Marta Fernández Olmos

Why Use Contracts in Viticulture

The use of contracts to coordinate the relationship between a grape grower and a winery has become common practice in DOC Rioja. In this paper, the role and the characteristics of contracts in coordinating the supply of grapes between independent wine grape growers and wineries in DOC Rioja is examined. A review of existing theories on contractual choice in the wine industry indicates that although contracts are important to facilitate the coordination of the relationship, they are subject to a number of problems such as the measurement of grape quality. Finally, we distil the main lessons of this research and present them as advice for wineries and grape growers designing contracts.

Internationalization pathways and the performance of SMEs

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of the chosen specific internationalization pathway on the relationship between internationalization and firm performance. Design/methodology/approach – This paper analyses the internationalization pathway among small- and medium-sized enterprises which internationalize through exporting and are more limited in terms of the resources they can leverage across markets. Findings – Empirical evidence obtained from a sample of wineries in La Rioja shows that the internationalization – export performance relationship is characterized by a U-shaped curve for firms with a gradual internationalization pathway, and an S-shaped curve for firms with an accelerated internationalization pathway. Research limitations/implications – This empirical study on the impact of export intensity on performance has acknowledged the importance of costs caused by the liability of foreignness and the transaction and coordination costs involved in each market expansion proce...