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1 – 10 of 468Carlos E. Ruiz, Jia Wang and Robert G. Hamlin
The aim of this study was to identify what people in Mexican organizations perceive as effective and ineffective managerial behavior.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study was to identify what people in Mexican organizations perceive as effective and ineffective managerial behavior.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative study based on the grounded theory approach was conducted. Interviews using the critical incident techniques were conducted with 35 participants from six different companies located in Yucatan, Mexico.
Findings
Results suggest that effective managers in Mexico are considered approachable, democratic, fair, considerate, understanding, supportive, caring, and hard working with problem solving skills.
Research limitations/implications
This study is based on the responses of participants located in one region of Mexico. This study focused on the perceptions of Mexican participants only.
Practical implications
Findings of this study have practical implications for human resources professionals, Mexican managers, and expatriates who manage operations and manage people in Mexico. Human resources professionals can use the findings of this study to develop programs for leadership and management development. For Mexican managers, this study set parameters of what is considered effective or ineffective management behavior. Also, the findings of this study can help multinational companies better prepare expatriates for their international assignments in Mexico.
Originality/value
The article explores leadership practices internationally.
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Maria-Isabel Sanchez-Segura, Alejandro Ruiz-Robles, Fuensanta Medina-Dominguez and German-Lenin Dugarte-Peña
The purpose of this paper is to present the strategic intangible process assets characterization (SIPAC) methodology illustrated by an example of its application to the field of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present the strategic intangible process assets characterization (SIPAC) methodology illustrated by an example of its application to the field of information technology (IT). This is a pioneering methodology for characterizing the impact and quality of intangible process assets and intellectual capital as levers to achieve organizational objectives. This strategic intellectual capital approach will help to identify both intangible assets and indicators geared to meeting organizational objectives. This is of vital importance since the success of an organization can be construed in terms of goal achievement.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper illustrates an example of the step-by-step application of the proposed methodology at an IT company. The aim is to describe its use in a real case so that other companies can benefit from the replication of the methodology used.
Findings
The proposed methodology (SIPAC) that the authors have designed and applied has been found to be useful and provide an insightful new point of view for strategic decision making in the IT industry taking into account intangible process assets.
Practical implications
The proposed methodology has been exemplified in a real case. This should help organizations to use the methodology to replicate the results.
Originality/value
Each and every organization has know-how represented by intangible assets. This paper meets an identified need to use intangible process assets as levers to help organizations achieve their business goals.
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Idelia Mirta Cristóbal-Lobatón, María Pilar Martínez-Ruiz, Jorge Luis López-Sánchez and Carlos Pozo-Curo
The restaurants in Peru enjoy today a high level of international recognition, and the gastronomy of the country is recognised as one of the best in the world. For this reason…
Abstract
Purpose
The restaurants in Peru enjoy today a high level of international recognition, and the gastronomy of the country is recognised as one of the best in the world. For this reason, aspiring to excellence should be one of the priorities in the industry, which should mean, among other things, enhancing those aspects related to food with the greatest impact on the maximum level of customer satisfaction. However, to the authors knowledge, this research line has not been addressed before in the context of Peruvian restaurant, so that this research focuses on assessing the influence of food – through the concept of food values –, on the probability of reaching the maximum level of satisfaction both with the food consumption experience and with the foods consumed in restaurants in Peru. This research also takes into account differences according to the geographical origin of the customers.
Design/methodology/approach
An in-person survey of customers was conducted at the exit of different flagship restaurants with a high level of recognition and tourist orientation in the department of Ayacucho (Peru) between September and November 2022. Five restaurants acknowledged as tourist restaurants were selected for this study, of which, one has been officially granted the status of Tourist Restaurant and One Fork, in accordance with the Peruvian legal regulations. A total of 468 valid questionnaires were collected. The database was analysed using descriptive statistics, principal component factor analysis for food values, and binary logistic regressions.
Findings
The following food values factors emerged from the factorial analysis: “Image and Accessibility (IAA)”, “Ethics and Sustainability (EAS)” and “Natural Food-Safe (NFS)”. For the overall sample, IAA is more influential in the probability of obtaining the maximum level of both satisfactions (i.e. satisfaction with the food consumption experience and with the foods consumed in restaurants in Peru). In second place, EAS, as well as NFS (the latter one with a significance level of 90%), also affect, in this order, the probability of obtaining the highest level of satisfaction, but only with the foods consumed. When the geographical origin of the customer is considered (regional, national, international), interesting findings appear. For national customers, IAA is the factor with the greatest impact on the probability of achieving the maximum level of the endogenous satisfaction variables considered, followed by EAS, whilst for regional customers, only EAS is found to be influential in the probability of obtaining the maximum level of both types of satisfaction. For international customers, no factor is found to exert a significant influence.
Originality/value
This is the first study to assess the influence of food values on the maximum level of satisfaction among restaurant customers in Peru with both the food consumption experience and the foods consumed. Thus, this research represents a notable contribution to this research line, especially considering the great international reputation of Peruvian cuisine.
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Rodrigo Costas, Antonio Perianes-Rodríguez and Javier Ruiz-Castillo
The introduction of “altmetrics” as new tools to analyze scientific impact within the reward system of science has challenged the hegemony of citations as the predominant source…
Abstract
Purpose
The introduction of “altmetrics” as new tools to analyze scientific impact within the reward system of science has challenged the hegemony of citations as the predominant source for measuring scientific impact. Mendeley readership has been identified as one of the most important altmetric sources, with several features that are similar to citations. The purpose of this paper is to perform an in-depth analysis of the differences and similarities between the distributions of Mendeley readership and citations across fields.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors analyze two issues by using in each case a common analytical framework for both metrics: the shape of the distributions of readership and citations, and the field normalization problem generated by differences in citation and readership practices across fields. In the first issue the authors use the characteristic scores and scales method, and in the second the measurement framework introduced in Crespo et al. (2013).
Findings
There are three main results. First, the citations and Mendeley readership distributions exhibit a strikingly similar degree of skewness in all fields. Second, the results on “exchange rates (ERs)” for Mendeley readership empirically supports the possibility of comparing readership counts across fields, as well as the field normalization of readership distributions using ERs as normalization factors. Third, field normalization using field mean readerships as normalization factors leads to comparably good results.
Originality/value
These findings open up challenging new questions, particularly regarding the possibility of obtaining conflicting results from field normalized citation and Mendeley readership indicators; this suggests the need for better determining the role of the two metrics in capturing scientific recognition.
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Zsófia Tóth, Peter Naudé, Stephan C. Henneberg and Carlos Adrian Diaz Ruiz
This paper aims to conceptualize corporate reference management as a strategic signaling activity in business networks. While research has extensively outlined how firms develop…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to conceptualize corporate reference management as a strategic signaling activity in business networks. While research has extensively outlined how firms develop and maintain social capital through business-to-business (B2B) relationships, less is known about how they signal their participation in business networks to develop this social capital. Therefore, this paper conceptualizes B2B references, in particular corporate online references (COR), as a tool through which firms “borrow” attractiveness from their business network. Through the lens of structural social capital theory, COR is shown to capture advantages related to interconnectedness between firms.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper reports on a two-step qualitative and quantitative research design. First, the authors undertook a qualitative study that reports on the COR practices of senior business managers. A quantitative study then uses social network analysis (SNA) to audit a digital business network comprising 1,098 firms in a metropolitan area of the UK, referencing to each other through their corporate websites using COR.
Findings
The analyses find that COR practices contribute to building structural social capital in networks through strategic signaling. Firms do so by managing B2B references to craft strategic signals, using five steps: requesting, granting, curating, coding and decoding references. While the existing literature on business marketing portrays reference management as a routine and operational management practice, this investigation conceptualizes reference management, in particular COR, as a strategic activity.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to use SNA to represent B2B references in the form of COR as a network, which overlaps with (but is not entirely identical to) the business network. Further, the study re-conceptualizes reference management as a strategic signaling activity that leverages the firm’s participation in business networks to build structural social capital by borrowing attractiveness of prestigious business partners that leverages existing structural social capital. Finally, the paper coins and conceptualizes COR as an exemplar of referencing management and offers propositions for further research.
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María Gabriela Montesdeoca Calderon, Irene Gil-Saura, María-Eugenia Ruiz-Molina and Carlos Martin-Rios
This paper aims to analyze the relationship between sustainability practices and the degree of innovation in the service provided by restaurants. The study identifies relevant…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyze the relationship between sustainability practices and the degree of innovation in the service provided by restaurants. The study identifies relevant restaurant segments in relation to sustainable practice-based service innovation so that effective actions to raise awareness and train managers and staff may be developed. Segmentation has been identified as a key tool when designing strategies and proposing actions. Yet, the use of segmentation techniques is still scarce regarding service innovation and sustainability in restaurants.
Design/methodology/approach
A segmentation analysis was carried out applying the CHAID algorithm from 300 valid questionnaires completed by restaurant owners or managers from coastal Ecuador, where tourism and gastronomy may be drivers of service innovation.
Findings
A typology of restaurants based on the sustainability-service innovation interrelation suggests three final segments: sustainable innovators focused on the value chain, moderate innovators focused on saving resources and restaurants with a low innovative profile.
Practical implications
The three segments derived from the analysis present differences in terms of the degree of implementation of sustainability practices, as well as in terms of the demographic profile of the restaurant manager. These segments are measurable, substantial, accessible and actionable, so that tailored initiatives to raise awareness and boost sustainability-oriented innovativeness among restaurant owners/managers may be targeted to each group of establishments.
Originality/value
The present research provides evidence of the positive relationship between sustainability practices and service innovation in foodservices. The segments of restaurants identified enable the design and implementation of actions that facilitate the transition of less sustainability-oriented restaurants towards more innovative and sustainable business models.
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Carlos Cavalheiro, Claudia Ruiz-Capillas, Ana Maria Herrero, Francisco Jiménez-Colmenero, Cristiano Ragagnin de Menezes and Leadir Lucy Fries
This study aims to protect Lactobacillus plantarum and Enterococcus faecium encapsulated in alginate beads during stress treatments, such as high temperatures and concentrations…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to protect Lactobacillus plantarum and Enterococcus faecium encapsulated in alginate beads during stress treatments, such as high temperatures and concentrations of sodium chloride (NaCl) and sodium nitrite (NaNO2).
Design/methodology/approach
Free and encapsulated probiotics were subjected to 70 and 80°C during 5, 10, 20 and 30 min. In addition, the probiotics were subjected to concentrations of 0.5, 1.0, 2.5 and 5.0 per cent NaCl and 0.5 and 1.0per cent of NaNO2.
Findings
Free Lactobacillus plantarum was more resistant to heat than free Enterococcus faecium. Alginate-encapsulated Lactobacillus plantarum (ALP) also was more resistant to heat treatments than alginate-encapsulated Enterococcus faecium (AEF). After 30 min at 70°C, ALP showed levels about 6.9 log CFU/g while AEF presented 4.3 log CFU/g (p = 0.005). However, at 80°C, ALP maintained levels higher than 6 log CFU/g for up to 10 min, while AEF was able to maintain those levels only for approximately 5 min (p = 0.003). Encapsulation process provided adequate protection for both probiotics against NaCl. In relation to NaNO2 concentrations, 0.5 and 1.0 per cent reduced viability of both probiotics (p = 0.014), either as free cells or as alginate-encapsulated forms.
Practical implications
Alginate beads containing probiotics is an interesting alternative for application in foods such as cooked meat products.
Originality/value
Alginate beads elaborated with milk powder, inulin and trehalose were effective to protect probiotics in stress situations similar to those can be found in the processing of foods, such as cooked meat products.
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Clara Martin-Duque, Juan José Fernández-Muñoz, Javier M. Moguerza and Aurora Ruiz-Rua
Recommendation systems are a fundamental tool for hotels to adopt a differentiating competitive strategy. The main purpose of this work is to use machine learning techniques to…
Abstract
Purpose
Recommendation systems are a fundamental tool for hotels to adopt a differentiating competitive strategy. The main purpose of this work is to use machine learning techniques to treat imbalanced data sets, not applied until now in the tourism field. These techniques have allowed the authors to analyse the influence of imbalance data on hotel recommendation models and how this phenomenon affects client dissatisfaction.
Design/methodology/approach
An opinion survey was conducted among hotel customers of different categories in 120 different countries. A total of 135.102 surveys were collected over eleven quarters. A longitudinal design was conducted during this period. A binary logistic model was applied using the function generalized lineal model (GLM).
Findings
Through the analysis of a representative amount of data, the authors empirically demonstrate that the imbalance phenomenon is systematically present in hotel recommendation surveys. In addition, the authors show that the imbalance exists independently of the period in which the survey is done, which means that it is intrinsic to recommendation surveys on this topic. The authors demonstrate the improvement of recommendation systems highlighting the presence of imbalance data and consequences for marketing strategies.
Originality/value
The main contribution of the current work is to apply to the tourism sector the framework for imbalanced data, typically used in the machine learning, improving predictive models.
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Guilherme Sales Smania, Glauco Henrique de Sousa Mendes, Fabiane Letícia Lizarelli and Camila Favoretto
This study aims to validate a model of relationships between critical factors such as service strategy, culture-climate, leadership, customer involvement, technology strategy and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to validate a model of relationships between critical factors such as service strategy, culture-climate, leadership, customer involvement, technology strategy and service innovation (SI). Moreover, it investigates the impact of SI on a company’s performance and the moderating role of digitalization in the relationships between critical factors and SI.
Design/methodology/approach
Primary data were collected through a survey and partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the collected data and test the research hypotheses.
Findings
The results suggest positive associations of service strategy toward culture-climate, leadership, customer involvement and technology strategy in terms of significance and effect size. However, only two factors (e.g. customer involvement and technology strategy) positively influence SI, which affects financial and non-financial performance. Furthermore, digitalization does not strengthen the influence of four antecedents (i.e. culture-climate, leadership, customer involvement and technology strategy) in SI.
Originality/value
First, the study provides a comprehensive framework of SI critical factors and their impact on company performance. Second, it links servitization, SI and digitalization. Third, it tests the effects of digitalization.
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Barbara de Lima Voss, David Bernard Carter and Bruno Meirelles Salotti
We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in…
Abstract
We present a critical literature review debating Brazilian research on social and environmental accounting (SEA). The aim of this study is to understand the role of politics in the construction of hegemonies in SEA research in Brazil. In particular, we examine the role of hegemony in relation to the co-option of SEA literature and sustainability in the Brazilian context by the logic of development for economic growth in emerging economies. The methodological approach adopts a post-structural perspective that reflects Laclau and Mouffe’s discourse theory. The study employs a hermeneutical, rhetorical approach to understand and classify 352 Brazilian research articles on SEA. We employ Brown and Fraser’s (2006) categorizations of SEA literature to help in our analysis: the business case, the stakeholder–accountability approach, and the critical case. We argue that the business case is prominent in Brazilian studies. Second-stage analysis suggests that the major themes under discussion include measurement, consulting, and descriptive approach. We argue that these themes illustrate the degree of influence of the hegemonic politics relevant to emerging economics, as these themes predominantly concern economic growth and a capitalist context. This paper discusses trends and practices in the Brazilian literature on SEA and argues that the focus means that SEA avoids critical debates of the role of capitalist logics in an emerging economy concerning sustainability. We urge the Brazilian academy to understand the implications of its reifying agenda and engage, counter-hegemonically, in a social and political agenda beyond the hegemonic support of a particular set of capitalist interests.
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