Towards a new approach of destination loyalty drivers: satisfaction,visit intensity and tourist motivations

This study explores the linear and non-linear effects of previous experiences in a tourist destination (satisfaction and visit intensity) on the intention to return and to make a positive recommendation to others. We also consider the external drivers or the appeal of the destination as well as individuals' internal drivers as moderating factors in intensity–loyalty and satisfaction–loyalty relations. The analysis conducted on a sample of 687 tourists in a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Spain supports a non-linear effect of satisfaction on the intention to return. Moreover, time intense and expenditure intense visits positively impact the intention to return when the motivation for the trip is internal, yet have a negative effect if tourist motives are external.     

Hotels’ corporate social responsibility practices,organizational culture,firm reputation,and performance

Corporate social responsibility (CSR) practices are considered one of the key success factors influencing firm performance. However, how CSR practices should be integrated into an organization’s business practices has not been investigated empirically. The present research proposes an integrated model incorporating the interrelationships among CSR practices, organizational culture, and corporate reputation to improve firm performance in the hotel industry. The proposed model is developed using stakeholder theory and the perceptions of the general managers. According to the study’s results, organizational culture influences different dimensions of CSR. The results further indicate that hotels using CSR practices related to employees and customers strengthen their reputation. Through improved reputation, CSR practices positively influence firm performance. Furthermore, hotel managers perceive that CSR activities in the local community and related to the environment do not significantly affect a hotel’s reputation. Theoretical and practical implications are provided, and the limitations of the study and future lines of research are discussed.     

The relationship between house prices and house purchase loans: The Spanish case

This paper looks at recent developments in house purchase loans and house prices in Spain and the linkages between them. It aims at identifying deviations of these variables from their equilibrium levels, and for this purpose, we estimate a vector error-correction model. The results show that both variables are interdependent in the long-run and that both variables were above their equilibrium level by the end of the sample period (2009:Q1). The paper also offers insight into how overvaluation (overindebtedness) in house prices can lead to a false sense of no overindebtedness (house prices overvaluation).     

Selecting the governance mode when offshoring knowledge-intensive activities

The offshoring phenomenon has evolved in recent years, and can be understood from a threefold perspective: first, the evolution in the type of activity being offshored; second, the learning curve involving both the companies implementing offshoring and service providers; and third, the reasons for offshoring. This study proposes an empirical framework that will allow us to explore the interaction between the type of activity (specifically knowledge-intensive) and the drivers of the decision to select the most appropriate governance mode. Specifically, our results show that market-seeking drivers become the primary determinants prompting firms to offshore knowledge-intensive activities through a captive center. In contrast, the motivation to reduce costs moderates the decision to offshore knowledge-intensive activities by nurturing a preference for offshore outsourcing. The empirical evidence is supported by multi-country data from the Offshoring Research Network.     

Across-the-border Contamination,The Andorra Power Plant (Teruel): A Business Ethics Case

The purpose of this article is to present a business ethics case from the viewpoint of discursive ethics. Dialogue and subsequent agreement constitute two key ideas of European identity and are two basic concepts of discursive ethics thinking. Our choice for this type of approach was determined by several reasons, of which there are three that should be pointed out, as they can be considered an heritage of the European way of thinking:1) the need for a rational dialogue, in which all those affected -- or, failing that, the people acting in their name -- are represented, as a way to find solutions to conflicts;2) the importance of respecting a set of conditions ensuring equal opportunities and total symmetry among the participants; and3) obliged respect for the universalization principle, which establishes that a decision is morally correct when it can or could be accepted by all those whom it affects, present or future.In order to present this case, the following steps are taken. Firstly, a brief summary of the case will be provided, defining the different ways of approaching the problem and the resulting map of interests. Secondly, the different interests and values, which came into play, are analysed. Finally, we go over the different approaches that were made to reach a solution before considering dialogue, which turned out to be the most decisive.     

A sensitivity analysis in a nonlinear Leontief model

Conclusion We have shown that in a nonlinear Leontief model where non-decreasing returns are allowed for, if some elements of the final demand vector are increased, then each activity level (i. e., gross output) goes up or remain unchanged and the maximum rate of increase in activity levels must be realized among those sectors for which the final demand is raised. It is also shown that this maximum rate of increase in activity levels is not greater than the maximum rate of increase in the final demands.It should be noted that we do not require the indecomposability ofA (x). WhenA (x) is indecomposable, the final demand vector can be allowed to be non-zero nonnegative, and we can derive a set of propositions similar to those presented in this article.     

Relationship of business and NGOs: an empirical analysis of strategies and mediators of their private relationship

Managing the relationship with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) is a key capability for most companies, because dialogue with stakeholders is a requested feature of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). This paper analyses the relationship between businesses and NGOs in Spain. By applying grounded theory, the authors summarize this relationship in the dynamics of conflict and cooperation. NGOs' strategies vis-à-vis companies are categorized and the variables explaining different approaches on both companies' and NGOs' side are examined. The paper concludes by placing the private relationship with NGOs in a wider context (the public arena), dominated by the approach-withdrawal dynamics between firms and NGOs. Finally, this paper presents the theory that results from this research.     

Components of art exhibition brand equity for internal and external visitors

This paper aims to explore determinants of brand equity for cultural activities from the perspective of internal as well as external visitors. Our analysis advocates four elements for brand equity in artistic and cultural activities (loyalty, brand image, perceived quality and brand values) and assesses them for the case of an itinerant art exhibition staged over the past twenty years in a region of Spain. Building on extensive literature, a model of the relationship is developed and empirically tested using survey data collected from 406 visitors. Data are analysed through Partial Least Squares. Findings suggest that external visitors attach greater importance to brand image as a determinant of value than do internal visitors, whereas for the latter brand values are the main source of value.     

Multi-dimensional analysis of perceived switching costs

The creation of switching costs for customers is an important aspect of strategic planning in today's competitive environment. These costs enable firms to address variations in customer preferences and competitor influence in attempting to gain their customers' loyalty. Although the recognition of the importance of such switching costs has long existed in a variety of contexts, the conceptualization and measurement of the construct is lacking in clarity and consistency. This study proposes that perceived switching costs (PSC) constitute a higher-order construct made up of six dimensions that reflect the customers' perception of the time, effort, and money involved in the switching process. The study also proposes that each of the six dimensions has a distinctive set of antecedents and outcomes. The test of the model is an empirical study in the Spanish insurance sector. The results confirm the validity of the higher-order formative construct of PSC and provide insights for specific strategies to address the perceptions of various customers with regard to switching costs.     

Commodity prices, trade, and poverty in Uruguay

The 2006-2008 food price spike raised concerns about the impact of high commodity prices on poverty in developing countries. This paper addresses these concerns in relation to Uruguay, a small country that exports agricultural commodities and imports fuels. Applying a general equilibrium model, we find that, as a whole, an increase in commodity prices has a positive effect on the economy of Uruguay. Benefits obtained through a growth in export activities are partially outweighed by an increase in crude oil prices. In this context, extreme poverty increases. As in other countries, the increase in food prices affects the already poor population, who become even poorer. This fact highlights the need for policies that mitigate the negative effects of price shocks.