Both the increase in competition between companies due to the globalisation of markets, as well as the greater information available to consumers today thanks to the rise of new technologies, make it necessary to focus on providing added value to the commercial offer. However, if this added value is not differentiated by a well-positioned brand, its power will be weakened, with the end result being defeat. What is not known, does not exist; and what does not exist, is not consumed.
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The research group has been nourished by funds obtained in public tenders (Consellería de Empresa, Universidad y Ciencia de la Generalitat Valenciana and Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad.), investigating how to add value and build brand using tools such as new technologies, product packaging or the figure of the salesperson/marketer.
The group publishes every year in high impact scientific journals and regularly attends national and international congresses to share its findings. It has a total of X six-year research awards.
Likewise, several doctoral theses have been directed in this field, delving into aspects such as: brand transfer from a sponsored event to the sponsoring brand; the construction of brand capital in public and private higher education institutions; and the development of sustainable mega events as a marketing strategy to strengthen the brand-city.
We have also worked with companies, periodically signing collaboration agreements to investigate aspects such as the choice of the best brand positioning for a food distribution chain, or the study of the viability of an umbrella brand in the Valencian fashion industry.
The Economic Development in a Historical Perspective (EHVALENCIA) research group brings together all 12 PhD researchers and professors from the History and Economic Institutions Area of the Universitat de València's Department of Economic Analysis.
The research work of most of the group members is part of two research projects financed by the MCNN's national programme of research projects of excellence (ECO2015-65049-C12-1-P and ECO2015-66782-P). Both projects are led by researchers from EHVALENCIA (Daniel Tirado is the PI for one of them and Concepción Betrán and María Ángeles Pons are the PIs for the second one) and, together with them, four other members of the Economic Development in Historical Perspective (EHVALENCIA) research group (Antonio Cubel, Joaquim Cuevas, Julio Martínez-Galarraga and Teresa Sanchis-Llopis) form part of their research teams. The other members of the group (Joaquín Azagra, Pablo Cervera, Salvador Calatayud, Yadira González de Lara, Francisco Medina) are part of the research teams of competitive projects directed from other Spanish universities (such as UAB) or other departments of the Universitat de València itself. In addition, the group also leads a competitive research project directed from the Universitat de València and financed by the Bank of Spain.
The quality of the research of EHVALENCIA's members has enabled them to participate regularly in research structures such as large national and international research networks (Xarxa de Referència d'I+D+I en Economia i Polítiques Públiques de la Generalitat de Catalunya, ESF Network-Globaleuronet), research projects of the EU framework programme (Jean Monnet Projects), have organised national and international scientific meetings of recognised prestige and impact in their area of study (Iberometrics, ESF-Globaleuronet Workshops, FRESH Meetings), or have been invited to participate on a regular basis in Postgraduate Programmes of Excellence such as the Inter-University Master's Degree in Economic History UB-UAB-UZ, the PhD in Economics UB, the Inter-University PhD in Economic History UB-UC3M or the PhD in Economics UZ.
As a result of this solid research and research training, the group Economic Development in Historical Perspective (EHVALENCIA) runs the MCNN's Research Network of Excellence ‘Globalización, Crecimiento y Desigualdad (S XIX-XXI)’ (Globalisation, Growth and Inequality (S XIX-XXI)) (ECO2015-71534-REDT). This research structure brings together the 8 most relevant research groups in Economic History from the whole of Spain.
The results of this research work have been disseminated through the publication, in the last 5 years, of more than 25 articles in journals indexed in the JCR, 15 of which are located in Q1 of the areas of History of Social Sciences or Economics.
The field of study of the research group is the internationalisation of enterprises from a broad perspective: SMEs and multinational companies, industrial and service companies. The influence of globalisation and territory as well as the cornerstone of strategic management are present in our research as a generic frame of reference.
The team has participated in numerous projects signed with relevant business organisations both at the level of the Valencian Community and the Spanish State (ATEVAL, IMPIVA, COEVAL, Spanish Intertextile Council, Chamber of Commerce, Ministry of Industry, etc.) in which the international competitiveness of small Spanish enterprises and the challenges they face in this global environment are analysed.
In addition, the team has developed three competitive projects of the Ministry where the object of study has been multinationals and their international expansion processes. Specifically, (a) aspects related to the behaviour of multinational companies from different perspectives: modes of entry, organisational structure, coordination mechanisms, roles of subsidiaries and expatriates (SEC2003/06466, SEC2006/13889) and (b) the strategic role that Spain can play as a springboard country in the internationalisation processes of multinational companies towards Latin America (ECO2010/18583).
Composition.
Most of the members of this project have internationalisation strategy as the focus of their research. The team is mainly made up of PhD tenured university professors and trainee lecturers of the Universitat de València: Dr. Esther Sánchez, Esmeralda Linares, Angels Dasi, Cristina Villar and Marimen Saorín and Dr. Fidel León and Anastasio Urra. The team also has the collaboration of professors and PhD students who are working on our line of research in Latin America.
The director of the group, full university professor José Pla Barber, has participated in numerous research projects as PI funded by public contributions (including three competitive projects financed by the Ministry, two by the Valencian government, two by the AECI and one by the Universitat de València). He obtained his PhD degree with the European doctorate programme and with an extraordinary PhD award. Professor Pla is a visiting lecturer at numerous international universities (Reading University, Norwegian School of Management, ORT Uruguay, ICESI Colombia, APEC Dominican Republic, among others). Together with other members of the team, he has published 46 scientific articles (27 in JCR journals), 19 book chapters and 4 scientific dissemination books. This activity has allowed him to obtain three research grants. Dr. Pla has nearly 800 citations in Google Scholar, an h-index of 13 and an ih-index of 17. Professor Pla has obtained 8 research awards, among them, the 1st prize Centre for Financial Studies “Accounting and Business Administration Modality” (9th Edition, 1999) and the research award “Juan José Renau Piqueras” (1st Edition, 1999).
In addition, the team incorporates as active members of the group professors Anoop Madhok (Schulich School of Business) and Torben Pedersen (Copenhagen Business School), internationally renowned authors in research on multinational companies. We also collaborate with two of the most prolific research groups in this field: the one led by professor Cuervo-Cazurra (which analyses the internationalisation of multi-Latin companies) and the group made up of professors García-Canal and Mauro Guillén (which focuses its study on the development of multinational companies in Latin America). International and formative nature of the research team. One of the priority objectives of the research group has been to have an international dimension.
This research group focuses on the study of the characteristics, structure, processes and incentive systems of the management bodies of companies, and their relationship with the strategies they use, as well as with the results of the organisations.
The research team that makes up this group specialises in competitive and corporate strategy, as well as in the approaches of top management teams (Upper Echelons), Corporate Governance, and sustainable competitiveness (i.e. the balance between competitiveness, survival and Corporate Social Responsibility in a broad sense).
In the field of strategy, this research group has carried out multiple research projects on competitive strategy (strategy clock and competitive positioning), strategic orientation of organisations, internationalisation strategies, diversification strategies, entry modes, mergers and acquisitions, strategic alliances, etc. These works have been published in both national and international academic journals, with considerable weight being given to those in the main international lists of research journals (i.e. JCR, Scopus, etc.).
Since 2002, much of this work has focused on the fundamental role of management teams and governing bodies in defining strategies and in the disposition of certain attitudes that are reflected in strategic decision-making. Market orientation, proactive, innovative and risk-taking orientation, open-mindedness, acceptance of change, self-confidence, optimism, complacency, globally responsible attitudes, ethics or personalistic and particularistic approaches are areas of interest in the research.
Among the aspects considered in relation to management teams and governing bodies, this research group pays attention to team composition, diversity, power and participation structure, hierarchical and horizontal role distribution, interaction processes, cognitive and affective conflict, shared values, incentive systems, as well as demographic and psycho-sociological characteristics of specific members of executvie management, such as General Management or certain functional or divisional managers.
Both antecedents and consequences of the above-mentioned variables and the relationships between them are of interest to us. With regard to the effects of these relationships on organisational performance, attention is paid to aspects such as competitiveness (profitability, growth, solvency, survival), reputation, value creation, etc.
Our research is mainly carried out through the execution of competitive research projects, financed by the Generalitat Valenciana (Valencian Government) and the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, among others. However, this research group maintains close contact with the economic-business context, and carries out technical advice, training, diagnosis and technical studies and reports aimed at the practical application of our line of work.
The MarkAp-UV R&D Group, coordinated by the researcher Prof. Dr. Inés Kuster Boluda, is formed by a team of researchers belonging to the area of Marketing and Market Research at the Universitat de València. Its main objective is research in various sectors related to Marketing and the implementation and development of novel methodologies in real business scenarios.
The Psychosocial Research Unit of Organisational Behaviour (UNIPSICO) is a basic and applied scientific group, created to research and provide solutions to problems related to work performance and human resources management in work organisations, especially the processes and variables involved in the appearance and development of psychosocial risks at work, paying special attention to work-related stress, psychological harassment and burnout syndrome, in order to design intervention strategies aimed at improving the quality of working life of professionals and workers in general.
Intervention in these processes will help to reduce accidents and absenteeism, as well as the personnel costs derived from these incidents. At an applied level, this line of research is linked to the Law on Occupational Risk Prevention (B.O.E. 10-11-1995). On the other hand, the aim is to investigate the organisation as a socially constructed reality, and to analyse some of the most relevant psychosocial processes that contribute to the formation of the culture and climate of the organisation. To this end, the cognitions, emotions and attitudes of the organisation's groups are investigated, comparing the phenomena and processes at different organisational levels. The results obtained are intended to improve management and decision-making in the organisation.
UNIPSICO is one of the main national and international references in research on psychosocial risks at work and quality of working life, and its members belong to some of the most relevant international scientific associations of psychology (APA, IAAP, EAWOP, EA-OHP, SOHP, etc.). The director of the group has been PI of research projects funded within the National Plan for R+D+i, by the Generalitat Valenciana and the UVEG.
In terms of scientific and research productivity, the group has more than 200 publications, including articles in scientific journals, books and book chapters. A significant part of these are in journals indexed in JCR. It also has more than 300 papers presented at international and national conferences. One of the objectives of the group's scientific activity has been aimed at opening international channels of academic exchange between researchers, establishing references in this area, and contributing to the creation of critical mass in the field of research on psychosocial risks at work.
As part of the "Knowledge Transfer and Innovation" activity, the creation of the CESQT questionnaire, an instrument translated and validated in other languages (Czech, Finnish, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian and Tamil), and the coordination of an international network of researchers working on its validation, should be highlighted.
Among the awards and honourable mentions received by the group leader are the following:
- He has been declared Guest of Honour, in the city of Puerto San Julián (Province of Santa Cruz, Argentina) (July, 2005) in consideration of his professional career.
- He has received the Dr. Oscar Eduardo Alende awards in 2006 (second prize), and in 2008 (first prize), granted by the "Fundación Oscar Eduardo Alende" of the Colegio de Médicos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, District II, for his co-authorship in research on quality of working life.
- He has been recognised as an active member of the Red de Investigadores sobre Factores Psicosociales en el Trabajo A.C. (Mexico) for his outstanding contribution to Occupational Health Psychology at the international level. (Mexico) for his outstanding contribution to Occupational Health Psychology at the international level.
- Award for lifetime achievement and contributions to research in Latin America on psychosocial factors, stress and mental health at work, granted by the Red de Investigadores sobre Factores Psicosociales en el Trabajo A.C. (Network of Researchers on Psychosocial Factors at Work). (October, 2010).
- He has been institutionally recognised by the Government of Jalisco (Mexico) for his cooperation in assessing the psychosocial risks of prison staff (November 2008).
- Recognition from the Universidad Fidélitas (San José, Costa Rica) for contributions to Psychology (May, 2010).
- He has received the distinction of the Chilean Society of Work and Organisational Psychology (SCHIPTO) in recognition of his outstanding career and important contributions to training and research in the field of work and organisational psychology (October, 2016).
- Recognition (tribute) from the Universidade Federal da Paraíba, Centro de Ciências da Saúde (João Pessoa, Brazil) for his significant contribution to international scientific production and for the development of an instrument for the assessment of burnout syndrome (May, 2019).
As Director of UNIPSICO, he has received the "Distinction 2014 for research work in occupational risk prevention" awarded by the Valencian Institute for Safety and Health at Work (INVASSAT) of the Generalitat Valenciana on the occasion of the celebration of the "International Day of Health and Safety at Work". This distinction is a recognition of the research work being carried out by this research group, led by Dr. Gil-Monte, with the aim of preventing psychosocial risks at work, promoting the quality of working life of workers and increasing the competitiveness and productivity of companies and organisations in the Valencian Community. The distinctions in occupational risk prevention have been created by the Generalitat Valenciana to promote health and safety at work, and as a stimulus and recognition of those companies, institutions, or individuals who stand out for their distinguished performance in occupational risk prevention, or for their involvement in the promotion and encouragement of health and safety at work in the Valencian Community, to serve as an example of good preventive work in the Valencian society as a whole.
The research group in Public Opinión and Elections aims at analyzing, studying and finding solutions to all issues and questions related to electoral processes and/or the measurement and monitoring of public opinion, applying the most advanced quantitative techniques.
The most relevant research fields of the group include (but are not limited to) the following: the generation of electoral predictions, inference of individual voting behavior, analysis of polls and surveys, the search of new methodological approaches to improve (reducing costs) the quality of sampling methods, semantic analysis of opinions and monitoring of the internet sentiment, the study of the consequences of non-response and of the biases introduced during the whole inference process, the solution to the gaps in the databases, the integration and pooling of local and global information to obtain multilevel responses, and the development of statistcal theory and methodology.
The approach used in the research group in Public Opinión and Elections is open, not being limited by any particular methodological tendency, and makes extensive use of whatever sources of information. Thus, we use classical and Bayesian techniques, we apply from simple linear regression models to complex approaches based on neural networks, wavelets or auto-binomial models, we use the spatial and/or temporal component of the data explicitly, we perform simulation via Markov chain Monte Carlo or directly by Monte Carlo methods, and we introduce in our models survey data, reported election results, news reports, internet messages and/or official statistics.
The members of the group are open to working with other research groups, companies and institutions and encourage interested parties to contact us in order to explore possible avenues of collaboration.
This research group was recognised as a group of excellence (after passing an evaluation by the Agencia Nacional de Evaluación y Prospectiva). Reference GR00-221.
GRECO aims to be an area of creation, transfer and learning in Strategic Management, within which projects and contracts of fundamental and applied research, technology transfer and generation of competences can be developed, aimed at improving the capacity of management teams and the competitiveness of companies.
GRECO's Work Programme currently revolves around five lines of research, all of them positioned in the field of Strategic Management. The research in these five lines is strongly related, so that an important part of the projects developed and the works published explore the relationships between the phenomena analysed in several of them.
The project approved for 2013-2016 aims to advance in the identification of the main dynamic capabilities based on a review of the literature, especially the existing literature on knowledge management processes, in order to establish the conceptual boundaries between knowledge acquisition, creation and absorption capabilities, innovation capabilities and learning capabilities. A deeper understanding of the structure of the 'dynamic capabilities' basket case should help to better understand the processes that facilitate their creation and renewal.
Specifically, this research examines how the implementation of organisational practices influences the building of dynamic capabilities. Specifically, the study differentiates five different types of practices according to their focus on processes, people, groups/teams, products and knowledge. The analysis looks at how these different practices condition dynamic capabilities in two particular contexts:
- When practices are introduced individually.
- When practices are implemented in coordination with the format of organisational forms, in order to exploit the value creation potential inherent in complementarity.
The starting hypothesis is that, except when capabilities rest with one agent or a small group of individuals, the development of knowledge-based capabilities requires complex coordination and integration of practices of different types.
While exploring the role of managerial practices as antecedents to dynamic capabilities, this research also explores the relationships between dynamic capabilities and business performance. Progress in demonstrating the direct effect of knowledge creation, acquisition, absorption and application capabilities on performance has overlooked the possible existence of other mediating variables. The project aims to explore the role of innovations in managerial practices through which management seeks to strengthen its stock of dynamic capabilities.
In this way, a circular process is introduced into the research process, where management practices play two roles in different phases of the value creation process:
- Organisations develop dynamic capabilities through the introduction of practices.
- Moreover, thanks to the capabilities they have accumulated, they can deploy innovations in organisational practices that help strengthen their competence to innovate and deliver outstanding results by producing sustainable competitive advantages.
The demonstration of this preliminary premise requires the development of empirical work involving panel data.
