Organizational structure and success of international joint ventures in emerging economies: the case of Spanish–Moroccan SMEs

One of the most common ways in which SMEs internationalize their business is through the creation of joint ventures; nevertheless, many of these fail. To avoid this risk, it is important to identify the factors that favour the continuity of such enterprises. The aim of this paper is to analyse the factors related to organizational structure that determine the success of international joint ventures between SMEs in emerging economies, taking as the particular area of study the question of joint ventures between Spanish and Moroccan firms, located in Morocco. The research hypotheses were tested using a linear regression model applied to a sample of 210 international joint ventures. The results obtained from a structured survey show that, with respect to the success of the partnership, significant factors include the existence of majority ownership by the foreign partner, management by a local CEO and the effort made by each party to adapt to the management style of the other. This research contributes to the knowledge of the main factors related to the organizational structure of joint ventures that influence the level of success achieved. The value provided by this research lies in the breadth of the sample examined, in its focus on a very common type of partnership between SMEs, on which very little has been previously studied, and in the fact that the results obtained are extensible to other realities, such as partnerships between European companies and those from countries with similar characteristics (located in Africa or in countries where an Arab culture prevails).     

Comparative assessment of analytical approaches to quantify the risk for introduction of rare animal diseases: the example of avian influenza in Spain

Trade of animals and animal products imposes an uncertain and variable risk for exotic animal diseases introduction into importing countries. Risk analysis provides importing countries with an objective, transparent, and internationally accepted method for assessing that risk. Over the last decades, European Union countries have conducted probabilistic risk assessments quite frequently to quantify the risk for rare animal diseases introduction into their territories. Most probabilistic animal health risk assessments have been typically classified into one-level and multilevel binomial models. One-level models are more simple than multilevel models because they assume that animals or products originate from one single population. However, it is unknown whether such simplification may result in substantially different results compared to those obtained through the use of multilevel models. Here, data used on a probabilistic multilevel binomial model formulated to assess the risk for highly pathogenic avian influenza introduction into Spain were reanalyzed using a one-level binomial model and their outcomes were compared. An alternative ordinal model is also proposed here, which makes use of simpler assumptions and less information compared to those required by traditional one-level and multilevel approaches. Results suggest that, at least under certain circumstances, results of the one-level and ordinal approaches are similar to those obtained using multilevel models. Consequently, we argue that, when data are insufficient to run traditional probabilistic models, the ordinal approach presented here may be a suitable alternative to rank exporting countries in terms of the risk that they impose for the spread of rare animal diseases into disease-free countries.     

Getting that Certain Feeling: The Role of Emotions in the Meaning,Construction and Enactment of Doctor Managers' Identities

Although identity research in organizations has increased in recent years, none of the current perspectives has examined the role of emotion for understanding how individuals construct and enact professional identity. In this paper we examine how emotions affect the development, conduct and meanings of professional identity among a sample of 20 doctor managers from two Spanish hospitals. While not excluding other approaches, we found that a social identity approach was especially useful. The contribution of this paper is threefold. First, our results provide new insights about how, in a work setting, emotions prioritize awareness of identity issues that need attention. Second, we discuss the role of emotions for understanding complex role identities by reference to the enactment of different sides of doctor managers' identities. Third, we show how our analysis of the findings may be used to embellish the social identity approach.     

CLASH OF CAREER AND FAMILY: FERTILITY DECISIONS AFTER JOB DISPLACEMENT

In this paper we investigate how career considerations may affect fertility decisions in the presence of a temporary employment shock. We compare the birth rates of women displaced by a plant closure with those of women unaffected by job loss after establishing the pre‐displacement comparability of these groups. Our results reveal that job displacement reduces average fertility by 5%–10%, and that these effects are largely explained by the response of women in more skilled occupations. We offer an explanation of our results based on career interruptions of women.     

城市受损水体的生态修复及其对水景观营造的启示

针对中国城市水体受损的严重现状,从风景园林的视角出发,对国内外城市受损水体的修复和水景观营造的重要理论及实践进行了归纳和总结。从工程角度、生态角度详细探讨国内外城市受损水体修复理论与技术,总结了整合水系结构、恢复水体生态、组织水上交通、保护历史文脉、传承水文化等专业化城市水景观营造方法。在城市水景观的营造过程中应该注重景观风貌的营造、水文化的再现和滨水空间的营建三个方面。     

脑瘫青少年上台阶的步态运动学分析

通过对辅读学校的多名脑瘫青少年上台阶的录像解析,运用运动学手段对脑瘫青少年的上台阶过程进行步态分析及运动学测试分析.研究了脑瘫青少年的步态在空间、时间、时空等参数,指出了脑瘫青少年在上台阶过程中的步态的基本特征.     

基于C-D函数的高等教育对区域经济增长贡献率研究——以辽宁省为例

为研究高等教育对辽宁区域经济增长的贡献率,利用柯布-道格拉斯生产函数（C-D函数）构造回归模型,将辽宁省1981—2008年的数据分成1981—1994年、1994—2008年两段进行多元回归分析,得出劳动力投入弹性系数分别为0.74、0.69。随后借用丹尼森和麦迪逊的算法,分别计算两段时间内辽宁省高等教育对经济增长的贡献率,发现贡献率呈现上升趋势,但与2007年其他省份的数据相比贡献率偏低。     

跨区域低碳经济协同发展影响因素系统分析

低碳经济的外部性需要各国、各区域的紧密合作,实现跨区域低碳经济协同发展才能达到人类最终的减碳目标。运用ISM(Interpretive Structural Model)分析,从复杂的影响因素及因素链中,找到影响跨区域低碳经济协同发展的表层因素、浅层因素、中层因素和深层因素,为跨区域低碳经济协同发展的实现提供决策参考依据。研究表明:国际趋势及社会舆论、民众环保意识、消费观念、低碳文化是跨区域低碳经济协同发展的根本与关键,政府应主要围绕这些影响因素制定相应的对策和措施,以保障跨区域低碳经济协同发展的顺利进行。     

非竞争性低效率与创业投资引导基金的绩效考核

高度垄断、难以建立激励机制、无产权约束、信息不完全等因素是政府工作效率低下的主要原因。在政府设立的创业投资引导基金的运行中也表现出相应的具体形态。为提高创业投资引导基金的运行效率,就必须对其运行管理进行制度创新。合作经营克服了高度垄断、难以建立激励机制的难题,绩效考核抑制无产权约束、信息不完全带来的效率损失。对引导基金管理者的绩效考核应侧重引导基金政策效应,并建立完整的评价指标体系。     

地方高校科技服务“三农”现实依据及路径

"三农"问题的解决需要提高农民的科技水平,通过科技促进农村经济增长方式的转变,推动农业技术变革,高校要充分发挥知识、人才、技术的优势,采用多种方式送科技下乡,培训新型农民,既有利于科研成果转化,又能进一步促进农业科技进步,从而推动农村经济发展。