Julia Nieves

The Role of Social Networks in Knowledge Creation

It is a basic principle of literature that social networks allow their members to access new knowledge. The exchange and combination of knowledge that these networks provide is widely recognized as an antecedent of knowledge creation. By reviewing the main contributions of literature that link social networks to knowledge creation and innovation, we intend to explore how different types of networks, as well as the different dimensions of their social capital, influence innovative performance. An exhaustive coverage of prior literature has been carried out in order to locate all the relevant previous work. The analysis shows up the complex relationship between social networks’ diverse facets and their members’ capacity to create knowledge. The strategies defined for knowledge searching can condition which is the most appropriate type of network. In turn, the type of network can determine the most suitable structural and relational embeddedness. Hence, the decision to participate in social networks requires taking into consideration the different environments of these networks and also the singular aspects they present.

Human resource practices and innovation in the hotel industry: The mediating role of human capital:

Recent investigations suggest that human resource practices influence organisational performance through their effect on key mediating variables. However, the link between human resource management practices and innovation performance is yet to be determined and little is known about the variables that can mediate this relation. The diverse results of studies in this field seem to suggest that the sector of activity may determine specific aspects of this relation. By analysing data from a single industry, this paper aims to increase understanding of the mediating role of human capital in the relation between human resource management practices and innovation. Data from a survey of 109 firms managing hotel establishments in Spain show that, in the hotel industry, some human resource management practices affect innovation through their influence on human capital. Recruitment and selection human resource management practices, however, do not enhance the level of human capital of the firms studied, although they do determine their innovation performance.

Organizational knowledge and collaborative human resource practices as determinants of innovation

A basic premise of the literature states that innovation depends on the ability of firms to manage knowledge. However, despite the major role of services in the economy, studies that assess the role of knowledge in innovation performance are particularly limited in this sector. Moreover, knowledge and human resource practices are intrinsically related concepts, as it is people who generate processes and refine knowledge. An empirical analysis is conducted on the role of organizational knowledge and collaborative human resource practices in innovation performance. The results show that: (i) existing knowledge in a certain domain provides a base for introducing innovations into the domain; (ii) knowledge of a more general nature favours the introduction of various types of innovation; (iii) collaborative human resource practices are an antecedent of product innovation; and (iv) development of organizational knowledge may be based on a broader perspective associated with human resource management.

Commitment-based HR systems and organizational outcomes in services

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the implementation of a set of commitment-based HR practices and explores their impact on three categories of organizational outcomes. Design/methodology/approach Cross-sectional study based on a survey. Multiple regression analysis was applied to test the hypotheses proposed. Findings The results show that commitment-based HR practices make up a system that presents internal consistency and favours HR performance and operational outcomes, as well as contributing to financial outcomes through the mediator role of innovation. Research limitations/implications The HR practices were measured based on the perception of only one informant per company, normally the manager. Practical implications This study makes it possible to draw relevant conclusions in a sector (hotel industry) that lacks references about the role of a system of commitment-based HR practices in achieving organizational outcomes. The use of a sample of homogeneous firms provides managers with valuable and specific information about the sector that can foster the adoption of commitment-based HR practices by hotel firms. Originality/value This paper contributes to better know how HR practices based on commitment foster employees’ willingness to engage in the strategic objectives established by the organization from the systems perspective. Furthermore the research contributes to the understanding of these practices in an important economic industry, such as it is the hospitality sector, in which research had traditionally placed little emphasis on this kind of analysis.

Antecedents and outcomes of marketing innovation: An empirical analysis in the hotel industry

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the influence of knowledge resources on marketing innovation and the way learning capability mediates this relationship. In addition, it evaluates the effect of marketing innovation on the financial performance of hotel firms. Design/methodology/approach Data from a survey conducted in companies that operate hotel establishments are analyzed using structural equation modelling (SEM). The SEM technique makes it possible to evaluate the multiple and intersected relationships existing among the variables under study. Findings Collective knowledge has a direct influence on marketing innovation and an indirect effect through the learning capability, but the influence of the knowledge held by individuals on marketing innovation is exercised through the learning capability. In turn, both the learning capability and marketing innovation favor the financial performance of hotel firms. Research limitations/implications The study shows that intangible resources play an important role in achieving marketing innovation and financial performance. Because the hospitality industry is composed of firms with different characteristics, it would be relevant to confirm the model in other hospitality businesses. Future studies could analyze possible links between marketing innovation and other types of performance. Practical implications Hotel firms can reach higher performance levels if they invest in developing the employees’ knowledge and, fundamentally, in fomenting a higher level of collective knowledge related to the business environment in general. Likewise, the learning capability plays a relevant role in achieving performance in hotels firms. Originality/value To date, studies on innovation in the field of hospitality have mainly focused on developing new services, while other types of innovation, such as marketing innovation, have taken a backseat. Likewise, the hospitality literature has paid little attention to knowledge assets. This study deals with both topics, analyzing knowledge resources and the learning capability as possible antecedents of marketing innovation activities. Furthermore, the effect of marketing innovation on the firm’s performance is evaluated.

Organizational knowledge, dynamic capabilities and innovation in the hotel industry

Literature suggests that knowledge is one of the main resources of innovative activity. Even more important than the existing knowledge in a firm, is its capacity to renovate its knowledge resources in order to adapt them to changing environment, that is to say, to develop dynamic capabilities. However, empirical research on variables that support such capabilities is scarce. Likewise, very little is known regarding the influence of these dynamic capabilities on organizational performance. Furthermore, empirical studies have analysed these topics mainly in the manufacturing sector and research is particularly rare regarding the hospitality industry. In order to study these matters, this paper develops and tests a comprehensive model to analyse the multiple and simultaneous relationships among organizational knowledge, dynamic capabilities and innovation in the accommodation sector. Results show that knowledge and knowledge-based processes play an outstanding role to foster innovation in the hotel firms.

Vingt Ans Après: Analysis of WG 3.7’s Published Work on Information Technology in Educational Management (1994–2014)

In this paper, articles published in the proceedings of the IFIP Working Group 3.7 conferences during its twenty years of existence are reviewed. This work is a continuation of a previous one that classified the most relevant topics addressed by the Group in its first ten years and the major research methodologies adopted by the contributors to carry out their work. The paper has been structured to facilitate the comparison of the Group’s first decade of activity with the second decade. The review shows that the topic of Assimilation and Integration of IT into Educational Management continues to be the leading theme in publications. The published work by IFIP Working Group 3.7, which accounts for some 213 papers, is a good indicator of the maturity of the research on information technology in educational management (ITEM).

The Beginnings of Computer Use in Primary and Secondary Education in Spain

During the late 1970s, Spain began its political transition from a dictatorial regime to a democratic one. In the 1980s, the country evolved economically and socially in a process that was speeded up by its incorporation into the European Union. The early 1990s witnessed Spain’s entrance into the international arena, culminating with the successful organization of the Olympic Games in 1992. During these effervescent years, transformations in almost every facet of the country’s make-up also affected the educational field. In this evolving situation, microcomputers arose and were incorporated into the educational space. At the end of the 1970s, the presence of computers at the primary and secondary education levels was practically non-existent. During the 1980s, an intense governmental effort took place to massively introduce computers in classrooms through institutional plans and policies. The results were uneven, and the greatest benefit was possibly observed in the use of the computer to manage schools, an aspect that experienced great development but was not equaled by the use of the computer to introduce new educational methodologies.

Key ICT Competencies within the European Higher Education Area

The recent incorporation of Spanish universities in the European Higher Education Area (EHEA) has produced fundamental changes. In a short period of time, universities have moved from a system focused on the professor and accumulating knowledge to one focused on the student and acquiring competencies. This new setting presents a challenge to educational managers about how to effectively organize the development of these types of competencies. One of the most important competencies for students’ preparation to enter the job market is the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT). This paper examines the key competencies in university education and their relationship with competencies in the use of ICT. To do so, first, two European studies are outlined, followed by one study at the national level, and finally a more local study is described. The results show that the socio-economic context determines to a certain degree which educational competencies must be developed in university education. Moreover, the ICT competencies are acquired more effectively if they are combined with other educational competencies valued by the job market. The study ends with a section on implications for the educational management of ICT.