The Firm Competencies as Profitability's Key

Texto dispoñible en galego e españolUnha das principais vías de investigación no campo da dirección estratéxica é explicar por que as empresas son diferentes entre si e cales son as bases das vantaxes competitivas. En particular, co presente artigo pretendemos desenvolver unha nova contribución sobre este debate. Para iso, realizamos unha revisión teórica sobre os principais enfoques que tratan de explicar as fontes de competitividade; a partir desta, propoñemos unha serie de hipóteses que pretenden achegar indicios sobre a validez de cada unha das aproximacións identificadas. Con este obxecto, recorremos á descomposición da varianza da rendibilidade económica co fin de determinar cales dos enfoques posúen un maior valor, sobre unha mostra de empresas representativa da economía españolaUna de las principales vías de investigación en el campo de la dirección estratégica es explicar por qué las empresas son diferentes entre sí y cuáles son las bases de las ventajas competitivas. En particular, con el presente artículo pretendemos desarrollar una nueva aportación sobre este debate. Para ello, hemos realizado una revisión teórica sobre los principales enfoques que tratan de explicar las fuentes de competitividad; a partir de esta, proponemos una serie de hipótesis que pretenden aportar indicios sobre la validez de cada una de las aproximaciones identificadas. Con este objeto, hemos recurrido a la descomposición de la varianza de la rentabilidad económica con el fin de determinar cuáles de los enfoques poseen un mayor valor, sobre una muestra de empresas representativa de la economía españolaWhy the firms are so different between them and which are the sources of competitive advantage are questions very investigated in the strategic management arena. Particularly, in the present paper, we try to develop a contribution about the discussion. In this way, it is presented a theoretical revision about the main streams which try to explain the sources of competitiveness; from this revision, are proposed the hypothesis which try to offer evidences about the validity of each one of the identified approaches. Based on this goal, we used the estimation of the variance components of the return on assets to assess the approaches with higher power in the explanation of this economical magnitude. The sample analysed tries to be representative of the Spanish economyS

Online reverse auctions research in marketing versus SCM: A review and future directions

An online reverse auction (ORA) is a dynamic procurement mechanism that allows suppliers to compete in real time via a platform to gain a buyer’s business. The ORA is a technological tool introduced in the late 1990s, gaining proponents and detractors among practitioners and academics. Remarkably, while practitioner interestin ORAs has grown, related marketing and supply chain management (SCM) research has declined. This contradiction between theory and practice suggests the need to conduct a systematic review to provide readers with a state-of-the-art understanding of ORAs and recommend fruitful avenues for further research. We focus on the marketing literature and contrast the findings with SCM literature, in such an analysis practical relevance is stressed. Our study offers three main contributions: (1) integration of the cumulative marketing knowledge on ORAs in the 2002–2020 period, (2) development of a three-layer framework of the ORA domain (i.e., conceptualization, ORA as a process, and research setting), and (3) construction of a new research agenda to deal with scholarly challenges and emerging trends.Xunta de Galicia | Ref. GPC ED431B 2022/10Universidade de Vigo/CISU

Why firms relocate their production overseas? The answer lies inside: corporate, logistic and technological determinants

The paper analyses the drivers of international production relocation using a model built on intra-corporate factors. The results of an empirical research on an original and thorough data base for the Spanish automobile parts sector over the period 2001-2008 show the impact of corporate restructuring strategies on flexibility for transferring resources overseas. In particular, the larger the number of alternative plants in other countries, the greater the operational flexibility and, therefore, the more likely relocation will be. Second, lean supply requirements and technological complexity in the product or process at production plant level are both serious barriers to mobility. Finally, our results confirm that sunk costs are irrelevant in comparison with corporate factors

Business models in times of disruption: the connected and autonomous vehicles (uncertain) domino effect

The ongoing digitalization of the economy is challenging the value creation process in traditional business. In the mobility-related industry, the disruptive potential of Connected and Autonomous Vehicles (CAV) has the capacity to transform business models. However, great uncertainty exists regarding the technological evolution and social trends that will condition businesses in the near future. This paper intends to use contingency theory to shed light on this topic and better understand the enhancers and barriers that managers should deal with to create, deliver, and capture value associated to CAV. With this aim, the paper adopts a qualitative approach based on in-depth interviews with high-level managers from different industries. The findings suggest the importance of data management to better understand the needs of the customer and vehicle requirements so that differential value can be provided. Two potential solutions that have emerged are, first, the establishment of alliances between companies competing in different areas and, second, digital platforms in order to enhance customer experience and the evolution from B2C to B2B markets associated with growing servitization.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. PID2020-116040RB-I00Xunta de Galicia | Ref. ED431B 2022/10Financiado para publicación en acceso aberto: Universidade de Vigo/CISU

Evolución de la periferia europea en la cadena de valor automotriz: lecciones aprendidas de Galicia (España)

La industria automotriz llegó hace casi 60 años a Galicia de la mano de la empresa francesa Peugeot-Citroën. En este lapso de tiempo se han producido cambios en el sistema productivo que ha permitido una evolución hacia actividades de mayor valor añadido. La disponibilidad de un tejido institucional sólido, la alta cualificación del empleo y el desarrollo de un entramado productivo con base local, han sido algunos de los factores clave en esta evolución. Las lecciones obtenidas pueden constituir una referencia para otras regiones periféricas del sector automotriz. Sin embargo, la industria de la región vislumbra una serie de retos que tendrá que acometer y que serán extensibles a otras regiones. Estos retos exigen un enfoque que integre al tejido productivo, las administraciones públicas y la sociedad

Gestión del circulante. Una aplicación práctica para la PYME

Nunca a liquidez foi un ben tan prezado. A Gran Crise de 2008 contraeu a demanda e estrangulou o crédito. E a que apunta tras a sacudida do COVID confirma que o que ten liquidez quizá poida aguantar e sobrevivir. Esa é a terapia que se prescribe ás empresas desde as políticas públicas. A xestión do circulante debe orientarse, máis que nunca, a preservar a liquidez e, tamén, a apoiar a rendibilidade. Este traballo tratar de ocupar un espazo de coñecemento útil para un estudante de finanzas e para un xestor financeiro. Faio coa humildade que debe ter o coñecemento cando un financeiro ha de enfrontarse ás súas limitacións

Knowledge creation, integration, transference and absorption processes in industrial networks and border agents: value creation propositions

El presente trabajo propone identificar nuevas vías de generación de valor en mercados industriales caracterizados por un elevado grado de conocimiento técnico. En estas circunstancias, hemos detectado el papel positivo que tiene en la red y en los agentes frontera el rol de la absorción de conocimientos generados por los procesos de creación, integración y transferencia de conocimiento (CIT), sobre la base de unos intereses comunes, capaces de impulsar la confianza en la toma de decisiones, la innovación en los productos y la penetración en los mercados.The present work proposes to identify new ways for developing value in industrial markets, characterized by a high degree of technical knowledge. In this way, we have detected a positive role of the network and the border agents in the knowledge absorption developed by the knowledge creation, integration and transference processes (CIT), from a basis of common interests, able to impulse the trust in the decisions activities, the products innovation and the market penetration

Introduction strategy adopted by companies in euro-region Galicia-North of Portugal for reaching new markets

Tras la integración de España y Portugal en las instituciones europeas, el comercio entre Galicia y Portugal ha experimentado un crecimiento considerable. Resulta sorprendente que, siendo la portuguesa una economía de reducido tamaño en el contexto internacional, se haya convertido en el segundo cliente y proveedor de Galicia. Además, su Región Norte acapara la mayor parte de los intercambios comerciales que Portugal mantiene con Galicia. En trabajos anteriores abordamos los impulsores de estos intercambios. Esto es, la percepción de ventajas y los atractivos que ofrece el mercado de la región contigua. Y también los obstáculos más relevantes que han de afrontar las empresas de la euro-región. Sintetizaremos ahora los resultados de una encuesta realizada a 198 empresas gallegas y norteñas que realizan negocios transfronterizos y en la que concretan los modos de entrada elegidos para realizar negocios en la región vecina.Thanks to European membership, Spanish and Portuguese commerce has been increased a lot. In this sense, it is curious that the small size of Portuguese economy in the international context, has not affected to the power to rank the second level as customer and supplier in Galicia. Likewise, North of Portugal owns the most part of commercial exchanges between both countries in Iberian area. In previous studies, authors have outlined the key factors that have allowed and promoted this relationship (both advantages and obstacles). In this paper, a summary of the main results of a survey carried out in 198 Galician and North-Portuguese companies is analysed, trying to identify the main strategies used by companies for introducing their products in their neighbouring country

Coulomb dissociation of O-16 into He-4 and C-12

We measured the Coulomb dissociation of O-16 into He-4 and C-12 within the FAIR Phase-0 program at GSI Helmholtzzentrum fur Schwerionenforschung Darmstadt, Germany. From this we will extract the photon dissociation cross section O-16(alpha,gamma)C-12, which is the time reversed reaction to C-12(alpha,gamma)O-16. With this indirect method, we aim to improve on the accuracy of the experimental data at lower energies than measured so far. The expected low cross section for the Coulomb dissociation reaction and close magnetic rigidity of beam and fragments demand a high precision measurement. Hence, new detector systems were built and radical changes to the (RB)-B-3 setup were necessary to cope with the high-intensity O-16 beam. All tracking detectors were designed to let the unreacted O-16 ions pass, while detecting the C-12 and He-4

Coulomb dissociation of 16O into 4He and 12C

We measured the Coulomb dissociation of 16O into 4He and 12C at the R3B setup in a first campaign within FAIR Phase 0 at GSI Helmholtzzentrum für Schwerionenforschung, Darmstadt. The goal was to improve the accuracy of the experimental data for the 12C(a,?)16O fusion reaction and to reach lower center-ofmass energies than measured so far. The experiment required beam intensities of 109 16O ions per second at an energy of 500 MeV/nucleon. The rare case of Coulomb breakup into 12C and 4He posed another challenge: The magnetic rigidities of the particles are so close because of the same mass-To-charge-number ratio A/Z = 2 for 16O, 12C and 4He. Hence, radical changes of the R3B setup were necessary. All detectors had slits to allow the passage of the unreacted 16O ions, while 4He and 12C would hit the detectors' active areas depending on the scattering angle and their relative energies. We developed and built detectors based on organic scintillators to track and identify the reaction products with sufficient precision