Working Papers

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Buscamos profundizar y explorar los conocimientos en las áreas y temas relevantes en los negocios discutidos internacionalmente. Nuestra investigación está dirigida para profesionales y stakeholders de todas las industrias e investigadores que busquen fuentes de información en los temas de investigación relevantes e innovadores en los negocios.

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Open Access
A Model for Assessing the Quality of Marketing-Management Education
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2015) Rivera Camino, Jaime Eduardo; Alarcón Ramírez, Víctor Fidel
This study proposes and tests a model of educational quality in marketing management incorporating resource-capability variables linked to learning outcomes for students and the competitive positioning of universities. Drawing on resource-dependence theory, the study develops a comprehensive model for measuring educational quality. The hypothesised relationships in the model are tested with a sample of Spanish university teachers using a two-stage least squares regression analysis, while controlling for the possible effect of the public/private nature of the university. The results validate the model and show that educational capabilities are reliable variables for predicting the educational quality of marketing-management programs at Spanish universities. As with all educational research, certain problems are acknowledged with respect to the data and the theoretical constructs that are utilised in the study. Future studies could replicate this study using more direct objective measures of the theoretical constructs and extend the study to other countries with different educational contexts. This is one of the few studies to apply resource-dependence theory to an analysis of the variables associated with the quality of marketing-management education. In doing so, the study presents original multi-item scales to improve the measurement of model constructs. The results provide guidance to university marketing teachers in designing high-quality marketing-management educational programs and in developing self-diagnostic tools that determine a university’s likelihood of competitive success.
Open Access
A model for predicting attitudes towards spanish product, brands and country image: An exploratory international study
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2015) Cerviño, Julio; Rivera Camino, Jaime Eduardo
This article aims to respond to recent demands for more in-depth study on how consumers use brand-associated images to shape their attitudes to buying. A multi-attribute design is used to analyze how certain variables among buyers (ethnocentrism and similarity) are related to brand images (country and product) in the formation of attitudes within an international context. This research is based on a sample of 215 international experts from 31 countries whose responses were analyzed with structural equation modeling. The results obtained have implications for academics, government officials and directors of international marketing. Among the contributions made by the present study is its attempt to clarify the existing literature regarding the causes and effects of brand images and, as well, the measures it develops to make certain key variables (as indicated in the literature) operational.
Open Access
A Non-radial DEA index for Peruvian regional competitiveness
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2016) Vincent, Charles; Díaz, Guillermo
In this paper, we propose a method to measure competitiveness performance at the subnational level, with an application to Peruvian regions. For this, we propose a benefit-of-the-doubt composite index that summarizes the information of several indicators that characterize competitiveness. It is based on an optimization approach, using Data Enveloping Analysis (DEA) techniques, so that each indicator is weighted in an endogenous way, and each unit is evaluated in the most favourable light. Our proposed index is a non-radial variant of the typical DEA scores, which avoids the traditional pitfalls of DEA-based composite indexes, such as unreasonable weights. Additionally, we propose a meta-frontier approach in order to compare the competitiveness performances across different periods of evaluation. Our assessments of the Peruvian regions' competitiveness performance improve on the results of traditional DEA methods, which award high marks to regions with very heterogeneous performance (i.e., regions with very high scores in some indicators, and very poor in others). Additionally, the comparison of the performance across time shows a general decrease in the average competitiveness between 2008 to 2014 in the Peruvian regions.
Open Access
A proposed framework for solving conflicts of mining projects
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2015) Álvarez, César; Alfaro Paredes, Emigdio Antonio
The purpose of this paper, is to propose a framework for solving conflicts of mining projects, based on the inclusion of: a) the alignments to the project management framework of the Project Management Institute, b) the implementation of an Integrated Sustainable Development Program, c) a public surrender of accounts, and d) the continuous audit processes by internal institutions and by external, independent and international institutions. This proposed framework was contextualized to the Tía María mining project in Peru; also, a generic solution framework is presented. Finally, some recommendations for future researches were proposed.
Open Access
A Satisficing DEA Model to Measure the Customer-based Brand Equity
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2015) Vincent, Charles; Zavala, Jorge
Ever since the inception of brand values, these have become a benchmark for many data-driven strategies, eventually providing a basis for vertical/horizontal integrations, as well. In recent decades, brands have become comparable across the industries, based on their value derived either from the customer perception or in terms of the firm financials. Numerous models have been developed in time to measure the customer-based brand equity; nevertheless, they all evaluate brand equity in an absolute sense. The present research paper provides an avenue to measure the customer-based brand equity in a relative sense using a satisficing DEA model. The information for this model has been collected through a customer-based survey questionnaire in line with predefined brand equity dimensions, which have been verified through a confirmatory factor analysis. We demonstrate the approach by means of applying the proposed model to measure the efficiency of cell phone brands.
Open Access
A translation invariant pure DEA model
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2015) Vincent, Charles; Färe, Rolf; Grosskopf, Shawna
This short communication complements the DEA model proposed by Lovell and Pastor (Eur. J. Oper. Res. 118 (1999), 46-51), by incorporating both positive and negative criteria in the model. As such, we propose a DEA model, known as pure DEA, using a directional distance function approach.
Open Access
Acceptance and purchase intention of irradiated foods in Brazil: Effect of positive information
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2012) Martins, Cecilia G.; Behrens, Jorge Herman; Montes-Villanueva, Nilda Doris; Bernadette Dora Gombossy de Melo, Franco; Landgraf, Mariza
Food irradiation remains underutilized in Brazil, despite the approval and regulation of the official health authority since 1973. However, consumers risk perception, mostly due to lack of information about the technology, seem to be the main barrier to the adoption of food irradiation by the Brazilian industries, like in other countries. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of information on the acceptance and purchase intention of minimally processed and irradiated organic watercress (Nasturtium officinale). Consumers (N=236) participating in the sensory acceptance test were divided into four experimental groups according to an experimental design which combined presence or absence of information about the food irradiation process – main characteristics, benefits to food safety and preservation, cost-benefit and environmental issues - and identification or not of the irradiated product in a sensory acceptance test. Results did not show significant effect (p>0.05) of information either on acceptability or in purchase intention of the irradiated product compared to the non irradiated counterpart, although an exploratory statistical analysis revealed underlying patterns suggesting that consumers segmentation must exist as well as favorable and unfavorable attitude to food irradiation.
Open Access
Adapting Fuzzy Linguistic SERVQUAL Model: A comparative analysis of bank services in Malaysia
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2012) Vincent, Charles; Kumar, Mukesh; Suggu, Srinivas
Fuzzy logic provides a useful tool for dealing with decisions in which the phenomena are imprecise and vague. The application of non-parametric statistical analysis in the SERVQUAL model could be more meaningful in the presence of skewed distribution of customers’ scores. The current paper aims to construct a fuzzy SERVQUAL method for evaluating the service quality of banks in Malaysia for different market segments, namely conventional, Islamic and foreign banks. Further, a comparison of service quality gaps has been assessed with respect to demographic characteristics of the customers to answer a fundamental question “What do customers want from banking services and which elements of service quality is important for different customers?” The sample is made up of 766 bank customers, consisting of the customers from conventional, Islamic and foreign banks from different parts of Malaysia. The data have been collected by using the structured questionnaire, which consists of three sections. Section 1 deals with consumers’ usage of banking channels and their banking behavior. Section 2 contains 26 statements related to service quality dimensions based on past literature. Finally, Section 3 contains the questions related to the socio-demographic profiles of respondents. First, the effectiveness of the Fuzzy linguistic scale and the Likert scale was compared by using the test of internal consistencies on dimensions of service quality. Further, the assumptions of analysis of variance (ANOVA) were checked for appropriateness of statistical analysis to be performed for the comparative analysis. Finally, the SERVQUAL gaps are analyzed and compared across 3 market segments and different groups of customers based on demographic characteristics by using non-parametric approach.
Open Access
Analizando la Evolución de los E-servicios en los Principales Municipios Peruanos
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2012) Bohórquez López, Victor Wilfredo
The aim of this study is to analyze the evolution of development of e-services provided by major Peruvian municipalities, for which information is collected in late 2006 and mid 2012 in 43 municipalities of Lima. The results show that they have evolved positively in terms of access to information, as well as consultations and online payments, but there are many e-services to improve. On the side of citizen participation, municipalities are using social networks to be closer to citizens, giving them the option to interact in an environment that is more familiar to them.
Open Access
Behavioural Dynamic Model of Consensus, Cohesion, Conflict and Potency of Top Management Teams in a Textile and Apparel Sector
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2015) Chang, Luis; Alfaro Paredes, Emigdio Antonio; Marquina Feldman, Percy
This research studied the relationships among the consensus, the cohesion, the conflict and the potency of the top management teams in a textile and apparel sector. In order to achieve its goal, this study used four validated scales: (a) Strategic Orientation of Business Enterprises Scale for measuring consensus, (b) Perceived Cohesion Scale for measuring cohesion, (c) Interpersonal Conflict Scale for measuring conflict, and (d) Guzzo, Yost, and Campbell Scale for measuring potency. The conclusions were the following: (a) by well managing cohesion, consensus and conflict, the top management team can acquire potency, (b) the used scales with small changes are appropriate for evaluating the constructs, and (c) the proposed model was validated, with the precision that the influence of cohesion by itself seems not too important. Finally, some topics were suggested for future researches.
Open Access
Benchmarking the Efficiency of Public Water Companies in Peru: A Conditional DEA Approach
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2015) Díaz, Guillermo
Benchmarking has been suggested as a useful regulatory tool for water companies in both developed and developing countries, specially due to the predominance of public firms in these sectors. However, in order to be effective, the comparison should be about credibly reflecting differences in the firms' performances, rather than capturing differences in their operating contexts. In this paper I apply a conditional data envelopment analysis (DEA) benchmarking technique that specifically controls for these different operating environments. As a result, I find that conditioning on the population density in each firm's area of operation affect the estimated efficiencies in a significant way. The results are consistent with previous findings in other countries (which use different methodologies), and are new in the case of Peru.
Open Access
China’s Banking Industry
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2012) Valer Dávila, José Carlos
The present report will show that in 10 years time, China’s banking industry would still be dominated by Chinese firms. Analyzing the future competitive environment in China’s banking industry, we can see from the different sources that the non-market environment (mainly governmental policy) will drive the trends of the future (see p.18). Thus, only if the government continues to open industries, like banking, to foreign investment (see p.20), will we see an increase from the current 2% market share of multinational banks. In that scenario, Chinese banks could suffer pricing pressure and lower profitability, as seen in China’s banking value chain (see p. 11). For a better understanding of the issue, this report presents an overview of China’s banking industry (brief history, current status of its value chain) and then it highlights trends in both the international and Chinese market environment using scenarios that, as we will see, depend mostly on economic development and stability. The uniqueness of China’s banking industry arises from the institutional voids (immature financial market, poor regulation, large ownerships by government entities, lack of trained professionals, limited financial markets and products, and an inefficient finance allocation due to virtual intermediation monopoly and the capital controls). In order to evaluate if Chinese firms are able to compete with foreign firms in the domestic market (see p.32), I find that the CAGE distances (comparing with the banks in the Asian regions and worldwide averages) are the main obstacles to be overcome by multinational firms. However, multinational banks have the advantage of a more developed financial knowledge that could allow them to ARBITRAGE the immaturity of China’s fee-based business, to ADAPT, not by buying but by investing in the listed shares, or to AVOID the rules by listing foreign banks (dual listing, depositary receipts or A-H share classes), as an HSBC example will show. Finally, I must state that preparing this report has been particularly difficult because of the institutional void of information. For instance, “the numbers say Chinese Banks are doing brilliantly” but the market doubts the veracity of the numbers given the institutional void of poor information and regulation (The economist, 2011).
Open Access
Corrupción en el Perú: Visión del Ejecutivo Peruano
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2015) Daly, Jorge Luis; Navas, Óscar Darío
El propósito de este estudio es precisar la visión que tiene el ejecutivo peruano de la corrupción y definir las formas que impactan en su actuar.
Open Access
Coverage-Based Service Vehicle Routing when only some Tasks are Known in Advance
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2012) Larco Martinelli, José Antonio; Dekker, Rommert; Kaymak, Uzay
In this paper we deal with a common problem found in the operations of security and preventive/corrective maintenance services: that of routing a number of mobile resources (vehicles) to perform foreseen and unforeseen tasks during a shift. We define the (Stochastic Service Team Orienteering Problem) SSTOP as the problem of making a routing strategy to maximize the expected weighted number of tasks served within the specified time-windows. To obtain solutions to this problem, we propose to solve successively the Coverage Team Orienteering Problem with Time Windows (C-TOPTW). The C-TOPTW considers information related to known tasks and also information about the arrival process of new unforeseen tasks. We find that the information about the arrival process of new unforeseen tasks is of value in generating routes for vehicles to maximize the expected proportion of tasks accomplished within the specified time windows.
Open Access
Culture and innovation in Peru from a management perspective
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2012) Scott, Gregory Joseph; Chaston, Ian
Political stability, macro-economic caution and the aggressive pursuit of free trade have enabled Peru to emerge as one of the fastest growing economies in Latin America. This economic expansion has created heightened interest in the evolution of corporate culture and its influence on firm performance. This paper examines organizational performance in relation to the influence of cultural values on innovation by means of a survey of upper level managers. Involvement in innovation did not assist sales growth whereas involvement in open innovation did. There was a positive relation between open innovation and power distance and uncertainty. No relationship was identified for individualism and masculinity. Practical implications are open innovation may enhance business performance while declining power distance and lower aversion to uncertainty can have a positive impact as well.
Open Access
Débil Competitividad e Institucionalidad: El crecimiento no sostenible del modelo informal
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2015) Arroyo Laguna, Juan
El estudio se basa en una amplia revisión bibliográfica y documental, así como en bases de datos de estadísticas nacionales e internacionales. Revisa las diferentes teorías sobre las relaciones entre informalidad, competitividad e institucionalidad y las contrasta con lo sucedido en los últimos diez años en el Perú, valorando aquellas que pueden dar cuenta de la articulación de lo formal e informal. Revela que se ha producido una combinación de crecimiento sin competitividad y con un debilitamiento institucional, que es el modelo de economía y sociedad de la informalidad. Se fundamenta el paso de la “informalidad blanda” a la “informalidad dura”, con la consiguiente expansión de la cultura de trasgresión y encarecimiento de los costos de transacción. Concluye que el ciclo de crecimiento no sostenible que se vivió en la década pasada produjo un éxito fácil que estará a prueba con el cambio en el entorno global y nacional.
Open Access
Determinants of doctorate holders’ job satisfaction. An analysis by employment sector and type of satisfaction in Spain
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2015) Escardíbul, Josep-Oriol; Afcha Chávez, Sergio Moisés
In this study we analyze the determinants of job satisfaction of doctorate holders in Spain. Specifically, we consider overall job satisfaction as well as basic and motivational satisfaction following Herzberg’s typology (based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs). Using data from the Spanish Survey on Human Resources in Science and Technology of 2009, representative of the Spanish doctoral graduate population, we develop an analysis by gender and institutional sector (university and non-university) where employees are employed. We propose OLS regression to identify the determinants of basic and motivational satisfaction at job as well as an ordered logit model for overall job satisfaction. Results do not allow us to confirm Herzberg’s differentiation for the Spanish PhD holders, since factors related with basic motivation (such as salary or working conditions referred to ‘safety’) have a bearing on all types of job satisfaction (not only the basic one as expected). Likewise, results do not show significant differences by gender. However, it seems that these ‘basic’ needs are less important for the job satisfaction those PhD holders working at the University. Our results seem reasonable for a Southern European country where monetary conditions in labor relations are worse than in other developed countries.
Open Access
Enacting the IS Strategy: Transforming a Strategic Actor Vision into Praxis
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2012) Bohórquez López, Victor Wilfredo; Esteves, José
In the education sector, online knowledge sharing and online social learning are fundamental in the new education landscape. But some years ago, in some prestigious education institutions, talking about online education and online communities was like a taboo. The focus of this research study is an academic and international institution, where a visionary ahead of his time saw the importance of online social networks before the boom they experienced. With this idea in mind, he proposed to create an online knowledge community platform (OKCP). We describe the OKCP different development stages paying special attention to the most important events that shaped and motivated the (re)creation of this environment. In this sense, the main contribution of this study is to make us reflect on how the strategy-as-practice approach is useful for a better understanding of the evolutionary process of an IT-based innovation product (OKCP), describing how the different streams of strategies and praxes (re)shape the intrinsic characteristics of the product, transforming it gradually into what actors want it to be.
Open Access
Entrepreneurial skills, significant differences between Serbian and German entrepreneurs
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2012) Morales Rosales, Carlos Emilio; Marquina Feldman, Percy
An extensive literature review reveals various authors acknowledge skills have an impact on entrepreneurial success. However, a lack of consensus regarding the main skills an entrepreneur needs is apparent. In this study, a contribution is made to the debate with empirical data and analysis. A sample of 394 potential entrepreneurs was administered the SAT-ECENT questionnaire, testing four skills: readiness to change, learning capacity, impact on people, and stress tolerance. The questionnaires were administered in Serbia (n = 190) and in Germany (n = 204). In this paper, evidence about two main issues is presented: entrepreneurial skills vary significantly across countries, and the skill tolerance to stress plays an important role in explaining the variance in the development of entrepreneurial skills in the two countries. Discussion is focused on the research implications and relevance of the findings as well as the practical implications for entrepreneurship-promotion programs.
Open Access
Evaluating the Performance of Indian Banking Sector using Data Envelopment Analysis during Post-Reform and Global Financial Crisis
(CENTRUM Publishing, 2012) Kumar, Mukesh; Vincent, Charles
Enticed by the reform of Indian banking sector in the early 1990s and further slowdown in the economy as a result of global financial crisis in late 2000s, the current study analyzes the performance of Indian banks using data envelopment analysis. The performance is measured in terms of technical efficiency, returns-to-scale, and Malmquist productivity index for a sample of 33 banks, consisting of 19 public sector and 14 private sector banks during the period spanning 1995-96 to 2009-10. The jackknifing analysis, followed by the dummy variable regression model is used to identify the outlier and its possible impact on overall efficiency trends. Findings reveal that efficiency scores are robust in the sense that the inclusion of outlier does not affect the overall efficiency trends. The public sector bank is faintly doing better than the private sector banks in terms of (i) technical efficiency since 2003-04 and (ii) scale efficiency from 2000-01 onwards. There is growing tendency of public banks operating under increasing returns to scale, implying that substantial gains could be obtained from altering scale via either internal growth or consolidation in the sector. The difference in the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) change between these two types of banks is found to be statistically significant in favour of public sector banks. The technological change has been the dominating source of productivity growth, whereas, the contribution of pure efficiency change and scale change are found to be negligible in Indian banking sector during the period of study. The reform in Indian banking sector has clearly re-energized the Indian banking sector as a whole, resulting in a positive change in TFP through technological change possibly as a result of adoption of latest technology and new business practices in post reform period. However, there is evidence of shrink in the market resulting in movement of the banks towards increasing returns-to-scale as well as negative growth in TFP in both the sectors during the period of global financial crisis.