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This book aims to contribute to the literature and aid in developing a theoretical and practical framework in the area of health and wellness tourism. With contributions and research from different countries using a practical approach, this book is an essential source for students, researchers and managers in the health and wellness tourism industry.Recently, there has been an increased interest in health and wellness due to greater life expectancy, aging populations, increasing levels of stress among others. In this context, the concepts of health, wellness, beauty, relaxation, and tourism can be combined to satisfy the needs of people seeking better quality-of-life. This has given rise to health and wellness tourism, a new market segment that contributes to employment and economic growth in the new economy.Health and wellness tourism involves two aspects: therapeutics, which seeks to cure certain diseases; and relaxation and leisure. As an alternative to traditional tourism, health and wellness tourism provides a new means of achieving regional and local development from a demographic, social, environmental and economic point-of-view. It contributes to tourist destinations' economic growth, acting as a pillar to support other complementary activities. In short, health and wellness tourism contributes to employment growth and regional wealth, contributes to tourism seasonality, promotes quality in tourism destinations, helps create new tourist services with high value, promotes establishment of international cooperation networks, and yields a number of additional benefits. Featuring a variety of programs and initiatives from different regions, with an emphasis on thermal and thalassotherapy establishments, this volume sheds light on this emerging market segment and its implications for economic and policy development.

Since the 2008 economic crisis, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have faced serious financial problems and have been looking to financial institutions and governments for solutions and new proposals to address these issues. This book examines the new challenge in which firms receive sustainable funding that is in alignment with the company's spending capacity. The purpose of this book is to examine the main theoretical issues and practices regarding entrepreneurship and finance and their impact on performance, innovation and economic growth. It analyzes the fundamental aspects of entrepreneurship and studies ways in which financial institutions can better fulfill their primary function of feeding capital to businesses and the economy as a whole. Entrepreneurship and finance are fundamental to achieving success in economic and social activities. SMEs' existence and development depend on the initiatives of entrepreneurship and access to resources, especially those of a financial nature. During the recent economic crisis, several new financing instruments have appeared, especially with structures designed for helping SMEs make their way out of the recession. This book explores some of these tools in various global economies, such as France and Spain, providing an international, multidimensional perspective.

Featuring case studies from the industrial and tourism sectors, this book provides an interdisciplinary perspective on the effect of total quality management on business and innovation strategies. The principles of Total Quality Management (TQM) have been widely researched and analyzed as an essential tool for businesses to compete in a globalized economy. This book presents the latest research on the applications of TQM across different functions such as customer service, human resources management, and cost control. It demonstrates how the utilization of TQM tools, such as the SERVQUAL model, Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS), High Involvement Practices (HIWP), and the EFQM excellence model, impacts a firm's performance, enhances productivity and innovation, and reduces cost, thereby allowing them to compete more effectively in the global market. Building on the extensive literature on the relationship between TQM and business performance, the authors argue that quality acts as a powerful competitive tool that companies should embrace in their corporate strategy. By promoting activities that result in greater efficiency, improved control and management of the organization (internal quality), firms can achieve significant improvement in customer satisfaction, employee satisfaction, social impact and business results (external quality) and exceed expectations in these areas.

The principal purpose of this paper is to analyze different methods for decision making, with a focus on entrepreneurship in Latin America. Decision-making methods may be informed by aggregation operators that are based on the use of probabilities, weighted averages (WAs) and generalized aggregation operators. The paper presents a new generalized probabilistic weighted averaging (GPWA) operator that unifies WAs and probability in the same formulation, considering the degree of importance of each concept used in the analysis. The fundamental advantage of this approach is that it includes a wide range of particular cases including the probabilistic weighted averaging (PWA) operator, the probabilistic weighted geometric averaging (PWGA) operator and the probabilistic weighted quadratic averaging (PWQA) operator. Quasi-arithmetic means are used to obtain the Quasi-PWA operator and to generalize the approach, which is then applied to a set of hypothetical entrepreneurial investment decisions in a politically unified Latin American region. ; El objetivo principal de este artículo es analizar diferentes métodos de toma de decisiones, con enfoque en el emprendimiento en Latinoamérica. Los métodos de toma de decisiones pueden recibir información por parte de operadores de agregación basados en el uso de probabilidades, promedios ponderados (PP) y operadores de agregación generalizados. El artículo presenta un nuevo operador probabilístico generalizado de promedios ponderados (GPWA) que unifica los promedios ponderados y la probabilidad en la misma formulación, considerando el grado de importancia de cada concepto usado en el análisis. La ventaja fundamental de este enfoque es que incluye un amplio rango de casos particulares, incluyendo el operador probabilístico de promedios ponderados, el operador probabilístico de promedios geométricos ponderados y el operador probabilístico de promedios cuadráticos ponderados. Se emplean medios cuasiaritméticos para obtener el operador cuasiprobabilístico de promedios ponderados y para generalizar el enfoque, que luego es aplicado a un conjunto de decisiones empresariales hipotéticas en cuanto a inversión en una región latinoamericana unificada políticamente. ; O objetivo principal deste artigo é o de analisar diferentes métodos para tomar decisões, com enfoque no empreendedorismo na América Latina. Esses métodos podem receber informação de operadores de agregação apoiados no uso de probabilidades, médias ponderadas (MP) e operadores de agregação generalizados. O artigo apresenta um novo operador probabilístico generalizado de médias ponderadas (GMWA) que unifica as médias ponderadas e a probabilidade na mesma formulação, considerando o grau de importância de cada conceito utilizado na análise. A vantagem fundamental desta visão é que inclui uma ampla faixa de casos particulares: O operador probabilístico de médias ponderadas, o probabilístico de médias geométricas ponderadas e o probabilístico de médias quadráticas ponderadas. São utilizadas médias quasearitméticas para obter o operador quaseprobabilístico de médias ponderadas e para generalizar a visão e, depois é aplicado a um conjunto de decisões empresariais hipotéticas quanto a investimento em uma região latino-americana unificada politicamente.

This volume explores organizational legitimacy in business, featuring examples from a variety of industries around the world. Synthesizing the most current theoretical insights and best practices, the contributing authors examine the ways in which organizational legitimacy can be understood, its perceived influence on the market, and the relationship between organizational legitimacy and overall organizational success. The authors draw from different methodological perspectives to develop a holistic approach to organizational legitimacy that transcends the traditional concepts of corporate reputation, business ethics or corporate social responsibility. Historically, efforts to understand how organizations acquire, manage and use legitimacy have applied insights from institutional theory, resource dependence theory, organizational ecology and stakeholder theory, but the field has remained fragmented, despite the profound implications of achieving legitimacy for ensuring organizational stability, survival and sustainability through access to capital, resources and business opportunities, as well as problem solving, performance measurement and stakeholder support. Presenting case studies of successful initiatives, the book addresses: · How organizational legitimacy is defined and measured · How organizations achieve legitimacy and how they acquire resources · How different stakeholders (e.g., consumers, investors, employees) make legitimacy judgments and resource allocation decisions · Whether audiences in the same socio-cultural context arrive at shared legitimacy judgments with regard to a focal organization.

The book aims to collect the most recent research and best practices in the cooperative and networking small business field identifying new theoretical models and describing the relationship between cooperation and networks in the small business strategy context. It examines different concepts and analytical techniques better understand the links between cooperative strategies and networks in small business. It also studies the existing economic conditions of network and strategic implications to small business from the point of view of their internal and external consistency. Cooperation and networks is a fashionable topic. It is receiving increasing attention in popular management publications, as well as specialized academic journals. Cooperation between firms and industries is a means of leveraging and aggregating knowledge also generating direct benefits in terms of innovation, productivity and competitiveness. Various options and decisions made within the framework of strategic alliances may be identified and differentiated. For example, it has been argued that R & D cooperation between competing firms also facilitates the search for incremental efficiency gains and is thus a competitive advantage. In parallel with a theoretical acceptance of the importance of a sustained competitive advantage to formulate strategy, there is a growing understanding that cooperative and networking behavior among small firms is at the root of many success stories in today's small business management. This condition requires an effort to develop a study of both aspects of cooperation and networks as compatible, complementary facets of a unique reality. In short, the cooperative and networking relationships of a small business can be the source of its competitive advantage. Enhancement of local resources and capabilities for the generation and dissemination of knowledge is still an issue for defining public policies in many countries. Featuring contributions covering such topics as green innovation, social commerce, university cooperation networks, and regional entrepreneurship, this book provides a comprehensive and richly illustrated study of cooperation and networks in small business that will be pertinent to students, academics, professionals, scholars, and policy makers.

Intro -- Preface -- Bibliography -- Contents -- Chapter 1: A Cultural Perspective on Entrepreneurship and Regional Development: The Case of the Bages (Catalonia) -- 1.1 Introduction -- 1.2 Conceptual Framework -- 1.2.1 Institutional Approach -- 1.2.2 Entrepreneurial Activity from an Institutional Perspective: Proposed Model -- 1.3 Methodology -- 1.4 Data Collection and Data Analysis -- 1.4.1 Research Setting: Characteristics of the Bages (Catalonia) -- 1.4.2 The Case Studies -- 1.5 Findings and Discussion -- 1.5.1 Which Institutions Affect Entrepreneurial Activity in the Bages? -- 1.5.2 How Does Entrepreneurial Activity Influence Regional Development? -- 1.6 Conclusions -- Appendix 1. Firm Questionnaire -- Appendix 2. Support Organizations Questionnaire -- References -- Chapter 2: Entrepreneurship and Location: The Cultural Differences Between Two Countries -- 2.1 Introduction -- 2.2 Literature Review -- 2.2.1 Culture and Entrepreneurship and Factors of Location -- 2.3 Methodology -- 2.3.1 Sample and Data -- 2.4 Results Discussion -- 2.4.1 TBC Locations: Determinant Factors -- 2.4.1.1 Portugal -- 2.4.1.2 Brazil -- 2.5 Final Considerations -- References -- Chapter 3: Entrepreneurship and the Influence of History: How Much Impact Do Country-­Specific Historical Factors Have on Entrepreneurship Initiatives? -- 3.1 Introduction -- 3.2 Conceptual Framework -- 3.2.1 Economic Factors -- 3.2.2 Formal Institutional Factors -- 3.2.3 Cultural Factors -- 3.2.4 Historical Weight -- 3.2.4.1 The Industrial Sector -- 3.2.4.2 The Textile Sector -- 3.3 Data and Methodology -- 3.3.1 Data Collection -- 3.3.2 Methodology -- 3.4 Findings and Discussion -- 3.4.1 Industrial Sector -- 3.4.2 Textile Sector -- 3.5 Conclusions -- 3.6 Limitations and Further Studies -- References -- Chapter 4: Understanding the Role of Culture and Economic Conditions in Entrepreneurship.

Under a framework in which technology and organizational innovation are markedly separated, this book advances knowledge on the topic by exploring the antecedents of a firm's adoption of organizational innovation and its performance consequences. The concept of organizational innovation encompasses the introduction of new administrative organizational and managerial activities, although currently it is accepted that these terms overlap. There are two different kinds of organizational innovation, usually inter-related: structural innovations (organizational arrangement and the division of labour within it) and managerial innovations (the way a firm organizes its activities or its personnel). Based on papers from the Organizational Innovation and its Background, Consequences and Technological Complementarities Performance Conference, this volume contributes to the organizational and innovation literature by providing insights on the antecedents of the adoption of management innovation; exploring the complementary roles of management and technological innovation; addressing the performance consequences of management innovation adoption with and without technological innovation; and discusses management innovation using the resource-based view, thus enriching that theoretical approach.

[EN] This study examines the effect of online social talent on business performance. The paper uses data from a selected sample of 296 companies from the S&P 500 list with active corporate profiles on LinkedIn. The empirical design consists of non-linear techniques to test the hypothesis that financial performance (i.e., revenue) and online social talent (i.e., employee online profile and skills) have a positive and non-linear relationship. The findings show that internal online social talent measured by employees' online profiles, and their skills are positively associated with companies' financial performance. The study provides insights into talent management in the digital age and elucidates the role of online corporate social networking in business performance. ; This research was funded by MICINN (Spanish Government), grant number RTI2018-100899-B-I00 and Generalitat Valenciana, grant number GV/2020/012. ; Paniagua, J.; Peris-Ortiz, M.; Korzynski, P. (2020). Talent Goes Social: Online Corporate Networking and Business Performance. Sustainability. 12(20):1-13. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208660 ; S ; 1 ; 13 ; 12 ; 20 ; Worldwide Digital Population as of JULY 2020https://www.statista.com/statistics/617136/digital-population-worldwide/ ; Korzynski, P., Rook, C., Florent Treacy, E., & Kets de Vries, M. (2020). The impact of self-esteem, conscientiousness and pseudo-personality on technostress. Internet Research, 31(1), 59-79. doi:10.1108/intr-03-2020-0141 ; DiPrete, T. A. (1987). Horizontal and Vertical Mobility in Organizations. Administrative Science Quarterly, 32(3), 422. doi:10.2307/2392913 ; Stewman, S., & Konda, S. L. (1983). Careers and Organizational Labor Markets: Demographic Models of Organizational Behavior. American Journal of Sociology, 88(4), 637-685. doi:10.1086/227728 ; Korzynski, P. (2014). How does online social networking help leaders communicate? evidence from the Fortune 500. Asia Pacific Journal of Human Resources, 52(4), 460-475. doi:10.1111/1744-7941.12041 ; Barden, J. Q., ...

AbstractMobile technologies have pushed the connectivity of IT systems to the limit, enabling people and things to connect to one another at all times. The amount of information companies have at their disposal has increased exponentially, thanks largely to geolocation and to the vast array of sensors that have been integrated into mobile devices. This information can be used to enhance business activities and processes, but it can also be used to create new business models. Focusing on business models, we analyze mobile technologies as enablers of activity changes. We consider the differentiating characteristics of mobile technologies and examine how these can support different business functions. A study based on fuzzy‐set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) of 30 cases across different industries allows us to identify mobile technology success factors for different core activities. The results show that several combinations of mobile technology initiatives provide a competitive advantage when these initiatives match the business model.

The principal purpose of this paper is to analyze different methods for decision making, with a focus on entrepreneurship in Latin America. Decision-making methods may be informed by aggregation operators that are based on the use of probabilities, weighted averages (WAs) and generalized aggregation operators. The paper presents a new generalized probabilistic weighted averaging (GPWA) operator that unifies WAs and probability in the same formulation, considering the degree of importance of each concept used in the analysis. The fundamental advantage of this approach is that it includes a wide range of particular cases including the probabilistic weighted averaging (PWA) operator, the probabilistic weighted geometric averaging (PWGA) operator and the probabilistic weighted quadratic averaging (PWQA) operator. Quasi-arithmetic means are used to obtain the Quasi-PWA operator and to generalize the approach, which is then applied to a set of hypothetical entrepreneurial investment decisions in a politically unified Latin American region. ; El objetivo principal de este artículo es analizar diferentes mé- todos de toma de decisiones, con enfoque en el emprendimiento en Latinoamérica. Los métodos de toma de decisiones pueden recibir información por parte de operadores de agregación basados en el uso de probabilidades, promedios ponderados (PP) y operadores de agregación generalizados. El artículo presenta un nuevo operador probabilístico generalizado de promedios ponderados (GPWA) que unifica los promedios ponderados y la probabilidad en la misma formulación, considerando el grado de importancia de cada concepto usado en el análisis. La ventaja fundamental de este enfoque es que incluye un amplio rango de casos particulares, incluyendo el operador probabilístico de promedios ponderados, el operador probabilístico de promedios geométricos ponderados y el operador probabilístico de promedios cuadráticos ponderados. Se emplean medios cuasiaritméticos para obtener el operador cuasiprobabilístico de promedios ponderados y ...

This book examines the different ways companies can develop and design social innovation. Combining technological and social perspectives, the contributors present emerging research on social innovation from different sectors such as entrepreneurship, education and energy. Collectively, the authors demonstrate the ways in which social innovation can drive sustainability and development in regions around the world. All societies are characterized by their political, economic and social institutions, as well as by how they utilize technology. The social innovations with the highest importance are those which modify existing institutions or create new ones, and based on their magnitude, they can be considered as radical or incremental. For example, when Joseph Chamberlain encouraged workers to organize in order to achieve universal male suffrage in Great Britain in 1885, this was a considered a radical innovation for British society, which in turn changed its political framework. Social innovations may be based on intelligence and commitment, on technology or on social entrepreneurship in its most open forms. In addition, social innovations can be classified into those which correspond to an entire country or region, a field (e.g., education) or a sector (e.g., entrepreneurship, technology, social reform). Featuring contributions on topics such as agro-food, smart cities, higher education, gender equality and sports, this book is ideal for academics, students, scholars, professionals and policy makers in the areas of innovation, entrepreneurship, sustainability and regional development.