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In a context of critical transition such as the COVID-19 pandemic, moral semantics take a prominent role as a form of self-description of society. However, they are not usually observed, but rather assumed as self-evident and necessarily “good.” The purpose of the article is to summarize the theory of morality from the social systems' perspective and illustrate with concrete examples the polemogenous nature of moral communication.

This article presents an analysis of the role of morality in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, from the perspective of Niklas Luhmann’s social systems theory. Applying the method of second-order observation, it describes three cases of moral semantics disseminated via mass media and social media, and it examines their connection with the structural situation of subsystems of society during the pandemic crisis (particularly healthcare, politics and science).

Second-order observation of moral communication demonstrates to be fruitful to describe the conditions and consequences in which moralization of communication occurs, particularly in a situation of critical transition around the healthcare crisis. The three examples examined, namely, the hero semantics directed to healthcare workers, the semantics of indiscipline and the controversies around pseudo-sciences and conspiracy theories, show how they are based on social attribution of esteem and disesteem, how they try to answer to troublesome situations and contradictions that seem difficult to cope, and how they are close related to the emergence of conflicts, even when they seem positive oriented and well intentioned.

This paper is an attempt to test the usefulness of Luhmann's theory of society to understand the ongoing COVID-19 crisis and particularly the role of moral communication in concrete examples.

The purpose of this paper is to explore, study, analyze and implement Kaizen–Kata methodology in a service food organization (first-level restaurant), facing challenges in different operational processes that affect and influence the case company performance and customer satisfaction.

The service organization implemented Kaizen–Kata methodology to improve one operational problem process. A case-study approach was used in this research to understand the effects of the Kaizen–Kata methodology in solving problems in their operational service process. Different Kaizen–Kata techniques and tools (histograms, Pareto chart and Ishikawa diagram) using the Plan, Do, Check, Act improvement cycle framework were used.

Successful implementation of the proposed methodology reduced the main impact of the problem’s effects (customer’s complaints, process reworking, extra-cost, delays, among others). The effects of the problem were reduced on average by 70%. Some Kaizen–Kata routines were identified in a service process environment.

The main limitation of the research is that this work is a just one-case study. A main generalization is not possible, because it involves a company within a company.

Some other service companies can use the Kaizen–Kata methodology to solve any kind of operational problem within their processes. Service managers can learn about the methodology to apply and improve their operational performance and handle customer’s complaints.

A continuous improvement manufacturing methodology was imported to apply in an operational service process. The Kaizen–Kata methodology contributed significantly to reduce delays, handle customer’s complaints, process reworking and deal with extra costs, among other operational problems’ effects. In addition to that, in the literature, most of the Kaizen applications are in manufacturing companies. To the best of authors’ knowledge, this was the first study of applied Kaizen–Kata in a service organization (a fast-food restaurant).

Identification and elimination of Muda (any activity adding cost but not value from the customers’ perspective) is one of the main objectives of Lean service. Whilst there is significant research on implementing lean in manufacturing and some service industries, there is little information related to its application to the fast food service industry. The purpose of this paper is to try to fill in this gap by answering the research question: What type of Muda could be identified from the customers’ perspective within the service production processes in the fast food restaurant industry in Spain?

An exploratory case study has been conducted. Three multinational companies were selected and several sites observed in Madrid, Spain. Three methods were used to gather data: document analysis; direct and participative observation and semi-structured interviews.

The paper identifies the seven types of Muda: defects, movements, process, inventory, overproduction, transport and delay. The results are discussed for Cases A, B and C, showing that A and B present higher potential for Muda, compared C.

Threefold value for practitioners and managers: waste identification is an opportunity for non-efficient processes improvement; observation/analysis from the customers’ perspective reveals that customers perceive these inefficiencies; a guideline/audit tool for future assessments.

The paper contributes to the limited existing literature on lean service in fast food industry and disseminates this information to provide impetus, guidance and support toward increasing the productivity, efficiency, consistency and quality of service.

Can we do business with strangers? A major handicap to any promotion is ignorance of the market and its members. In order to understand Latin Americans, says Albert Hirschman, we must first understand how Latin Americans understand each other. We see the “facts” one way, but their perception of these same facts is often very different. This is my purpose in reporting on Peru's attitude and internal discussions on international trade. Why Peru? A U S. State Department official told me that they consider Peru as a sort of bell wether in South America. Abraham Lowenthal of the Inter‐American Dialog says Peru has an international significance greater than would be expected, considering the size of its economy, and E. V. K. Fitzgerald of Cambridge says the Peruvian experience is significant in judgimg prospects in South America.

This paper reports on the initial results of an ongoing research conducted in Mexican service industries aimed at understanding how value is delivered, measured and continuously improved in the studied firms. Using the service profit chain model data were collected from a sample of 28 supermarkets and 29 hotels in Mexican cities. Results show that both industries are similarly characterized by the service profit chain model (SPCM) tool, thus providing some opportunity for cross‐learning between industries; and some significant differences exist between domestic and foreign firms in both industries, thus providing some benchmark opportunities for industries based on origin of capital. For the sampled firms, categories of the SPCM were grouped into three statistically different ranges (high, medium and low), thus providing additional knowledge as to what strengths and areas of opportunity for improving performance of the studied industries there are.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of environmental characteristics, business partnership relationship, knowledge complementarity, organizational characteristics on knowledge management practices and innovation performance.

The research used primary data, i.e. data obtained directly from the distribution of questionnaires to respondents, namely, the company’s managers/leaders/directors in the companies that became the research sample. Data were collected by sending questionnaires either by mail or email to the respondents. To examine the effect of environmental characteristics, business partnership relationship, knowledge complementarity and organizational characteristics on knowledge management practices and innovation performance.

Environmental characteristics, business partnership relationship, knowledge complementarity and organizational characteristics partially have a significant effect on knowledge management practices. Environmental characteristics and business partnership relationship partially have a significant effect on innovation performance, while knowledge complementarity and organizational characteristics have no significant effect. For other constructs, knowledge management practices are able to be a moderator variable, which can relate these constructs with innovation performance.

The research using the diffusion of innovation paradigm, the combination of market-based and knowledge-based paradigms is expected to fill the previous research gap and become the first uniqueness and originality, as well as characteristic of this research. The second originality is this research examines the role of the knowledge management practice variable as the moderator variable. Then, the third originality is this research investigates the relationship between business partner relationship and innovation performance. These three originalities are still rarely studied in previous studies, so this research will further complement, expand the study, especially in the knowledge management, innovation performance area.

Institutional voids – the lack of institutions that can facilitate the functioning of markets – are ubiquitous in emerging markets. Because of their newness, entrepreneurial ventures are especially susceptible to institutional vacuums. This research seeks to shed light on the role that business groups can play in the development of entrepreneurial ventures in emerging markets.

Based on detailed fieldwork, the study describes and analyzes the creation and evolution of two biotechnology start-ups that were affiliated to a major Latin American business group. The research cov ers the period between their foundation and later acquisition by a multinational company.

The article discusses the role that the business group affiliation had in terms of helping the start-ups to interact with multiple institutional voids. The analysis shows that the start-ups benefited from the group's reputation and connections, experience and know-how in managing different types of businesses in the country, strong resource base, long-term vision, and strong organizational culture.

The main contribution of this work is to show that business group affiliation can be an interesting solution that facilitates the development of entrepreneurial ventures in emerging markets.

La presencia de vacíos institucionales – la carencia de instituciones que facilitan el funcionamiento de los mercados – es muy común en las economías emergentes. Debido a su novedad, los nuevos emprendimientos son especialmente susceptibles a los vacíos institucionales. Esta investigación trata de entender el papel que pueden desempeñar los grupos económicos en el desarrollo de nuevas empresas en economías emergentes.

Basado en trabajo de campo, el estudio describe y analiza la creación y evolución de dos start-ups biotecnológicos que estuvieron afiliados a un importante grupo económico latinoamericano. La investigación cubre el período comprendido entre la fundación de las dos empresas y su posterior adquisición por parte de una empresa multinacional.

El artículo analiza cómo la afiliación a un grupo económico ayudó a las start-ups a lidiar con múltiples vacíos institucionales. El análisis muestra que las empresas se beneficiaron de la reputación y conexiones del grupo, su experiencia y conocimiento en la gestión de diferentes tipos de negocios en el país, su sólida base de recursos, su visión de largo plazo y su fuerte cultura organizacional.

La contribución más importante de este artículo es mostrar que la afiliación a un grupo económico puede ser una solución interesante que facilita el desarrollo de nuevos emprendimientos en economías emergentes.

In partnership with UNESCO's Oral Archives Initiative, the authors have set out to capture the voices of those who have played a significant role in the creation and early development of the World Heritage Convention. The recorded interviews with the men and women who were active participants in this early period are designed to supplement the existing literature and voluminous documentation from the statutory and expert meetings. The uniqueness of this World Heritage research project is the important role that the voices of the pioneers will play in illuminating the successes and failures, the struggles and triumphs of the early years. This paper aims to share some of the findings.

The selection of the first group of interviewees has been made on the basis of the importance of the person's involvement in World Heritage matters, age, diversity of interests and geographical distribution. The interviews are structured with specific questions to identify key issues and cases that have affected the development of the World Heritage system. Topics are explored and teased out, adapting to the experience of each interviewee.

To date, the authors have interviewed 31 participants from all geographical regions of UNESCO. The interviews have created a rich and diverse tapestry of information, concepts and opinions on the early days of the World Heritage Convention. Participants in the project have been generous with their time and passionately candid in their views. In this paper, the authors offer a glimpse into the results of this research by presenting some samples from three interviews.

The interviews provide a unique and original viewpoint on the creation and early implementation of the World Heritage Convention. Preliminary results point to a deeper understanding of the forces that led to the creation of the convention and the leadership role played by certain individuals in transforming these ideas for international cooperation into reality. At the completion of the project, this data set of interviews will be deposited in the UNESCO Archives for consultation by future generations of researchers.

This research aims at the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and the global entrepreneurship monitor (GEM) framework – How can cognitive traits for entrepreneurship be used by incubators and accelerators?

In this research the authors analyze the factors that catalyze the founding of new technology-based firms. From a practitioner stand-point, the GEM posits that these factors can be classified as contextual, social and individual factors. The present study focuses on the latter, looking into how demographic characteristics, possession of human capital and cognitive traits interrelate. The authors rely on a sample of 141 technological new ventures being incubated in Madrid, Spain, which is analyzed with the multilayer perceptron technique.

The results show that cognitive traits, as defined in the TPB, act as the “last mile” in the entrepreneurial decision process, while demographic and human capital factors appear to antecede them. These results are relevant for incubators and accelerators, which now gain a better, more complete understanding of success factors of their incubatees.

This research deals both with practitioners' view of entrepreneurship and with scientific literature, intertwining both with the purpose of providing valuable information for incubators and accelerators.