José M. Sabater, Roque J. Saltarén, Rafael Aracil, Eugenio Yime and José M. Azorín
The aim of this paper is to present new robotic structures that can be suitable for inspection, maintenance and dismantling tasks in nuclear facilities.
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this paper is to present new robotic structures that can be suitable for inspection, maintenance and dismantling tasks in nuclear facilities.
Design/methodology/approach
In the first part, two types of parallel robots capable to climb through structures are presented. The kinematics of the proposed platforms is reviewed, with emphasis on the analysis of the singularities. Next section shows the control architecture and the hardware setup of the developed system. Finally, the prototypes developed are showed and some conclusions are obtained.
Findings
The slave robot is a parallel structure with the ability to climb over structures and with a very high load capacity. The master device is a parallel device with special characteristics that makes easier the teleoperation of the parallel slave robot.
Originality/value
The paper presents a teleoperation system based on parallel platform with 6 degrees of freedom to overcome the classical difficulties of teleoperation in nuclear facilities.
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Juan José Tarí, Jorge Pereira-Moliner, José F. Molina-Azorín and María D. López-Gamero
This paper aims to examine the impact of external and internal drivers on the dimensions of internalization (daily practices and continuous improvement) of quality standards, the…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to examine the impact of external and internal drivers on the dimensions of internalization (daily practices and continuous improvement) of quality standards, the relationship between the dimensions of internalization and their effects on customer, employee, society and organizational results in hotels.
Design/methodology/approach
The study applies a structural equations analysis to test these relationships using empirical data from 176 quality-certified hotels.
Findings
Hotels need internal drivers to internalize a quality system because the external drivers themselves are not able to explain significantly the quality internalization process. This paper shows the significant relationship between the dimensions of internalization (daily practices and continuous improvement) and the importance of continuous improvement (e.g. innovations from quality standards and reflection on how to improve the current work processes) for improved customer, employees, society and organizational results.
Originality/value
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there are no empirical studies jointly analyzing the drivers of internalization, the relationship between the dimensions of internalization and their effects on different dimensions of results (customers, employees and society) in hotels.
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Jorge Pereira-Moliner, Eva M. Pertusa-Ortega, Juan José Tarí, María D. López-Gamero and Jose F. Molina-Azorín
The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between practices of quality management (QM) and the characteristics of organizational design, and QM and competitive…
Abstract
Purpose
The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between practices of quality management (QM) and the characteristics of organizational design, and QM and competitive advantage.
Design/methodology/approach
The study uses a partial least squares approach to test these relationships in 350 hotels in Spain.
Findings
The findings show that QM influences specialization, formalization and interdepartmental interactions, and that QM practices influence both cost and differentiation competitive advantage. The results also indicate the importance of QM strategic and operational systems as practices that have a key impact on the characteristics of organizational design. Similarly, the QM operational system is key in the relationship between QM and cost competitive advantage. Finally, the QM operational, information and strategic systems positively influence differentiation competitive advantage.
Practical implications
When hotels adopt QM practices, there will be significant changes in a number of organizational variables, including specialization, formalization and interdepartmental interactions. This paper provides empirical evidence that QM practices improve both cost and differentiation competitive advantage in the hotel industry.
Originality/value
There has been little research on the effects of QM on organizational design in the hotel industry. The contribution of this paper is that analyze the effects of QM on organizational design and competitive advantage, extending knowledge about these issues in a specific sector.
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Beatriz Forés, Alba Puig-Denia and José Maria Fernández-Yáñez
This study draws on the natural resource-based view to analyze the effects of technologies, managerial commitment, and firm strategy on sustainability performance, in terms of…
Abstract
This study draws on the natural resource-based view to analyze the effects of technologies, managerial commitment, and firm strategy on sustainability performance, in terms of both environmental and social profits. It also examines how the effect of green technologies on sustainability performance can be triggered by a managerial commitment to sustainability issues, and by the adoption of a prospector strategy. Multiple linear regression was used to test research hypotheses on a sample of 426 Spanish tourism firms. The results provide important insights into the importance of the adoption of explorer strategies fostering the strategic exploitation of green technologies to obtain new efficient processes, organizational procedures, and products. This research also shows the contingent moderating effect that managerial commitment exerts on the strategic implementation of green technologies for sustainability performance.
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Juan José Tarí, José F. Molina-Azorín, Jorge Pereira-Moliner and María D. López-Gamero
This paper examines the relationships between: (1) motives for internalization of a quality system, (2) the internalization of a quality system and (3) customer results, employee…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper examines the relationships between: (1) motives for internalization of a quality system, (2) the internalization of a quality system and (3) customer results, employee results and social results in public organizations by means of replication research
Design/methodology/approach
First, the work applies a quantitative study to test hypotheses using structural equations based on the Partial Least Squares (PLS) approach. Then, a qualitative study is carried out to support the quantitative results obtained
Findings
Results show that internal and external motives affect internalization, and that the most important issues for internalization are commitment, communication, training, recognition and follow-up. In addition, continuous improvement is key in order to enhance customer results, employee results and social results
Originality/value
The contribution of this work is that it provides empirical support to prior research on internalization focused on manufacturing and service organizations, and extends these results to the case of public organizations
Propósito
Este trabajo analiza la relación entre: a) los motivos para interiorizar un sistema de calidad, b) la interiorización de un sistema de calidad y c) los resultados de clientes, empleados y sociedad en organizaciones públicas, a través de un estudio que replica los análisis previos sobre interiorización realizados en organizaciones manufactureras y de servicios.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
Interiorización de la calidad en organizaciones públicasPara conseguir este objetivo se realiza primero un estudio cuantitativo para comprobar las hipótesis a través de un análisis de ecuaciones estructurales desde el enfoque Partial Least Squares (PLS). Posteriormente se realiza otro estudio cualitativo para apoyar los resultados cuantitativos obtenidos.
Resultados
Los resultados muestran que los motivos internos y externos influyen en la interiorización y que los aspectos más importantes para interiorizar un sistema de calidad son la implicación, la comunicación, la formación, el reconocimiento y el seguimiento interno. Además, la mejora continua es clave para mejorar los resultados de clientes, empleados y sociedad.
Originalidad/valor
La contribución del trabajo es que proporciona apoyo empírico a los resultados de trabajos previos sobre interiorización centrados en organizaciones manufactureras y de servicios y extiende estos resultados al caso de organizaciones públicas.
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José Carlos Sánchez de la Vega, José Daniel Buendía Azorín, Antonio Calvo-Flores Segura and Miguel Esteban Yago
The purpose of this paper is to provide a measure of competitiveness of the Spanish autonomous communities from a multidimensional and dynamic perspective for the period 2008-2016.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide a measure of competitiveness of the Spanish autonomous communities from a multidimensional and dynamic perspective for the period 2008-2016.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper adopts a broad definition of competitiveness based on five key environments (productive capital, human capital, social and institutional capital, infrastructure and knowledge) and comprising 53 indicators. The method used to construct the competitiveness index is based on the P-distance proposed by Pena Trapero (1979), which objectively assigns weights to the indicators. There is an important advantage in the methodological proposal of this study, as it allows analyzing the behavior of partial and aggregated indicators from a dynamic perspective, taking the same value as a reference for the entire period. Therefore, not only a classification obtained for each year but also the variation that occurs in terms of the reference period can be analyzed.
Findings
The classification of the autonomous communities is established using common intervals based on the results obtained for the whole period, i.e. 2008-2016. The data point to the unequal situations of the autonomous communities. The results also reveal that the evolution of the regional competitiveness synthetic index is clearly cyclical and the drop recorded in the recessive period is less pronounced than the increase recorded in the growth phase.
Originality/value
The main innovation of the competitiveness index presented here lies in its allowing comparisons over time.
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Juan José Tarí, Silvia Portela Maquieira and José F. Molina-Azorín
This work examines the relationship between transformational leadership and enablers and results of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model 2013 and the…
Abstract
Purpose
This work examines the relationship between transformational leadership and enablers and results of the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) model 2013 and the relationship between the EFQM model elements (enablers and results).
Design/methodology/approach
The work employs partial least squares (PLS) and empirical data from 102 hotels.
Findings
Transformational leadership is key to facilitate the enablers of the EFQM model (strategy, people, partnership and processes) and improve customer, employee and social results and organizational performance.
Originality/value
The present work expands previous studies that focus on analyzing the link between enablers and results of EFQM by showing that transformational leadership is an appropriate leadership style to foster the EFQM model elements. It empirically supports the view that transformational leadership is a facilitator that can foster the EFQM enablers and improve results in hotels. Thus, it also sheds light on the controversial link between transformational leadership and various performance measures (customer, employee and social results and organizational performance).
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Silvia Portela Maquieira, Juan José Tarí and José F. Molina-Azorín
This work analyses quality management (through the European Foundation for Quality Management-EFQM-model) and transformational leadership in hotels in Spain.
Abstract
Purpose
This work analyses quality management (through the European Foundation for Quality Management-EFQM-model) and transformational leadership in hotels in Spain.
Design/methodology/approach
The study analyses 102 5-star and 5-star large luxury hotels that answer a questionnaire on transformational leadership and the EFQM model. It analyses the degree of importance of quality and transformational leadership in hotels, the significant differences between groups of hotels (according to stars, size, modality and type of product) and the association between transformational leadership and quality.
Findings
The results show the levels of quality and transformational leadership, minor significant differences between groups and an association between the two variables. In general, chain-affiliated hotels have a higher level of leadership and a more advanced employee and process management than independent hotels. Also, those hotels that focus on a vacational product show a lower attention to the strategy dimension in the EFQM model. The number of employees is not an important factor to adopt quality. Finally, transformational leadership allows hotels to advance in the development of quality management.
Originality/value
Although there are studies on quality management that show the importance of leadership for quality, there are few studies that examine transformational leadership and quality in the same study, mainly in the tourism industry, and especially in the case of the hotel industry.
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Jorge Pereira-Moliner, Xavier Font, Juan José Tarí, Jose F. Molina-Azorin, Maria D. Lopez-Gamero and Eva M. Pertusa-Ortega
This paper aims to analyse the influence of environmental proactivity on cost and differentiation competitive advantages, and to explore the double relationship between…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to analyse the influence of environmental proactivity on cost and differentiation competitive advantages, and to explore the double relationship between environmental proactivity and business performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The population consists of all three- to five-star hotels in Spain. A sample of 350 hotels was classified according to environmental proactivity and performance levels, employing a two-step cluster analysis. Significant differences between groups were examined.
Findings
The results show two types of environmental behaviour (reactive and proactive), with proactive hotels developing significantly better on both cost and differentiation competitive advantage and achieving significantly higher performance levels. Hotels which achieve above average business performance levels are significantly more environmentally proactive.
Research limitations/implications
The present paper demonstrates that environmental management is related to competitive advantages and business performance. Environmental management systems are more developed in higher category, chain-affiliated and larger hotels. This could be due to having more resources to develop their environmental capability. The environmental proactivity scale employed in this study is presented as a reference measure for hotel managers to benchmark their current practices and implement environmental improvements.
Originality/value
First, measuring environmental proactivity using four managerial systems (operative, information, strategic and technical) is innovative and provides a more detailed approach to measuring environmental proactivity. Second, demonstrating a double association between environmental proactivity and performance provides fresh insights into the relationship between these variables.
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Cecilia Azorín, Antonio Portela, José Miguel Nieto and María Begoña Alfageme
This paper draws on data from a research project that examined the professional relationships that existed between teachers of different generations within an educational setting…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper draws on data from a research project that examined the professional relationships that existed between teachers of different generations within an educational setting, including both those inside and outside school.
Design/methodology/approach
A qualitative approach was adopted to better understand participants' intergenerational relationships. Data were collected via semi-structured interviews conducted online. Data analysis was carried out using Atlas.ti 22 software. This focused on participants' professional relationships, generationally-inflected professional relationships, links to the school and connections with their environment.
Findings
The paper shows that commitment to the profession and work climate were among the key aspects referred to by the interviewees. The different age groups agreed that they had experienced intergenerational feedback and that there was closer contact between peers of the same generation, which led to greater levels of affinity. The shared responsibility that comes with teaching and the sense of belonging were essential links to the school. The generational groups underlined the importance of building bridges and participating in collaborative networks to form connections with their environment.
Originality/value
Although several studies have considered various factors influencing professional relationships from an intergenerational perspective, this paper adds value to the existing literature by providing new data and analyzing the barriers and opportunities experienced by teachers of different generations (novice, veteran and retired) in their professional work within and beyond the educational setting.