Collaboration for R&D Projects between the Industry and External Agents: Evidence from Manufacturing Companies in Peru

In this article we use the innovation survey of the manufacturing industry of Peru to identify cooperation behaviors for research and development (R&D) projects among companies and external agents in general. Likewise, we also find cooperation behaviors among the industry and the following external agents: university, technical centers, suppliers, customers, and companies of the same group, competitors, guilds, and consultants. Within the specific agents, the university is considered a cooperation agent for R&D projects. We use the survey of innovation in the manufacturing industry of Peru conducted in 2015, which resulted in 1447 Peruvian companies being surveyed. Evidence was obtained as to the degree of the tie between the industry and external agents for cooperation in R&D projects, giving relevance to variables such as investment, resources, and degree of innovation. Our results show that investment is an important factor for cooperation with external agents. Additionally, companies that have innovated at some point seek to cooperate with external agents. Finally, the importance of the university is demonstrable, thus, companies that invest in R&D seek to cooperate with the university.     

An empirical approach to the organisational determinants of spin-off creation in European universities

Given the importance in recent years of the phenomenon of academic entrepreneurship in European universities, knowledge about determinants and performance of this technology transfer mechanism may have important managerial and policy implications. Applying the resource-based view at universities, we have tested the influence of five bundles of resources and capabilities on spin-off activity rates as well as on the performance of new spin-offs in a sample of seven European universities. These five bundles are: technology transfer policies and strategies; human capital; stock of technology; resources and capabilities of technology transfer offices; and support measures for academic entrepreneurship. Our results show that excellence of human capital and the presence of university-based financial support measures are strongly associated with both spin-off activity and performance. Another interesting finding is related to the availability of university-based non-economic support measures (training, counselling, etc.), which have no influence on spin-off activity but are significantly associated with performance of new spin-offs. We also discuss some interesting relationships between explanatory variables.     

Management factors affecting the performance of technology firms

This paper analyzes high-technology firms within the European Union to determine the factors that influence performance through business productivity. The study examines six different factors that are representative of entrepreneurial activity, firstly from a purely business standpoint, and subsequently from the areas of production and technology, human resources, strategy and marketing and, lastly, the economic-financial area. Results indicate a direct relation between productivity and factors such as private borrowing, dynamism or using price as a strategic factor, while the reverse is true for concepts such as family resources, level of investment in R&D or training programs.     

The role of Spanish local development and employment officers in human resource management

The aim of this study is to contrast the existence of a significant relation between good human resource practices and business results. The empirical analysis is applied to strategies implemented by Local Development and Employment Officers (LDEOs) with regard to the management of social integration and job placement programs within the context of Local Development in Spain for both the universalist and contingent perspectives of Human Resource Management. The novelty of this study lies in the impact local development programs are having on social integration and job placement, and, in particular, the effects of project management.     

Suppliers’ Participation in a Single Buyer Electronic Market

Business to business (B2B) is the fastest growing segment of the explosive growth of e-commerce. The purpose of this study is to identify internal factors which influence the supplier’s intention to adopt private exchange (PE), a single buyer side electronic market (EM). This study identified cost, flexibility, delivery, and quality as internal capabilities and investigated how these four factors influence suppliers’ participation in PE. The results of the study indicate the following: (1) suppliers do not believe that their capability to produce customized products for customers plays an important role in PE; (2) they still believe that standardized rather than engineered products would dominate the marketplace; and (3) a contractible factor like lower price, rather than non-contractible factors including superior flexibility of production capability, fast and reliable delivery, and quality, plays an important role in the PE.     

Linking globalization of entrepreneurship in small organizations

The field of entrepreneurship spans a wide variety of topic areas, and among the most important is that of the small and medium-sized enterprise (SME). The aim of this paper is to link entrepreneurship and SMEs. Attempting to generalize the outcomes of entrepreneurship in small organizations from different sectors, countries or industries should be activities that are part of daily life on an international scale. In extracting and transferring the outcomes of this research into entrepreneurship and SMEs, policy makers should see an aspect that must be consolidated within the environment of international globalization that surrounds us. It should not be forgotten that what starts out as small (i.e. an SME) can become large over time and this entrepreneurship can form a part of a new organizational structure. A brief overview of the contents of each of the articles included in this special issue on the globalization of entrepreneurship in small organizations is also presented herein.      

Trust and community building in the Doñana (Spain) toxic spill disaster

Appeals to public participation and, more generally, to a wider involvement of civic networks in the management of environmental conflicts are becoming more common after the difficulties that both the Market and the State appear to have in regulating these conflicts. The concern of this paper is with how central elements in civic society, such as interpersonal trust and community-building mechanisms, are influenced by environmental catastrophes. The case of the toxic spill disaster in Doñana, Spain, is presented in order to examine whether this accident had any effect on interpersonal trust and the mobilization of civic networks in the area. From the analysis, it can be concluded that involvement of civic networks in the management of these situations depends on the magnitude (real or perceived) of the disaster but also on the performance of public institutions regarding the event.