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Article
Publication date: 27 March 2018

Jonathan Skinner

The purpose of this paper is to present contrasting approaches to the descriptive case study of tourism to the buried city of Plymouth, Montserrat, an example of the marketing and…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to present contrasting approaches to the descriptive case study of tourism to the buried city of Plymouth, Montserrat, an example of the marketing and burying – the supply and demand – of apocalyptic dark tourism on the island.

Design/methodology/approach

A case study mixed-methods methodology is adopted, and findings are derived from tour guiding fieldwork, guide and tourist interviews, and an analysis of travel writing and tourism marketing campaigns.

Findings

Dark tourism is viewed as a contentious and problematic concept: it attracts and repels tourism to the former capital Plymouth, Montserrat. After 20 years of the volcano crisis, the islanders, government and Tourist Board are commemorating resilience living with the volcano and regeneration in a disaster scenario. Marketing and consumption approaches to dark tourism elucidate different facets to the case study of “the buried city” of Plymouth, Montserrat, and the Montserrat Springs Hotel overlooking Plymouth. The disjunct between these two types of approach to dark tourism, as well as the different criteria attached to working definitions of dark tourism – and the range of interests in apocalyptic dark tourism into the city and its surrounds – show some of the problems and limitations with theoretical and scalar discussions on dark tourism.

Research limitations/implications

The paper’s implications are that both supply and demand approaches to dark tourism are needed to fully understand a dark tourism destination and to reconcile the disjunct between these two approaches and the perspectives of tourist industry and tourism users.

Originality/value

This is a descriptive dark tourism case study of a former capital city examined from both supply and demand perspectives. It introduces the apocalyptic to dark tourism destination analysis.

Details

International Journal of Tourism Cities, vol. 4 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-5607

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 21 October 2020

Raquel Martinez-Buján, Elvira Santiago-Gómez, Carlos Diz, Jose A. Cortes-Vazquez and Montserrat Golías

This paper aims to show how the Green Campus Program has been implemented at the Faculty of Sociology of the University of A Coruña (Spain). It describes the criteria used to…

333

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to show how the Green Campus Program has been implemented at the Faculty of Sociology of the University of A Coruña (Spain). It describes the criteria used to create teaching sustainability actions related to community engagement to introduce education for sustainable development into college curricula.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on a human-centered design model approach, as well as on transformative teaching theories, this study explores the criteria used to build the Free Classroom based on a participatory model.

Findings

The authors argue that the success of this activity depends on how it relates to the theme-based specialization of the different academic degrees through which they are managed. Equally important is the creation of permanent spaces that enable the collaboration of other organizations, such as non-governmental associations and local public administrations.

Originality/value

The findings provide valuable insights into how the social dimension of sustainability in higher education institutions can be emphasized. A model of implementation of the activities is offered under which academic, political, student and community agents are coordinated to favor the change of attitudes and behaviors to strengthen SD.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 21 no. 7
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Expert briefing
Publication date: 6 September 2018

The impact of anti-money laundering legislation.

Article
Publication date: 25 July 2024

Yolanda Ramírez, Montserrat Manzaneque and Elena Merino

This paper aims to investigate the extent of sustainability disclosure through websites at Spanish universities and analyse the determinants that affect such disclosure.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the extent of sustainability disclosure through websites at Spanish universities and analyse the determinants that affect such disclosure.

Design/methodology/approach

This study uses as methodology a content analysis of the sustainability information disclosed by universities on their official websites in 2022 and a regression of ordinary least squares.

Findings

Findings emphasise that Spanish universities have moderate levels of online sustainability disclosure, close to 50%, showing prevalent attention to dimensions concerning “organisation profile and governance”, “economic aspects” and “labour practices”, while “curriculum and teaching on sustainability topics” and “environmental” dimensions were less addressed. On the other hand, the findings indicate that public and larger universities are the ones most engaged in the online disclosure of information about sustainability issues. Likewise, universities led by female rectors exert a positive influence on sustainability disclosure on websites.

Practical implications

The results could be useful for policymakers and regulators to implement and standardise sustainability reporting at higher education institutions, as well as for managers at universities who wish to increase the diffusion of sustainability outreach to satisfy stakeholders’ demands and legitimise their actions in society.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this paper is the first Spanish approach to identify the explanatory factors for sustainability reporting in Spanish higher education institutions.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 31 March 2020

Yolanda Ramírez, Julio Dieguez-Soto and Montserrat Manzaneque

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to know whether those firms that achieve greater efficiency from their intangible resources (intellectual capital) also obtain greater…

1433

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to know whether those firms that achieve greater efficiency from their intangible resources (intellectual capital) also obtain greater performance; and to analyze the moderating role of family management on that relationship in small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Design/methodology/approach

This paper conducts an empirical study with different econometric models using a panel data sample of 6,132 paired firm-year observations from Spanish manufacturing SMEs in the period 2000–2013.

Findings

The findings suggest that intellectual capital efficiency is a key factor that allows the firm to achieve and maintain competitive advantages, obtaining greater performance. Additionally, this research also shows that the moderating role of family management can be a double-edged sword depending on the type of intangible resources.

Practical implications

This paper may give managers an insight in how to better utilize and manage intangible resources available in their firms to improve competitive advantage and ultimately firm performance. Additionally, on the basis of the Socioemotional Wealth perspective (SEW), this article argues that family-managed firms that focus on SEW preservation can enhance the impact of structural capital efficiency on performance.

Originality/value

This paper extends the prior literature by studying the joint effects of intellectual capital efficiency, distinguishing between human capital and structural capital efficiency, and family management on performance in the context of SMEs.

Details

International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, vol. 70 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1741-0401

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 February 2020

Montserrat Crespi-Vallbona and Oscar Mascarilla-Miró

The purpose of this paper is to explore the intrinsic components of wine tourism products that satisfy the consumers and analyze the economic development of wine regions, away…

1155

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the intrinsic components of wine tourism products that satisfy the consumers and analyze the economic development of wine regions, away from consolidated tourist destinations.

Design/methodology/approach

The objective of the study is fulfilled by reviewing the literature on culture and gastronomy as tourism-driving forces of hinterland development and the needs of wine lovers in their tourism experiences and then using it to design appropriate research tools to collect empirical data through a survey within the context of a single case study. Thus, the specific case of wine origin certification, denomination of origin (DO) in the Catalan regional area of Pla de Bages (Barcelona) is the successful case analyzed, through 210 valid questionnaires.

Findings

Wine tourism has a long history, although it may appear to be quite recent and innovative. Today’s visitors are well travelled and seek new experiences, authentic contexts and particular or exceptional activities. The findings show that the intrinsic components of wine tourism products that satisfy these consumers are critical to develop wine regions, focusing on the design of activities with significant dose of local identity and wine and gastronomic pairing. Definitely, participation, hedonism, significance, knowledge, nostalgia, tasting, novelty and local culture are the basic ingredients of a memorable and satisfying wine tourism experience.

Research limitations/implications

The present study has several limitations that need to be mentioned. First, this research is a single case study; the Pla de Bages DO serves as the case, focusing on one cultural heritage experience, the large wine vats walking visits. This fact can put the study’s validity in question. Another limitation is that this study is not a longitudinal one, the latter could lead to more accurate findings. It would be interesting to ad in-depth interviews to advance the understanding about how to enhance visits according to the analyzed components.

Practical implications

Sustainable governance of destinations implies the cooperation of private businesses, the public government and the support of the population of the territory, to develop creative and successful tourist products. Economic, social and cultural networks are necessary to create collaboration and innovation, following its mutual interests. The new governance approach based on networks that combines creative, sensorial and locally specific experiences is essential and offers many business opportunities and entrepreneurial options in hinterland regions, located near consolidated tourist destinations. Destination management organizations and private businesses should take into account the structure of the eight aforementioned components when they design oenological tourism activities.

Originality/value

The originality of the paper lies in the knowledge of the crucial components of memorable wine tourism experiences to satisfy visitor expectations. They have to include participation, hedonism, significance, knowledge, local culture, novelty, tasting and nostalgia.

Details

International Journal of Culture, Tourism and Hospitality Research, vol. 14 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1750-6182

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2017

Xavier Piulachs, Ramon Alemany and Montserrat Guillen

This paper aimed to study the price of health insurance for individuals aged 65 years and over.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aimed to study the price of health insurance for individuals aged 65 years and over.

Design/methodology/approach

A sample of private health policyholders in Spain is analysed. Joint models are estimated for men and women, separately. A log-linear model of the transformed cumulated number of claims associated with emergency room occupation, ambulance use and hospitalization is estimated, together with a proportional hazard survival model.

Findings

The association between the longitudinal process of severe medical care and the survival time process is positive and highly significant for both men and women. An increase in the price of health insurance because of the effect of a larger number of emergency care demand events is slightly offset by the decrease in expected longevity.

Research limitations/implications

The effect of an increase in the number of claims is small compared to the reduction in survival, so age still plays a central role in ratemaking.

Practical implications

High rates of health insurance for elderly insureds should be compensated with younger insureds in the portfolio.

Social implications

Affordable health insurance premiums for elderly people are difficult to obtain only with strict actuarial principles.

Originality/value

The proposed methodology allows dynamic rates to be designed, so that the price of health insurance can change as new usage information becomes available.

Details

Kybernetes, vol. 46 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0368-492X

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 22 March 2019

Yolanda Ramirez, Elena Merino and Montserrat Manzaneque

The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to know the views of university stakeholders concerning intellectual capital (IC) reporting; second, to examine the quality of…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is threefold: first, to know the views of university stakeholders concerning intellectual capital (IC) reporting; second, to examine the quality of voluntary IC disclosure by public Spanish universities on their websites; and third, to analyze some of the potential factors affecting this kind of disclosure.

Design/methodology/approach

The paper applies a content analysis and a survey. The content analysis was used to analyze the websites of 50 public Spanish universities in the year 2016, while the survey was submitted to all members of the Social Councils of Spanish public universities. Also, a regression analysis (ordinary least square model) is conducted to relate the disclosure index to its determinants.

Findings

The results of this study show that human capital was the most disclosed category with relational capital being the least frequently disclosed. However, the quality of structural capital disclosures was higher than relational and human capital. Moreover, the results show that size and university’s internationality affect IC disclosure in Spanish public universities.

Practical implications

This paper stimulates the debate between universities and policy-makers concerning the benefits related to IC reporting as a tool for addressing different stakeholders’ needs. In order to satisfy the information needs of university stakeholders, Spanish universities can be recommended to focus on reporting higher quality information on financial relations, students’ satisfaction, quality standard, work-related knowledge/know-how and collaboration between universities and other organizations such as firms, local government and society as a whole.

Originality/value

This research brings new expertise regarding IC disclosure in higher education and to reveal some of the possible determinants to improve this disclosure.

Details

Online Information Review, vol. 43 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1468-4527

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 June 2018

Montserrat Batet and David Sánchez

To overcome the limitations of purely statistical approaches to data protection, the purpose of this paper is to propose Semantic Disclosure Control (SeDC): an inherently semantic…

Abstract

Purpose

To overcome the limitations of purely statistical approaches to data protection, the purpose of this paper is to propose Semantic Disclosure Control (SeDC): an inherently semantic privacy protection paradigm that, by relying on state of the art semantic technologies, rethinks privacy and data protection in terms of the meaning of the data.

Design/methodology/approach

The need for data protection mechanisms able to manage data from a semantic perspective is discussed and the limitations of statistical approaches are highlighted. Then, SeDC is presented by detailing how it can be enforced to detect and protect sensitive data.

Findings

So far, data privacy has been tackled from a statistical perspective; that is, available solutions focus just on the distribution of the data values. This contrasts with the semantic way by which humans understand and manage (sensitive) data. As a result, current solutions present limitations both in preventing disclosure risks and in preserving the semantics (utility) of the protected data.

Practical implications

SeDC captures more general, realistic and intuitive notions of privacy and information disclosure than purely statistical methods. As a result, it is better suited to protect heterogenous and unstructured data, which are the most common in current data release scenarios. Moreover, SeDC preserves the semantics of the protected data better than statistical approaches, which is crucial when using protected data for research.

Social implications

Individuals are increasingly aware of the privacy threats that the uncontrolled collection and exploitation of their personal data may produce. In this respect, SeDC offers an intuitive notion of privacy protection that users can easily understand. It also naturally captures the (non-quantitative) privacy notions stated in current legislations on personal data protection.

Originality/value

On the contrary to statistical approaches to data protection, SeDC assesses disclosure risks and enforces data protection from a semantic perspective. As a result, it offers more general, intuitive, robust and utility-preserving protection of data, regardless their type and structure.

Details

Online Information Review, vol. 42 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1468-4527

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 June 2022

Irina A. Lokhtina, Montserrat Castelló, Agata Agnieszka Lambrechts, Erika Löfström, Michelle K. McGinn, Isabelle Skakni and Inge van der Weijden

This paper aims to identify the documented effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on early career researcher (ECR) activity, development, career prospects and well-being.

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to identify the documented effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on early career researcher (ECR) activity, development, career prospects and well-being.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a systematic literature review of English language peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2021, which provided empirical evidence of the impact of the pandemic on ECR activity and development. The search strategy involved online databases (Scopus, Web of Science and Overton); well-established higher education journals (based on Scopus classification) and references in the retained articles (snowballing). The final sample included 11 papers.

Findings

The evidence shows that ECRs have been affected in terms of research activity, researcher development, career prospects and well-being. Although many negative consequences were identified, some promising learning practices have arisen; however, these opportunities were not always fully realised. The results raise questions about differential effects across fields and possible long-term consequences where some fields and some scholars may be worse off due to priorities established as societies struggle to recover.

Practical implications

There is a need for revised institutional and national policies to ensure that sufficient measures are implemented to support ECRs’ research work in a situation where new duties and chores were added during the pandemic.

Originality/value

This paper provides insights into the impacts of the initial societal challenges of the pandemic on ECRs across disciplines that may have long-lasting effects on their academic development and well-being.

Details

Studies in Graduate and Postdoctoral Education, vol. 13 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2398-4686

Keywords

1 – 10 of 333