Improving teamworking competence through action learning. Experiences in operations management education

This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Action Learning: Research and Practice on [date of publication], available online: https://doi.org/10.1080/14767333.2019.1655391Teamworking competence is essential in many operations management environments and can be developed through formal education and practice-based experiences. The main objective of this paper is to describe and to reflect on how to facilitate students in their development in teamworking competence through action learning in Operations Management education. The research design is built around action learning research undertaken by faculty members enquiring into student action learning cycles. What emerges is an understanding of a contingent connection between the classic Tuckman teamworking stages and educator interventions where the nature and timing of the interventions differ as the team evolves. These new practice-based insights illustrate the co-development of students’ teamworking competence and educators’ capability to facilitate learning in action about teamworking. They can be used as a guide for educators and practitioners involved in the development of teamworking competence to design and implement an action learning-based educational initiative

An Analysis of Open Innovation Strategies in Firms in Low and Medium Technology Industries

Open innovation (OI) has been mainly associated with high-technology firms. This paper aims to analyze how firms in low and medium technology industries implement their OI strategy. In doing so, we explore common patterns in OI strategies by considering inbound, outbound, and coupled OI practices. We also examine whether there are differences in innovation performance among companies adopting a specific OI strategy. The study is carried out on a sample of 242 Spanish innovating companies. Based on the relevance of the different OI practices, we identify three types of OI firms: advanced open innovators, intermediate open innovators, and incipient open innovators. Our results reveal that advanced open innovators have a higher performance in product innovation, and that there are no differences among groups in process and organizational innovation

The relationship between external knowledge absorptive capacity and firm strategy: an exploratory analysis

En este trabajo se plantea que la capacidad de absorción de la empresa variará según sea la estrategia adoptada por esta. Para ello, partiendo de que la capacidad de absorción se desarrolla a través de la habilidad para adquirir, asimilar, transformar y explotar el conocimiento generado externamente, examinamos la importancia que tiene cada una de estas dimensiones en empresas que persiguen distintas estrategias. La información ha sido obtenida de una muestra compuesta por 81 empresas españolas fabricantes de pavimentos y revestimientos cerámicos. Los resultados muestran que la capacidad de adquirir conocimiento es mayor en las empresas exploradoras que en las defensoras y en las analizadoras, y que la capacidad de transformación y la capacidad de explotación son mayores en las empresas exploradoras que en las defensoras, no observándose diferencias en la capacidad de asimilación del conocimientoIn this work we raise that a firm’s absorptive capacity differs depending on the strategy being followed by the firm. We consider that absorptive capacity is formed by the ability to acquire, assimilate, transform and exploit the knowledge generated externally and examine the importance that each one of these dimensions has in compa- nies that adopt different strategies. The information has been obtained from a sample composed by 81 Spanish ce- ramic tiles firms. The results show that the ability to acquire knowledge is higher in prospectors than in defenders and analyzers, and that the transformation and exploitation abilities are higher in the prospector firms than in the de- fenders, whereas no differences are observed in the knowledge assimilation capacit

Innovation in the Agri‐Food sector: Exploiting opportunities for Industry 4.0

This is the pre-peer reviewed version of the following article: Innovation in the Agri‐Food sector: Exploiting opportunities for Industry 4.0, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1111/caim.12418. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.Agri‐Food producers have a responsibility to provide safe, secure and sustainable food in a world characterized by disruption and increasing intolerance of waste along supply chains. As such, it is critical that they adopt new technologies to ensure efficient and effective management of their responsibility. While Industry 4.0 (I4.0) technologies can underpin process innovation opportunities, there is a gap in research‐based understanding of how they influence innovation practice and outcomes in Agri‐Food. In this paper, we investigate how I4.0, as a set of enabling technologies, influences core process innovation practice and product innovation outcomes in Agri‐Food firms. We present case studies of two Spanish firms processing fresh food products, competing in two important subsectors of the industry, meat and fruit and vegetables. We used secondary material and semi‐structured interviews as data sources. The findings describe how, in the two cases, I4.0 has enabled responses to new customers requirements through process innovations resulting in enhanced functionality, aesthetics and meaning of the delivered products. Our paper contributes a framework identifying for researchers and managers how I4.0 technologies act as enablers of the core innovation processes and competitive outcomes

Aldol Reactions between L-Erythrulose Derivatives and Chiral α-Amino and α -Fluoro Aldehydes: Competition between Felkin–Anh and Cornforth Transition States

Both matched and mismatched diastereoselection have been observed in aldol reactions of a boron enolate of a protected l-erythrulose derivative with several chiral α-fluoro and α-Amino aldehydes. Strict adherence to the Felkin–Anh model for the respective transition structures does not account satisfactorily for all the observed results, as previously observed in the case of α-oxygenatedaldehydes. In some cases, only the Cornforth model provides a good explanation. The factors that influence this dichotomy are discussed and a general mechanistic model is proposed for aldol reactions with a-heteroatom-substituted aldehydes. Additional support for the model was obtained from density functional calculation

Retinoides II: Métodos y estrategias de síntesis

En el presente trabajo se consideran los métodos de obtención y esquemas de síntesis más habituales en la preparación de retinoides. Se pone especial atención a la condensación de Wittig, reacción clave en este proceso.In this paper we consider the most usual synthetic methods in the obtention of retinoids. Special attention is given to Wittig condensation, a key reaction in this process

Retinoides I: Relación estructura-actividad

The chemical modifications introduced in the ring, the polienic side chain or the polar end group of the vitamin A natural molecule, change -positevely or negatively- its antineoplasic activity. In this paper we discuss the effects of some structural modifications on such activity.La introducción de modificaciones en la estructura química del anillo, la cadena poliénica lateral o el grupo polar terminal de la molécula natural de vitamina A, altera -positiva o negativamente- la actividad antineoplásica de ésta. En este artículo se discuten las repercusiones de determinadas modificaciones estructurales sobre dicha actividad

Retinoides II: Métodos y estrategias de síntesis

In this paper we consider the most usual synthetic methods in the obtention of retinoids. Special attention is given to wittig condensation, a key reaction in this process.En el presente trabajo se consideran los métodos de obtención y esquemas de síntesis más habituales en la preparación de retinoides. Se pone especial atención a la condensación de Wittig, reacción clave en este proceso