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This study explores how networks for entrepreneurial activities evolve and change during an institutional transition at the macro level. For this purpose, we present the historical case study of Meliá, a pioneering company in the development of the Spanish tourism industry during Franco´s Regime (1939–1975), when the country evolved from interventionism and isolation toward an increasingly market-oriented economy. Our study shows how Meliá's networks co-evolved with their institutional framework, resulting in a transformation in their composition, purpose, and outcomes. Through historical contextualization, our paper allows us to capture the nuances of an institutional transition as well as to better understand the change processes of networks, the significance of strong and weak ties as the firm matures, and the dynamics of network brokerage over time. Therefore, our research contributes to the literature on networks and institutional transitions showing the value of a history-in theory perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses how the COVID-19 pandemic has influenced employment in the Spanish tourism sector from a gender perspective and aims to infer its impact on sustainability. We use employment data from 2002 (Q1) to 2020 (Q4) on women and men in the Spanish hospitality sector and employ fractional integration methods to determine the temporary scope of the shock. Our results suggest that the impact of the pandemic will have a permanent effect, unless strong policy measures are adopted to resume pre-crisis trends. We also found that persistence is higher for women's than for men's employment. Therefore, women seem to be more vulnerable to the shocks of COVID-19, making sustainable development of tourism in Spain more difficult. Based on our results, we offer policy recommendations to counter the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on gender equality and tourism sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the long-term development of two strategic alliances between major Spanish (RUI and Iberostar) and German (TUI and Neckermann) tourist firms. Our research builds on the literature on foreign direct investment and institutionalism applied to cross-border cooperation, yet using business history research methods. The study aims to understand how the local Spanish context shaped the interaction between foreign and domestic firms and how this interaction influenced the development of the Spanish companies. Our cases suggest that the Spanish institutional framework affected the nature and strength of alliances. Foreign partners were crucial in providing financial and commercial support, brand consolidation, market knowledge and reputation. However, local actors also played an important role as proactive partners eager to develop their domestic business and upgrade their existing capabilities. Ultimately this strategy would contribute to the internationalisation of Spanish firms after 1990. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we examine the statistical properties of the time series corresponding to the number of national and international visitors in Spain using fractional integration. This methodology allows us to examine the degree of persistence of the series, and thus, infer some conclusions about the nature of the shocks. According to the results reported in this work, seasonality matters in both cases, being more important in international tourism. Moreover, we observe significant differences in the degree of persistence between national and international tourism. Although both series seem to be mean reverting, with shocks having a transitory nature, higher orders of integration are observed in the case of the international arrivals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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