Knowledge, Renewal and Flexibility: Exploratory Research in Family Firms

This study aims to explore how family firms pursue strategies that promote strategic flexibility and knowledge-management (KM) practices to respond to strategic-renewal goals. Specifically, based on a knowledge-based view of the firm, the following research question is proposed: Are there heterogeneous groups of family firms in terms of knowledge management, strategic flexibility and strategic renewal goals? To answer this question, an exploratory study using a two-step cluster analysis is developed. It reveals natural groupings from a sample of 288 small and medium-sized Spanish family enterprises (SMEs). The results obtained identified three distinctive clusters of family firms, namely proactive family firms, transitional or adaptive family firms, and rigid family firms. After two-step cluster analysis, we also conducted analysis of variance (ANOVA) to confirm that significant di erences amongst the three clusters exist. After heterogeneity been confirmed, a further profile of the cluster solution was provided by using CEO and board characteristics, as well as the generational stage of the company. The findings offer some counterbalance for those studies that tend to study family businesses as a homogeneous entity, thus permitting researchers to access more information, providing rich explanations for renewal managerial decision-making purposes in family firm contexts

Evaluación de una propuesta participativa

Este trabajo analiza los resultados obtenidos en el dictado diferenciado de la Asignatura Análisis Matemático en el 2º Cuatrimestre del año 2004 en la FACE, en el que los alumnos que regularizaron la materia en el Primer Cuatrimestre tienen la posibilidad de alcanzar la promoción de la misma. La evaluación del Proyecto arroja un significativo número de alumnos promocionados. Además de importantes elementos para tener en cuenta en futuras acciones tendientes a mejorar la enseñanza del Cálculo, buscando rendimientos académicos superiores

Incidence of myeloid neoplasms in Spain (2002–2013): a population‑based study of the Spanish network of cancer registries

This work was partially funded by the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute (Grant No.: FIJC1100); the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), Spain (Grant No.: PI15/00966); the Agency for Management of University and Research Grants, Government of Catalonia (Grant No.: 2017SGR00733); the CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP) (`Cohort-Real World Data' subprogram).Comprehensive population-based data on myeloid neoplasms (MNs) are limited, mainly because some subtypes were not recognized as hematological cancers prior to the WHO publication in 2001, and others are too rare to allow robust estimates within regional studies. Herein, we provide incidence data of the whole spectrum of MNs in Spain during 2002–2013 using harmonized data from 13 population-based cancer registries. Cases (n = 17,522) were grouped following the HAEMACARE groupings and 2013-European standardized incidence rates ( ASRE), incidence trends, and estimates for 2021 were calculated. ASRE per 100,000 inhabitants was 5.14 (95% CI: 5.00–5.27) for myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN), 4.71 (95% CI: 4.59–4.84) for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), 3.91 (95% CI: 3.79–4.02) for acute myeloid leukemia, 0.83 (95% CI: 0.78–0.88) for MDS/MPN, 0.35 (95% CI: 0.32–0.39) for acute leukemia of ambiguous lineage, and 0.58 (95% CI: 0.53–0.62) for nototherwise specified (NOS) cases. This study highlights some useful points for public health authorities, such as the remarkable variability in incidence rates among Spanish provinces, the increasing incidence of MPN, MDS, and MDS/MPN during the period of study, in contrast to a drop in NOS cases, and the number of cases expected in 2021 based on these data (8446 new MNs).Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute FIJC1100Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), Spain PI15/00966Agency for Management of University and Research Grants, Government of Catalonia 2017SGR00733CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (CIBERESP) ('Cohort-Real World Data' subprogram

Energy Assessment of Pastoral Dairy Goat Husbandry from an Agroecological Economics Perspective. A Case Study in Andalusia (Spain)

This paper presents a methodological proposal of new energy sustainability indicators according to a novel accounting that follows agroecological and ecological economics criteria. Energy output is reformulated to include manure and thus consider the contribution to fertilization made by pastoral livestock farming to agroecosystems. Energy inputs calculations include the grazing resources. These new definitions and calculations allow for new formulations of the energy return on investment (EROI) as measures of the energy efficiency of livestock farming systems (final EROI and food/feed EROI). The environmental benefit of manure is estimated from the avoided energy cost of using this alternative to inorganic fertilizers (AECM). The environmental benefit of grazing is measured through the energy cost of avoiding cultivated animal feed (AECP) and its impact in terms of non-utilized agricultural area (ALCP). The comparative analysis of different livestock breeding systems in three pastoral dairy goat farms in the Sierra de Cádiz in Andalusia, southern Spain, reveals the analytical potential of the new energy sustainability indicators proposed, as well as the potential environmental benefits derived from territorial-based stockbreeding and, more specifically, grazing activities. Those benefits include gains in energy efficiency, a reduction of the dependence on non-renewable energy, and environmental costs avoided in terms of energy in extensive pastoral systems

Professional profile of graduates with a degree in physical activity and sports science in Spain

The new job opportunities that resulted from the growth of the sports industry, due to the impact of sports on society and the increase of sports practice, along with the concern about the influence of such practice on health, have led experts in this field to demand the professionalization of the sector. Thereby, a regulatory development is being carried out, which, although at the regional level, recognises the professions of sports, determining the official academic titles or professional qualifications required for the professional practice and assigning to each profession its corresponding functional scope. Despite the fact that the affiliation rate of the Professional Association of Graduates in Physical Activity and Sports Science does not exceed 15% of the university graduates in Spain, such rate has increased in the last years. As an example, in Andalusia, the number of members has doubled in the last four years. This increase in affiliation may be a reflection of the professionalization process that the sports sector has been experiencing. The aim of this study was to determine the professional profile of graduates with a university degree in Physical Activity and Sports Science. As the main results, there continues to be a higher percentage of men who opt to take these courses, most of them have complementary training/education and there is a high percentage of multiple employment, that is, they combine more than one job, although teaching is still the most popular profession of choice. However, the percentage of graduates who choose teaching as a career is decreasing, which could be due to the diversification of the sector and of the sports professions

La xarxa territorial : una oportunitat per compartir l'educació en comunitat

En aquest article es descriuen dues experiències de xarxes socials territorials com a proposta metodològica que obre a la participació i al treball conjunt de la comunitat i camina cap a la coresponsabilitat. Si bé cada xarxa territorial té detalls diferencials, també tenen en comú la base sòlida d'una estructura de treball compartit amb i per a les famílies del territori, amb l'objectiu de generar uns criteris educatius comprensius i vàlids per a tots els agents de la comunitat; una innovació que s'implementa en el marc del projecte liderat pel grup GRODE i que es desenvolupa amb la col·laboració de la Diputació de Barcelona: «Els espais de debat educatiu amb i per a les famílies». S'hi analitzen, partint d'aquestes experiències, les fortaleses i les amenaces d'aquesta estratègia metodològica generadora d'oportunitats d'aprenentatge en la presa de decisions i en l'acció, de participació, d'intercanvi d'opinions i d'experiències i gestió de coneixement com a procés de transformació de contextos que impliquin i considerin la veu de la comunitat educativa des d'una visió sistèmica i de construcció compartida: les xarxes educatives territorials.En este artículo se describen dos experiencias de redes sociales territoriales como propuesta metodológica que invita a la participación y al trabajo conjunto de la comunidad y busca caminos hacia la corresponsabilidad. Si bien cada red territorial tiene aspectos diferenciales, también tienen en común la sólida base de una estructura de trabajo compartido con y para las familias del territorio, con el objetivo de generar unos criterios educativos comprensivos y válidos para todos los agentes de la comunidad; una innovación que se implementa en el marco del proyecto liderado por el grupo GRODE y que se desarrolla con la colaboración de la Diputación de Barcelona: «Espacios de debate educativo con y para las familias». Se analizan, partiendo de estas experiencias, las fortalezas y las amenazas de esta estrategia metodológica generadora de oportunidades de aprendizaje en la toma de decisiones y en la acción, de participación, de intercambio de opiniones y de experiencias y gestión de conocimiento como proceso de transformación de contextos que impliquen y consideren la voz de la comunidad educativa desde una visión sistémica y de construcción compartida: las redes educativas territoriales.Two experiences of territorial social networks are described as a proposed methodology that opens up to participation and joint working in the community and heads towards coresponsibility. If each territorial network is different in terms of details, what they both have in common is the solid base of a shared working structure with and for the families in the area, and the aim of generating comprehensive and valid educational criteria for all agents in the community. This innovation, «Areas for educational debate with and for families» has been introduced into the project led by the GRODE group and is being carried out with the support of the Diputació de Barcelona. Setting out from these experiences, we analyse the strengths and weaknesses of this methodological strategy for generating learning opportunities in decision-making and in actions, participation in and management of knowledge, exchange of opinions and experiences as a transformation process for situations that involve and consider the voice of the educational community from a systematic and shared viewpoint: territorial educational networks

Knowledge Management Practices and Innovation Outcomes: The Moderating Role of Risk-Taking and Proactiveness

This study, by the application of a linear regression by ordinary least squares (OLS), aimed to explore the relationships between knowledge management practices (KMP) and innovation outcomes (product, process, organizational, and commercial), and how they can be moderated by two dimensions of the entrepreneurial orientation (proactiveness and risk taking). This empirical study used survey data from a sample of 288 Spanish family small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The results revealed a positive effect of all the KMPs studied for at least one of the innovation variables studied. Regarding the moderating effect of proactiveness and risk taking on the KMP-innovation outcomes relationship, proactiveness negatively moderated the relationship between knowledge creation and product/process innovation. Moreover, a positive moderating effect was found for the case of knowledge application and process innovation. With regard to risk taking, the evidence found was mixed, and confirmed for some KMPs and all the innovation measures, with the exception of process innovation. The only positive moderating effect found was for knowledge storage and product innovation, whereas, contrary to expected, a negative moderating effect was found for knowledge creation, transfer, and application practices and commercial, product, and organizational innovations, respectively