Environmental proactivity and firms' performance: Mediation effect of competitive advantages in Spanish wineries

The main aim of this paper is to show the extent to which environmental proactivity is able to generate competitive advantages in a firm in order to improve their economic-financial performance by introducing the role of managerial perception into the analysis. This study focuses on Spanish wineries and their environmental practices and covers a total of 4598 wineries with a sample of 142 valid responses during the month of November 2015. The results can be summarized as follows. Firstly, there is positive environmental proactivity in terms of obtaining both cost-based and differentiation-based competitive advantages. Likewise, this proactivity has a positive impact on the manager’s perception of performance. Secondly, obtaining differentiation-based competitive advantages has a positive impact on the manager’s perception of performance although a negative impact on performance itself. There is, however, no significant evidence of the impact of cost-based competitive advantages on financial performance nor on the perception of performance itself, nor the impact of environmental proactivity on financial performance

Entrepreneurial intention among engineering students: The role of entrepreneurship education

Partly due to the current crisis and its high unemployment rates, the labor market increasingly requires multidisciplinary engineers with additional skills to their own. Engineering education therefore faces new challenges and these include equipping engineers with greater entrepreneurship. Although entrepreneurship education has consequently been integrated into the new engineering degrees, is this enough to boost entrepreneurship among engineers and on what does their level of entrepreneurship depend? This research work aims to analyze the impact of entrepreneurial motivations on entrepreneurial intentions among future engineers and identify the role than entrepreneurship education plays in the development of the engineers’ entrepreneurship. The results indicate that the need for independence is the key factor in the entrepreneurial intent of future engineers and confirm the positive contribution that entrepreneurship education has on their entrepreneurial intentions. Finally, recommendations are offered which could help the various agents involved increase the effectiveness of actions aimed at promoting firm creation in this area

ENTREPRENEURIAL BEHAVIOR: IMPACT OF MOTIVATION FACTORS ON DECISION TO CREATE A NEW VENTURE

Newly created enterprises increase the dynamism of economies and generate employment. Thus, they are the object of growing research interest. Forming a new company represents a decision based on both personal and subjective motives, as well as on the environment. But regardless of the origin, a founder’s motivation represents a commitment to a project or business idea, and thus dictates the future success of the enterprise. This article investigates the motivational profiles of entrepreneurs, and why they choose to create new industrial enterprises. To detail this profile, we present the results of an empirical study of 101 entrepreneurs who have founded companies. The results offer significant conclusions for both academics and practitioners. Firstly, making money or being one’s own boss does not appear to be sufficient reasons to create a new venture. Secondly, the motivation content of entrepreneurs influences their decision to start a business. From these conclusions, some relevant guidelines are suggested

Desarrollo de la intención emprendedora en el ámbito de las ingenierías como vía de inserción profesional

El desarrollo del espíritu emprendedor y, por lo tanto, el incremento de la intención emprendedora es una de las claves para salir de la actual crisis económica, por lo que su fomento desde las aulas es básico. En este contexto, la Universidad desempeña un papel fundamental, debiendo arbitrar medios para complementar la formación de los distintos graduados con competencias específicas en emprendimiento. El objetivo fundamental de este trabajo es analizar la posible relación entre la motivación emprendedora y su intención emprendedora, así como el efecto moderador que las expectativas profesionales y la percepción del contexto puedan tener sobre dicha relación. Asimismo, identificar la contribución de la formación emprendedora al fomento del espíritu emprendedor. El trabajo de campo se ha realizado a traves de una encuesta antes y después de la formación. Para el desarrollo de la formación se han impartido sesiones relativas a la generación de ideas emprendedoras y al desarrollo de un plan de empresa. La encuesta utilizada en ambos casos era la misma y recogía información sobre tres aspectos: datos demográficos, motivaciones personales y actitudes emprendedoras. Como principal resultado se observa una importante variación en la decisión de crear una empresa, después de recibir la formación específica.SIN FINANCIACIÓNNo data 201

Gestión ambiental en la industria: implantación y validación de un modelo de autocontrol

In later years, companies have restated the relationships they keep with their main focus groups, those that are made up by the surroundings in which they develop their activities. So, in order to meet the expectations of the growing number of concerned environmental groups, companies have started to adopt social responsibility practices. This concept has established that companies must have a responsible attitude towards the environment in which they interact in order to maintain a sustainable development. However, sometimes the environmental watch of different company activities is not always easy due to the great amount of environmental aspects generated by factories that many times produce emissions to the atmosphere, grounds and water that can escape control and produce a negative environmental impact. This investigation proposes the development and implementation of an Environmental Management Model that solves the mentioned needs. It is a selfcontrol system that allows the assessment and valuation of the environmental aspects produced by each company facing its possible effects. This model has been implemented in fi ve companies of the food business, being one of the industrial sectors with the most number of productive centers in the Spanish fi eld. It is a case study expressed in a longitudinal form that will allow us to verify its evolution in time and establish the necessary actions to validate such self-control model.Nos últimos anos as empresas têm repensado as relações que mantêm com seus principais grupos de interesse, aqueles que conformam o entorno no que desenvolvem suas atividades. Assim, para satisfazer as expectativas dos grupos preocupados pelo meio ambiente, cada vez mais numerosos, as empresas começam a adotar práticas de responsabilidade social. Esta estabelece que as empresas devem ter uma atitude responsável com o meio ambiente onde interagem, para poder manter um desenvolvimento sustentável. No entanto, às vezes a vigilância ambiental das diferentes atividades empresariais não sempre é fácil, dada a grande quantidade de aspectos ambientais gerados pelas empresas, pelo que, com frequência, se produzem emissões à atmosfera, ao solo e à água que podem escapar a tal controle e produzir um impacto ambiental negativo. Esta pesquisa propõe o desenvolvimento e implantação de um Modelo de Gestão Ambiental que dê resposta às necessidades apresentadas. Trata-se de um sistema de autocontrole que permite valorizar e avaliar os aspectos ambientais produzidos por cada empresa, em função dos possíveis efeitos ambientais. Este modelo implantou-se em cinco empresas do setor alimentário, por ser um dos setores industriais que tem maior número de centros produtivos no âmbito espanhol. Trata-se de um estudo de caso, proposto de forma longitudinal, que nos permitirá verificar sua evolução no tempo, estabelecer as melhoras necessárias e validar tal modelo de autocontrole.En los últimos años las empresas se han replanteado las relaciones que mantienen con sus principales grupos de interés, aquellos que conforman los entornos en los que desarrollan sus actividades. Así, para satisfacer las expectativas de los grupos preocupados por el medio ambiente, cada vez más numerosos, las empresas empiezan a adoptar prácticas de responsabilidad social. Ésta establece que las empresas deben tener una actitud responsable con el medio ambiente donde interactúan, para poder mantener un desarrollo sostenible. Sin embargo, a veces la vigilancia ambiental de las distintas actividades empresariales no siempre es fácil, dada la gran cantidad de aspectos ambientales generados por las empresas, por lo que, con frecuencia, se producen emisiones a la atmósfera, al suelo y al agua que pueden escapar a dicho control y producir un impacto ambiental negativo. de un sistema de autocontrol que permite valorar y evaluar los aspectos ambientales producidos por cada empresa, en función de los posibles efectos ambientales. Este modelo se ha implantado en cinco empresas del sector alimentario, por ser uno de los sectores industriales que tiene un mayor número de centros productivos en el ámbito español. Se trata de un estudio del caso, planteado en forma longitudinal, que nos permitirá verifi car su evolución en el tiempo, establecer las mejoras necesarias y validar dicho modelo de autocontrol

Gestão ambiental na indústria: implantação e validação de um modelo de autocontrole

In later years, companies have restated the relationships they keep with their main focus groups, those that are made up by the surroundings in which they develop their activities. So, in order to meet the expectations of the growing number of concerned environmental groups, companies have started to adopt social responsibility practices. This concept has established that companies must have a responsible attitude towards the environment in which they interact in order to maintain a sustainable development. However, sometimes the environmental watch of different company activities is not always easy due to the great amount of environmental aspects generated by factories that many times produce emissions to the atmosphere, grounds and water that can escape control and produce a negative environmental impact. This investigation proposes the development and implementation of an Environmental Management Model that solves the mentioned needs. It is a selfcontrol system that allows the assessment and valuation of the environmental aspects produced by each company facing its possible effects. This model has been implemented in fi ve companies of the food business, being one of the industrial sectors with the most number of productive centers in the Spanish fi eld. It is a case study expressed in a longitudinal form that will allow us to verify its evolution in time and establish the necessary actions to validate such self-control model.En los últimos años las empresas se han replanteado las relaciones que mantienen con sus principales grupos de interés, aquellos que conforman los entornos en los que desarrollan sus actividades. Así, para satisfacer las expectativas de los grupos preocupados por el medio ambiente, cada vez más numerosos, las empresas empiezan a adoptar prácticas de responsabilidad social. Ésta establece que las empresas deben tener una actitud responsable con el medio ambiente donde interactúan, para poder mantener un desarrollo sostenible. Sin embargo, a veces la vigilancia ambiental de las distintas actividades empresariales no siempre es fácil, dada la gran cantidad de aspectos ambientales generados por las empresas, por lo que, con frecuencia, se producen emisiones a la atmósfera, al suelo y al agua que pueden escapar a dicho control y producir un impacto ambiental negativo. Esta investigación propone el desarrollo e implantación de un Modelo de Gestión Ambiental que dé respuesta a las necesidades planteadas. Se trata de un sistema de autocontrol que permite valorar y evaluar los aspectos ambientales producidos por cada empresa, en función de los posibles efectos ambientales. Este modelo se ha implantado en cinco empresas del sector alimentario, por ser uno de los sectores industriales que tiene un mayor número de centros productivos en el ámbito español. Se trata de un estudio del caso, planteado en forma longitudinal, que nos permitirá verifi car su evolución en el tiempo, establecer las mejoras necesarias y validar dicho modelo de autocontrol.Ces dernières années, les entreprises ont reconsidéré leurs relations avec les intervenants clés, ceux qui façonnent les environnements dans lesquels elles opèrent. Ainsi, pour répondre aux attentes des groupes préoccupés par l’environnement, un nombre croissant des entreprises commencent à adopter des pratiques de responsabilité sociale. Il stipule que les entreprises doivent avoir une attitude responsable avec l’environnement où ils interagissent en vue de maintenir le développement durable. Cependant, parfois, le suivi environnemental des différentes activités n’est pas toujours facile, étant donné le grand nombre d’aspects environnementaux générés par les entreprises, si souvent sont les émissions atmosphériques, les sols et l’eau ne peut échapper à ce contrôle de produire un impact négatif sur l’environnement. Cette recherche propose l’élaboration et la mise en œuvre d’un modèle de gestion environnementale qui répond aux besoins exprimés. C’est un système d’auto-contrôle pour mesurer et évaluer les aspects environnementaux produits par chaque entreprise, en fonction des effets potentiels sur l’environnement. Ce modèle a été mis en œuvre dans cinq entreprises de l’industrie alimentaire, étant l’une des industries qui ont un plus grand nombre de centres de production dans le contexte espagnol. Ceci est une étude de cas, présentée de manière longitudinale, ce qui nous permet de vérifier son évolution au fil du temps, d’établir les améliorations nécessaires et valider le modèle d’auto-contrôle.Nos últimos anos as empresas têm repensado as relações que mantêm com seus principais grupos de interesse, aqueles que conformam o entorno no que desenvolvem suas atividades. Assim, para satisfazer as expectativas dos grupos preocupados pelo meio ambiente, cada vez mais numerosos, as empresas começam a adotar práticas de responsabilidade social. Esta estabelece que as empresas devem ter uma atitude responsável com o meio ambiente onde interagem, para poder manter um desenvolvimento sustentável. No entanto, às vezes a vigilância ambiental das diferentes atividades empresariais não sempre é fácil, dada a grande quantidade de aspectos ambientais gerados pelas empresas, pelo que, com frequência, se produzem emissões à atmosfera, ao solo e à água que podem escapar a tal controle e produzir um impacto ambiental negativo. Esta pesquisa propõe o desenvolvimento e implantação de um Modelo de Gestão Ambiental que dê resposta às necessidades apresentadas. Trata-se de um sistema de autocontrole que permite valorizar e avaliar os aspectos ambientais produzidos por cada empresa, em função dos possíveis efeitos ambientais. Este modelo implantou-se em cinco empresas do setor alimentário, por ser um dos setores industriais que tem maior número de centros produtivos no âmbito espanhol. Trata-se de um estudo de caso, proposto de forma longitudinal, que nos permitirá verificar sua evolução no tempo, estabelecer as melhoras necessárias e validar tal modelo de autocontrole

Environmental Proactivity and Environmental and Economic Performance: Evidence from the Winery Sector

Environmental sustainability in the winery sector is receiving increased attention from governments, environmental groups, and consumers. The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between the degree of proactivity of a firm’s environmental strategies and its business performance. The novelty of this research work lies in its definition of business performance, which includes business environmental performance in terms of reducing the firm’s environmental impacts and eco-efficiency in the use of resources such as water, energy, and raw materials, in addition to its economic performance. A model is proposed and tested using a sample of 312 Spanish wineries. Data were analysed using partial least squares path modelling (PLS-PM). The fitness and robustness of the structural model proved adequate. The results indicate positive correlation of environmental proactivity with economic and environmental performance. Although environmental proactivity improves business performance, it has a greater impact on reducing environmental impacts and improving eco-efficiency

A study of the value of ICT in improving corporate performance: a corporate competitiveness view

In a context of economic crisis and strong competition between companies, managing information and knowledge seem to be key to the new productive model. The aim of this paper is to analyse the impact that the intensity of a firm’s adoption of information and communications technologies (ICT) and industry attractiveness has on corporate performance. A sample of 871 SMEs took part in the study and data were analysed using ordered logistic regression and principal axis factoring analysis. The results emphasise the existence of a significant positive relationship between ICT intensity of use and corporate performance and highlight the importance of ICT in very competitive environments. Our survey suggests that full integration of ICTs in the company is advisable. The drawback, however, is that the rapidly changing nature of ICTs makes the adoption of emerging ICTs difficult