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1 – 10 of 28Jorge Alcaraz and Elizabeth Salamanca
The purpose of this paper is to identify how the cultural attributes of ethnic networks affect foreign direct investment (FDI) location.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to identify how the cultural attributes of ethnic networks affect foreign direct investment (FDI) location.
Design/methodology/approach
The study tests on panel data the effect of ethnic networks in interaction with their member’s cultural attributes on FDI location.
Findings
Results show that ethnic networks whose members predominantly exhibit a human orientation do not affect FDI location. However, when performance orientation is the predominant cultural attribute of the members of an ethnic network, there is a positive and significant effect on FDI location.
Practical implications
Managers need to be aware that not all networks will be equally helpful in achieving particular goals. For instance, ethnic networks where the performance orientation is dominant among their members affect FDI location, unlike ethnic networks where human orientation is dominant. Therefore, decision-makers need to identify and align these two elements (networks and goals) to maximize outcomes.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the literature by suggesting that FDI location is affected by ethnic networks where performance orientation is dominant among the members, which is not the case when human orientation is dominant among the members of the ethnic networks.
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Jorge Alcaraz, Elizabeth Salamanca and Otto Regalado-Pezúa
The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of ethnic networks on firms’ location decisions using social network theory and the homophily principle.
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify the effect of ethnic networks on firms’ location decisions using social network theory and the homophily principle.
Design/methodology/approach
A traditional gravity model is used on a sample composed of high-skilled and low-skilled ethnic networks and multinational enterprises (MNEs) from Latin America, North America and the European Union.
Findings
Contrary to findings of previous studies, ethnic networks do not appear to influence location decisions of Latin American firms expanding into countries from North America and the European Union. This might be because of weak ethnic connections among the players.
Practical implications
Managers must be aware that ethnic networks not always can be used for the strategy of the firm, at least regarding location.
Social implications
Governments and entrepreneurial and immigrant associations from home and host countries could develop initiatives addressed to strengthening the links between the members of the networks.
Originality/value
This study extends the social network theory in the sense that ethnic networks do not always positively affect firms’ location. Moreover, it is important to consider the specific context or features of the members of a network before analyzing its effects on firms’ location.
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Jorge Alcaraz and Elizabeth Salamanca
The purpose of this study is to identify, based on social network theory, the relationship between the direction of international migration (immigration/emigration) and the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study is to identify, based on social network theory, the relationship between the direction of international migration (immigration/emigration) and the international movement of enterprises and their location.
Design/methodology/approach
A traditional gravity model and the Tobit estimation method are applied to three groups of countries from three different regions: Latin America, North America and the European Union. The study considers a period from 2001 to 2012.
Findings
The main results suggest that the international migration that goes from the European Union and North America to Latin America is related with the firms’ internationalization and their respective location.
Practical implications
Given that migration can be an important and reliable source of information, trust and knowledge, managers should see it as a “bridge” between the home and host countries, which, in turn, can increase their competitive advantage.
Social implications
Governments can learn how migration and outward foreign direct investment interact. In addition, they could develop political frameworks to accurately and effectively manage international migration (immigration and emigration) and FDI in the best interests of the stakeholders.
Originality/value
This study extends the social network theory by suggesting that networks are not only related with firms’ expansion abroad but as well with their location. This statement could be generalizable as long as emigration/networks (ethnic ties) are considered the links between the home and the host country.
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Throughout centuries, Latin America has faced a paradox. On one hand, the abundance of resources has attracted immigrants who find a suitable place to undertake profitable…
Abstract
Throughout centuries, Latin America has faced a paradox. On one hand, the abundance of resources has attracted immigrants who find a suitable place to undertake profitable business ventures in the region. On the other hand, the limited entrepreneurial resources of most countries of the region have motivated the migration of talented people, among them entrepreneurs, to non-Latin American countries. This chapter explores this paradox through the analysis of entrepreneurs' motivations to immigrate to, and migrate from Latin America, the influence of their profile on their business ventures, as well as the role played by both the home and the host countries' institutional conditions. The findings of this analysis underline the diversity of migrant entrepreneurs in terms of personal resources and survival versus opportunity-driven migration decisions. They also reveal the kind of mechanisms migrant entrepreneurs use to counteract their host country's institutional challenges.
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Dirk Reiser and Stuart Crispin
The purpose of this paper is to explore local perceptions of the process of place reimaging, and the forces that influence this process. As locals engage with a place more…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore local perceptions of the process of place reimaging, and the forces that influence this process. As locals engage with a place more frequently than visitors, they are better placed to get an “insider's view” of reimaging and the forces that influence the process.
Design/methodology/approach
A case study method is employed in this paper. The case area is the Sullivans Cove waterfront precinct, located in the Australian City of Hobart. Between 1972 and 2006 this area underwent a process of reimaging; changing from a working port to a tourism, arts and entertainment precinct. Primary data are collected through semi‐structured interviews with representatives from local interest group. Secondary data are also collected from a range of government and non‐government sources.
Findings
The findings of this paper are twofold. First, it finds that locals are actively engaged in the process of reimaging and are broadly accepting of the reimaging process. Second, locals identified a number of forces that influenced the process of reimaging within Sullivans Cove, and that the interplay between these factors create a more multifaceted place image.
Originality/value
Little extant research has explored local perceptions of the reimaging process, and this paper brings new insights into this process.
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Elizabeth Olmos-Martínez, Miguel Á. Álvarez-Carmona, Ramón Aranda and Angel Díaz-Pacheco
This study aims to present a framework for automatically collecting, cleaning and analyzing text (news articles, in this case) to provide valuable decision-making information to…
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to present a framework for automatically collecting, cleaning and analyzing text (news articles, in this case) to provide valuable decision-making information to destination management organizations. Keeping a record of certain aspects of the projected destination image of an attraction (Cancun in this study) will grant the design of better strategies for the promotion and administration of destinations without the time-consuming effort of manually evaluating high quantities of textual information.
Design/methodology/approach
Using Web scraping, news articles were collected from the USA, Mexico and Canada over an interval of one year. The documents were analyzed using an automatic topic modeling method known as Latent Dirichlet Allocation and a coherence analysis to determine the number of themes present in each collection. With the data provided, the authors were able to extract valuable information to understand how Cancun is presented to the countries.
Findings
It was found that in all countries, Cancun is an important destination to travel and vacation; however, given the period defined for this study (from July 2021 to July 2022), an important part of the articles analyzed was concerned with the sanitary measures derived from the COVID-19 pandemic. Besides, given the rise of violence and the threat of organized crime, many articles from the three countries are focused on warning potential tourists about the risks of traveling to Cancun.
Originality/value
The examination of the relevant literature revealed that similar analyses are manually performed by the experts on a set of predefined categories. Although those approaches are methodologically sound, the logistic effort and the time used could become prohibitively expensive, precluding carrying out this analysis frequently. Additionally, the preestablished categories to be studied in press articles may distort the results. For these reasons, the proposed framework automatically allows for gathering valuable information for decision-making in an unbiased manner.
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Muriel Lamarque and Lourdes Moro-Gutiérrez
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between Latin American migrants and the Spanish healthcare system, from the users’ perspective, in order to examine the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between Latin American migrants and the Spanish healthcare system, from the users’ perspective, in order to examine the socio-cultural determinants for access and attention, as well as the possible difficulties faced when attending institutional facilities.
Design/methodology/approach
This work is based on qualitative ethnographic research with the Latin American community established in the region of Castile and León, Spain. Analysis was established through a thematic approach and illustrated with the testimonies of participants involved, to inspect personal meanings and interpretations, as well as specific practices regarding healthcare.
Findings
The encounter between foreigners and health services is frequently expressed with negative emotions, such as feelings of fear facing a system that is perceived as designed “for others.” For many Latin American immigrants in Spain, institutional healthcare is not considered their first choice for treating illness. This has been related to economic, bureaucratic, ideological and emotional factors.
Originality/value
Most of the existing literature about immigrant healthcare in Spain has focused on sanitary conditions or patterns of service use from an institutional perspective and a quantitative approach. This paper highlights the perceptions of users to enrich comprehension of the rapport between migrants and medical care.
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The purpose of this paper is to examine the critical features and outcomes of an Australian collaborative university- and school-based immersion project for mentoring final year…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the critical features and outcomes of an Australian collaborative university- and school-based immersion project for mentoring final year pre-service primary teachers in the area of special education as they embed theory and practice in inclusive classrooms for a full year, to respond to diverse student needs.
Design/methodology/approach
Using a three-year qualitative study design, data were gathered through pre surveys and post surveys, two one-to-one semi-structured interviews, and reflexive journal entries. Analysis using triangulation of data sources and inter-rater reliability was employed to reach consensus on the key themes.
Findings
Findings suggest that mentors proved critical to reducing pre-service teacher anxieties and to enhancing their personal and professional knowledge, confidence and skills as they differentiated instruction and assessment techniques to cater for students with a diverse range of abilities.
Research limitations/implications
This research suggests that maintaining the balance of theory and practice through genuine extended school engagement experiences provided opportunities for collaborative connections on multiple levels across the school. This mentoring pathway enhanced and reinforced pre-service teachers’ professional capacity, confidence and employability potential. Limitations such as small sample size and lack of secondary school representation must be noted.
Originality/value
This work identified the importance of the unique features of a mentoring programme within a university-school partnership, including the benefits of a full-year immersion experience, financial reward, responsibility, empowerment and enhanced employability status of final year pre-service teachers as they transition to classroom teachers. This paper provides useful insights for researchers, practitioners and teacher education policy developers.
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