Santiago Ibarreche

Service quality in a public agency: same expectations but different perceptions by employees, managers, and customers

Abstract Managers, employees, and customers in a public agency provided information about expectations and perceptions of service quality. No differences were found for expectations between any of the groups. Additionally, manager and employee perceptions were similar. However, unlike previous research findings (e.g., by Bitner et al. [J. Mark. 58 (1994) 95.]), their perceptions were lower than the perceptions of customers. Implications of the findings for the management of nonprofit organizations are discussed.

Employee Turnover in the Maquiladoras

In a country beset with a myriad of economic woes, the maquila (in-bond) program has been a major success story for Mexico. From its inception barely twenty years ago, the maquila program has grown dramatically. By 1987 there were approximately 1,000 maquila plants, employing over 330,000 workers and contributing nearly three billion dollars to the Mexican economy (Instituto Nacional 1988). As a source of income to the Mexican economy, the maquila industry has moved into second place, ahead of tourism, trailing only oil. And while the oil industry has been buffeted by dramatic price fluctuations, the income from the maquila industry has been stable and rising. Furthermore, most of the investment capital is provided by the parent (non-Mexican, generally U.S.) firms, a tremendous benefit for a country which has virtually no available funds left for private investment (Royatyn and Altman 1986).

Maria José Tonelli: rigor and relevance in research

Purpose – This paper is a conversation with Maria Jose Tonelli, conducted by Santiago Ibarreche, about her career as an Iberoamerican scholar.Design/methodology/approach – Interview.Findings – The interview explores Tonellis career, her achievements and continued search for excellence in her institution, the IAM, and her country Brazil, as well as the way she has coped with lifes demands.Originality/value – The interview in this special section, A Life in Research, brings out an individual scholars experience and history, not only as recognition of scholarly impact, but also as recognition of the person.

Frank Hoy: From small business to family enterprises and many entrepreneurial ventures in between

Purpose – This paper aims to be a conversation with Frank Hoy, conducted by Santiago Ibarreche, about his career as an internationally known scholar in the field of entrepreneurship and family business. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is an interview. Findings – The interview explores Hoys career, his achievements and continued search for excellence in terms of research, intertwined with his entrepreneurial ventures. Originality/value – The interview in this special section, A Life in Research, brings out an individual scholars experience and history, not only as recognition of scholarly impact, but also as recognition of the person.

Julio O. De Castro: open your eyes! Research opportunities are all around you

Purpose – The aim of this paper is to be a conversation with Julio O. De Castro, conducted by Santiago Ibarreche, about his career as an eclectic scholar, with high aims at having social impact in his activities as an academician in the area of international businesses, entrepreneurship, family firms, piracy, informal firms and other equally important subjects. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is an interview. Findings – The interview explores De Castro’s career, his achievements and continued search for excellence in terms of teaching, research and service in academia, especially in his role as President of The Iberoamerican Academy of Management. Originality/value – The interview in this special section, A Life in Research, brings out an individual scholar’s experience and history, not only as recognition of scholarly impact but also as recognition of the person.

A life in research: Joan Enric Ricart: “you can go faster alone, but you will get farther away if you go with others”

Purpose This paper aims to be a conversation with Joan Enric Ricart, conducted by Santiago Ibarreche, about his career as a successful scholar, prolific author and founder of many organizations that have contributed to the enhancement of the academic profession in the area of management. Design/methodology/approach This paper is an interview. Findings The interview explores Ricart’s career, his achievements and continued search for excellence in terms of teaching, research and service in academia and society. It highlights his experiences as a faculty member, a prolific author and a founder of many organizations. It also highlights his collaborations with different institutions and professional organizations and his contributions to new areas of research such as the future of cities. Originality/value The interview in this special section, A Life in Research, brings out an individual scholar’s experience and history, not only as recognition of scholarly impact but also as recognition of the person.

Africa Ariño: having an international perspective is essential in a multi-polar world

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present the gist of a conversation with Africa Arino, conducted by Santiago Ibarreche, about her career as an Expert Researcher in the areas of Strategic Alliances, Strategic Management, International Ventures and her experiences as an International scholar who is now in an interesting project about “Internationalizing in Africa and from Africa”. Design/methodology/approach – This paper is an interview. Findings – The interview explores Arino’s career her achievements and continued search for excellence in terms of teaching, research and service in academia, especially in her contributions in the areas of strategic alliances and the importance of Africa as the future of businesses. Originality/value – The interview in this special section, A Life in Research, brings out an individual scholar’s experience and history, not only as recognition of scholarly impact but also as recognition of the person.

Simon Dolan: managing by values – if you are not spiritual, how can you inspire?

Purpose This paper aims to be a conversation with Simon Dolan, conducted by Santiago Ibarreche, about his career as a successful scholar, author of many books, change agent, and a cross-cultural international observer. Design/methodology/approach This paper is an interview. Findings The interview explores Dolan’s career, his achievements and continued search for excellence in terms of teaching, research, and service in academia. It explores his experiences as faculty member and prolific author and developer of new approaches in teaching, research, also looking at the importance of anticipating the future of the work place and the importance of Management by Values. Originality/value The interview in this special section, A Life in Research, brings out an individual scholar’s experience and history, not only as recognition of scholarly impact, but also as recognition of the person.