Open Access
Factores determinantes de la rentabilidad económica de empresas innovadoras agroalimentarias: un análisis multinivel con datos longitudinales
(Universitat Politècnica de València, 2014) Zouaghi, Ferdaous; García Álvarez-Coque, J. M.; Sánchez García, Mercedes; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa
Este estudio tiene como objetivo investigar el papel de los factores internos de la empresa y las características del entorno macroeconómico como la ubicación geográfica (factor territorial) en la rentabilidad económica de las empresas de la Comunidad Autónoma Valenciana. Para ello, se analizaron 215 empresas innovadoras del sector agroalimentario, las cuales operan en 46 sistemas de trabajo locales (LLS) durante el periodo 2006-2012. Se aplica un modelo jerárquico en tres niveles para determinar la importancia relativa de los efectos tiempo, empresa y territorio sobre la rentabilidad económica. Los resultados muestran que las características de la empresa son las más importantes en la explicación del rendimiento de las empresas.
Open Access
Creating value via strategic alliances in EU food sector: the role of intellectual capital in knowledge exploration
(Universidad Miguel Hernández, 2017) Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Sánchez García, Mercedes; García Martínez, Marian; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE
Co-operation may become necessary in food sector because internal resources are insufficient to monitor their partners. This study examines how EU food SMEs uses their networks and how SMEs managers can operationally leverage the value created by strategic alliances into commercially viable products. More importantly, we emphasize that the effects of collaboration partners on innovation performance can be achieved not only directly, but also via the indirect effect of firm¿s intellectual capital to enhance cross-border knowledge transfer. Using two waves of the European Community Innovation Survey (Cis-2010 and Cis-2012), those research findings are expected to provide SME food firms the availability to better reorganize their external knowledge needs when different partners are involved.
Open Access
An extended behavior model for explaining the willingness to pay to reduce the air pollution in road transportation
(Elsevier, 2021) Sánchez García, Mercedes; Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Lera López, Fernando; Faulín Fajardo, Javier; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Ekonomia; Estatistika, Informatika eta Matematika; Institute on Innovation and Sustainable Development in Food Chain - ISFOOD; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE; Institute of Smart Cities - ISC; Gestión de Empresas; Economía; Estadística, Informática y Matemáticas
Road transportation constitutes a key sector in developed countries, as an essential catalyst for economic and social activities. Nevertheless, it is relevant to emphasize the negative impacts of this activity identified in Economics as negative externalities. At the European Union, road transportation is the main cause of the air pollution impact on the population. Thus, this study explores the factors that influence the willingness to pay (WTP) on behalf of the citizens to reduce air pollution generated by road transport. In doing so, we propose two fundamental theoretical frameworks to explain individual behavior towards the environment actions: the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the Value-Belief-Norm (VBN) models. A questionnaire survey with 1,612 residents was used to collect data in 65 localities located in the Spanish Pyrenees and performing a statistical analysis with the resulting data relied on application of Structural Equation Models (SEM). Moreover, the survey results highlight the importance of psychological aspects as predictors of proenvironmental behaviors. Our empirical results provide a novel contribution about how governments and educational policies can enhance the positive attitude towards environmental actions, unifying the struggle in favor of environmental protection from early childhood.
Open Access
Capturing value from alliance portfolio diversity: the mediating role of R&D human capital in high and low tech industries
(Elsevier, 2017) García Martínez, Marian; Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Sánchez García, Mercedes; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Research has demonstrated the value of external linkages to augment in-house R&D efforts; however, very little is known about how managers can operationally leverage the potential benefits of open innovation to create an innovative edge. This paper examines the value of alliance portfolio diversity and whether R&D human capital is the pathway through which alliance portfolio diversity influences innovation novelty. We reason that the absorptive capacity of R&D human capital determines a firm's potential gains from highly diverse alliance portfolios. Using data from the Spanish Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for the period 2005–2012, results support the curvilinear (inverted U-shaped) association between alliance portfolio diversity and firm innovation performance reported in studies, suggesting that not only too little, but also too much alliance portfolio diversity may be detrimental to firm innovation performance. Findings emphasise the value of alliance portfolio diversity in high-technology industries to achieve explorative performance objectives, given the technological complexity, market uncertainty and the divergent skill sets required for breakthrough innovations in these sectors. Further, we find evidence that R&D human capital plays an important role in innovation novelty by partially mediating the relationship between alliance partner diversity and firm innovation performance, emphasising the importance of internal capabilities to harness external knowledge assets. This study provides valuable insights to managers aiming to increase the effectiveness of their alliance portfolios.
Open Access
Casting a wide net for innovation: mediating effect of R&D human and social capital to unlock the value from alliance portfolio diversity
(Wiley, 2019) García Martínez, Marian; Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Sánchez García, Mercedes; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE; Gestión de Empresas; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
This paper examines the performance effects associated with different alliance portfolio configurations in terms of geographical location and partner type. Based on these distinctions, the authors hypothesize that more diverse alliance portfolios enable firms to gain and exploit innovation opportunities. Additionally, the mediating effects of R&D human and social capital on the R&D alliance portfolio diversity-innovation performance relationship are explored. The authors reason that the absorptive capacity of R&D intellectual capital determines a firm's potential gains from highly diverse alliance portfolios. From panel data of manufacturing firms in Spain for the period 2008-2013, the results confirm the inverted U-shaped relationship between alliance portfolio diversity and firm innovation performance, implying that both insufficient and excessive alliance portfolio diversity may be detrimental to firm innovativeness. Additionally, R&D human and social capital partially mediates the R&D alliance diversity-innovation performance relationship, emphasizing the importance of internal capabilities to leverage the benefits of highly diverse alliance portfolios. These findings add a dynamic dimension to the conceptualization of alliance portfolios and how firms create value by balancing explorative and exploitative alliances.
Open Access
How do both firm-level resources and country-level competitiveness shape the relationship between alliance portfolio diversity and radical innovation? A comparison between the food and other manufacturing industries
(Wiley, 2024) Ancín Rípodas, María; Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Sánchez García, Mercedes; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
This study examines how European food companies can operationally leverage the value created by strategic alliances into commercially viable products. More importantly, it emphasizes that the effects of alliance portfolio diversity (APD) on radical innovation performance can be achieved not only directly, but also via moderating roles, that is, the firm's social capital and the level of competitiveness of the country. Using three waves of the European Community Innovation Survey, our results show that the optimal level of APD varied depending on the industry in which the company operates (food manufacturing industry vs. the rest of manufacturing industries). Furthermore, social capital seems to be a crucial factor to mitigate the difficulties of leveraging very diverse knowledge from partners, especially in the food manufacturing industry. Moreover, the external environmental context where the firm is operating, measured as the growth competitive index that reflects the competitive level of the country, was shown to have an influence on the firms' innovative efforts.[EconLit Citations: M10, 013, 036].
Open Access
Did the global financial crisis impact firms' innovation performance? The role of internal and external knowledge capabilities in high and low tech industries
(Elsevier, 2018) Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Sánchez García, Mercedes; García Martínez, Marian; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
This paper examines the role exerted by internal innovation efforts and external knowledge assets as dynamic capabilities to overcome adverse economic conditions. Additionally, we examine the differential impacts of the financial crisis in high and low-tech industries. Using panel data of manufacturing firms in Spain for the period 2006–2013, our results show that maintaining strong internal and external knowledge capabilities enables firms to mitigate the effects of the financial crisis. Findings emphasize the value of human capital, by enabling internal capabilities, as a coping mechanisms in low-tech sectors during the financial downturn. Similarly, open innovation allows firms to minimise the resources limitations and risk surrounding innovation, particularly during the financial crisis. This study provides valuable insights to managers aiming to develop strong internal knowledge bases to remain competitive under uncertain financial conditions.
Open Access
Geographical and cognitive proximity effects on innovation performance: which types of proximity for which types of innovation?
(Wiley, 2024) García Martínez, Marian; Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Sánchez García, Mercedes; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
The purpose of the paper is to explore the multi-dimensional and intersecting nature of proximity to drive innovation performance. Applying a multidimensional proximity framework, the study provides a deeper understanding of the importance of substitution and overlap mechanisms in the relation between geographical and cognitive proximity dimensions in innovation performance. The paper further analyses the moderation effect of organisational innovation in this relationship. Multivariate analysis proves the interaction effects between geographical and cognitive proximity, where cognitive proximity both substitutes and complements geographical proximity. However, external knowledge search for innovation along proximity dimensions differs depending on the type of innovation. Our findings corroborate the proximity paradox caused by lock-in effects with the optimal level of proximity influenced by the interdependencies between proximity dimensions. This inverse U-shaped relationship is flatter for firms that have adopted organisational innovation. External knowledge linkages should be tailored to the favourable characteristic of proximity to enhance firm innovation performance.
Open Access
What drives firm profitability? A multilevel approach to the Spanish agri-food sector
(Instituto Nacional de Investigacion y Tecnologia Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), 2017) Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Sánchez García, Mercedes; Hirsch, Stefan; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Institute for Advanced Research in Business and Economics - INARBE; Gestión de Empresas
Strategic management research has demonstrated the importance of firm- and industry structure as drivers of firm profitability. However, less is known about how firms´ geographical locations affect profitability. Applying a multi-level approach of hierarchical linear modeling we estimated firm-, industry-, and region-specific effects on profitability of 3,273 agri-food firms operating in different Spanish districts over the time span 2006-2013. The results reveal the dominance of firm-specific effects which contribute up to 48.8% to variance in firm profitability while the contribution of industry effects (0.8-4.2%), geographical location (0.1-1.8%), and year effects (0.1-2.5%) is rather small. Moreover, firm size, risk, and innovative activity turn out as significant profit drivers at the firm level. Although firm-effects outweigh industry- and region-specific factors, the results indicate that industry concentration as well as regional education and unemployment influence profitability. In addition, proximity to technological institutes as well as the degree of urbanization of the region in which a firm operates can be drivers of profitability. Hence, despite the superiority of firm effects the results indicate that agri-food managers should also consider possible advantages from location-based resources in order to ensure competitiveness.
Open Access
Has the global financial crisis had different effects on innovation performance in the agri-food sector by comparison to the rest of the economy?
(Elsevier, 2016) Zouaghi, Ferdaous; Sánchez García, Mercedes; Gestión de Empresas; Enpresen Kudeaketa; Universidad Pública de Navarra / Nafarroako Unibertsitate Publikoa
Background. The globalization and expansion of financial markets and the current economic crisis are changing the rules. Innovation has ceased to be part of the business strategy in many companies. However, in other companies innovation still plays a fundamental role in the improvement of performance and in maintaining competitive advantages in today's global markets. This is particularly the case in the agri-food industry; we will see here how innovations have become an important instrument for companies in this sector. Scope and approach. The main purpose is to determine the impact of this global financial crisis on the probability of firms introducing technological and non-technological innovations as well as on radical and incremental innovations and the use of innovation inputs. The analysis is based on panel data from the Technological Innovation Panel (PITEC) for Spanish firms between 2008 and 2012. We estimated random-effects Logit and Tobit models. Key findings and conclusions. This manuscript explores that the economic crisis has had a significant and negative impact on firms' innovative performance and on the effort made by the firms in assigning resources for R&D. A crisis affects technological innovations to a greater extent, as well as small companies, those which carry out less internal R&D and cooperation efforts. However, innovating firms are proved to obtain better results both in economic and productive terms. Further to that, the agri-food sector innovative behavior has been less affected by the crisis than the rest of the economic sectors.