Nieves García-Casarejos

Sustainability certifications are increasingly embedded in the governance and competitiveness of the wine sector, yet their strategic role remains under‐theorised. This study conceptualises certifications as multidimensional strategic mechanisms and conducts a comparative analysis of 50 schemes used in the global wine industry. Drawing on information economics, the resource‐based view, dynamic capabilities and institutional theory, it develops a typology of five certification families and examines how they generate distinct forms of strategic value. The findings show that certification schemes prioritise different combinations of credibility, reputation, capabilities and legitimacy. These differences translate into distinct strategic roles, ranging from market signalling and competitive positioning to organisational development and institutional alignment, shaped by underlying trade‐offs across dimensions. By providing a structured typology and an integrated framework, the study offers a foundation for analysing certification systems as differentiated components of sustainability governance, with implications for managerial strategy and policy design.

This study examines the association between international collaboration and web technology adoption by companies in Spanish science and technology parks (STPs). Using data from 847 companies and negative binomial regression models, we test three hypotheses regarding participation in European R&D networks and digital technology adoption. Results confirm that international collaboration is significantly associated with higher web technology adoption, with an average difference of €789 monthly in technology spending. Structural access to international networks is more strongly linked to adoption compared to relational intensity, suggesting diversity of connections outweighs relationship depth. These associations are substantially stronger for conventional web technologies than for smart technologies, highlighting the role of technological complexity in shaping diffusion patterns. The study provides new theoretical insights by identifying threshold effects and technological heterogeneity, suggesting that integrative frameworks must incorporate nonlinearities and specific moderators when combining social network theory and innovation diffusion. Practical implications indicate differentiated strategies: international networking for conventional technologies and complementary internal capability development for smart technologies. For STP managers, results support policies facilitating initial access to European networks rather than intensifying existing collaborations. For policymakers, documented technological spillovers justify investments in international collaboration programs, though requiring complementary instruments for complex technologies. Limitations include cross-sectional design and measurement of formal collaborations only, opening opportunities for future longitudinal research with mixed methodologies.

La presente investigación analiza la capacidad de las acciones de comunicación corporativa -en el contexto de la responsabilidad social- para generar confianza en el cliente y establecer un vínculo afectivo entre ambas partes, lo cual puede proporcionar a las empresas una situación competitiva superior. Para realizar dicho análisis se ha realizado un estudio cualitativo -mediante focus-group- y otro cuantitativo –mediante encuestas- sobre acciones de comunicación reales que han llevado a cabo empresas en el contexto de la sostenibilidad medioambiental. Los resultados muestran que cuando el público percibe un contexto informativo objetivo y coherente, alineado con el core business de la empresa ee favorece la creación de una relación de confianza afectiva consumidor-empresa. Y que, en el caso de percepción de desinformación, el impacto negativo sobre la confianza del cliente es elevada. El estudio presenta algunas limitaciones, como la no posibilidad de establecer causalidad en las relaciones encontradas y la necesidad de avanzar en los mecanismos subyacentes a dichas relaciones, si bien se corresponden con el carácter exploratorio del estudio. Los resultados tienen importantes implicaciones prácticas, ya que ponen de relieve la necesidad de alinear estratégicamente la comunicación con la identidad y la imagen corporativas.

This study evaluates the application of circular economy principles in the wine sector through a demonstrative case developed within the LIFE Climawin project. The initiative focuses on the local valorization of vineyard residues by producing biochar from vine pruning and using it to enrich compost derived from winemaking by-products and sheep manure. The combined application of these soil amendments aims to improve soil structure, enhance carbon sequestration, and reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers. A systemic evaluation was conducted using the Ecocanvas methodology—a conceptual framework for mapping circular business models across environmental, economic, and social dimensions. The analysis integrated a targeted literature review, examination of technical data, direct field observations of composting and biochar production, and semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders. Results indicate multiple benefits from localized residue valorization, including improved compost quality, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, potential contributions to long-term soil health, and enhanced resource efficiency. The analysis also highlights economic opportunities, such as reduced dependency on external inputs, and social value creation through local stakeholder engagement. Furthermore, the study identifies factors that enable or constrain the replication and scaling of this model. These findings contribute to frameworks for advancing circular, economically viable, and socially inclusive climate-resilient agricultural systems.

Decentralization has proven to be an important factor of competitiveness for companies, especially in the face of turbulent and uncertain economic scenarios. This research, applying the World Management Survey methodology, analyzes the level of decentralization of Spanish companies, exploring the factors associated with it. A very low level of average decentralization has been found, and that larger companies, with an international presence and with greater skills of their employees tend to present more decentralized structures.

La pandemia de la COVID-19 ha cambiado de forma radical e impredecible el entorno competitivo de las empresas, siendo España uno de los países de su entorno que se ha visto más afectado. En este nuevo contexto, para hacer frente a unas condiciones del entorno extremadamente dinámicas, complejas y difícilmente predecibles, las empresas para poder adaptarse necesitan estar en posesión o desarrollar una serie de capacidades específicas. Este artículo pretende mostrar que el desarrollo de las TIC, la flexibilidad laboral y la capacidad de innovar son tres factores que favorecen la capacidad de las organizaciones para adaptarse a los nuevos y cambiantes entornos competitivos provocados por la emergencia sanitaria de la COVID-19. La capacidad de adaptarse se refleja a través de su habilidad para dar continuidad tanto a la gestión y monitorización de sus operaciones como a la relación con sus clientes a lo largo de todos los niveles del proceso de venta. Para analizar esta relación, se entrevistó a directivos de empresas durante los meses posteriores a la declaración del estado de alarma en España. Mediante la aplicación de la técnica de análisis multivariante PLS-SEM, se ha estimado que un mayor nivel de los tres aspectos indicados se relaciona positivamente con una mejor adaptación de las empresas tanto a las nuevas necesidades como a las limitaciones de operación en sus respectivos mercados.