scholarly journals Brexit, the wine sector and organisational resilience: an exploratory study of Spanish Wineries

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 301-322
Author(s):  
Abel Duarte Alonso ◽  
Seng Kok ◽  
Seamus O'Brien

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of winery owners/managers concerning the impacts of Brexit on the Spanish wine sector and propose a theoretical framework based on the extant organisational resilience literature to facilitate an understanding of this concept. The framework facilitates understanding of this concept through the perspective of winery operators. Design/methodology/approach Attendance at a large Spanish wine fair in 2017 allowed for brief face-to-face interviews with owners and export managers of 156 predominantly micro and small Spanish wineries. The data were analysed through qualitative content analysis. Findings Despite the general sense of uncertainty and negative perceptions regarding the outcomes of Brexit, the interviews revealed various forms of resilient responses, including ongoing efforts seeking to broaden the scope for exports into new, niche markets alongside more traditional ones. These findings have important implications for businesses engaged in international business, particularly in the wine industry, where the potential challenges resulting from a major political decision can exacerbate existing issues of competition. Originality/value From a practical perspective, this study examines an emerging issue with potential consequences for international business. From a theoretical point of view, the proposed framework provides a baseline to illuminate the understanding of the links and stages following turbulence within organisations. Notably, the activation of responses emphasises the importance of developing a resilient organisational culture, as well as developing internal and enabling factors and bundles of resources that help create firm capabilities.

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 308-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonino Galati ◽  
Maria Crescimanno ◽  
Salvatore Tinervia ◽  
Dario Siggia

Purpose The purpose of this paper is dual. The first is to assess the quality of websites of Italian wineries, using the Web Assessment Index (WAI), and compare e-commerce and e-marketing websites. The second is to verify the existence of a relationship between the website quality and business revenue, on one hand, and the characteristics of managers, on the other. Design/methodology/approach A two-step survey was carried out to respond to the aims of the study. First, a sample of wineries was contacted to capture information on both the wineries and managerial characteristics. On the basis of the observed data, a second step of the analysis was performed taking into consideration 84 wineries having a website. The website quality has been evaluated by WAI, and afterwards, it has been related to the internal business factors previously identified. Findings Findings show that the website quality is higher in e-commerce websites than in e-marketing websites, and that business revenue and the education level of managers have a positive influence on the websites’ quality. Research limitations/implications The results of the study need to be interpreted within the context for which this research was designed and cannot be applied generally to all businesses. Practical implications Findings have some theoretical and practical implications. From a theoretical point of view, this study validates the WAI model in the wine sector. From a managerial perspective, results are useful both for wineries creating an online presence for the first time, and for those already existing which, and for system designers of websites. Originality/value Very few empirical studies have been conducted on the relationship between website quality, business performance and managerial characteristics.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (10) ◽  
pp. 3157-3176
Author(s):  
Abel Duarte Alonso ◽  
Seng Kiat Kok

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the different traits, characteristics and skills future professionals need to contemplate to address the demands of the competitive wine industry, more specifically, concerning the provision of wine tourism experiences. The insights within self-determination theory are considered to develop more robust understanding of this central theme. Design/methodology/approach The views of 32 winery representatives in ownership and management roles, operating in two emerging economies were gathered through un-structured, face-to-face interviews conducted on-site. Findings Participants’ comments revealed five key dimensions illustrated, notably, through attitudinal aspects (passion, empathy), knowledge-based (constant learning), strategy-based (problem-solver), previous work experience and adaptation-based. This last aspect highlighted coping with the dynamic nature of the industry, while assimilating tasks or learning by doing. These findings have important implications, in particular, for the future delivery of wine tourism experiences. Originality/value By empirically examining an important knowledge gap associated with the traits and characteristics of future wine tourism professionals, the study provides original and valuable practical insights. From a theoretical point of view, the study proposes a model originating from the findings and its associations with the revisited theoretical underpinnings.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 1228-1250 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lidia Sanchez-Ruiz ◽  
Beatriz Blanco ◽  
Emma Diaz

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to define a general and common construct in order to measure the level of difficulty companies experience when they implement continuous improvement (CI). Additionally, a rank of barriers is obtained together with a rank of companies. Design/methodology/approach In order to achieve the objective, first, a literature review is carried out to specify the domain of the construct; second, a sample of items is selected; third a survey is carried out in companies that have already implemented CI initiatives, the results being thus limited to this population; fourth, measures are purified by analysing the reliability and validity of the measurements, and finally results are obtained. The Rasch measurement theory will be used to provide a new perspective on a mature research topic. Findings It can be concluded that a new valid construct has been defined together with a rank of CI barriers, being lack of time the main barrier. A rank of companies is also obtained which is a first step in the development of future research studies. Practical implications Managers are provided with a better understanding of the barriers that can obstruct CI implementation. Thus, the rank of CI barriers guides managers through the most common and important obstacles so that they will be able to plan better CI strategies. In addition, the rank of companies allows each company to undertake a benchmarking exercise. Originality/value This work proposes a new way of analysing the difficulty in implementing CI as a continuum, rather than as independent barriers. From a theoretical point of view, it defines a new construct and offers a rank of CI barriers together with a rank of companies based on their level of difficulty when implementing CI initiatives. This is something new, as previous studies were mainly focussed on the items side. From a practical point of view, this study offers the surveyed companies the opportunity to see how they are positioned with respect to the other companies. Moreover, this rank of companies is the foundation on which to develop further studies with a practical orientation in the future.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 280-294 ◽  
Author(s):  
Georg von Schnurbein ◽  
Peter Seele ◽  
Irina Lock

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to add to a better understanding of relationship of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and corporate philanthropy. The authors argue that corporate philanthropy is exclusive to CSR because of their different characteristics. Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a profound literature review and discusses the relationship of CSR and corporate philanthropy from a theoretical point of view. By conceptually combining the CSR pyramid and the triple bottom line approach, the authors show that corporate philanthropy has a special role outside of the classical CSR concept. Findings Four fundaments of corporate philanthropy – economic, motivational, creative and moral – are described that illustrate the importance and outstanding role of corporate philanthropy for today’s businesses. Based on these, the authors formulate three new forms of corporate giving, volunteering and foundations, which the authors subsume under the novel notion of “exclusive corporate philanthropy”. Research limitations/implications The main contribution of this paper for future research is to regard corporate philanthropy as exclusive to CSR. Future studies might, therefore, consider the different characteristics of corporate philanthropy and engage in an empirical investigation of this new type. Practical implications The model of exclusive corporate philanthropy presented in this paper provides practitioners with a better understanding of how corporate philanthropy can be rolled out today. Originality/value This paper offers a new perspective on the relationship of CSR and corporate philanthropy. Based on the economic, motivational, creative and moral characteristics of corporate philanthropy, the authors establish a clear distinction between the two concepts.


2014 ◽  
Vol 26 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-96 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gergely Szolnoki ◽  
Dimitri Taits ◽  
Moritz Nagel ◽  
Alessio Fortunato

Purpose – This paper aims to conduct two studies to investigate the use of social media tools by wineries in Germany and assess the impact of Facebook membership on customers by comparing them with customers who were not members. Today, a vast number of books and studies are being published about social media in general, but less is known about their usage and effectiveness in the wine industry. Design/methodology/approach – The first study was conducted among 321 German wineries. It focused on the attitudes and preferences of the winemakers regarding social media, and it analysed the daily use of this new communication tool. The second study took place in August 2012, and it set out to define the value that accrued to a winery from having Facebook fans. This analysis was based on an online survey with customers of the winery as well as on a comparative analysis of the buying patterns of customers who were Facebook fans and those who were not. The analysis compared the turnover from the purchases of both groups over a period of three years. Findings – It was determined that 60 per cent of German wineries did communicate with their customers using social media. Facebook was the most important social media channel, followed by Twitter and YouTube. Of the winemakers interviewed, 40 per cent planned, in the near future, to implement additional activities involving social media. The consumer study proved that Facebook fans had a higher turnover compared to the non-Facebook fans of the winery studied. This finding emphasises the loyalty of Facebook fans. In addition, the study revealed that Facebook fans are open to receiving sales offers from the company which they support. Practical implications – Winery owners should be aware of the effectiveness of this modern communication tool. This is not only because Facebook fans generate a much higher turnover but also because of the possibility that they are interested in additional special offers on Facebook, which could mean an expansion of the available sales channels. Originality/value – To our knowledge, this kind of overview about the Germany wine sector as well as about the value of a Facebook-fan of a winery has not yet been undertaken.


2015 ◽  
Vol 4 (3) ◽  
pp. 209-223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Encarna Soto Gómez ◽  
María J. Serván Núñez ◽  
Angel I Pérez Gómez ◽  
Noemi Peña Trapero

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to show, from a theoretical point of view, the promising relationship between the processes generated by Lesson Studies (LS) and the development of practical thinking in in-service teacher training, derived from two pieces of research. Design/methodology/approach – The authors propose broadening the focus of LS in order to not only improve the “lesson” or “teaching” – in short, practice – but also to reconstruct and improve the practical knowledge of teachers. The core issue of the paper is the discussion about the relationship between the practical knowledge, the knowledge that every teacher uses in his or her daily practice, theories-in-use, mostly unconscious, and the conscious and explicit knowledge, practical thinking, explicit theory, they use to describe and justify their practice. Findings – Knowing our practical knowledge intuitive Gestalt, and building a new conscious and informed way of thinking is not enough, we need to build through systematic new practice a new way of doing, a new way of perceiving, interpreting, taking decisions and acting, coherent with our new theories. LS reinforces these two complementary movements: the practical theorizing movement, the reflexion on action to discover the implicit believes, habits, attitudes and emotions underlying the practice, and the experimentation of the new theory to form the new habits, beliefs, attitudes and emotions that support the development of a new form of teaching. This second movement needs more time and adequate teaching context, confirming the long spiral cycle of LS. Originality/value – With emphasis on the dialectical relationship between practical theorizing and the experimentation of theory, this paper could set out a new approach for LSs as a method of teacher training which can improve practice through the reconstruction of the practical thinking of those involved.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aisha Abubakar

PurposeThe concept of basic human needs, though diversely interpreted, remains a policy and practice approach to combat poverty and improve wellbeing. Meanwhile, defining locally sensitive basic needs to support context-specific improvement is still an essential requirement. The paper examines basic human needs fulfilment in the context of effective improvement strategies and proposes a Basic Human Needs Glossary, a definition framework and tool for understanding needs pursuits and helping to streamline responses towards establishing their potential.Design/methodology/approachThe proposal for basic needs and development by the economist Manfred Max-Neef is examined from an operative point of view, including the role that the actualization of needs-centred goals performs in the pursuit of prosperity. The paper then adopts, adapts and defines the basic needs proposed by Max-Neef and outlines Basic Terms of Pursuit (BToP) for these through qualitative content analysis.FindingsIt is possible to breakdown the basic needs concepts into smaller subsets of traits, which are framed within the interrelated dimensions of personal and social interactions of people, and of people and environment (natural and man-made).Research limitations/implicationsThe glossary with BToP is not conclusive, however. There is still potential to advance and further refine these through further content, qualitative and ethnographic research.Originality/valueEnabling capacities for progressive needs fulfilment is, in theory, key to facilitating paths to prosperity, especially in intervention processes to improve vulnerable communities, like slums. A deeper clarification of needs pursuit presented by the glossary adds rigor to this task and to enhancing wellbeing standards overall. Thus, it can play an important resource role in urban practice.


2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (5) ◽  
pp. 1625-1646
Author(s):  
Romeo Bandinelli ◽  
Diletta Acuti ◽  
Virginia Fani ◽  
Bianca Bindi ◽  
Gaetano Aiello

PurposeThe present research expands the debate on environmental sustainability in the wine industry. Since the literature on sustainability and wine is relatively recent, current results do not cover all the practices that can be implemented along the wine supply chain. Thus, the paper presents a classification of environmental practices specific for the wine industry, according to the increased attention that has been paid to this topic in recent years. Moreover, it investigates the adoption level of these practices with reference to Italian wine producers.Design/methodology/approachThe research presents a systematic literature review including papers published in academic journals during the past 30 years and in Italian specialised magazines. This methodology is useful to provide a clear overview of sustainable practices that can be adopted along the wine supply chain. Therefore, an empirical study based on the results of an online survey shows how wineries approach environmental sustainability.FindingsThe literature review provides a definition and classification of environmental practices in the wine industry, as well as identification of those that require further attention in the literature, suggesting future research paths. The results of the online survey give an overview of the adoption level of environmental practices and highlight widespread attention to all the listed environmental practices, including those not adopted.Originality/valueFrom a theoretical point of view, this paper fills a literature gap in terms of the definition and classification of environmental practices that cover all wine supply chain processes, also providing a useful instrument for wine companies' managers. Moreover, the results of the empirical research give an overview of the adoption level of environmental practices in one of the most relevant countries in terms of wine production and highlight widespread attention to all the listed environmental practices, including those not adopted.


2020 ◽  
Vol 122 (5) ◽  
pp. 1647-1669 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo Cane ◽  
Carmen Parra

PurposeThe reduction of food waste is still a pending issue that governments have still not resolved. In response to this problem mobile platforms are emerging that follow food ecology and the responsible consumption of food, and self-management of their access to allow the communication between people and their use of food. In this paper, the authors will analyze the main digital platforms that deal with solving this problem, especially those that fulfill a social commitment through the distribution and reduction of waste.Design/methodology/approachTo provide solutions, the authors will address the importance of new technologies in the fight against waste, using digital platforms to manage food and to eliminate the loss in surplus products. To do this, the authors will first analyze from a theoretical point of view the concepts of “loss”, “waste” and “surplus product”, incorporating data of their impact between Spain and Italy. Next, the authors will analyze the influence of new technologies in the detection and distribution of products destined to become food waste. To carry out this qualitative research, the authors will apply the research strategy of theory building from multiple case studies (particularly 16 different digital platforms against food waste were analyzed), which is a methodological approach that uses cases as the basis to develop theory inductively.FindingsThe authors must make the public aware of the importance of being responsible consumers. To this end, the authors must disclose the problems associated with food waste and surplus product, presenting alternatives and new consumption habits. For this, it is necessary to collaborate and build synergies with organizations of different origins (consumers, producers and activists) involved in sustainable agrifood models. In this sense, digital platforms are essential tools to fight against food waste, preventing certain products from being considered unfit for human consumption. In this study, the authors suggest that, based on the review of the literature and the analysis of apps and blogs, the authors look for solutions to surplus and food waste both from the environment of the entrepreneur and the consumer and all using the new technologies.Research limitations/implicationsThe research has raised different limitations. On the one hand, it is a subject that has not been analyzed from a doctrinal point of view, so it is not easy to find bibliographic references. On the other hand, digital platforms that act on food waste are not cataloged. This has made it difficult to search for elements of analysis to obtain results in the work. Finally, the sample can vary in a short period of time since the digital platforms are in a boom, which means that they constantly change.Practical implicationsThis work allows a theoretical approach to the concepts of “loss”, “wastage” and “surplus product”, incorporating data on its impact in Spain and Italy, comparing it with the rest of Europe while providing figures and data on their impact. On the other hand, it allows us to know how new technologies can help the detection and distribution of products destined to become food waste. Finally, there are examples of platforms that are offering service in different areas, incorporating a novel classification that allows us to know the differences depending on their origin and destination.Originality/valueThe originality of the work can be summarized in the following points: There are no doctrinal works that analyze in a combined way the food waste with the new technologies; The relationship with the 2030 Agenda in which responsible consumption is one of the achievements pursued by the United Nations, and the authors position the study’s research as an evidence of platforms that are currently working in the interest of reducing food waste. Furthermore, the authors provide an early classification of platforms based on their usability and objectives of reducing, reusing and recycling food.


2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonino Galati ◽  
Demetris Vrontis ◽  
Benedetto Giorlando ◽  
Marcella Giacomarra ◽  
Maria Crescimanno

Purpose This study aims to explore and describe the main enabling factors affecting the implementation of blockchain technology (BCT) in a strategic sector such as the wine industry, as well as the motivation behind this choice. Design/methodology/approach In light of the novelty of the phenomenon studied, a case study approach was adopted analyzing three Italian wineries. A conceptual framework, based on the dynamic capabilities, absorptive capacity and dominant logic theories, was developed. Primary and secondary data were collected. Findings Results show that wineries working in a highly dynamic and competitive market invest more in knowledge acquisition and internal assimilation and less in transformation and exploitation of acquired knowledge, in particular preferring to outsource the application phase of BCT. The particularity of the wine industry, indeed, demonstrates the existence of hybrid alternatives in which exploration and exploitation processes can be balanced. These findings confirm the value of the conceptual framework developed to explain how wineries implement BCT in their business. Research limitations/implications The present work must be considered in light of the research scope and its qualitative nature. Practical implications Findings suggest that the adoption of BCT depends on the wineries’ ability to invest more in effective knowledge management systems to acquire and assimilate knowledge internally and in managerial skills and dominant logic that become strategic resources that can improve their innovation performance. Originality/value Compared to previous studies on BCT adoption in the wine industry, this work helps us to better understand how wineries implement BCT as it focuses on their ability to acquire, manage and capitalize on the flow of knowledge, as a strategic resource, which forms the basis for creating dynamic capabilities and value. Findings are of interest to develop strategies aimed to ensure the effectiveness of this innovation in a strategic sector.


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