Bruno Bernal, Juan Carlos Molero and Fernando Perez De Gracia
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of fossil fuel prices – crude oil, natural gas and coal – on different electricity prices in Mexico. The use of alternative…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of fossil fuel prices – crude oil, natural gas and coal – on different electricity prices in Mexico. The use of alternative variables for electricity price helps to increase the robustness of the analysis in comparison to previous empirical studies.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors use an unrestricted vector autoregressive model and the sample covers the period January 2006 to January 2016.
Findings
Empirical findings suggest that crude oil, natural gas and coal prices have a significant positive impact on electricity prices – domestic electricity rates – in Mexico in the short run. Furthermore, crude oil and natural gas prices have also a significant positive impact on electricity prices – commercial and industrial electricity rates.
Originality/value
Two are the main contributions. First, this paper explores the nexus among crude oil, natural gas, coal and electricity prices in Mexico, while previous studies focus on the US, UK and some European economies. Second, instead of using one electricity price as a reference of national or domestic electricity sector, the analysis considers alternative Mexican electricity prices.
Details
Keywords
Angeles Moreno, Cristina Navarro and Mariam Alkazemi
The purpose of this paper is to compare the perspectives of public relations professionals against those of the general public in Spain with respect to which communications…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to compare the perspectives of public relations professionals against those of the general public in Spain with respect to which communications activities and organizational attributes are relevant to the leadership images of organizations, and what are the characteristics of effective leaders.
Design/methodology/approach
This study combines data from the European Communication Monitor (ECM) with the results of a representative online survey carried out by the global market research company IPSOS.
Findings
Results show that the general public sees TV interviews as well as TV advertising as communication tools with the biggest potential to shape the leadership image of organizations. When it comes to the attributes of effective leaders, communication professionals overestimate the role of an organization’s vision, while the population much more stresses basic attributes like leading by example and admitting mistakes. PR practitioners underestimate customer service and environmental responsibility and tend to favor more abstract attributes like innovation and CSR.
Research limitations/implications
This paper touches only four sections of the ECM 2014/2015. Participant fatigue may have negatively impacted the quality of the data. A large sample of professionals was approached, but a much small number initiated and completed the online survey. The size of the sample of communication professionals makes it difficult to generalize the results. In addition, future research should extend the study to different groups of stakeholders, such as employees, investors, and suppliers.
Practical implications
While organizations face intensive pressure from evaluation by their stakeholders, discrepancies between the expectations of the general public in regard to leadership negatively affects the communicator’s work to position organizations in society, as well as CEOs and top executives as leaders. On this regards, getting closer to what the population expects will help to understand and improve leadership perceptions.
Originality/value
Very little work has been done in Spain regarding to leadership in public relations or public relations professional’s perceptions about leadership. Most research published to date has focused on the leader’s position in the company, participation in management levels, types of responsibilities assumed and their relative influence and leadership style. Even fewer public relations studies have tried to identify the communication activities that are relevant to the leadership image of organizations and compare the perspectives of public relations professionals on leadership against those of the general public. This dearth of knowledge about stakeholder expectations negatively affects the communicator’s work to position organizations and executive leaders in society.
Details
Keywords
Alexander Varón Sandoval, Mónica Bibiana González Calixto and María del Pilar Ramírez Salazar
The purpose of this study is to reflect on some actions carried out in Colombia, both at the governmental and organizational levels, that can be considered collaborative…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to reflect on some actions carried out in Colombia, both at the governmental and organizational levels, that can be considered collaborative innovations and that have emerged within this pandemic context seeking to generate an increase in trust and the awakening of others’ emotions, as well as manifestations or expressions of trust and emotions by the population.
Design/methodology/approach
Through a qualitative descriptive study, innovation strategies applied by different sectors to address the current situation of preventive isolation are identified, with the subsequent identification of manifestations resulting from the execution of the strategies and analyzes of the implications in terms of emotions and confidence as research constructs.
Findings
Actions taken by the public administration, instead of generating trust and instilling positive emotions, have generated the opposite and there is evidence of greater acceptance of actions when they come from the general population through strategies that can be assimilated into the application of open collaborative innovation.
Originality/value
This study raises future research challenges, in addition to the practical implications that it may have in terms of the vision of the role of the state and citizens and the impact of administrative decisions regarding the generation of trust and the presence of positive emotions in a crisis context.
Propósito
El presente artículo tiene como propósito principal reflexionar acerca de algunas acciones realizadas en Colombia tanto a nivel gubernamental como organizacional, que pueden ser consideradas innovaciones colaborativas y que han surgido dentro del contexto de la pandemia buscando generar un aumento de la confianza y el despertar de otras emociones, así como las manifestaciones u expresiones ante las mismas por parte de la población.
Diseño/Metodología/Enfoque
A través de un estudio descriptivo cualitativo, se lleva a cabo la identificación de estrategias de innovación aplicadas por distintos sectores para hacer frente a la situación de aislamiento preventivo, posteriormente identificando las manifestaciones a partir de la ejecución de las mismas y analizando sus implicaciones en términos de emociones y confianza como constructos de investigación.
Hallazgos
Se ha encontrado que desde la administración pública las acciones tomadas en lugar de generar confianza e impactar con emociones positivas han generado todo lo contrario, así como se evidencia que hay mayor aceptación cuando las acciones provienen de la población en general a través de estrategias que pueden ser asimiladas a la aplicación de la innovación colaborativa abierta.
Originalidad
Este artículo plantea retos de investigación a futuro, además de las implicaciones prácticas que puede llegar a tener en cuanto a la visión del papel del estado, la ciudadanía y el impacto de sus decisiones administrativas en cuanto a la búsqueda de generación de confianza y de presencia de emociones positivas en un contexto de crisis.
Objetivo
O principal objetivo deste artigo é refletir sobre algumas ações realizadas na Colômbia, tanto em nível governamental quanto organizacional, que podem ser consideradas inovadoras em colaboração e surgiram nesse contexto de pandemia, buscando gerar um aumento da confiança e o despertar de outras pessoas. emoções, bem como as manifestações ou expressões diante deles pela população.
Desenho/Metodologia/Abordagem
Através de um estudo descritivo qualitativo, é realizada a identificação de estratégias de inovação aplicadas por diferentes setores para enfrentar a situação atual de isolamento preventivo, identificando posteriormente as manifestações a partir da execução dos mesmos. e analisando suas implicações em termos de emoções e confiança à medida que a pesquisa é construída.
Constatações
Constatou-se que da administração pública as ações tomadas, em vez de gerar confiança e impactar com emoções positivas, geraram o oposto, além de evidências de que há maior aceitação quando as ações vêm da população em geral por meio de estratégias que pode ser assimilado à aplicação da inovação colaborativa aberta.
Originalidade
Este artigo levanta desafios futuros de pesquisa, além das implicações práticas que possa ter em termos da visão do papel do Estado, da cidadania e do impacto de suas decisões administrativas em relação à busca por geração de confiança e presença de emoções positivas em um contexto de crise.
Details
Keywords
Juan Carlos Pérez-Mesa, María del Mar Serrano-Arcos and Raquel Sánchez-Fernández
The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on image crises in the food industry as well as provide a diachronic analysis to distinguish between the varying types of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to review the literature on image crises in the food industry as well as provide a diachronic analysis to distinguish between the varying types of crises that played a critical role in the horticultural sector in recent decades, focussing on the particular case of Spain as the largest horticultural exporter in Europe. This research also analyses the economic impact of these crises upon demand.
Design/methodology/approach
An empirical analysis has been conducted using inverse demand models to determine the prospective impact on demand of the image crises in the main European destination markets.
Findings
The empirical analysis reveals an immediate impact upon demand (imports) in the short term. Sector crises invariably have one or many “explosion” points when they reach the public sphere. These events reduce demand among European consumers, ultimately leading to a decrease in imported goods. The tested models revealed considerably significant losses that subsequently reduce annual exports by more than 3 per cent. The analysis also reveals strong effects of complementarity and substitution among the various products that comprise the horticultural supply.
Research limitations/implications
This study has not taken into account several movements that have also affected the horticultural sector, such as “anti-consumption” and boycotts. Empirical results reveal a strong impact of image crises on demand (imports) in the short term. Consequently, there is an evident need to undertake actions, managed from the supply origin, that reach the consumer and effectively re-establish the prestige of the Spanish production system.
Practical implications
This paper highlights the importance of the mass media in consumer attitudes and perceptions, and the need to create channels of direct communication to break the information asymmetry between production and consumption areas.
Originality/value
This paper sheds new light on the literature of image crises. The findings of this research have contributed to greater knowledge of how image crises influence demand. From the point of view of management, these results can have practical implications for the highly competitive sector of horticultural production.
Details
Keywords
María Ángeles Rubio Gil and María Victoria Sanagustín-Fons
Due to the recovery of the quality of life coming from a real estate boom and due to the extensive possibilities for leisure and work, the young generation in Spain looks with…
Abstract
Due to the recovery of the quality of life coming from a real estate boom and due to the extensive possibilities for leisure and work, the young generation in Spain looks with more optimism into the future as did generations before. Still, Spain is a nation with low employment prospects. This puts many professionals in a difficult position, having to sacrifice family relations for a better job. Another problem is the rate of university degrees, which is over the European average. Therefore, Generation Z has higher goals for their lives than previous generations. One of the traditional problems is that young people get high marks in their professional degrees but have a lack of employability skills and are therefore not always success in their first apprenticeship contract with companies. Generation Z has social skill problems with respect to empathy, communication and conflict management. Due to their digital style of life, they have substituted the gregarious relationships leisure for the bedroom culture of social networks.
Details
Keywords
Michael Minkov, Pinaki Dutt, Michael Schachner, Oswaldo Morales, Carlos Sanchez, Janar Jandosova, Yerlan Khassenbekov and Ben Mudd
The purpose of this paper is to provide an updated and authoritative measure of individualism vs collectivism (IDV-COLL) as a dimension of national culture.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to provide an updated and authoritative measure of individualism vs collectivism (IDV-COLL) as a dimension of national culture.
Design/methodology/approach
Rather than focus solely on Hofstede’s classic work, the authors review the main nation-level studies of IDV-COLL and related constructs to identify the salient cultural differences between rich societies and developing nations. The authors conceptualize and operationalize IDV-COLL on the basis of those differences and propose a new national IDV-COLL index, using new data from large probabilistic samples: 52,974 respondents from 56 countries, adequately representing the national cultures of all inhabited continents.
Findings
The proposed index is a new, valid measure of IDV-COLL as it is strongly correlated with previous measures of closely associated constructs. As a predictor of important cultural differences that can be expected to be associated with IDV-COLL, it performs better (yields higher correlations) than any known measure of IDV-COLL or a related construct.
Research limitations/implications
An important facet of IDV-COLL – in-group favoritism vs out-group neglect or exclusionism – does not transpire convincingly from the authors’ operationalization of IDV-COLL. The study relies on self-construals. Respondents are unlikely to construe their selves in terms of such concepts.
Practical implications
The new IDV-COLL measure can be used as a reliable, up-to-date national index in studies that compare the cultures of rich and developing nations. The new IDV-COLL scale, consisting of only seven items, can be easily used in future studies.
Originality/value
This is the first IDV-COLL measure based on the communalities of previous studies in this domain and derived from large probabilistic samples that approach national representativeness. The superior predictive properties of the authors’ new measure with respect to extraneous variables are another important strength and contribution.