Intangible Capital

Protean and boundaryless career attitudes scales: Spanish translation and validation

2012-04-28T16:33:31+02:00

Purpose: The aim of this paper is to translate into Spanish and examine the psychometric properties of the resulting Spanish version of Briscoe, Hall and DeMuth (2006)’s Protean and Boundayless Career Attitude Scale, encompassing: Self-Direction, Values-driven predispositions, Boundaryless mindset and Organizational Mobility Preference.

Design/methodology/approach: Translation of the Protean and Boundayless Career Attitude Scale was carried out using a back-translation procedure and cognitive interviews were conducted to ensure an accurate interpretation of questionnaire items. The validity and reliability of the scale were evaluated using exploratory factor analysis and Cronbach’s alpha coefficients. Finally, confirmatory factor analysis was performed to evaluate the factor structure of the modified version of the scale, which consists in those items with higher factor loadings.

Findings: The reliability coefficients of the modified scale are consistent with those reported by Briscoe et al. (2006). Nevertheless, the values-driven attitudes scale seem to measure two latent traits: strong core beliefs regarding one’s definition of career success and individual emphasis of core personal values through work (reliance on personal values when individual and organizational values do not match).

Originality/value: This is the first study which provides a Spanish translation of the Protean and Boundaryless Career Attitude Scale.

The importance of the mechanisms for the organizational coordination in the Excellence of the Spanish Transplant System

2012-04-28T17:01:28+02:00

Purpose: To analyze from an organizational perspective the main critical success factors in the National Transplant System.

Design/methodology: Deep interviews with different managerial positions at the system, the National Transplant Organization, coordination units at hospitals and local coordination authorities.

Findings: Description of the National Transplant System from a process orientation and analysis of the critical key coordination factors in the final success.

Research limitations/implications: Difficult access to quantitative data.

Practical implications: The knowledge and spread of the managerial factors that make of the Spanish National Transplant System a worldwide reference.

Social implications: To identify and explain a managerial system of excellence that can be an example for other contexts, countries, regions, social realities, etc.

Originality/value: To show the success of the system from the organizational perspective.

Factors influencing a student's decision to pursue a communications degree in Spain

2012-04-28T16:33:31+02:00

Purpose: This paper analyzes the factors that influence secondary school students’ choice of higher education options in Spain today and explores the implications and benefits of establishing provider-client relationships between universities and students.

Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative approach using questionnaires to demonstrate the hypothesis and achieve the objectives. We have prepared a questionnaire via telematic LimeSurvey application consisting of twenty-four closed questions.

Findings: Results depict that the leading criteria for Spanish students interested in pursuing studies in communication sciences were a university’s reputation and excellence and the quality of its educational programmes. In terms of sources of information related to universities and their degree programmes, Spanish communication sciences students placed the highest value on direct and experiential sources. Spanish students interested in pursuing degrees in communication sciences preferred public universities over private universities.

Research limitations: It is a descriptive paper. The sample could have been larger and have covered the entire universe of communication schools in Spain.

Practical implications: Gain in-depth insight into the academic, cultural, and sociodemographic characteristics of students who choose to pursue an undergraduate degree in communications sciences in Spain.Ascertain which sources of information proved to be the most valuable to prospective students in choosing a university and degree programme and the other factors that influenced their choices by means of a survey involving first-year undergraduate communication sciences students. Use the results of this survey to rank the criteria used by students when choosing a university and degree programme. Gain a clearer picture of how parents and friends influence a student’s choice of degree programmes and universities.

Social implications: Knowing the factors of choice and sources of information that define his choice of the University and the Faculty of Communication Sciences and analyze if there is an adequate marketing specifically university.

Originality/value: Today’s universities must operate in much the same manner as businesses and corporations in order to survive. This new scenario pits one university against another in a race to attract the highest number of incoming students.Knowing the preferences of college-age students and the factors that influence their choice of a university has become increasingly crucial for institutions of higher education. This study sets out to determine not only the overall factors that determine a student’s choice in Spain, but also specifically what students who have chosen to pursue a university career in communications science look for when deciding where they will earn a degree in that discipline.

The human resources development through mentoring: The Spanish case

2012-04-30T14:19:18+02:00

Purpose: Mentoring is a practice to encourage the development of human resources increasingly used by companies. However, research on the subject still presents many aspects that have not been sufficiently addressed. Thus, the aim of this study is analyze the effects of this practice and its benefits in individuals and businesses, exposing a series of practical guidelines for its use to be effective. Then, we proceed to contrast the previous approaches, analyzing the impact of mentoring on performance, both organizational and individual levels in a sample of Spanish companies. The results show that there is a direct causal relationship between the use of mentoring programs and growth of the company and its human capital.

Design/methodology: Following the theoretical approach we proceed to test the hypotheses using structural equation methodology and confirmatory factor analysis of the measurement scales.

Findings: The results show the existence of a causal and direct effect of the implementation of mentoring and businesses performance. This validated the theoretical approaches formulated and contribute to a deeper understanding of this practice, its conditions of effectiveness and benefits of the company.

Practical implications: Mentoring begins with the incorporation of the protégé (an employee with capacity for promotion and improvement and his career plan includes the use of this technique). From this moment, the next step is to choose a mentor, usually someone more experienced and knowledgeable about the organization. Much of the success of mentoring is based on the proper choice of the mentor, must be analyzed so thoroughly, so that the mentor-mentee pair has affinity, trust and develop in a climate. On the other hand, helps to provide mentoring and socializing new employees, as the mentor acts as a transmitter of knowledge and information about the company culture, values, norms, strategies, prepares professionals coming or for other countries, improving adaptation and knowledge of the country's pupil involved in the mentoring process, get ready to rise to positions of increasing responsibility in the company, according to their career plans and strategy of the organization.

Originality/value: This work enables the advancement in knowledge of mentoring in business and provides empirical evidence of its usefulness to staff of human resources.

An analysis of the variables that provide a supply chain with sustainable competitiveness

2012-04-28T16:55:42+02:00

Purpose: An agile, adaptable and aligned (Triple A) supply chain (SC) would seem to be key to obtaining sustainable competitive advantages. Little previous research has been done into the topic, however, and there are even discrepancies on the conceptual level. For this reason this study aims to propose a reference framework to determine the dimensions and factors that define agility, adaptability and alignment in the SC and to facilitate both the evaluation of its state by managers and researchers with respect to these variables and also the development of empirical research that determines its impact on performance.

Design/methodology: A systematic literature review was carried out of specialist Operations Management, Logistics, Management and Supply Chain Management journals using the ProQuest (Abi/Inform Global) database. The articles retrieved were examined and those that were relevant for this study were selected. Using these, a qualitative analysis was done that led to the proposed goal being achieved. Findings: This study sets out the definitions, dimensions and factors of the three variables and groups them together for the first time, thus providing a solid conceptual frame. Although the number of articles that analyse one or other of the variables is growing, it is still low. Agility is the variable on which most research has been done, while adaptability is the least analysed.

Research limitations/implications: A theoretical reference framework is proposed for the Triple A in the SC based on earlier studies which do not discuss the joint effect of three variables, as a result of which there is no tested theoretical base. The model will be analysed empirically in future research.

Originality/value: The lack of papers on agility, adaptability and alignment in the supply chain and the lack of a consensus regarding the dimensions and factors to define them reveal a need for studies such as this.

Online mixted sampling: An application in hidden populations

2012-04-28T16:33:31+02:00

Purpose: The objective of the article is to explore the possibilities offered by new technologies and virtual social networks for the recruitment of sampling units in hidden populations and as a support of the use of mixed methods.

Design/methodology: The objective was to identify Argentinean entrepreneurs who start their business in Spain. The observation unit has the characteristics of a hidden population: 1) high geographic dispersion which makes it difficult to localize them; 2) underestimation of the size of Argentinean residents in the official statistics; 3) Argentinean residents in illegal situation; and, 4) in some cases, the factors that led the emigration were negative, making them reluctant to answer. In this context, the researchers used (1) an online virtual sampling and, (2) the traditional snowball sampling. The online virtual sampling was carried out by using a social network (Facebook) through which 52 virtual groups of ‘Argentinean living in Spain’ were identified. Subsequently, each member was contacted by an individual message which explained the aim of the research and invited them to participate in the study.

Findings: Through the development of this study, it was possible to prove that the use of virtual groups in social networks led to detect observation units that are not registered officially (administrative register, census, etc.). This finding contributed to increase the scope and size of the sample, it favoured the design of the qualitative sample and the triangulation of the results. Therefore, it increased the validity of the hidden population.

Originality/value: The article presents an experience of application of virtual sampling and mixed methods in the study of hidden populations. In particular, it analysed Argentinean immigrant entrepreneurs by using virtual groups as a source of information.

Olive Oil intangibility for competitive advantage

2012-04-28T16:33:31+02:00

Purpose: New strategies and its uses to commercial reposition of the olive oil through the intangibles assets.

Design/methodology/approach: The theoretical framework application of the olive oil intangibility and to concept the intangible assets and statistical research quantitative development to valorize the concepts.

Findings: It proposes a conceptualization of the intangibles assets to create the olive oil concept, beyond to alimentary set. Conceptualization of the development of the intangibility of the olive oil responds to a repositioning strategy of the product in front of the competition in a globalization markets place.

Research limitations/implications: The research begins from the use limitation in a statistical method demanding reliability margin, but really diffuse, given that the improvement of olive oil consumption is only 5% in the vegetables oils markets.

Practical implications: The research proposes the intangibilities and characteristics of the olive oil. This isn´t new, it simply is a conceptualization of diary aspects but without importance, above all with the differentiation elements to competition actually. The commercial positioning of the product needs new strategies of differentiation and the olive oil can use the intangibles to confirm it means to justify the price expensive than other vegetable oils.

Social implications: The oleo sector is in a fragile important situation to commercial depression, and that take the olive farmers from the rural areas. This information impact directly to the people to lose rent levels that they are suffering in last years.

Originality/value: The olive oil is a characteristic product of the Mediterranean culture, and the research helps to conceptualize all the aspects that confirm the history and story of the olive oil from thousands years ago, and their means have been lost in this time. The repositioning of the product is characteristic of our way of live.