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Open Access
Article
Publication date: 13 November 2024

Miguel Gil, Kajsa Thor and Adam Gemheden

This study explores the relationship between innovation and tradition in family firms. By examining how these firms manage the potential tension between these two elements, the…

Abstract

Purpose

This study explores the relationship between innovation and tradition in family firms. By examining how these firms manage the potential tension between these two elements, the study aims to understand better how innovation and tradition coexist and support long-term survival across generations.

Design/methodology/approach

This study has a constructivist standpoint and follows a qualitative methodology. By conducting a comparative case study, the data are collected from semi-structured interviews with 10 participants in 4 case companies located in Sweden. The data are analysed using thematic analysis.

Findings

This study found that managing the tension between innovation and tradition is carried out through four mechanisms: forward thinking through heritage, paradoxical thinking, operational control and governance. Moreover, the study further shows the great importance of the concept of intergenerational learning in family firms in managing tension.

Originality/value

The findings from this study contribute to the existing literature in family firms concerning managing tradition and innovation by providing a novel conceptualisation of the mechanisms embedded in this process. Moreover, the article proposes a grounded model, which could be used in research and practice when dealing with similar issues.

Details

Journal of Family Business Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2043-6238

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 June 2018

Carolina Navarro-Molina, Juan-Miguel López-Gil, Rafael Aleixandre-Benavent and Juan-Carlos Valderrama-Zurián

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the degree of accessibility of a set of electronic journals that are hosted on widely used online scientific journal publishing platforms…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the degree of accessibility of a set of electronic journals that are hosted on widely used online scientific journal publishing platforms and whose content quality has already been certified. Two studies were performed, in which the accessibility of the selected platforms was studied in 2011 and 2016.

Design/methodology/approach

The research was performed on publishing platforms than hosted more than 20 journals about human behaviour and factors that may influence it. The evaluation was carried out following the methodology described by the Web Accessibility Initiative in their Website Accessibility Conformance Evaluation Methodology.

Findings

The results show that, in spite of an improvement in accessibility, all the analysed electronic consultation platforms contain errors that could hinder their users’ access to their content. The incidence of errors found varies considerably among platforms. As the user interface of each platform analysed is common to all the online scientific electronic journals it hosts, the results obtained are valid for all other journals hosted on a given platform.

Research limitations/implications

Obtained results were valid in the date and time the websites were analysed. Changes made on the websites since then make that the results of an accessibility analysis would be different.

Practical implications

Analysed platforms would require taking steps to ensure their accessibility.

Social implications

Users with disabilities cannot use these platforms appropriately due to the accessibility problems found. The lack of web accessibility also has implications regarding visibility of published articles and common users.

Originality/value

This work offers a systematic analysis that includes manual accessibility evaluation, which has not been performed in scientific article publishing platforms to the extent presented in this paper. Articles found in the literature perform automatic analyses, which lack the depth of a manual one. Besides, when manual accessibility analysis is performed, usually the home page of a platform or journal alone is considered.

Details

Online Information Review, vol. 42 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1468-4527

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2008

O. Reinoso, A. Gil, L. Payá and M. Juliá

This paper aims to present a teleoperation system that allows one to control a group of mobile robots in a collaborative manner. In order to show the capabilities of the…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present a teleoperation system that allows one to control a group of mobile robots in a collaborative manner. In order to show the capabilities of the collaborative teleoperation system, it seeks to present a task where the operator collaborates with a robot team to explore a remote environment in a coordinated manner. The system implements human‐robot interaction by means of natural language interfaces, allowing one to teleoperate multiple mobile robots in an unknown, unstructured environment. With the supervision of the operator, the robot team builds a map of the environment with a vision‐based simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) technique. The approach is well suited for search and rescue tasks and other applications where the operator may guide the exploration of the robots to certain areas in the map.

Design/methodology/approach

In opposition with a master‐slave scheme of teleoperation, an exploration mechanism is proposed that allows one to integrate the commands expressed by a human operator in an exploration task, where the actions expressed by the human operator are taken as an advice. In consequence, the robots in the remote environment choose their movements that improve the estimation of the map and best suit the requirements of the operator.

Findings

It is shown that the collaborative mechanism presented is suitable to control a robot team that explores an unstructured environment. Experimental results are presented that demonstrate the validity of the approach.

Practical implications

The system implements human‐robot interaction by means of natural language interfaces. The robots are equipped with stereo heads and are able to find stable visual landmarks in the environment. Based on these visual landmarks, the robot team is able to build a map of the environment using a vision‐based SLAM technique. SONAR proximity sensors are used to avoid collisions and find traversable ways. The robot control architecture is based on common object request broker architecture technology and allows one to operate a group of robots with dissimilar features.

Originality/value

This work extends the concept of collaborative teleoperation to the exploration of a remote environment using a team of mobile robots.

Details

Industrial Robot: An International Journal, vol. 35 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-991X

Keywords

Executive summary
Publication date: 3 July 2019

CUBA: Cryptocurrency unlikely to ease economic crisis

Book part
Publication date: 4 December 2023

Farzana Nahid and Sudipa Sarker

Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can play a significant role in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) as they have the ability to reduce unemployment…

Abstract

Micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) can play a significant role in achieving sustainable development goals (SDGs) as they have the ability to reduce unemployment. Digitalization helps MSMEs in a number of ways, including lowering transaction costs, quickening access to information, and bettering communication with extended supply chain members. This chapter aims to understand the level of digitalization in MSMEs in an emerging economy such as Bangladesh. MSMEs in Bangladesh account for 25% of the gross domestic product and employ 87% of civilians. This chapter builds on qualitative data from 60 MSMEs from various manufacturing and service sectors such as textile, retail, food delivery, IT companies, etc. The interviews were semi-structured and followed an interview protocol. The length of interviews varied between 40 and 50 minutes. Content analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings suggest that counterintuitively the level of digitization in MSMEs is not low in Bangladesh. Many micro and small enterprises use MS Excel to help them manage customer and product data. Medium Enterprises use Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) software for planning enterprise-wide resources. Some medium enterprises also use powerful data analytics software such as Oracle, Power BI, Google Analytics, Python, and SPSS. Results also reveal barriers to digitization in MSMEs, which include a lack of employee awareness, training, and motivation of top management. This chapter maps the digitalization levels in MSMEs in Bangladesh and provides implications for SGDs. The chapter also presents policy recommendations for improving the digitalization level in emerging economies.

Details

Fostering Sustainable Businesses in Emerging Economies
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80455-640-5

Keywords

Abstract

Details

Visual Pollution
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80382-042-2

Book part
Publication date: 11 July 2023

Jorge Hernández-Barahona, Teresa Mateo, Águeda Gil-López and Elena San Román

This chapter studies the tourism cluster of Majorca and its connection with collective entrepreneurship. To this end, the authors review the history of four world leading Spanish…

Abstract

This chapter studies the tourism cluster of Majorca and its connection with collective entrepreneurship. To this end, the authors review the history of four world leading Spanish hotel companies, from their beginnings, in Majorca, in the 1950s, to their internationalization, in the 1980s and 1990s: Barceló, Meliá, Riu, and Iberostar. This allows us to identify common patterns of behaviour among them over time, which in turn illustrate the dynamics of the tourism cluster and the role played by its context. This qualitative and historical research allows us to make the following contributions: first, in line with other studies in the economic history of Spanish tourism, the four cases support the identification of Majorca as a tourism cluster. Second, the authors highlight several important characteristics of the island which reinforced and strengthened the cluster and boosted collective entrepreneurship, through an intense flow of information between the companies. Third, the authors illustrate coopetition as the key nature of the relationship between the clustered companies in a simultaneous process of competition and cooperation. Finally, the authors show how the strength of the tourism cluster, in Majorca, drove the companies to replicate the same dynamics and structures abroad.

Details

Collective Entrepreneurship in the Contemporary European Services Industries: A Long Term Approach
Type: Book
ISBN: 978-1-80117-950-8

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 23 July 2018

Muriel Lamarque and Lourdes Moro-Gutiérrez

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between Latin American migrants and the Spanish healthcare system, from the users’ perspective, in order to examine the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between Latin American migrants and the Spanish healthcare system, from the users’ perspective, in order to examine the socio-cultural determinants for access and attention, as well as the possible difficulties faced when attending institutional facilities.

Design/methodology/approach

This work is based on qualitative ethnographic research with the Latin American community established in the region of Castile and León, Spain. Analysis was established through a thematic approach and illustrated with the testimonies of participants involved, to inspect personal meanings and interpretations, as well as specific practices regarding healthcare.

Findings

The encounter between foreigners and health services is frequently expressed with negative emotions, such as feelings of fear facing a system that is perceived as designed “for others.” For many Latin American immigrants in Spain, institutional healthcare is not considered their first choice for treating illness. This has been related to economic, bureaucratic, ideological and emotional factors.

Originality/value

Most of the existing literature about immigrant healthcare in Spain has focused on sanitary conditions or patterns of service use from an institutional perspective and a quantitative approach. This paper highlights the perceptions of users to enrich comprehension of the rapport between migrants and medical care.

Details

International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, vol. 11 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4902

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 4 June 2018

Arménio Rego, Andreia Vitória, António Tupinambá, Dálcio Reis Júnior, Dálcio Reis, Miguel Pina e Cunha and Rui Lourenço-Gil

The purpose of this paper is to explore the Brazilian managers’ attitudes toward older workers, and how those attitudes explain HRM decisions in hypothetical scenarios.

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore the Brazilian managers’ attitudes toward older workers, and how those attitudes explain HRM decisions in hypothetical scenarios.

Design/methodology/approach

Brazilian managers (n=201) reported their attitudes toward older workers and their decisions in scenarios involving an older vs a younger applicant/worker.

Findings

In spite of expressing positive attitudes toward older workers, a significant number of managers chose a younger one even when the older worker is described as more productive. To build a better understanding of how attitudes predict decisions, it is necessary to identify attitudinal profiles and the interplay between attitudinal dimensions, rather than simply studying each dimension separately. Attitudinal profiling also shows that some managers discriminate against younger workers, a finding, that is, ignored when (only) regressions are taken into account. The managers’ attitudes and behavioral intentions relate with their age. Evidence does not support the double jeopardy effect against older women workers.

Research limitations/implications

The sample is small. The scenarios cover a reduced number of HRM decisions. The data about attitudes and decisions were collected simultaneously from a single source. The findings may be influenced by idiosyncrasies of the context. Future studies should also consider real situations, not hypothetical ones.

Practical implications

Efforts must be made (e.g. via training and development) to raise managers’ awareness about the consequences of ageism in organizations.

Originality/value

Empirical studies about managers’ perceptions/attitudes toward older workers are scarce. Studies in the Brazilian context are even scarcer.

Details

International Journal of Manpower, vol. 39 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0143-7720

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 March 2020

Francisco Sarabia-Andreu, Francisco J. Sarabia-Sanchez, María Concepción Parra-Meroño and Pablo Moreno-Albaladejo

This study aims to examine the formal and metric properties of Gil et al.’s (2000) scale of attitudes toward organic products, which is the most popular scale to measure these…

2121

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the formal and metric properties of Gil et al.’s (2000) scale of attitudes toward organic products, which is the most popular scale to measure these attitudes.

Design/methodology/approach

The sample consisted of 4,992 household shoppers living in Hong Kong, Germany, Norway, Spain and the UK. The questionnaire was distributed using a third-party consumer panel, and the fieldwork was conducted using computer-assisted Web interviewing. The approach was based on confirmatory factor analysis and measurement of invariance, as well as format analysis using a wording-syntactic and semantic descriptive method.

Findings

The scale reflects an attitude-toward-object model approach. Its use has been heavily varied (in terms of wording, item semantics and the attributes to be measured). A two-factor structure that meets the metric conditions (reliability and validity) is found. However, the analysis of invariance shows that the scale behaves differently in different countries.

Research limitations/implications

This scale offers a good starting point for measuring attitudes toward organic products. However, it requires refinement to adapt to consumer evolution and improve its metric validity. Verification of its applicability in cross-national studies is recommended.

Originality/value

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that assesses the format and quantitative characteristics of this scale on a cross-national level. For scholars and companies with international interests, preventing the use of scales with poor properties at the transnational level can improve the design of future studies and save money through a more informed choice of attitudinal scale.

Propósito

Este estudio examina las propiedades formales y métricas de la escala de actitudes hacia los productos orgánicos de Gil et al. (2000), que es la escala más popular para medir estas actitudes.

Metodología

La muestra incluye 4.992 compradores principales en hogares de Hong Kong, Alemania, Noruega, España y el Reino Unido. El cuestionario se distribuyó utilizando un panel de consumidores, y el trabajo de campo se llevó a cabo mediante entrevistas online asistidas por ordenador. El enfoque se basó en un análisis factorial confirmatorio y en la invariancia de las medidas, así como en un análisis del formato utilizando un método descriptivo de redacción-sintáctico-semántico.

Hallazgos

La escala refleja un enfoque de actitud basada en el objeto. Su uso ha sido muy variado (en redacción, semántica de sus redacciones y los atributos que mide). Se encuentra una estructura de dos factores que cumple con las condiciones métricas (fiabilidad y validez). Sin embargo, el análisis de invariancia muestra que la escala se comporta de manera diferente en distintos países.

Limitaciones/implicaciones de la investigación

Esta escala ofrece un buen punto de partida para medir las actitudes hacia los productos orgánicos, pero requiere un refinamiento para adaptarse a la evolución del consumidor y para mejorar su validez métrica. Se recomienda verificar su aplicabilidad en los estudios internacionales comparados.

Originalidad/valor

Este es el primer estudio que evalúa el formato y las características cuantitativas de esta escala a nivel internacional. Para los académicos y las empresas con intereses internacionales, evitar el uso de escalas con propiedades deficientes a nivel transnacional puede mejorar el diseño de futuros estudios y ahorrar dinero a través de una elección más informada de la escala actitudinal.

Palabras clave

Actitudes, Productos orgánicos, Estudio transnacional, Análisis factorial confirmatorio, Validación de la escala

Tipo de trabajo

Artículo de investigación.

Details

Spanish Journal of Marketing - ESIC, vol. 24 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2444-9709

Keywords

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