Search results

The University of A Coruña (UDC) elaborated the SOSTAUGA project, aiming to reach a higher sustainable level of its water management. SOSTAUGA defined four priority points of action: the restoration of the natural courses on the campus; the adoption of an ecological sanitation model; the sustainable management of urban runoff; and the reduction of water consumption in university facilities and activities. This paper aims to present the methodology, the actions and the results related to the reduction of water consumption and the potential for the use of endogenous resources.

The agents involved were the senior management of the centres, the committees of the Green Campus, the scholarship students and the Office for the Environment. Several actions have been experienced: audit of water consumption in sanitary services; flow reduction in washbasin taps by means of valve adjustment (and repair of the valves when necessary); replacement of tap aerators with other more eco-efficient ones; replacement of faucets; introduction of dual-flush (DF) in cisterns; and information to users (eco-label).

Water audit reached 68% of the total number of washbasins and tanks in the UDC. Efficient aerator installation covered 16% of taps and valve adjustment covered the further 33.5% and provided flow reduction of 42%. Another 20% of valve units required repair. The current situation in toilets combines tankless flush valves and cisterns with single flush mechanisms. The introduction of DF mechanisms was assessed and proposed. The cost of these actions was very low, as evidenced by the investment return period while showing a high potential for user awareness.

Both from the environmental (water saving) and from the economic and social points of view, this study shows that similar projects aimed at the efficient and rational use of water are applicable to the universities and other public and private schools, with potentially positive results on sustainability and people awareness.

The aim of this research is to identify sources of differentiation in the fashion market as well as finding out sources of brand equity to distinguish the offer, enabling a better competitive position to be achieved.

To reach this objective, qualitative research was first carried out with 36 sector executives. Based on the results from the initial stage, 250 surveys were then carried out with potential consumers in order to analyze sources of brand equity.

In the fashion industry, the variables that show great potential for differentiation are excellence in the delivered finished product, brand image and design. In addition, loyalty and brand associations, in which image and design stand out, have been shown to be the most outstanding sources of brand equity.

The allocation of financial resources to the intangible assets of brand image and design should be profitable for the company. The creation of networks of designers and stylists would allow first‐hand information on market evolution. This input would be the basis for identifying new opportunities (e.g. fashionable colours, etc.) and also for anticipating new trends in clothing.

Discovering the sources of equity and their contribution to differentiating and developing high added‐value products for the consumer represents an original contribution in research into fashion markets and brand equity.

The general purpose of this paper is to investigate how a newly developed burger made of seafood is perceived in different test situations. In addition, the influence of satisfaction with preparation on the evaluative outcome is explored.

Data were collected from two different test situations; a home use test, and a canteen test among young Spanish consumers. Multiple measures of the constructs were used to test for construct reliability, validity and measurement invariance in two different consumption situations. The data were analysed by LISREL and ANOVA.

No differences in attitudes and intention to consume the fish burger are found for the different test situations. However, satisfaction with preparation did have a significant impact on evaluation and intention in the home situation, even though perceived preparation skill is the same.

This paper contributes to the existing literature on how different test locations influence product evaluation. First, methodologically, it uses multiple measures of the key dependent variables, attitude and intention, and tests for validity, reliability, and measurement invariance to approach survey context effects in different test situations. Second, theoretically, the paper also shows how the impact of satisfaction with the preparation can influence evaluation and intention to consume a new product in a home test situation.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact that the free trade agreement between the European Union (EU) and Chile and its resulting dismantling of tariffs has had on the mussel cultivation industry, particularly in Galicia. Specifically, the authors examine how trade liberalisation has affected the mussel farming industry.

The authors aim to observe the general panorama of both the evolution of production, distinguishing between fresh and industrial usage, and the evolution of prices at source depending on destination (fresh or industrial in the period 2003-2012). In order to analyse the relationships between different agents of the value chain, Porter’s model has been used as a reference.

There is a loss of competitiveness in the mussel farming-production sector following the liberalisation agreement of 2006 and huge bargaining power of the processing sector vs the production sector.

There is an opportunity to implement traceability programmes and develop a more differentiated product. In addition, it is profitable to promote Galician mussels through generic advertising and promoting exports.

There is a lack of empirical studies about the impact that the new free trade agreement between the EU and Chile has had on the Spanish mussel industry. Particularly, the study analyses economic repercussions, managerial implications and new challenges stemming from the new context of trade liberalisation.

The purpose of this paper is to identify the factors that promote the successful adoption of lean practices in manufacturing firms operating in developing economies in South America.

Based on the results obtained from using structural equation modeling to analyze the collected data, the authors argue that manufacturing organizations need to identify the factors that assist in successfully adopting lean practices in manufacturing firms operating in developing economies in South America. A dataset of 1,809 responses, gathered from manufacturing firms as part of the World Management Survey, was used to find support for the proposed hypotheses.

Several hypotheses were tested finding that lean practice success factors such as organizational targets proved to have a significant and positive relationship with the mediating factor, performance management. Likewise, performance management was also found to have a significant and positive relationship with lean practices adoption. Human capital management (HCM) has a significant but negative predictive relationship with lean practices.

The empirical results of this study provide valuable managerial insights. The results are therefore limited to the economies analyzed and to the variables surveyed as part of the World Manufacturing Survey research.

The results of this research provide a starting point for researchers to continue studying the key lean practice factors and relationships in the achievement of improved performance management, thereby helping managers in developing strategies to improve the lean capabilities of their practices. This, in turn, will increase the organization's competitive advantage sustainably.

This paper identifies and tests the impact of key factors on successful lean practices adoption in South American organizations in the manufacturing sector.