Environmental diversity in recreational choice modelling

The accuracy of environmental valuation studies relies, to a great extent, on the suitability of the proxy measures used to capture individuals' preferences. While important advances have been achieved in the last years concerning the characterization of the physical background in which recreational choices are made, Travel Cost Method applications have failed to consider the heterogeneity of landscape and the spatial configuration of land use. This paper presents an empirical application to forest recreation in Mallorca (Spain), implementing a random parameter logit model to evaluate in terms of goodness-of-fit, model predictions and welfare measurements the effects of environmental diversity on the recreational site-choice process.     

Tourism and the economy of Puerto Rico: an input-output approach

Tourist expenditure in Puerto Rico increased by 10.1% per annum during the 1970s, contributing significantly to the economy. Using the econometric model of the Puerto Rico Planning Board (outlined in an appendix) this paper aims to analyse the impact of tourism on the gross domestic product (GDP), the output, and the employment of Puerto Rico. Results show that although tourism only accounts for about 5.0% of GDP, it is important in terms of its direct and indirect linkages to other sectors of the economy, and also has significant impact on job creation.     

Influence of Corporate Social Responsibility on Loyalty and Valuation of Services

The study of corporate social responsibility has been the object of much research in recent decades, although there is a need to continue investigating its benefits as a marketing tool. In the current work we adopt a multi-dimensional perspective of social responsibility, and we carry out market research to determine the perceptions of users of mobile telephone services about economic, legal, ethical and social aspects of their operating companies. With these data we determine the structure and components of the concept of social responsibility. Subsequently, this is related with the overall evaluation of the service and loyalty by means of a model of structural equations, in order to determine the influence of corporate social responsibility on these concepts, and hence its benefits as a commercial tool. Dr. Ma del Mar García de los Salmones is Professor of Marketing at the University of Cantabria (Spain). Her current research interests include corporate social responsibility, brand image and consumer behaviour. She received her Ph.D. in Business Administration in 2002 with her work “Corporate Image as a Key Variable in Firm Choice: Identity and Positioning of Mobile Phone Business”. Dr. ángel Herrero is Professor of Marketing at the University of Cantabria (Spain). His current research interests include consumer behaviour, e-commerce and corporate social responsibility. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Cantabria in 2002 for his work on “The Process of Adoption of a New Sales System: An Application to B2C e-commerce”. Dr. Ignacio Rodríguez del Bosque Rodríguez is Professor of Marketing at the University of Cantabria (Spain). His areas of research include business communication, relationship marketing and distribution channels. His works have previously been published in the several international journals, like Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Tourism Management and Industrial Marketing Management.     

Attachment styles and customers' long-term relationships in a service context

The main objective of this study is to use attachment styles theory to explore long-term relationships in a service context using the mobile market as a case study. Attachment theory focuses on the primary link between maternal loss or deprivation and later personality development. This theory was extended to adult life and commercial contexts. Three attachment styles (secure, avoidant, and anxious) were used as the independent variables. Commitment and trust, as constructs of any relationship, were employed as the mediating variables, while intention to stay and cooperation were adopted as the dependent variables, as indicators of long-term commercial relationships. A random sample of 1024 members of an online panel participated in the online survey. Structural equation modelling was performed to measure the validity of the constructs through confirmatory factor analysis, and to assess the hypothesized model as a single theoretical structure using path analysis. Associations were found between most of the study variables. Significant mediation effects were found between attachment styles and long-term relationship indicators, intention to stay, and cooperation, with trust and commitment as the mediators. This study employs a unique theoretical model that has not been previously tested. The model and findings demonstrate that primary psychological structures play a role in creating and maintaining long-term relationships.     

Proposal and validation of a financial protection perception scale

This article proposes and validates a financial protection perception scale (FPPS) from the perspective of the financial services consumer. The scale was applied to a sample of 1137 individuals residing in Brazil and validated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis and standard multivariate validation methods. The FPPS, composed of 14 items, allows the development of an indicator that defines the level of protection perceived by the consumer of financial services, evaluated along the dimensions of transparency, suitability, security, and complaints. The tests and fit indices indicated the reliability and validity of the FPPS. With this scale, researchers, managers, and policymakers can assess the extent to which consumers feel protected when using financial services.     

The links between active cooperation and eco-innovation orientation of firms: A multi-analysis study

The environmental orientation of companies is key for firms to gain a competitive advantage against peers. However, the high level of novelty and uncertainty involved with eco-innovations requires additional knowledge and capabilities that go beyond the firm and that can be achieved through cooperation. Thus, it is crucial to analyse how cooperation affects the elements that drive eco-innovation. This study tests the impact of cooperation on the environmental orientation of companies while innovating using structural equation modelling with partial least squares and multigroup analysis and a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis for a sample of Spanish companies. Results suggest that companies that do not cooperate are less eco-innovation-oriented and show lower dependence on external information sources, although their impact on the orientation to product and process innovation is higher. This work leads to some theoretical conclusions and implications for researchers and practitioners.     

Flows into tourist areas: an econometric approach

The globalisation of the tourism industry has led to a horizontal and vertical penetration of firms, leading to strong competition in all tourist centres. In light of these circumstances there is a need to develop strategies that encourage entrepreneurial actions and help firms to design the most competitive tourism offer possible. For the development of these strategies, the current work attempts to identify the degree of interrelation existing between the different tourist markets. Specifically, the study is based on an analysis of the evolution in the relations between the main tourist‐receiving centres in Spain. It identifies the short‐ and long‐term dynamic relations existing between them, and determines their degree of interdependence and any potential leadership relations between them. The methodology used is the one underlying Cointegration theory and vector autoregressive theory, together with forecast error variance decomposition and the impulse‐response function. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.