Search results

1 – 7 of 7
Open Access
Article
Publication date: 16 April 2024

Soraya González-Mendes, Sara Alonso-Muñoz, Fernando E. García-Muiña and Rocío González-Sánchez

This paper aims to provide an overview of the application of blockchain to agri-food supply chains, including key issues and trends. It examines the state of the art and…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to provide an overview of the application of blockchain to agri-food supply chains, including key issues and trends. It examines the state of the art and conceptual structure of the field and proposes an agenda to guide future research.

Design/methodology/approach

This article performs a bibliometric analysis using VOSviewer software on a sample of 205 articles from the WoS database to identify research trend topics.

Findings

The number of publications in this area has increased since 2020, which shows a growing research interest. The research hotspots are related to the integration of blockchain technology in the agri-food supply chain for traceability, coordination between all actors involved, transparency of operations and improvement of food safety. Furthermore, this is linked to sustainability and the achievement of the sustainable development gtoals (SDGs), while addressing key challenges in the implementation of blockchain-based technologies in the agri-food supply chain.

Practical implications

The application of blockchain in the agri-food supply chain may consider four key aspects. Firstly, the implementation of blockchain can improve the traceability of food products. Secondly, this technology supports sustainability issues and could avoid disruptions in the agri-food supply chain. Third, blockchain improves food quality and safety control throughout the supply chain. Fourthly, the findings show that regulation is needed to improve trust between stakeholders.

Originality/value

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the blockchain phenomenon in the agri-food supply chain by optimising the search criteria. Moreover, it serves to bridge to future research by identifying gaps in the field.

Details

British Food Journal, vol. 126 no. 13
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0007-070X

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 26 February 2024

Sandra Flores-Ureba, Clara Simon de Blas, Joaquín Ignacio Sánchez Toledano and Miguel Ángel Sánchez de Lara

This paper aims to define the efficiency achieved by urban transport companies in Spain concerning the resources they use, considering the type of management used for…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to define the efficiency achieved by urban transport companies in Spain concerning the resources they use, considering the type of management used for implementation, public-private, and size.

Design/methodology/approach

This study consisted of an analysis of the efficiency of 229 public-private urban transport operators during the period 2012–2021 using Data Envelopment Analysis, the Malmquist Index and inference estimators to determine productivity, efficiency change into Pure Technical Efficiency Change (PTECH), and scale efficiency change.

Findings

Based on the efficiency analysis, the authors concluded that of the 229 companies studied, more than 35 were inefficient in all analysed periods. Considering the sample used, direct management is considered significantly more efficient. It cannot be concluded that the size of these companies influences their efficiency, as the data show unequal development behaviours in the studied years.

Originality/value

This study provides arguments on whether there is a significant difference between the two types of management in the urban transport sector. It also includes firm size as a study variable, which has not been previously considered in other studies related to urban transport efficiency. Efficiency should be a crucial factor in determining funding allocation in this sector, as it encourages operators to optimize and improve their services.

Details

European Journal of Innovation Management, vol. 27 no. 9
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1460-1060

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 April 2024

Maria Rita Blanco and Mariela Golik

This paper aims to explore the Spanish Self-Initiated Expats’ (SIEs) motivations and factors involved in the choice of the host destination.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to explore the Spanish Self-Initiated Expats’ (SIEs) motivations and factors involved in the choice of the host destination.

Design/methodology/approach

Through an exploratory and qualitative study, drawing upon SIE literature on motivations and careers, 22 Spanish SIEs were interviewed in a semi-structured way.

Findings

Most SIEs clearly detailed the line of reasoning behind the host destination choice (specific destination); a second group considered a limited number of potential countries to relocate to (alternative destinations), and the smallest one did not choose a specific location. Career motivations were the most mentioned ones and different degrees of career planning were found: those with a very defined career planning process relied upon one potential destination, while those with a less defined one considered several alternative host destinations. The European Region Action Scheme for the Mobility of University Students experience was one of the most mentioned factors influencing the choice of the host destination, which may be common to other European Union (EU) nationals. As to the limiting ones, the visa requirements outside the EU were identified. Other factors were particular to Spain, such as the perceived need for English proficiency for a successful global career and the degrees of career planning.

Practical implications

These findings may assist Talent Management Managers to align organizational strategies with SIEs motivations. They may also help future Spanish and European SIEs in their individual career management process.

Originality/value

This study contributes to a better understanding of the expatriation motivations and factors influencing the destination location of Spanish SIEs, adding to the SIE and global career literature.

Details

Journal of Global Mobility: The Home of Expatriate Management Research, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-8799

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 1 May 2023

Luis de Enrique Arnau and María José Pinillos-Costa

This paper aims to analyze the thematic content of research addressing the relation between board of directors (BoD) and business transformation (BT) to obtain better…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to analyze the thematic content of research addressing the relation between board of directors (BoD) and business transformation (BT) to obtain better understanding of status and to derive future areas of study.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper reviews literature through a bibliometric analysis based on co-occurrence of articles published in Web of Science Core Collection ™ (WoS) between 1990 and 2022, identifying key concepts, setting network of relations and identifying the strategic importance of clusters of concepts. Findings and implications are discussed, future lines of research are presented and limitations are noted.

Findings

Thematic research on boards addressing transformation shifted from the analysis of individuals' traits to an organizational approach with majority of research centered on the role of boards under different theories and the consequences of strategic changes on firm's performance. Further research is around gender diversity, sustainability and the moderating role of ownership structure and business culture.

Research limitations/implications

Some limitations are also noted. This analysis considered articles indexed by WoS for Q1+Q2 publications as source of literature, while including others such as Scopus would increase knowledge base. Also, to identify main streams of research, the authors considered keywords with cumulative occurrence spanning from 30% to 40% while increasing this percentage would add terms that might improve precision to the connections among keywords. Other techniques could have been used such as co-citation or bibliographic coupling, although the authors find these as better suited to investigate the basic structure behind the foundational knowledge of the topic while the authors’ intention was to understand the positioning of study fields regarding the degree of research progress.

Practical implications

This paper presents some practical implications for future researchers. Those who wish to leverage previous evidence to address new research questions might look into principal themes covering BoD dynamics and composition to exert CG, and the relation between strategic decisions and performance measured by different variables. Those who wish to position their research as new findings to shed light on dilemmas, might find opportunities in the fields of climate change-sustainability, R&D for growth and innovation under the perspective of intangible assets.

Originality/value

This paper, is the first to the best of the authors’ knowledge, to identify research clusters for the intersection of boards and transformation and to determine their stage of development.

研究目的

本文旨在分析探討董事會與業務轉型之間的關係的學術研究的專題內容,以能對有關課題的研究狀況有更深入的了解,並擬從分析中取得未來可供研究的範疇。

研究設計/方法/理念

本文透過科學計量分析法來進行文獻探討。方法乃基於在1990年至2022年期間在Web of Science Core Collection 刊載的學術論文的共現分析而進行; 透過這個研究方法,研究人員建立了聯繫的網絡,並確認了各個概念群組的策略重要性。在本文中,研究結果和研究結果帶來的啟示會被討論,未來的研究領域和方針也會得到說明,研究的局限也會被認定和記錄下來。

研究結果

探討董事會而又涉及業務轉型的專題研究,由當初集中探討董事個人的特質、轉移到現在研究整體的組織理念和處事取向,而就後者來說,大部份的研究都集中於在不同的理論框架裡董事會所扮演的角色,以及因策略上的改變而為公司的業績帶來的影響。進一步的學術研究都是圍繞著性別多元化、可持續性、所有權結構所扮演的緩和角色和商業文化的研究。

研究的原創性/價值

盡我們所知,本文乃為首篇學術論文,去鑑定關於董事會與業務轉型之間的關聯的研究集群,也是首篇學術論文,去確定這些研究集群的發展階段。

Details

European Journal of Management and Business Economics, vol. 33 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2444-8451

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 5 April 2024

Allan Pérez-Orozco, Juan Carlos Leiva and Ronald Mora-Esquivel

This study explores the mediating role of marketing management in the relationship between online presence and product innovation among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Abstract

Purpose

This study explores the mediating role of marketing management in the relationship between online presence and product innovation among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

The sample comprises 205 Costa Rican SMEs collected by the Global Competitiveness Project during the first half of 2019. The data were analyzed using a two-stage modeling strategy for ordinary regression models to analyze mediation effects.

Findings

Marketing management as a strategic resource or capability accounts for the relationship between online presence and product innovation performance in SMEs, meaning that online presence resources require complementary organizational capabilities in marketing management to enhance product innovation.

Originality/value

This study, grounded in the resource-based view theory, contributes to the innovation field by identifying marketing management capabilities as an intermediate strategic interaction between online presence and product innovation performance in SMEs. Thus, managers should recognize the advantages of integrating marketing management principles and tactics into online presence tools to realize the value of their products by tailoring them to their client’s needs.

Details

Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Science, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2077-1886

Keywords

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to address the effects of self-esteem and affective commitment on firm performance and whether these effects vary according to the gender and age of active entrepreneurial students.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses a subsample from the Global University Entrepreneurial Spirit Students’ Survey (GUESSS) of entrepreneur students running their own businesses to perform a structural equation model (SEM) analysis to test the relationship between self-esteem (SE), affective commitment (AC) and firm performance (FP) moderated by the gender and age of entrepreneur students.

Findings

The results confirm that higher levels of entrepreneur SE are related to a higher assessment of AC and FP. A major effect of SE on AC was also observed among male respondents. Age was not related to an increase in AC. The effect of SE on AC and FP was lower among older students.

Originality/value

This study makes valuable contributions to the fields of entrepreneurship, psychology, gender and organizational behavior. This study presents empirical support for the theoretical framework using SEM, presenting initial insights into the mechanisms that shape AC in entrepreneurial students and its implications for FP.

Objetivo

Esta investigación tiene como objetivo analizar la influencia del género, la edad y la autoestima (SE) de los emprendedores en el compromiso afectivo (AC) de los estudiantes universitarios con sus emprendimientos y cómo se relacionan con el desempeño subjetivo de la empresa (FP).

Diseño/metodología/enfoque

Utilizamos los datos de la encuesta GUESSS de 2018 para realizar un modelo de ecuaciones estructurales (SEM) para determinar los efectos directos del género, la edad y la SE en el AC, sus efectos directos e indirectos en el FP y los efectos directos y papel mediador del AC hacia el FP, para estudiantes emprendedores.

Resultados

Los resultados confirman que niveles más altos de SE están relacionados con niveles más altos de AC de los emprendedores a sus emprendimientos y una mayor evaluación de FP. Además, los hombres reportan niveles más altos de AC y FP que sus contrapartes femeninas, al tiempo que el género tiene un efecto importante en la relación del SE en el AC. La edad no está relacionada con el aumento del AC, pero el efecto de la SE sobre el AC disminuye con el incremento de la edad, y los valores de FP también se reducen para los estudiantes mayores en comparación con los estudiantes más jóvenes. Los niveles más altos de AC están relacionados con valores más altos de FP, y existe un efecto de mediación de AC para el género y SE sobre FP.

Originalidad/valor

este estudio proporciona valiosas contribuciones a los campos del emprendimiento, la psicología, el género y el comportamiento organizacional. Primero, presentamos un marco teórico que integra postulados de emprendimiento FP, AC, SE, edad y género. Luego, probamos empíricamente nuestro marco teórico utilizando SEM y presentamos resultados iniciales sobre los mecanismos que dan forma al AC en estudiantes emprendedores y sus implicaciones para el FP.

Objetivo

Esta pesquisa tem como objetivo analisar a influência do gênero, da idade e da autoestima (SE) dos empreendedores no comprometimento afetivo (AC) dos universitários com seus empreendimentos e como eles se relacionam com o desempenho subjetivo da empresa (FP).

Design/metodologia/abordagem

Utilizamos dados da pesquisa GUESSS de 2018 para realizar uma modelagem de equações estruturais (SEM) para determinar os efeitos diretos de gênero, idade e SE na AC, seus efeitos diretos e indiretos no FP e os efeitos diretos e papel mediador do AC na FP, para estudantes empreendedores.

Resultados

Os resultados confirmam que níveis mais elevados de SE estão relacionados com níveis mais elevados de AC dos empreendedores para os seus empreendimentos e uma maior avaliação do FP. Além disso, os homens relatam níveis mais elevados de AC e FP do que as mulheres, embora tenham um efeito importante da SE na AC. A idade não está relacionada com o aumento da AC, mas o efeito do SE na AC diminui com o aumento da idade, e os valores de FP também diminuem para os alunos mais velhos em comparação com os alunos mais jovens. Níveis mais elevados de AC estão relacionados a valores mais elevados de FP, e há efeito mediador da AC para gênero e SE sobre FP.

Originalidade/Valor

Este estudo fornece contribuições valiosas para as áreas de empreendedorismo, psicologia, gênero e comportamento organizacional. Primeiro, apresentamos um quadro teórico que integra postulados de empreendedorismo em FP, AC, SE, idade e género. Em seguida, testamos empiricamente o nosso enquadramento teórico utilizando SEM e apresentamos resultados iniciais sobre os mecanismos que moldam o AC em estudantes empreendedores e as suas implicações para o FP.

Details

Management Research: Journal of the Iberoamerican Academy of Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1536-5433

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 8 August 2023

José M. Fernández-Batanero, Marta Montenegro-Rueda, José Fernández-Cerero and Eloy López Menéses

The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics of the studies in terms of country, participant profile and methodology, as well as to determine what the Internet of…

1369

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to determine the characteristics of the studies in terms of country, participant profile and methodology, as well as to determine what the Internet of Things (IoT) is currently contributing to higher education.

Design/methodology/approach

The study was developed following the methodology supported by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement and the PICOS strategy, retrieving scientific literature from Web of Science, Scopus, ERIC and Google Scholar. Of the 237 studies that the search yielded, 11 were included.

Findings

The results showed that among the opportunities offered by IoT is that it not only brings the introduction of information and communication technology into the classroom, but also enhances student interest, thus, improving the quality of teaching in higher education. On the other hand, one of the challenges it faces is the attitude of teachers towards its adoption, as well as the level of digital competence of teachers.

Originality/value

This study presents how higher education institutions are including the IoT in their educational activities. The IoT refers to a network of digital interconnectivity between devices, people and the internet itself that enables the exchange of data between them, allowing key information about the use and performance of devices and objects to be captured to detect patterns, make recommendations, improve efficiency and create better user experiences.

Details

Interactive Technology and Smart Education, vol. 21 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-5659

Keywords

1 – 7 of 7