The Effect of Shared Planning by Road Transport Firms and Shipping Companies on Performance in the Intermodal Transport Chain: the Case of Ro-Ro Short Sea Shipping

In recent years short sea shipping, and specifically the so-called motorways of the sea, have increasingly become the focus of attention in the area of European Union transport policy. As an intermodal alternative to door-to-door unimodal road transport, the success of short sea shipping is dependent on properly functioning interaction among agents in the chain, particularly shipping companies and road transport firms. Taking the road transport firm perspective, this study aims to evaluate the extent to which shared planning between agents explains the firm’s performance in the context of the intermodal relationship, and explores the key antecedents for shared planning in this context. The research hypotheses were tested on a sample of 106 relationships between shipping companies and road transport firms. Our study contributes to the literature on intermodality and short sea shipping by providing evidence on how shared planning positively benefits the road transport firm performance. The results also demonstrate that two factors––namely, trust in the shipping company and the road transport firm’s involvement through adaptations to the partner––largely determine shared planning

Social Issues in Business Education: A Study of Students' Attitudes

Although issues such as opportunistic behavior or economic profit maximization have dominated business school curricula, in recent years interest has grown in all matters relating to the corporate social dimension. The training of business students in this area is an important part of their preparation to assume responsible roles in society. The authors analyze students' attitudes to the role of social issues in business education and to companies' responsibilities (about what a well-run company is). Findings show that students define a well-run company from a stakeholder perspective. Furthermore, the students surveyed claimed that social issues are not adequately covered in their current business studies

Project-based learning as an active teaching method in european higher education area: an experience in business administration studies

Ponència presentada a 4th International Technology, Education and Development Conference, Valencia, 8-10 març 2010European Higher Education Area (EHEA) implies a new way of planning and organizing the teaching-learning process. The active roles of students in their own learning process, autonomous learning or collaborative work are some of the principles in the new European education space. This scenario calls for a change in teaching methods. One teaching method that promotes these principles is that of Project-Based Learning (PBL). This method engages students in learning knowledge and skills through an extended inquiry process structured around complex, authentic questions and carefully designed products and tasks. This paper aims to show the use of PBL as a tool for continuous improvement of the teaching practice in the EHEA. Specifically, we present the results of an educational improvement project carried out with undergraduate business students at a Spanish public university (Universitat Jaume I). PBL has allowed us to promote their entrepreneurship and ethics competences. The use of active methodologies based on student learning therefore supports students in learning and practicing skills in problem solving, communication, and self-management

How do perceived CPA and political CSR interact in their relationships with citizens’ trust in companies?

Purpose – In the context of an industrial complex where corporate political activity (CPA) and political corporate social responsibility (political CSR) are not related, this study aims to investigate the possible relationship between citizens’ perceptions of these two non-market strategies and residents’ trust in companies located in the industrial complex. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected from 740 citizens living near a petrochemical complex in Tarragona (Spain). The results were analysed using structural equation modelling. Findings – Based on institutional theory, the key findings of the study are that CPA and political CSR are differently related to citizens’ trust in companies. The results also verify that the negative relationship (between CPA and trust) outweighs the positive one (between political CSR and trust). Practical implications – The lack of fit between political CSR and CPA in the complex analysed suggests that firms are neglecting approaches shared by these non-market strategies, and thus wasting a huge opportunity to improve citizens’ trust in and acceptance of the complex firms. Moreover, the ethical dimension should always be present when these firms take on political responsibilities. Originality/value – To date, CPA and political CSR have largely been dealt with separately in the literature. This study attempted to bridge this gap by examining a situation where there is no strategic relationship between CPA and political CSR to analyse, from the perspective of citizens’ perceptions, the relationship each strategy has with the important academic concept of citizens’ trust in companies

Students' Attitudes Towars Business Education's Role in Addressing Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility Issues

Ponència presentada a 6th International Conference of Education, Research and Innovation, Sevilla, 18-20 novembre 2013In recent years, business ethics and corporate social responsibility (CSR) have become one of the most important topics in business management. In this sense, the training of business students – future entrepreneurs and managers– in these topics is important in order to prepare them to assume responsible roles in society. A relevant question in this area lies in knowing the extent to which students actually believe that business studies should educate about ethical and CSR issues. However, business education literature lacks data on students’ attitudes towards such education. Along this line, the main objective of this paper is to analyse the attitudes of students toward the role of business education in preparing them to make decisions affecting social needs. Our study is based in a sample of 124 Spanish undergraduate business students at the Universitat Jaume I (Spain). We use the BERSI (Business Education’s Role in addressing Social Issues) scale which incorporates questions dealing with the value of student learning about awareness of and solutions to social problems, civic leadership, discrimination, service, and general CSR issues. Firstly, the findings strongly imply that students at this university are quite positively disposed to the idea that business education should encompass substantial coverage of social issues. Students tended far more to agree than disagree with statements in the BERSI scale. Secondly, we find that there are differences between students’ attitudes toward business education’s role in addressing social issues and what this education really is. Specifically, the values of these students’ attitudes are higher that their perceptions regarding that the business education is. These results imply the need to incorporate into the business studies more social contents. Furthermore, gender was found to have a limited effect upon students’ attitudes toward business education’s role in addressing social issues

Acuerdos de cooperación en el ámbito exportador: incidencia de la orientación temporal de los socios sobre el desempeño

Los acuerdos de cooperación en el ámbito de la exportación han sido catalogados porla literatura como un instrumento que ofrece importantes ventajas a las pequeñas y medianasempresas a la hora de desarrollar su actividad internacional. No obstante, la utilización y los resultadosde esta modalidad de cooperación no parecen estar, en numerosas ocasiones, en consonanciacon las notables ventajas que teóricamente se le atribuyen. El presente trabajo analiza cómo laorientación temporal de los socios determina el desempeño de la relación de cooperación a travésde la incidencia que ejerce sobre el compromiso de éstos y la estructura de gobierno adoptada. Lashipótesis específicas que se derivan son contrastadas a partir de una muestra de 70 consorcios deexportación, integrados por empresas españolas, los cuales se estructuran bajo la modalidad deempresa conjunta. Los resultados de la investigación permiten constatar cómo la orientación temporalcondiciona notablemente el compromiso de los socios a la hora de hacer inversiones a largoplazo en el proyecto conjunto, así como la estructura de gobierno adoptada, favoreciendo el uso deestructuras relacionales, contribuyendo ambos elementos a un mayor desempeño de los acuerdosde cooperación analizados

El reto de la financiación de las nuevas RTE para los Estados miembros

PANEL IX: LA FINANCIACIÓN DE LAS REDES TRANSEUROPEA

El proceso de adaptación de las empresas de transporte internacional por carretera al transporte marítimo de corta distancia

Las empresas de transporte internacional por carretera se configuran como uno de los actores clave en el desarrollo del transporte marítimo de corta distancia. Si su deseo es operar de manera estable, utilizando la opción más eficiente –el transpor- te no acompañado– deben modificar su perfil con el propósito de obtener la máxima rentabilidad. El objetivo de este trabajo reside en analizar este proceso de cambio a partir del estudio de cinco empresas de transporte internacional por carretera que han desarrollado dicha adaptación para convertirse en operadores logísticos multi- modales. Los resultados de la investigación muestran cuatro áreas de cambio clave: reestructuración de la flota, reestructuración de la plantilla de conductores, cambios en el modelo de negocio y establecimiento de una estructura en el país de destinoInternational road haulage companies are seen to be one of the key players in the development of short-distance maritime transport. If they wish to operate in a stable manner, by using the most efficient option – unaccompanied transport – they must modify their profile with the aim of obtaining the greatest cost-effectiveness. The aim of this work is to analyse this process of change by studying five international road haulage companies that have undertaken such an adaptation in order to become multimodal logistics operators. The findings of the research show four key areas of change: restructuring of the fleet, restructuring of the workforce of drivers, changes in the business model, and setting up a structure in the destination countr

Attitudes of business administration students towards corporate social responsibility and business ethics

El reconocimiento creciente de la importancia de la gestión responsable y ética de las organizaciones debería verse reflejado en el campo de la educación, especialmente en los estudios de administración de empresas. A partir de una muestra de estudiantes de esta especialidad, se analizan sus actitudes en dicho campo. Los resultados muestran que los estudiantes, en su concepción de lo que es una empresa bien gestionada, priorizan el enfoque de los “interesados en la compañía”. Por otra parte, se aprecian diferencias entre las percepciones relativas al clima ético actual y al deseado. También se observan diferencias en función del género, pero no del curso académico, lo que denota que la educación recibida no incide sobre las percepciones de los alumnos con respecto a la temática abordada.The responsible management and ethical values should be reflected in the field of education, especially in studies of business administration. From a sample of university business students, this paper examines their attitudes to responsible and ethical behavior in organizations. The results show that students, in their conception of what a well-run company, are close to a stakeholders’ perspective. There are also differences between the perceptions of the current and ideal ethical climate. In addition, differences based on gender, but not according to the academic year, are observed which indicates that the education received does not significantly affect the perceptions of students in the topics addressed