Dayr Reis, Leticia Pena and Paulo A. Lopes
Successful firms are making a concerted effort to develop closer ties to their customers. However, the customer has not always been king. By describing the dialectic character of…
Abstract
Successful firms are making a concerted effort to develop closer ties to their customers. However, the customer has not always been king. By describing the dialectic character of customer service and tracing it back in history, this paper provides some of the knowledge necessary to explain its present status and predict its future course.
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Centers on motivation in work organizations, yesterday, today and tomorrow. To retain qualified employees in an organization and to maintain a satisfactory type of role…
Abstract
Centers on motivation in work organizations, yesterday, today and tomorrow. To retain qualified employees in an organization and to maintain a satisfactory type of role performance, people’s experiences in the system must be rewarding, particularly if they have freedom to move in and out of organizations. Motivating people to work in the twenty‐first century with theories conceived in the 1800s and early 1900s is likely to be infeasible. After reviewing the major events in the management history of the last 100 years, the authors try to distill the knowledge that will help illuminate the motivation path for present and future managers. The core message is that managers should reconsider the outdated motivational patterns utilized to maintain role performance in organizations. The authors propose a fresh motivation formula for the twenty‐first century, based on “friendship, work and respect”.
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Juan Oliva, Luz María Peña Longobardo, Leticia García-Mochón, José María Abellán-Perpìñan and María del Mar García-Calvente
This paper aims to study the value of informal care (IC) time from the perspective of caregivers using two alternative contingent valuation tools – willingness to pay (WTP) and…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to study the value of informal care (IC) time from the perspective of caregivers using two alternative contingent valuation tools – willingness to pay (WTP) and willingness to accept (WTA) – and to identify the variables that affect the stated values.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors used data from a multi-centre study of 610 adult caregivers conducted in two Spanish regions in 2013. The existence of “protest zeros” and “economic zeros” because of the severe budgetary constraints of the households was also considered. Two-part multivariate models were used to analyse the main factors that explained the declared values of WTA and WTP.
Findings
The average WTP and WTA were €3.12 and €5.98 per hour of care, respectively (€3.2 and €6.3 when estimated values for “protest zeros” and “economic zeros” were considered). Some explanatory variables of WTA and WTP are coincident (place of residence and intensity of care time), whereas other variables only help to explain WTP values (household and negative coping with caregiving) or WTA values (age and burden of care). Some nuances are also identified when comparing the results obtained without protest and economic zeros with the estimated values of these special zeros.
Originality/value
Studies analysing the determinants of WTP and WTA in IC settings are very scarce. This paper seeks to provide information to fill this gap. The results indicate that the variables that explain the value of IC from one perspective may differ from the variables that explain it from an alternative perspective. Given the relevance of contextual factors, studies on the topic should be expanded, and care should be taken with the extrapolation of results across countries and settings.
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Guilherme Sales Smania, Glauco Henrique de Sousa Mendes, Fabiane Letícia Lizarelli and Camila Favoretto
This study aims to validate a model of relationships between critical factors such as service strategy, culture-climate, leadership, customer involvement, technology strategy and…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to validate a model of relationships between critical factors such as service strategy, culture-climate, leadership, customer involvement, technology strategy and service innovation (SI). Moreover, it investigates the impact of SI on a company’s performance and the moderating role of digitalization in the relationships between critical factors and SI.
Design/methodology/approach
Primary data were collected through a survey and partial least squares structural equation modeling was used to analyze the collected data and test the research hypotheses.
Findings
The results suggest positive associations of service strategy toward culture-climate, leadership, customer involvement and technology strategy in terms of significance and effect size. However, only two factors (e.g. customer involvement and technology strategy) positively influence SI, which affects financial and non-financial performance. Furthermore, digitalization does not strengthen the influence of four antecedents (i.e. culture-climate, leadership, customer involvement and technology strategy) in SI.
Originality/value
First, the study provides a comprehensive framework of SI critical factors and their impact on company performance. Second, it links servitization, SI and digitalization. Third, it tests the effects of digitalization.
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Irma Leticia Pérez‐Rodríguez, Pedro Sánchez‐Escobedo and Liz Hollingworth
National basic education curriculum in Mexico emphasizes the need for the construction of a positive national identity. The purpose of this paper is to describe the perceptions…
Abstract
Purpose
National basic education curriculum in Mexico emphasizes the need for the construction of a positive national identity. The purpose of this paper is to describe the perceptions, expectations and views of pre‐service Mexican teachers about Mexico as a country.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants were 193 in‐training teachers in the last semester of study from the four normal schools (3 public, 1 private, Catholic) in the state of Yucatan who participated voluntarily in the study. From these, 44 (23 per cent) were men and 149 (77 per cent) were women, with a modal age of 21 years old.
Findings
Opinions extracted from a paper and pencil survey administered to 193 pre‐service teachers from Yucatan showed that the new teacher training curriculum has succeeded in creating a sense of nationalism and promoting feelings of pride and positive national identity, with the construct of Mexico as a motherland.
Research limitations/implications
This research suggests training must include activities in community service projects that effectively teach the value of actual work and involvement in the community: all this beyond existing sublime feelings of belonging. Teacher candidates seem to have an increased drive to participate in social and community projects, despite the fact it is not currently formally fostered in the national teacher training curriculum. Further research in these important aspects of traditional teacher training education is needed to better understand the role of nationalism and the values and tradition of the teaching profession in Mexico.
Originality/value
The study found a lack of criticism and reflection about the disadvantages and limitations of a unique orientation to the countries' symbols and rituals. Do teachers need to be a mere reproductive force of values and identities? Or, should teachers be expected to be reflective, critical and aware of the risks and dangers of blind loyalty to the country's policies and government dictates? Teacher training national guidelines should be revised and perhaps an effort to go beyond ideological issues should be considered, posting the concept of performance standards and other forms of accountability whilst in the schools.
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Rogelio Ladrón de Guevara Cortés, Leticia Eva Tolosa and María Paula Rojo
This paper aims to provide empirical evidence for using the prospect theory (PT) basic assumptions in the Argentine context. Mainly, this study analysed the financial…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to provide empirical evidence for using the prospect theory (PT) basic assumptions in the Argentine context. Mainly, this study analysed the financial decision-making process in students of the economic-administrative academic area of two universities, one public and one private, in Córdoba.
Design/methodology/approach
The analysis methodology included (1) the descriptive statistical analysis to identify the presence of the certainty, reflection and isolation effects; (2) the construction of a set of indicators on the application of the PT; (3) the chi-squared independence test, to determine if the decisions made are independent of the degree course taken; (4) the non-parametric Kruskal–Wallis test, to determine if the decisions made by individuals vary according to the semesters taken or students' levels of progress; and (5) the non-parametric Mann–Whitney test, to determine if there are differences between the decisions made by men and women.
Findings
The empirical results provided evidence on the effects of certainty, reflection and isolation in both universities, concluding that the study participants make financial decisions in situations of uncertainty based more on PT than on expected utility theory.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the empirical evidence in a different Latin-American context, confirming that individuals make financial decisions based on the PT independently of their degree course, semester, level of advance, gender or the kind of university where they belong (public or private).
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Lígia Lobo Mesquita, Fabiane Letícia Lizarelli, Susana Duarte and Pedro Carlos Oprime
This paper aims to thoroughly identify the forms of integration between Lean, Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and environmental sustainability (ES) by examining the relationships between…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to thoroughly identify the forms of integration between Lean, Industry 4.0 (I4.0) and environmental sustainability (ES) by examining the relationships between these three constructs, deepening understanding surrounding the theme and evolving the construction of a framework that can aid managing industrial production processes.
Design/methodology/approach
A systematic literature review (SLR) was the method used to identify the relationships for integration in the current literature. The SLR was supported by content and cluster analysis. The analyzes identified relationships at two levels. The first level observed relationships for constructs and variables. The second, at the level of constructs and components, which detail the variables. This study also proposes an integrated conceptual framework showing these relationships at the construct, variable and component levels.
Findings
The results show how these three constructs are related and the study concludes by stating that there is stronger integration among I4.0 technologies and Lean practices for reaching ES. The SLR identified the main components that allowed for this integration, i.e. I4.0 technologies, Big Data, the internet of things and Lean practices, like reducing waste and customer needs.
Practical implications
From an academic standpoint, this study proposes new lines of research lines that have not been explored thus far, and can be developed via empirical studies, at the strategic and operational levels among different industrial sectors. Also, this study can help managers understand the integrations between Lean practices and I4.0 technologies to achieve better operational and environmental organizational results.
Originality/value
To the best of the knowledge, this study is the first of its kind using SLR to integrate Lean approaches, ES and I4.0 and to propose a unified framework to help managers and academics understand these relationships.
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María-Luisa Alvite-Díez and Leticia Barrionuevo
The purpose of this paper is to study the relevance of heritage collections and the convergence of methodologies and standards traditionally linked to Library and Information…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to study the relevance of heritage collections and the convergence of methodologies and standards traditionally linked to Library and Information Science (LIS) in the development of digital humanities (DH) research in Spain.
Design/methodology/approach
This paper is based on a systematic review of scientific publications that are representative of DH in Spain and were published between 2013 and 2018. The analysis considered doctoral theses, journal articles and conference papers.
Findings
The results highlight the synergies between documentary heritage, LIS and DH. However, it appears that there is a scarcity of scientific literature to support the confluence of LIS and DH and a limited formal connection between heritage institutions and the areas of academia that reuse and enrich these source collections.
Research limitations/implications
The review of representative scholarly DH publications was mainly based on the metadata that describe the content of articles, thesis and conference papers. This work relies on the thematic indexing (descriptors and keywords) of the analysed documents but their level of quality and consistency is very diverse.
Originality/value
The topic of the study has not been explored before and this work could contribute to the international debate on the interrelation and complementarity between LIS and DH. In addition, this paper shows the contribution that standards and documentary methodologies make to projects in which technology is applied to humanities disciplines. The authors propose that there is an urgent need to strengthen the “scientific relationships” between heritage institutions, as well as enhancing links between the academic field of DH and LIS in order to improve teaching and research strategies in conjunction.
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Elsa Araceli Revollo Sarmiento, Deisy Krzemien, Maria Celeste López Moreno and Leticia Vivas
The purpose of this paper is to describe the perceptions that older people in Argentina have about the use of cell phones and to analyze their influence on user behavior. At the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe the perceptions that older people in Argentina have about the use of cell phones and to analyze their influence on user behavior. At the same time, it was intended to analyze whether sociodemographic factors influence these perceptions.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors conducted a study with a non-experimental, cross-sectional and cross-correlational design; a non-probabilistic sample of 138 intentionally selected older people was chosen.
Findings
The frequency and years of cell phone use, as well as the applications used, are influenced by the perceptions that older people have about cell phone use. In addition, it was found that age, gender and socio-educational level determine the perceptions that older people have about cell phone use.
Originality/value
This research has implications for interventions aimed at improving older people’s functional health. Understanding the perceptions of older people in relation to technology will enable the enhancement of its utility to foster an autonomous lifestyle and social integration in old age.
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Shenja van der Graaf, Le Anh Nguyen Long and Carina Veeckman