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This paper aims to examine what firms in Spanish industrial sectors redeployed their resources, depending on their organisational slack (resource excess), when faced with the global economic crisis of 2008.

Various financial measures for slack resources and performance have been analysed from more than 400 Spanish firms from 2006 (pre-crisis) to 2017 (recovery).

The first finding is that every slack is useful against an economic downturn. The results show how industrial companies use their slack resources when faced with a generalised crisis according to the level of slack possessed. The key role of the available slack against this environmental threatens is remarked.

Not every resource is useful against an economic downturn. The results show how industrial companies use their slack resources when faced with a generalised crisis in accordance with the types and levels of slack. The key role of the liquid resources, in particular cash, against this environmental threat is discussed. However, we also observe the behaviour of firms with only a few excess resources and find very similar resource consumption patterns.

Although organisational slack is a well-known concept in management, few studies deal with how companies consume or use other types of resources when confronting a crisis. This paper not only addresses this question but also offers insights for a detailed evaluation of various types of slack during and after a crisis.

The purpose of this paper is to analyse and classify the literature that links slack resources with performance, determining the diversity and coherence within the field, as well as possible future research trends.

Using Web of Science information, a dynamic co-citation and co-word analysis was developed, enabling identification of the theoretical foundations that have accompanied the study of the slack–performance relationship and the research trends associated with these types of resources and their temporal evolution.

Document co-citation and co-word analysis and its evaluation present a growing diversity of literature but which maintains links to the core works, giving coherence to this research field. The key theoretical approaches remain stable over time but with fragmentation of the topics analysed. Results allowed identification of a number of emerging research trends, achieving a level of consolidation within the field, with research fronts linked to those trends.

Slack resources have a large trajectory within the management field. However, it is believed only basic bibliometric analyses of the literature have been made and none has developed an analysis of the evolution. This work is useful not only for incipient researchers to better understand the theoretical bases upon which the current work is based but also for the identification of possible gaps and unanswered research questions. The results complement previous research, with qualitative or meta-analytic perspectives, fundamental in understanding the structure and evolution of this research field.

This paper seeks to analyse whether the firm model of employment relationships is associated with functional flexibility and organisational learning (exploratory versus exploitative). It also aims to assess the mediating effect of functional flexibility in the relationship between a specific employment mode (mutual investment) and organisational learning.

This research was conducted using a sample of Spanish companies in the food industry, from which data from HR managers and production managers in each firm were collected. Cluster analyses, MANOVA and regression analyses were applied to test the hypotheses.

The results suggest that those firms developing a mutual investment employment relationship outperform other firms in terms of functional flexibility and organisational learning (both exploitative and exploratory learning). The paper also finds a mediating effect of one dimension of functional flexibility (range‐number of activities) between mutual investment and exploitative learning.

The principal limitation of this paper is the cross‐sectional study design, because the dynamic character of learning would require a longitudinal study design. The main research implications are derived from the combination of employment relationships, variety of dimensions of flexibility and learning, and identification of a model of direct and mediating effects among variables.

The results of this paper suggest that a model of employment relationships (mutual investment) favours not only functional flexibility but also ambidextrous learning. Thus, the findings not only provide a broader understanding of the variables associated with HRM, employment relationships and/or flexibility, but also reinforce the strategic role of HRM through its contribution to the development of such a relevant organisational capability that learning represents.

The paper combined a series of variables that previous studies have rarely treated in combination: employment relationships, functional flexibility and exploitative versus exploratory learning. This paper also discusses different dimensions of functional flexibility (range‐number of activities, heterogeneity, mobility, and uniformity), demonstrating the association of some of these dimensions with exploratory or exploitative learning.

The purpose of this study is to explore brand customer erosion at both the category and brand levels while considering consumer socio-demographic characteristics and weight of purchase factors.

Data from 3,563 buyers encompassing 20,601 purchases were collected from a prominent household data panel.

Brand customer erosion varies depending on socio-demographic factors (householder age, family size, life cycle and social class) and weight of purchase; variations are evident depending on the specific brand.

The paper makes a substantial contribution to the established fields of marketing and consumer behavior literature by opening a new line of research. It does so by demonstrating, the impact of socio-demographic factors on customer erosion. Simultaneously, it presents results that contradict the limited existing research on the influence of weight of purchase on brand customer erosion.

This paper tries to find out the different research fronts that have recently defined the scientific area of organizational studies. These fronts represent the paradigms or theories that the current research in the most relevant journals is based on. A study of how trends develop in those journals is also done. Quite different from other typologies, this work has used an empirical method of analyzing the literature references found in the articles published in some of the most relevant journals in this field in recent years.

Every day a large volume of information is generated in the maintenance department relating to its business assets whose detailed analysis has a direct impact on the effectiveness of the company. Taking into account the aforementioned, it is necessary to develop and implement a set of indicators that allow a practical evaluation of the maintenance function in any firm. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate the maintenance function through a thorough analysis of historical data of a biotechnology sector firm.

The method used to evaluate the maintenance function of a Cuban company is based on the quantification of a set of indicators, represented graphically. The data processed in this paper were obtained through an informatics application, designed to computerize the maintenance function in the firm. This application is validated and is part of the company quality management system, which is audited every two years by the national regulatory authority CECMED (Centro para el Control Estatal de Medicamentos, Equipos y Dispositivos Médicos de Cuba, by its Spanish acronym), for issuing the certificates of sanitary license and good manufacturing practices.

Evidence-based control alternatives were used to evaluate the adequacy of the maintenance function in a biotechnology company. The results demonstrate graphically the maintenance operations of the National Center for Scientific Research, production department, during a period from January 2013 to December 2017. Finally, based on the analysis, it was discovered that the performance of the maintenance department was inadequate and had poor effectiveness, and a new maintenance strategy was established to be followed for the next quinquennium.

The research proposal provides information on how to evaluate the proactive and reactive maintenance actions through graphical indicators. The results obtained together with traditional maintenance indicators such as availability, maintainability and reliability could be interesting to technicians or engineers who decide to evaluate directly the effectiveness of a maintenance department.

The purpose of this article is to propose and discuss a systematic theoretical classification of alliance portfolios that allows to elucidate and develop the concept.

The study applies a conceptual approach. A review of the literature was carried out to support the conclusions of this paper.

The results of the classification identify three types of alliance portfolio, according to the level of management that each of them requires: additive, strategic and managed and strategic. These portfolio typologies are analyzed in an evolutionary perspective.

This article is of interest to managers as it emphasizes the management of the alliance portfolio, highlighting the elements or characteristics that determine the transition from one type of portfolio to another.

This paper contributes to the consolidation and reorientation of the extensive research into alliance portfolios and proposes a systematic classification that can help to interpret the results of research and guide future studies.

Organisational slack has been widely considered in strategic management, but there is a gap in understanding the process of accumulation and application of slack resources. From a dynamic perspective and over an extended period of time, this paper analyses the management of slack resources and evaluates whether the different behaviours, in relation to the accumulation and consumption of slack resources, have any effect on performance.

The resource-based view and the dynamic extension of this theory, i.e. resource management and resource orchestration, were analysed in order to evaluate how slack resources can be managed and generate value. Assuming a configurational approach, the analysis was structured into two stages to answer the proposed hypothesis. The first stage studied whether there were different patterns of management of slack resources over time using the DistatisR package. The second stage evaluated which behaviours had the greatest impact in terms of profitability by using a dynamic panel data regression.

Three different types of slack resource management were found in companies: efficient, effective and erratic. Different types do not have the same impact on performance.

The dynamic management of slack resources has scarcely been considered, even during periods of crisis and economic expansion. This research advances the understanding of how firms transform slack resources into performance from a dynamic perspective.

The purpose of this paper is to develop a theoretical model for evaluating the international competitiveness of small and medium multinational enterprises (SMNEs) located in Latin American developing countries.

Industrial economics and international business theories were linked for establishing the firm international competitiveness model. Literature on each variable determining of firm competitiveness is reviewed and the linkages between them are discussed.

The use of a global strategy is one of the most important factors to compete abroad. Domestic environment and national industry might help its use. Human resources background of staff working within the SMNEs affects the global strategy as well.

SMNEs should be more taken into account as they are the main generators of the economic development of countries and, consequently, foster the progress of underdeveloped countries through creating jobs.

This study is one of the pioneers in developed a model for evaluating the international competitiveness of firms based on developing countries of Latin America. Researchers and professionals will count on a theoretical tool for evaluating the Latin American international competitiveness in global contexts. Additionally we include the full survey for testing the competitiveness model.

The purpose of this study is to delve into societal stigma surrounding severe mental disorders and intellectual disabilities, emphasizing gender differences and students’ proximity influence.

Involving 572 Spanish master’s students, this nonexperimental study categorizes participants based on contact frequency, using Goratu and CAEE questionnaires to measure stigma.

Gender-based stigma differences are absent; however, increased contact correlates with lower stigma levels. Notably, greater closeness is associated with more positive attitudes toward intellectual disability, resulting in diminished stigma toward severe mental disorders.

This research sheds light on the pervasive stigma faced by individuals with intellectual disabilities and severe mental disorders among postgraduate university students. Notably, the recognition of widespread stigma among individuals with higher education highlights a more significant societal problem. The findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions, especially in higher education contexts, to enhance understanding and reduce societal bias.

By identifying factors influencing stigma and emphasizing the importance of contact in fostering empathy, the study lays the groundwork for informed socioeducational strategies. These strategies have the potential to promote inclusivity, challenge stereotypes and contribute to the well-being and social integration of those affected by intellectual disabilities and severe mental disorders.

The findings highlight the efficacy of direct contact in reducing stigma and underscore the necessity for nuanced understanding. The study suggests fostering positive attitudes through increased contact can combat prejudice and promote social inclusion. Nevertheless, further research is crucial to explore factors influencing stigma reduction and design comprehensive socioeducational interventions addressing diverse cultural proficiencies. This study contributes valuable insights for mitigating stigma, fostering inclusivity and informing future interventions.