, finance and accounting teachers examined the effects of ethical education on 484 university students’ willingness to comply with corporate law. Ethical education was based on building students’ ethical decisions on three court judgments in the new Spanish Corporate Governance Code. The ethical training was carried out by developing and applying social justice counter arguments. This perspective allowed students to imagine what decisions other person could have taken if they had managed the company ethically. The results suggest that ethics education in higher education can improve the willingness to comply the law. This methodology can be applied to interdisciplinary departments teaching ethics in business, finance and accounting

Digital Marketing for Sustainable Growth: Business Models and Online Campaigns Using Sustainable Strategies

t: In recent years, digital marketing has transformed the way in which companies communicate with their customers around the world. The increase in the use of social networks and how users communicate with companies on the Internet has given rise to new business models based on the bidirectionality of communication between companies and Internet users. Digital marketing, new business models, online advertising campaigns, and other digital strategies have gathered user opinions and comments through this new online channel. In this way, companies have started to see the digital ecosystem as not only their present, but also as their future. From this long-term perspective, companies are concerned about sustainability and the growth of their business models. There are new business models on the Internet that support social causes, new platforms aimed at supporting social and sustainable projects, and digital advertising campaigns promoting sustainability. The overarching aim of this Special Issue was to analyze the development of these new strategies as well as their influence on the sustainability of digital marketing strategies. Therefore, we aimed to analyze how companies adopt these new technologies in a digital environment that is increasingly concerned with the sustainability of business models and actions on the Internet

Are black friday deals worth it? Mining twitter users' sentiment and behavior response

The Black Friday event has become a global opportunity for marketing and companies’ strategies aimed at increasing sales. The present study aims to understand consumer behavior through the analysis of user-generated content (UGC) on social media with respect to the Black Friday 2018 offers published by the 23 largest technology companies in Spain. To this end, we analyzed Twitter-based UGC about companies’ offers using a three-step data text mining process. First, a Latent Dirichlet Allocation Model (LDA) was used to divide the sample into topics related to Black Friday. In the next step, sentiment analysis (SA) using Python was carried out to determine the feelings towards the identified topics and offers published by the companies on Twitter. Thirdly and finally, a data-text mining process called textual analysis (TA) was performed to identify insights that could help companies to improve their promotion and marketing strategies as well as to better understand the customer behavior on social media. The results show that consumers had positive perceptions of such topics as exclusive promotions (EP) and smartphones (SM); by contrast, topics such as fraud (FA), insults and noise (IN), and customer support (CS) were negatively perceived by customers. Based on these results, we offer guidelines to practitioners to improve their social media communication. Our results also have theoretical implications that can promote further research in this area

What role does corporate governance play in the intention to use cloud computing technology?

This paper aims to investigate the factors which promote the adoption of cloud-based technology. It strives for a better understanding of the impact of corporate governance on the adoption of this technology. This study concentrated on executives in companies where the use of cloud computing may give a competitive advantage. The main contribution of this work is to propose a model for the influence of corporate governance and other factors that determine the adoption of this technology. A questionnaire was prepared after taking into consideration the reviewed literature. The sample consisted of 164 technology companies from Southern Spain that already use the new economic models for digital solutions. The methodology used to analyze the structural model was the Structural Equation Model (SEM). The results of the survey showed the influence of Corporate Governance and the procedures and practices of the organization on the adoption of cloud computing and the associated business model. This study aims to point out the importance of corporate support and Knowledge Management for the correct and successful adoption of this technology and to show the effects on the new business model of billing for the use of available resources. View Full-Tex

The Effect of internet searches on Afforestation: The case of a Green Search Engine

Ecosia is an Internet search engine that plants trees with the income obtained from advertising. This study explored the factors that affect the adoption of Ecosia.org from the perspective of technology adoption and trust. This was done by using the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) and then analyzing the results with PLS-SEM (Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Modeling). Subsequently, a survey was conducted with a structured questionnaire on search engines, which yielded the following results: (1) the idea of a company helping to mitigate the effects of climate change by planting trees is well received by Internet users. However, few people accept the idea of changing their habits from using traditional search engines; (2) Ecosia is a search engine believed to have higher compatibility rates, and needing less hardware resources, and (3) ecological marketing is an appropriate and future strategy that can increase the intentiontouseatechnologicalproduct. Basedontheresultsobtained,thisstudyshowsthatasearch engineorotherserviceprovidedbytheInternet,whichcanbeaudited(visits,searches,files,etc.),can also contribute to curb the effects of deforestation and climate change. In addition, companies, and especially technological start-ups, are advised to take into account that users feel better using these tools. Finally, this study urges foundations and non-governmental organizations to fight against the effects of deforestation by supporting these initiatives. The study also urges companies to support technological services, and follow the behavior of Ecosia.org in order to positively influence user satisfaction by using ecological marketing strategies

What Drives Volunteers to Accept a Digital Platform That Supports NGO Projects?

Technology has become the driving force for both economic and social change. However, the recruitment of volunteers into the projects of non-profit-making organizations (NGO) does not usually make much use of information and communication technology (ICT). Organizations in this sector should incorporate and use digital platforms in order to attract the most well-prepared and motivated young volunteers. The main aim of this paper is to use an extended Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) to analyze the acceptance of a technological platform that provides a point of contact for non-profit-making organizations and potential volunteers. The TAM is used to find the impact that this new recruitment tool for volunteers can have on an ever-evolving industry. The TAM has been extended with the image and reputation and visual identity variables in order to measure the influence of these non-profit-making organizations on the establishment and implementation of a social network recruitment platform. The data analyzed are from a sample of potential volunteers from non-profit-making organizations in Spain. A structural equation approach using partial least squares was used to evaluate the acceptance model. The results provide an important contribution to the literature about communication in digital environments by non-profit-making organizations as well as strategies to improve their digital reputation

Los cambios organizacionales y la nube en el entorno turístico: estudio de caso

En los últimos años, la dependencia de las tecnologías de la información en la comercialización de destinos turísticos ha ido en aumento. La posibilidad de comercializar los destinos turísticos requiere de una infraestructura tecnológica poderosa y capaz de dar respuesta a las necesidades de cientos de miles de usuarios concurrentes. Así mismo, las necesidades de almacenamiento, procesamiento y comunicaciones se han disparado en base a estas necesidades. Una tecnología impulsora de estos nuevos servicios ha sido el cloud computing.La adopción y uso del cloud estáplanteando importantes cambios organizacionales en el sector turístico y abre nuevas posibilidades a nuevos establecimientos y a establecimientos independientes que pueden competir mejor con una infraestructura TIC a costes reducidos. Este artículo presenta un estudio del caso, que ha sido planteado en cinco establecimientos hoteleros independientes de la ciudad de Sevilla. La elección se ha hecho en base al carácter independiente de los establecimientos entrevistados y la elección de la ciudad por su infraestructura en fibra óptica, que está plenamente desplegada desde hace años.Esta investigación hapermitido conocer cuáles pueden ser las variables de influencia en el proceso de adopción y uso de la nube en el sector turístico. A su vez, este artículo detalla la importancia y la dependenciaque estas aplicaciones, bajo modalidad SaaS (Software as a Service), tienen para los establecimientos y como estos pueden aumentar o disminuir sus costes en infraestructura TIC en función de la estacionalidad y ocupación.Por último, se expone la importancia que otorgan estos establecimientos a la confianza y a la seguridad de los datos, así como que relevancia tienen para las organizaciones turísticas entrevistadas. En resumen, presentamos un artículo de naturaleza exploratoria que servirá para determinar las principales variables de influencia en futuros estudios sobre la adopción y uso de la nube en el sector turísticoIn recent years, the dependency of information technology in marketing of tourist destinations has been on the rise. The possibility of marketing the tourist destinations requires a technological infrastructure powerful and able to give response to the needs of hundreds of thousandsof concurrent users. Likewise, the needs of storage, processing and communications have exploded on the basis of these needs. A technology driving these new services has been cloud computing.The adoption and use of cloud is considering significant organizational changes in the tourism sector and opens new possibilities to new establishments and independent establishments that can compete better with an ICT infrastructure to reduced costs. This article presents a case study, which has been raised in five hotels that are independent of the city of Seville. The choice has been made on the basis of the independent character of the establishments interviewed and the choice of the city for its infrastructure in optical fibre, which is fully deployed for years.This investigation has allowed to know what may be the variables of influence on the process of adoption and use of the cloud in the tourism sector. In turn, this article details the importance and the dependence on these applications, under mode SaaS (Software as a Service), have for the establishments and how these can increase or decrease its costs in ICT infrastructure in function of seasonality and occupancy.Finally, it exposes the importance they attached to these establishments to trust and data security, as well as the relevance for the tourism organizations interviewed. In summary, we present an article, of exploratory nature, which will determine the main variables of influence on future studies on the adoption and use of the cloud in the tourism sector

Attitudes expressed in online comments about environmental factors in the tourism sector: an exploratory study

The object of this exploratory study is to identify the positive, neutral and negative environment factors that affect users who visit Spanish hotels in order to help the hotel managers decide how to improve the quality of the services provided. To carry out the research a Sentiment Analysis was initially performed, grouping the sample of tweets (n = 14459) according to the feelings shown and then a textual analysis was used to identify the key environment factors in these feelings using the qualitative analysis software Nvivo (QSR International, Melbourne, Australia). The results of the exploratory study present the key environment factors that affect the users experience when visiting hotels in Spain, such as actions that support local traditions and products, the maintenance of rural areas respecting the local environment and nature, or respecting air quality in the areas where hotels have facilities and offer services. The conclusions of the research can help hotels improve their services and the impact on the environment, as well as improving the visitors experience based on the positive, neutral and negative environment factors which the visitors themselves identified

Análisis de las competencias educativas para evaluar a las personas emprendedoras

Este trabajo explora las competencias emprendedoras tomando como base el marco de referencia europeo de la competencia emprendedora EntreComp, aprobado por la Comisión Europea en 2016. Así, se utilizó una herramienta de autodiagnóstico emprendedor, financiada por el Gobierno regional de Extremadura, España, para evaluar a potenciales personas emprendedoras. El objetivo consistió en la identificación de aquellas habilidades, cualidades, competencias y conductas que poseen las personas encuestadas (n= 1547) y que en la literatura son señaladas como propias de las personas emprendedoras. Mediante un análisis factorial exploratorio, se identificaron los principales factores de influencia en la intención emprendedora y los distintos grupos de personas emprendedores presentes en el estudio, agrupándolas en función de factores relacionados con las competencias medidas. En este trabajo son aportados diferentes tipos de vinculaciones sobre el valor otorgado a la detección de ideas, las oportunidades, los recursos disponibles, los conocimientos empresariales y el trabajo en equipo o la propia iniciativa, entre otras competencias. Los resultados pueden ayudar a implementar políticas públicas en países de América Latina, comprometidos éstos con la sostenibilidad en materia de creación de empresas y el autoempleo, también para la mejora de los servicios de capacitación, orientación y apoyo a las personas emprendedoras

Understanding User Behavioral Intention to Adopt a Search Engine that Promotes Sustainable Water Management

An increase in users’ online searches, the social concern for an efficient management of resources such as water, and the appearance of more and more digital platforms for sustainable purposes to conduct online searches lead us to reflect more on the users’ behavioral intention with respect to search engines that support sustainable projects like water management projects. Another issue to consider is the factors that determine the adoption of such search engines. In the present study, we aim to identify the factors that determine the intention to adopt a search engine, such as Lilo, that favors sustainable water management. To this end, a model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) is proposed. The methodology used is the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analysis with the Analysis of Moment Structures (AMOS). The results demonstrate that individuals who intend to use a search engine are influenced by hedonic motivations, which drive their feeling of contentment with the search. Similarly, the success of search engines is found to be closely related to the ability a search engine grants to its users to generate a social or environmental impact, rather than users’ trust in what they do or in their results. However, according to our results, habit is also an important factor that has both a direct and an indirect impact on users’ behavioral intention to adopt different search engines