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Purpose: This paper investigates the effects of working during university education on labour market outcomes of university graduates. Design/methodology/approach: Based on data from three successive cohorts of graduates from the Spanish region of Catalonia, the authors estimate the effect of having worked in different types of jobs before graduation, classified according to work intensity and the match with the field of study, on the probability of being employed, having a permanent contract or having a job that requires the specific degree four years after graduation. The authors employ a multinomial endogenous treatment model that enables controlling for self-selection into pre-graduation working activities. Findings: Pre-graduation work activities that are related to the field of study are generally beneficial for employability and job stability. Work experiences unmatched with the degree's content are detrimental for graduates' job–education match. Originality/value: This is the first paper that jointly considers the role of work intensity (part-time vs full-time) and the relationship with the field of study in a framework that accounts for self-selection into different types of jobs. The authors also contribute to the literature by estimating the effect of pre-graduation jobs not only on the chances of being employed four years after graduation but also on two important aspects of job quality: having a permanent contract and having a job that requires the specific degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to measure the effect that knowing the Catalan language has on individuals' comparative advantage to perform certain jobs in Catalonia (Spain), where Catalan and Spanish coexist. Design/methodology/approach – Using census data for 1991 and 1996, and for individuals born in Spain, the paper first estimates a Probit model for individuals' level of Catalan proficiency in order to correct for the possible endogeneity of Catalan knowledge, as it may be jointly determined with occupational selection or be a reflection of unobserved human capital or innate ability. Then, it estimates a bivariate Probit model for the probability of choosing a given occupation conditional on a given Catalan proficiency level. Findings – The paper finds that advanced proficiency in Catalan reinforces selection into being employed, being an entrepreneur, and into white-collar occupations and communication-intensive jobs. Being able to read and speak Catalan increases selection into white collar occupations by between 11 and 16 percentage points, while writing Catalan increases by 4 to 7 percentage points the probability of engaging in services, and government and educational activities. Practical implications – Because census data are cross-sectional panel effects on language selection cannot be analyzed. Nevertheless, the paper's results suggest that investing in learning the local language, at the firm and the government level, improves job matching and assimilation of workers to multilingual economies. The authors suggest a cost-benefit analysis to assess the effectiveness of language policies for further research. Originality/value – The results contribute to the scarce literature on the economic value of a language, i.e. on how much language knowledge as a form of human capital reinforces individuals' comparative advantage to perform certain tasks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyse in-depth collaboration as a process that emerges from interactions among individuals in order to develop entrepreneurial actions within established family firms. The research is contextualized in the metal sector in Catalonia (Spain), using institutional economics as a theoretical framework of reference. Design/methodology/approach - Methodologically, the paper adopt an exploratory perspective and employs a qualitative approach. In particular, a multiple case-study is used to gain deep insights into a contemporary and complex issue within its real-life context, and two case studies are purposefully selected in order to be able to conduct cross-case comparisons. Findings - In the early formation phase of collective entrepreneurship, there are similarities reflecting the networks status of both cases. In contrast, there are some variations concerning the development of collective entrepreneurship within the businesses which affect the type of corporate entrepreneurship (CE) activities developed by the firms. Research limitations/implications - By using a case study approach, it is hard to validate the theories for any more general applicability. Practical implications - Promoting trust in the organizational context, owner-managers may assume the role of intrapreneurs as network or human interaction builders within businesses, in order to promote CE through collective activities. Originality/value - The paper shows that CE activities may be understood from a collective action among employees and owner-managers. The paper also demonstrates that the phenomenon can be place into a broader theoretical context, taking into account the considerations included in institutional economics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to assess the impact of sociopolitical instability on the peer-to-peer market for tourist accommodation. Design/methodology/approach: The author studies for the case of Barcelona the impacts of the events occurring in the past months of 2017, which consisted of a terrorist attack and the calling for a referendum on the independence of Catalonia, by fitting a fixed effects regression model to a data panel of Airbnb listings, using New York and Paris as a control group. Findings: The results show that, after controlling for individual and time effects, listing reviews and revenues fall in the last quarter of 2017 and do not recover until the second quarter of the next year, in spite of a notable effort to decrease prices in the same period. They also indicate that peer-to-peer hosts react fast to demand shocks and as those from traditional markets. Originality/value: This is the first study to evaluate the impact of terrorism or political uncertainty in the peer-to-peer market and the first to evaluate their combined effect in any market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to report on a case study concerning the development of sustainable energy partnerships involving engineering faculty and undergraduate students at the University of Girona, Catalonia, Spain. Design/methodology/approach: Faculty were motivated to seek partnerships with public and private entities in the local area for the purposes of realising mutually beneficial outcomes. The educational programmes of future engineers, when sustainability is considered, are analysed. Education for sustainable development has to include multidisciplinary active learning as a desirable competence. Active learning can be obtained when problems are based on real life because they are most motivating for students. Constructive alignment component is obtained because learning objectives are linked with learning activities related to the needs of public and private entities. Findings: Through the provision of technical expertise, the adoption and success of renewable energy projects was facilitated on the one hand, while final year undergraduate students benefited in terms of hands-on experience in helping to bring these projects to life, drawing on the knowledge and skills they had acquired throughout their degree programmes. These works are addressed to students by faculty members with the aim of developing and promoting renewable energies. Outcomes from partnerships surpassed expectations; not only were different benefits realised as were initially hoped for, but this success led to partnerships being sustained over time. Originality/value: Fossil fuel-based energy systems are associated with a myriad of negative environmental and social externalities. It is difficult to overstate the importance of transitioning towards alternative low carbon energy sources for climate change mitigation which are less centralised compared to the status-quo for energy security and energy independence. By actively facilitating the development of decentralised renewable energy sources in Catalonia, the projects reported herein are of significant value in social environmental and educational terms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to identify the values that make up a knowledge-friendly culture in the consulting industry, in which the implementation of in-house knowledge management (KM) projects has positive performance outcomes. Design/methodology/approach – An exploratory analysis and a structural equation model were used on a sample of 100 knowledge workers (managers and internal KM project managers) in the consulting sector. Findings – The results of this study indicate that the values identified (trust, transparency, flexibility, collaboration, commitment, honesty and professionalism) bear a close positive relation to the success of the KM project implementation (innovation, employee satisfaction, capabilities, quality and productivity). These values are divided into three groups. Research limitations/implications – This research focuses on the consulting industry in Catalonia, Spain; further research will be required in order to apply the findings to other countries in the world. Practical implications – The study provides a better understanding of the cultural success factor in knowledge management initiatives. It offers a significant and practical advance in terms of systematizing KM in organizations. Originality/value – Knowledge management plays a crucial role in consulting companies, so it is necessary to determine the factors that contribute to its success, and particularly the factor of knowledge culture. However, few empirical studies have analyzed these values. The paper's main contribution is therefore identification of the core values of a knowledge-friendly culture and their impact on performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The paper seeks to describe the Catalan corporate e-learning providers from the perspective of quality perception, quality assessment and quality control. Design/methodology/approach – A literature review reveals key aspects of the definition of quality in e-learning. The results of the review constitute the basis for exploratory research into the way quality is perceived and handled within the Catalan corporate e-learning sector. Findings – It was found that the organisations studied attribute major importance to quality dimensions related to any kind of teaching/learning, whereas other dimensions with clear relation to e-learning receive lower priority. The study also reveals certain incoherence between the dimensions of quality and the applied strategies of quality assessment and control. Research limitations/implications – The presentation of pre-defined quality indicators could have led to a distortion in the answers given to the questionnaire presented. It would be interesting to compare and contrast the findings using interviews addressed to quality managers and focus groups in organisations representative of the sector. Originality/value – The paper integrates the discussion of theoretical approaches and models for quality in e-learning with the description of important players in the field of e-learning that had not yet been studied from the perspective of quality perception and quality control. It can be understood as an exploratory step towards further studies in order to contribute to an improvement in the quality policies applied in the corporate e-learning sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to assess the touristic potential of music festivals in Catalonia. It is an opportune goal because even though this region is experiencing an important increase of new festivals and cultural events, there is a lack of adequate coordinating and guiding tourism policies. Design/methodology/approach - The data was gathered with a survey to managers of music festivals that provided information about their management structure and economic results. The study findings are the result of an analysis done with a statistical multivariate technique and constructing indicators of event economic feasibility and tourism specialisation. Findings - Data reveals the coexistence of two different types of festivals in Catalonia depending on their cultural or touristic orientation and with clear differences in their management style. Both types have a pro fessionalized management structure and an economic self-sufficiency when compared with the rest of Catalan cultural events, so they can be considered as an asset for regional tourism development. Nevertheless, some problems are detected in management practices that should be improved when implementing a specific tourism event policy Originality/value - The research has built a unique event data base that can be useful for decision making in tourism public administration. The paper suggests that local and regional administration should consider music festivals and cultural events, in general, as excellent resources to create new tourism products. Some of the characteristics of festivals, such as their important potential as tourism attractions and their cultural identity or the economical success, are critical assets to their high potential in local tourism development. These findings should justify a more resolute public policy of events and music festivals in Catalonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents methodological and strategic results of the first two years of the implementation of the second environmental plan (2002-2005) at the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) and discusses the benefits and difficulties of new strategies adopted. Particularly, the focus is pointed to the introduction of environmental aspects into technical education, in the framework of an integral university approach that combines simultaneous actions in the areas of education, research, university life and communication in order to develop a consistent and synergetic model. The paper describes and discusses the strategies that have been adopted for accelerating the transformation of the university towards a sustainable university, which include: to create useful tools for decision making, particularly strategic planning indicators; to introduce environmental indicators into university mainstream processes; to assess the transformation potential through an environmental research map; and to work synergistically through "linking initiatives". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1996 the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC) adopted an Environment Plan which incorporated classical technical education, promoting multidisciplinary environmental research, and improving the environmental performance of university life as a whole. This paper outlines the first environment plan (1996-2001). It discusses its encouraging results and consequences, and describes how it was the main motivation for the design of a second environment plan for the period (2002-2005). The paper pays special attention to the curriculum greening experience of UPC: six years ago the university decided to start greening its entire range of courses, over a wide range of technical and scientific areas. The paper explains the most relevant projects, and attempts to evaluate their effectiveness in improving the environmental performance of the university. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to draw attention to the need for a nuanced view of the emotional contagion framework. It proposes and empirically tests a refined model of emotional contagion and its effects in the hotel sector by focusing on the front-desk service encounter interactions.Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from three separate groups of paired informants: receptionists, hotel customers and interaction observers. The sample included 573 full customer service interactions in 47 hotels in Catalonia. The model was tested with structural equation modelling.Findings Emotional contagion has specific mechanisms at the hotel front-desk. No relationship was found between receptionists’ inner mood and their outwardly displayed emotions. Yet, receptionists’ displayed emotions enhance customer mood, and, largely, customer satisfaction. Ultimately, this affects customer behavioural intentions. It was also discovered that guests are able to clearly distinguish between their satisfaction with the specific service encounter at the front desk and the overall satisfaction with the hotel stay. The positive effects of employees’ displayed emotions are of particular importance in lower-star hotels and are less important at the high end. Perceived training opportunities have a positive effect on customer satisfaction and improve the employee-displayed emotion.Research limitations/implications Researchers should examine employee outcomes that are more stable than mood, but may enhance or be related to the effective display of emotions at the front desk, such as employee satisfaction and commitment. In general, emotions and behaviours of employees and consumers should be further examined in other services across the hospitality industry, in different cultural contexts and in terms of their impact on company performance. Researchers should heed the precise type of mechanism that takes place in each service context.Practical implications The hotel management should focus their efforts on ensuring positive emotional performance, regardless of employees’ inner mood. Managers should carefully interpret differentiated results according to whether they have been drawn from overall satisfaction or customer service interaction surveys. The training provision is of particular importance in lower-star hotels, where customer outcomes depend more on employee-displayed emotion.Originality/value This study empirically corroborates that customer outcomes of front-desk services are linked to receptionists’ displayed emotions, and not to employees’ feelings. Onsite data collection, multiple-informant approach, paired dyads and structural equation modelling hold a great potential for study designs that seek insights into interpersonal phenomena in hospitality services research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The focus of this study is to explore the perceptions of motivation for further training and empowerment in future jobs of participants in different training activities under a public programme implemented in Catalonia (Spain), which delivers continuing vocational education and training (CVET) courses for unemployed and for active workers alike. Design/methodology/approach: The authors used a mixed methodology approach to study the motivation and empowerment perceived in the sample of participants. From an online survey of 281 participants in a CVET programme from the network of public centres that implement the programme in Catalonia, the authors analysed quantitatively the responses and then applied an inductive analysis for the responses related to motivation and empowerment perceived by the participants. Findings: Results show that the participation in this CVET programme has influenced positively the perception of motivation of the majority of participants to enrol in further education or training (80.43%), while at the other end of the spectrum, 18.86% of the participants reported low or no motivation to participate in further education or training. Regarding the empowerment towards their future workplace, 59.43% of participants perceived a high empowerment, while 37.37% reported feeling low-empowered or disempowered. Originality/value: This is one of the few studies that takes interest in studying a CVET public programme and its potential impact in generating perceptions of motivation for further education or training and empowerment in the participants. Moreover, its implementation was possible due to the collaboration of the public administration, which disseminated the survey to their students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]