Alejandra Segura, Christian Vidal‐Castro, Víctor Menéndez‐Domínguez, Pedro G. Campos and Manuel Prieto
This paper aims to show the results obtained from the data mining techniques application to learning objects (LO) metadata.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to show the results obtained from the data mining techniques application to learning objects (LO) metadata.
Design/methodology/approach
A general review of the literature was carried out. The authors gathered and pre‐processed the data, and then analyzed the results of data mining techniques applied upon the LO metadata.
Findings
It is possible to extract new knowledge based on learning objects stored in repositories. For example it is possible to identify distinctive features and group learning objects according to them. Semantic relationships can also be found among the attributes that describe learning objects.
Research limitations/implications
In the first section, four test repositories are included for case study. In the second section, the analysis is focused on the most complete repository from the pedagogical point of view.
Originality/value
Many publications report results of analysis on repositories mainly focused on the number, evolution and growth of the learning objects. But, there is a shortage of research using data mining techniques oriented to extract new semantic knowledge based on learning objects metadata.
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Rocío Ortiz, Juan Manuel Macias-Bernal and Pilar Ortiz
The purpose of this paper is to present research on vulnerability and service life indexes applied to cultural heritage buildings. The construction and rehabilitation industry is…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to present research on vulnerability and service life indexes applied to cultural heritage buildings. The construction and rehabilitation industry is concerned with the maintenance of monuments and reducing the economic costs of urgent interventions by taking preventive conservation action in historic cities. By applying a vulnerability index or analyzing the service life of buildings, it is possible to reduce risk and optimize the identification, evaluation and prioritization of urgent monument restoration tasks in a city or a region to establish preventive conservation policies.
Design/methodology/approach
This research sets out the concepts of vulnerability and service life, focusing on their methodologies in comparison with other techniques for building diagnosis, discussing the differences between indexes that measure the vulnerability and service life of buildings.
Findings
The vulnerability of three churches in Seville (Spain) was studied by means of their vulnerability index, based on Delphi analysis, and the service life of these buildings was also assessed, based on artificial intelligence tools. Delphi and artificial intelligence tools allow us to compare and dovetail different scenarios and expert opinions. The degree of each monument’s conservation is defined as its vulnerability index, which is an indirect function of deterioration levels. The service life of buildings, on the other hand, includes the assessment of vulnerability and hazards.
Practical implications
This study is useful for stakeholders, including small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and policymakers, as an important reference on diagnosis, including updated, inexpensive and sustainable methodologies to manage the conservation of monuments, which are easy to implement in developed and developing countries. The application of vulnerability and/or service life indicators is crucial to ensuring the sustainability and improvement of maintenance carried out on cultural heritage buildings.
Originality/value
This study details new approaches based on artificial intelligence and Delphi analysis to prioritize preventive conservation actions in a city or region.
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José Manuel Guaita Martínez, Paula Serdeira Azevedo, José María Martín Martín and Rosa María Puertas Medina
This paper analyzes tourism competitiveness in Latin America, providing a country-level ranking of tourism competitiveness. The study also identifies which areas of management to…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper analyzes tourism competitiveness in Latin America, providing a country-level ranking of tourism competitiveness. The study also identifies which areas of management to focus on in order to increase competitiveness in each case.
Design/methodology/approach
The study is based on the variables used by the World Economic Forum (WEF) to measure tourism competitiveness. The DP2 distance method is used to create a synthetic indicator. This method helps identify which areas best explain differences in competitiveness between countries.
Findings
In tourism, the most competitive Latin American countries are Costa Rica, Chile, Panama, Mexico and Uruguay. The areas that best explain the differences between countries relate to cultural and natural resources, the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs), international openness and transport infrastructure. These are therefore priority areas for tourism managers.
Practical implications
This paper provides detailed analysis for each country. The situation in each country is presented in terms of the key areas highlighted by the analysis. This approach can aid the individual decisions of companies and public managers, thus enhancing tourism competitiveness. This greater competitiveness can strengthen the tourism sector, which is crucial in uncertain times.
Originality/value
Based on a synthetic indicator, this research offers the first country-level analysis of tourism competitiveness in Latin America. The study is also novel in its ability to detect the areas where action should be taken to improve tourism competitiveness. This analysis offers an alternative to the WEF Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Index (TTCI), which has certain weaknesses. The results can help enhance tourism competitiveness in Latin American countries through the specific recommendations presented in this paper.
Objetivos
Este documento analiza la competitividad del turismo en América Latina, proporcionando un ranking a nivel país. El estudio también identifica en qué áreas de gestión deben enfocarse los esfuerzos para aumentar la competitividad en cada caso.
Diseño/metodología/enfoque
La investigación se basa en las variables propuestas por el Foro Económico Mundial (WEF) para medir la competitividad del turismo. El método de distancia DP2 se utiliza para crear un indicador sintético. Este método ayuda a identificar qué factores explican en mayor medida las diferencias de competitividad entre países.
Resultados
Los países latinoamericanos más competitivos en cuanto a la actividad turística son Costa Rica, Chile, Panamá, México y Uruguay. Los factores que mejor explican las diferencias entre países se relacionan con los recursos culturales y naturales, la implementación de tecnologías de la información y la comunicación (TIC), la apertura internacional y las infraestructuras de transporte. Por tanto, estas serían las áreas prioritarias de trabajo para los gestores turísticos.
Implicaciones para la práctica
Este documento proporciona un análisis detallado de cada país. La situación individual se presenta mediante un análisis de las áreas clave destacadas como responsables en mayor medida de la competitividad. Este enfoque puede ayudar a las decisiones tomadas por los gestores de las empresas y los administradores públicos, mejorando así la competitividad del turismo. Esta mayor competitividad puede fortalecer el sector turístico, que es crucial en tiempos de incertidumbre.
Originalidad/valor
Basado en un indicador sintético, esta investigación ofrece el primer análisis a nivel país de la competitividad turística en América Latina. El estudio también es novedoso por su capacidad para detectar los ámbitos en los que se debe actuar para mejorar la competitividad turística. Este análisis ofrece una alternativa al Índice de Competitividad de Viajes y Turismo (TTCI) del Foro Económico Mundial (WEF), que tiene ciertas debilidades. Los resultados pueden ayudar a mejorar la competitividad del turismo en los países de América Latina a través de las recomendaciones específicas presentadas en este documento.
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José Bocoya-Maline, Arturo Calvo-Mora and Manuel Rey Moreno
Drawing on resource and capability theory, this study aimed to analyze the relationship between the dynamic capabilities (DC), the knowledge management (KM) process (KMP) and…
Abstract
Purpose
Drawing on resource and capability theory, this study aimed to analyze the relationship between the dynamic capabilities (DC), the knowledge management (KM) process (KMP) and results in customers and people. More specifically, the study argues that the KM process mediates the relationship between DC and the results outlined above. In addition, a predictive analysis is carried out that demonstrates the relevance of the KM process in the model.
Design/methodology/approach
The study sample is made up of 118 Spanish organizations that have some kind of recognition of excellence awarded by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM). Partial least squares methodology is used to validate the research model, the hypothesis testing and the predictive analysis.
Findings
The results show that organizations which leverage the DC through the KMP improve customer and people outcomes. Moreover, the predictive power is higher when the KMPmediates the relationship between the DC and the results.
Originality/value
There is no consensus in the literature on the relationship between DC, KM and performance. Moreover, there are also not enough papers that study KM or DC through the dimensions that define these constructs or variables. Given this need, this work considers the KMP according to the stages of knowledge creation, storage, transfer and application. Similarly, DC is dimensioned in sensing, learning, integrating and coordinating capabilities. These, as reconfigurators of knowledge assets, influence the KMP. Accordingly, the empirical model connects these knowledge domains and analyses their link to outcomes.
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Michal Stein and John Vertovec
This ethnographic study explores how local and global forces influence a unique set of self-employed people in Havana’s tourism industry – dance instructors – and how these…
Abstract
This ethnographic study explores how local and global forces influence a unique set of self-employed people in Havana’s tourism industry – dance instructors – and how these circumstances drive the strategies and rationalities they use to navigate socioeconomic transformations. Cuba’s recent history of economic crises, the decline in welfare assistance, and an array of market-driven economic reforms have driven many Cubans to search for incomes in Havana’s lucrative tourism industry. Global circulations of people, wealth, and ideas shape the opportunities Cubans find in this type of work. Furthermore, strict state policies and regulations, in conjunction with underlying systems of oppression, hinder and constrain Cubans who work in tourism-based ventures. Building on theories of neoliberalism and tourism, we discuss how Cuban dance instructors develop professional skills, standardize their activities, and address global consumer desires/demands while simultaneously drawing from collectivized social norms cultivated under Cuban socialism. These hybridized formal/informal business tactics reveal how self-employed Cubans are positioned between socialist configurations and the capital-driven tourism industry. These innovative socioeconomic logics are also critical in understanding how people living in centrally planned economies, some of which are socially marginalized because of patterns of inequality, gain access to and participate with contemporary modalities of the global economy.
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Manuel Alonso Dos Santos, Orlando Antonio Llanos-Contreras and Mauricio Jara-Bertin
Cristian Armando Yepes-Lugo, Robert Ojeda-Pérez and Luz Dinora Vera-Acevedo
This paper aims to evaluate the evolution of the organizational field in the Colombian coffee industry between 1960 and 2020 and explain how peripheral actors influenced…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to evaluate the evolution of the organizational field in the Colombian coffee industry between 1960 and 2020 and explain how peripheral actors influenced institutional change.
Design/methodology/approach
The methods analyze historical processes from a hermeneutical and interpretative perspective. The authors used data collection techniques through interviews, archive data, publications and media reports, embracing an interdisciplinary and qualitative documentary approach. This approach helps the authors unravel the temporal dimensions of the historical discourse related to coffee and the involvement of various actors within organizational structures.
Findings
The authors found that, unlike the literature regarding the change in organizational fields, recently, within the coffee sector in Colombia, the institutional work of peripheral actors (small producers, local associative groups and coffee women, among others) is changing the field as follows: (1) women are changing traditional behaviors moving from hierarchical family structures and lack of gender awareness, to empowered, horizontal and sustained relationships, (2) indigenous people include rituals and other traditional practices in coffee production and (3) ex-guerrilla members are helping to strengthen the peace process implementation in Colombia through coffee production.
Research limitations/implications
The authors did not conduct statistical or computational analysis to simulate the emergence of new organizational forms. Instead, the authors attempted to elucidate narratives and discourses that reflect the tensions between central and peripheral actors from a historical perspective.
Practical implications
This study seeks to help leaders and managers overcome processes or organizational change in which peripheral actors are crucial. From that perspective, allocating resources and capabilities can become more effective.
Originality/value
This paper offers a new perspective of change within organizational fields from the roles of peripheral actors, which are fundamental in change processes within organizational fields, especially in the global south, where tensions between elites and vulnerable people are familiar.
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Fernando García-Chamizo, Belén Ávila Rodríguez-de-Mier and José Manuel López-Agulló Pérez-Caballero
The study aims to analyse whether the selected craft beers carry out sustainable practices, not only in production but also in promotion and distribution, highlighting…
Abstract
Purpose
The study aims to analyse whether the selected craft beers carry out sustainable practices, not only in production but also in promotion and distribution, highlighting territoriality and shared pride with their audience.
Design/methodology/approach
This article examines sustainable practices in craft beers through a qualitative analysis of 42 breweries in Spain. Territorial marketing and circular economy strategies are identified. The results show an increasing integration of sustainable practices and their impact on brand perception. This research contributes to the literature on sustainability in local industries and offers recommendations for small breweries seeking to differentiate themselves in competitive markets.
Findings
Key results show the integration of territoriality and sustainability elements in their marketing. Diverse sustainable practices are observed such as the installation of solar panels and the use of gas-powered vehicles. As for the advertising, and public relations strategy, it is noted that all the beers studied use these tools to be present at fairs, festivals, and events in their territories.
Originality/value
This study investigates the integration of sustainable practices in the craft beer industry in Spain, analysing a sample of 42 breweries. Qualitative methods are used to identify sustainability practices and the promotion of territorial branding strategies. Results indicate a correlation between brand identity and sustainability, with implications for the expansion of the circular economy model. It is suggested that small artisanal producers adopt territorial branding models to strengthen their sustainability and competitiveness.
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Avant‐propos sous les auspices de l'Institut international de Coopération intellectuelle, paraissait en 1934 le t. I, consacré à l'Europe, du Guide international des Archives. Le…
Abstract
Avant‐propos sous les auspices de l'Institut international de Coopération intellectuelle, paraissait en 1934 le t. I, consacré à l'Europe, du Guide international des Archives. Le questionnaire envoyé à tous les États européens comportait sous les points 4 et 6 les questions suivantes: ‘Existe‐t‐il un guide général pour les diverses catégories d'Archives ou des guides particuliers pour l'une ou l'autre d'entre elles?’ et ‘Existe‐t‐il des catalogues imprimés, des publications tant officielles que privées, susceptibles de constituer un instrument complet de référence pour tout ou partie importante des fonds d'archives?’ Les réponses des divers pays à ces questions, malgré leur caractère très inégal, ont fait du Guide international un bon instrument d'information générale sur les Archives. Malheureusement les circonstances ont empêché la publication du volume consacré aux États non européens, tandis que le temps qui s'écoulait tendait à rendre périmés les renseignements fournis sur les Archives européennes.
Manuel Jesus, Ana Sofia Guimarães, Bárbara Rangel and Jorge Lino Alves
The paper seeks to bridge the already familiar benefits of 3D printing (3DP) to the rehabilitation of cultural heritage, still based on the use of complex and expensive…
Abstract
Purpose
The paper seeks to bridge the already familiar benefits of 3D printing (3DP) to the rehabilitation of cultural heritage, still based on the use of complex and expensive handcrafted techniques and scarce materials.
Design/methodology/approach
A compilation of different information on frequent anomalies in cultural heritage buildings and commonly used materials is conducted; subsequently, some innovative techniques used in the construction sector (3DP and 3D scanning) are addressed, as well as some case studies related to the rehabilitation of cultural heritage building elements, leading to a reflection on the opportunities and challenges of this application within these types of buildings.
Findings
The compilation of information summarised in the paper provided a clear reflection on the great potential of 3DP for cultural heritage rehabilitation, requiring the development of new mixtures (lime mortars, for example) compatible with the existing surface and, eventually, incorporating some residues that may improve interesting properties; the design of different extruders, compatible with the new mixtures developed and the articulation of 3D printers with the available mapping tools (photogrammetry and laser scanning) to reproduce the component as accurately as possible.
Originality/value
This paper sets the path for a new application of 3DP in construction, namely in the field of cultural heritage rehabilitation, by identifying some key opportunities, challenges and for designing the process flow associated with the different technologies involved.