Carlos Devece

Website Effectiveness for Tourism Accommodation Companies

Being well positioned among the Internet search results of potential clients can be an important choice criterion for the customer. In this work, we analyse the online visibility concept, alongside with the Web design, taking into account the different search strategies of Internet users and proposing a method to measure website effectiveness for small- and medium-sized accommodation companies. Current online visibility measurement methods are based on measuring the number of links from other websites, listings in online directories, and online search visibility. These methods are focused on brand visibility but they do not take into account average customer search preferences. In this study, we propose a method based on the Internet search results of a potential customer sample, taking into account the information sought and the habits of the average customer. The method was tested measuring the online visibility of a sample of small- and medium-sized hotels. The conclusions extracted from this test are that the difficulties found in an objective procedure for imitating an actual costumer’s search behaviour can be overcome by the evaluation of online visibility by real costumers.

Linking the Development of Teamwork and Communication Skills in Higher Education

The development of generic skills and competencies in higher education is paramount, according to the new educational philosophy fostered by the Bologna process. These competencies, abilities and skills include teamwork, oral and written communication, problem solving, analysis, critical evaluation, information literacy, and information analysis. They are developed throughout all courses and subjects, and are usually taught and evaluated independently, and lack any clear structure or coordination. In some cases, generic competencies are acquired gradually, from beginner to advanced level, on an ad hoc basis.

Leadership Styles and Entrepreneurship

This paper reviews the main leadership styles and analyzes their effect on entrepreneurship. They determine how the relationship of entrepreneurs with their work teams is key to achieving higher organizational performance. It also analyzes under what circumstances a particular leadership style may be more appropriate depending on the environment of each company. The leaders of an organization must commit to the digital transformation of the organization and, therefore, promote the improvement of its efficiency, effectiveness, sustainability and innovation.

Methodology for Analysing Electrical Scenarios as a Means of Sustainable Development in Emerging Countries

Electricity is one of the main driving forces for development, especially in remote areas where access to modern energy is linked to poverty. One of the main challenges of the international community is to minimize the inequality of energy services between OECD and developing countries. According to many different organizations, such as the United Nations, the World Bank or the International Energy Agency, electricity provides the necessary framework for economic, social and human progress with deep effect on productivity, health, education, climate change, food and water security, and communication services. The need for sustainability in the electrical sector forces to introduce as much as possible renewable sources in any scenario considered, covering the electrical needs of every country. The most extreme solution, that one assuming a 100% coverage of these electrical needs by renewable sources, could be impossible to apply for different reasons: reliability of the system, renewable resources availability, economic viability, and many others. A methodology that enables to deduce the realistic level of participation of renewable energies in the electrical scenario in each particular case is required. Such methodology should take into account all the factors involved and, by conciliating the different constraints imposed by each of them, find the maximum level of renewable energy possible in the system. This chapter describes the basis of this methodology to address that problem by taking into account demand, generation, level of resources and technologies.

Information Systems Strategy and its Relationship With Innovation Differentiation and Organizational Performance

ABSTRACT This study, from the resource-based view, analyzes the different typologies of information systems (IS) strategy and their effects on firms’ innovation differentiation strategy and performance. Distinguishing between innovative and conservative IS strategy, results from the Spanish food industry show that an innovative IS strategy has a stronger direct effect on organizational performance, but that a conservative IS strategy can be a safer way to support the innovation differentiation strategy of firms.

Environmental Performance: Interplay Between the Roles of Process Innovation Capability and Managerial Innovation Implementation

Unlike a large portion of previous innovation research that has focused on performance consequences of the adoption of technological innovations, this study focuses on the benefits gained from the implementation of managerial innovations. We examine the mediating role of managerial innovation implementation on the influences of technological process innovation capability and pressure from external stakeholders on environmental performance. We develop hypotheses and test them using survey data from 192 ISO 14001 certified facilities in the US. The results suggest that extent of implementation partially mediate the effect of process innovation capability but fully mediate the effect of external pressure on environmental performance. We discuss the implications of these findings for research and practice on the implementation of managerial innovations.