Teresa Garin Muñoz - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Teresa Garin Muñoz

Research paper thumbnail of Forecasting China's Carbon Dioxide Emissions: A Provincial Approach

Forecasts of Chinese carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are critical to any global agreement on mitig... more Forecasts of Chinese carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are critical to any global agreement on mitigating possible global climate change. We provide such forecasts through 2050 using a reduced form model selected using a general to simple search strategy. These estimates are the first based upon provincial-level data (1985-2000). The model chosen by the information criterion is one that melds the standard approach taken in the science and engineering literature with the environmental Kuznets curve approach popular in the economics literature whereby per capita emissions can first rise and then fall with increases in income. Other aspects of the model allow for the possibility that the rate of technological change varies across provinces and the possibility of population density effects. We find statistical support for the presence of an inverted U shaped environmental Kuznets relationship with the projected turning point being not too far above Shanghai's current income level. Our ...

Research paper thumbnail of E-commerce by individuals in Spain using panel data 2008–2016

Telecommunications Policy, 2019

Digital technologies sometimes create digital divides. One of the remedies for certain divides in... more Digital technologies sometimes create digital divides. One of the remedies for certain divides in Europe is the creation of the Digital Single Market, of which e-commerce is one of the main elements. The focus of this work is e-commerce in Spain. The current study improves on existing international literature by using a large and representative panel data set on individual consumers, with 133,420 observations for the period 2008-2016. Moreover, it uses economic models and employs a variety of panel techniques. This paper measures digital e-commerce divides and their evolution along time. Next, a model that incorporates previously neglected explanatory variables, at the individual level, such as income and digital skills, is formulated. Individual demand models are estimated using panel logistic regression techniques. This allows quantifying the impact of each of the socioeconomic and geographic characteristics on the adoption of the service. Newly incorporated variables are significant as well as age, education, gender and geographical and time variables. The results allow novel regional comparisons. Policy recommendations are derived, suggesting effective and affordable measures targeted at specific socio-demographic groups.

Research paper thumbnail of Drivers and barriers to cross-border e-commerce: Evidence from Spanish individual behavior

Telecommunications Policy, 2018

This paper explores the determinants of the individual's decision to perform cross-border ecommer... more This paper explores the determinants of the individual's decision to perform cross-border ecommerce (CBeC). The European Union (EU) is especially interested in the promotion of CBeC because it is an important tool in its strategy to achieve the Digital Single Market in Europe. In this paper official data is used from a representative survey of 16,209 individuals on ICT usage by households and individuals that was carried out in Spain by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) for the year 2016. Using a standard neoclassical utility maximization framework, and logistic regression techniques, the results show that being a male is positively related to the probability of practicing CBeC. Education is positively and significantly related to the probability of being involved in CBeC with EU countries. Computer and Internet Skills are significant and positive factors in explaining CBeC (either with EU countries or with the rest of the world). The variable "how often the consumer sees other customer reviews before buying online", has a positive effect. Foreign nationality also increases the likelihood of using CBeC. To promote CBeC in Spain measures towards developing digital skills, Internet trust and use of online information reviews of goods and services are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Customer Service Quality and Incomplete Information in Mobile Telecommunications: A Game Theoretical Approach to Consumer Protection

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2012

There is growing evidence that low-quality customer service prevails in the mobile telecommunicat... more There is growing evidence that low-quality customer service prevails in the mobile telecommunications industry. In this paper we provide theoretical support to this empirical observation by using simple game theoretical models where inefficient low-quality service levels are part of an equilibrium strategy for the firms. We also find that the inefficiency is due to a demand-side market failure generated by incomplete information, and that it does not necessarily vanish with competition or with repeated interaction. This is particularly important in terms of policy implications because it suggests that the inefficiency should be solved through regulation via consumer protection.

Research paper thumbnail of Customer Satisfaction of Mobile-Internet Users: An Empirical Approximation for the Case of Spain

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2012

This paper studies the mobile Internet services in Spain. It deals mostly with overall consumer s... more This paper studies the mobile Internet services in Spain. It deals mostly with overall consumer satisfaction as well as with some of its attributes. The study is based on Micro data from a survey conducted by the Spanish Center for Sociological Research (CIS, 2009). The analysis shows that communication quality and cost are the main attributes of the service involved in the overall satisfaction of the individual. The main model allows us to analyze to what extent different service providers generate different levels of satisfaction of individuals when controlling for other relevant variables. In this regard, statistically significant differences have been found for both overall satisfaction and for satisfaction with any other of its attributes. Taking into account that the dependent variable is somewhat ordinal, the model is estimated by three alternative methods: ordinary least squares (OLS), ordered probit and ordered logit. The three techniques produce fairly similar results.

Research paper thumbnail of Tourism in the Balearic Islands: A dynamic model for international demand using panel data

Tourism Management, 2007

The Balearic Islands are one of the most important tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea.... more The Balearic Islands are one of the most important tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea. The tourism sector dominates the economic activity of the islands. The purpose of this study is to identify and measure the impact of the main determinants of the inbound international tourism flows. The annual panel data set includes the number of arrivals from the 14 most important generating countries during the period 1991-2003, and a number of possible explanatory variables. Taking into account the changing structure of consumer preferences, a dynamic model is estimated. The estimated coefficient for the lagged dependent variable may be reflecting the importance of consumer loyalty to the destination as a determinant of tourism demand. The results suggest that the demand is heavily dependent on the evolution of economic activity in each of the origin countries and on the relative cost of living of tourists in the destination. This study also suggests that diversification of promotion and provision of high-quality services are some recommended measures of tourism policy.

Research paper thumbnail of Internet Usage for Travel and Tourism: The Case of Spain

Tourism Economics, 2011

The importance of the Internet for the travel and tourism industry has increased rapidly over the... more The importance of the Internet for the travel and tourism industry has increased rapidly over the past few years. Understanding how travellers behave is of critical importance to travel suppliers and tourism authorities for formulating appropriate marketing strategies to exploit the full potential of this channel. This study explores the factors influencing Internet usage for travel information and shopping by analysing representative annual panel data on the 17 Spanish autonomous communities from 2003 to 2007. The results indicate that Internet usage for information depends basically on the ICT penetration level in the regions and the demographic characteristics of the population. However, when considering Internet usage as a product-purchasing tool, variables related to the characteristics of travel are also relevant.

Research paper thumbnail of Econometric modelling of Spanish very long distance international calling

Information Economics and Policy, 1998

We estimate a model of the demand for outgoing telephone calls from Spain to a group of African a... more We estimate a model of the demand for outgoing telephone calls from Spain to a group of African and Oriental countries. The traffic to those countries is called very long distance calling because of the high tariffs applicable to all of them even when some of them are geographically not very distant. In this study a theoretical framework is used which takes into account the specific characteristics of the international long distance services and the socioeconomic relationships between Spain and this group of countries. The analysis of annual data for minutes of calling between Spain and 27 countries from 1982 to 1991, using panel data techniques, reveals a significant own-price elasticity of 2 1.31 and a positive reciprocal calling effect of 1 0.69. The estimated elasticity of the outgoing traffic to the volume of foreign tourism is 1 0.22. The estimated elasticities are in the range that is reported in other empirical studies. The favorite equation passes a battery of diagnostics.

Research paper thumbnail of An econometric model for international tourism flows to Spain

Applied Economics Letters, 2000

The purpose oC this study is to measure the impact of the economic determinants of the intemation... more The purpose oC this study is to measure the impact of the economic determinants of the intemational demand for tourist services in Spain. We use a panel data set of seventeen countries over the perlad 1985-1995. By usíng appropriate panel data techniques we estímate the effects of real per capita income, exchange rates, and real prices on the demand fOf Spanish tourist services. The estimated elasticities are +1.40, +0.50, and-0.30, respectively. The negative effect ofthe GulfWar i8 al80 detected, with a coefficient of-0.15. These results are comparable to previous empirical studies for other countries.

Research paper thumbnail of A model of Spain-Europe telecommunications

Research paper thumbnail of Digital divides across consumers of internet services in Spain using panel data 2007–2019. Narrowing or not?

Telecommunications Policy, 2021

Digital gaps have the potential to exacerbate the inequalities that exist in society. The main ob... more Digital gaps have the potential to exacerbate the inequalities that exist in society. The main objective of this paper is to study the gaps that occur in the use of internet services by households in Spain during the period 2007-2019 and to become useful in the design of policies addressed to narrow specific digital divides. The data is a panel obtained from the ICT-H Survey on Households of the National Statistics Institute. This paper defines the gaps as the differences in the use of internet services across individual consumers. A selected group of twelve digital services are considered: e-commerce, e-selling, e-tourism, e-learning, e-health, ebanking, e-government, VoIP, chat, email, cloud services, and social networks. The second level digital gaps are analyzed in each service according to six relevant socio-demographic characteristics: gender, age, education, digital skills, population size, and income. A set of graphs show the evolution of the gaps. Gaps are narrowing in most dimensions and specific characteristics, but not in others such as age, education, and digital skills. The gaps reveal the evolution of digitization and in some cases of digital exclusion for specific groups. Specific knowledge about digital gaps is useful for policymakers, since closing the digital divide is an explicit policy goal in this country, as well as in other parts of Europe. Then, a dynamic panel data model was proposed and estimated using Arellano and Bond techniques. A dynamic/network effect was found, as well as other socio-demographic determinants. Finally, the paper contains conclusions, policy recommendations and an agenda for future research. The policy recommendations consist of digital education programs targeted at the most exposed groups such as the elderly, the less well-educated and people with lower digital skills.

Research paper thumbnail of E-Commerce and Digital Divide in Spain Using Individual Panel Data 2008-2016

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2019

Digital technologies sometimes create digital divides. One of the remedies for certain divides in... more Digital technologies sometimes create digital divides. One of the remedies for certain divides in Europe is the creation of the Digital Single Market, of which e-commerce is one of the main elements. The focus of this work is e-commerce in Spain. The current study improves substantially on existing international literature by using a large and representative panel data set on individuals, with 133,420 observations for the period 2008-2016. Moreover, it uses economic models that incorporate previously omitted variables, and employs a variety of panel techniques. This paper starts by measuring digital divides and their evolution along time. Next, a model that incorporates previously neglected explanatory variables, such as income and digital skills, is formulated. Individual demand models are estimated using panel logistic regression techniques. This allows quantifying the impact of each of the socioeconomic and geographic characteristics on the adoption of the service. The resulting models have high explanatory power. Newly incorporated variables like income and digital skills are highly significant. Age, education, gender and geographical variables are also significant. The results also allow novel regional comparisons. Policy recommendations are derived, suggesting effective and affordable measures targeted at specific socio-demographic groups.

Research paper thumbnail of Enhancing Financial Impact of Tourism While Preserving Sustainability in the City of Barcelona

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016

Barcelona is a successful tourist destination, but currently it is reaching the limit of its carr... more Barcelona is a successful tourist destination, but currently it is reaching the limit of its carrying capacity. Consequently, far from increasing the number of visitors and overnight stays, interest should be to recruit those tourists that generate the highest average daily expenditure. To achieve this goal, the following procedure was carried out. In a first phase, from a survey of Turisme de Barcelona, the market was segmented based on the average daily spending per tourist. As a result, three distinct and easily identifiable groups emerged. In the second phase, the group of heavy spenders was selected and an in-depth analysis of their behaviour was conducted, both in terms of total expenditure and by specific categories of goods and tourism services. Results allow making recommendations on how to attract the high-spending market. Promoting tourism for middle-age and older travellers, encouraging short stays and intensifying efforts to increase business versus leisure tourism are some of the measures that would help achieve a greater daily expenditure per person. It would also be helpful to design and develop some tourism products that may be attractive to tourists traveling alone.

Research paper thumbnail of Models for Individual Adoption of eCommerce, eBanking and eGovernment in Spain

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2017

This paper analyzes the adoption patterns of selected internet services such as eCommerce, eBanki... more This paper analyzes the adoption patterns of selected internet services such as eCommerce, eBanking and eGovernment in Spain. High quality official data from the Survey on Equipment and Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Households (ICT-H) of the National Institute of Statistics are used. The dataset is a cross section of 16,209 individuals for 2016. Theoretical demand models, grounded in a standard neoclassical utility maximization framework, are adapted to these services. Logistic regression techniques allow quantifying the impact of the socioeconomic characteristics of the individual on the adoption of each service. The resulting models are statistically significant and with a high predictive power. Age, education and levels of internet and computer skills are all significant in explaining the adoption of any of the three services; as are gender and income, but just for eCommerce and eBanking. Interestingly, the level of trust in internet is only significant to explain participation in eCommerce. Finally, policy recommendations are suggested, highlighting the desirability of using specific measures for the different socio-demographic groups and income strata.

Research paper thumbnail of Defensa de los consumidores individuales de telefonía móvil en España - De la calidad técnica a la calidad del servicio (Consumer Protection in Spain's Private Mobile Phone Industry - From Technical Quality to Service Quality)

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013

ABSTRACT La protección de los consumidores de telefonía móvil está cobrando relevancia, en parte ... more ABSTRACT La protección de los consumidores de telefonía móvil está cobrando relevancia, en parte porque la satisfacción de los consumidores en nuestro país es inferior a la de otros países europeos. Históricamente la normativa de protección al consumidor se ha centrado primero en mediciones técnicas objetivas para más tarde ir desplazándose hacia mediciones subjetivas de la calidad del servicio al cliente. Proponemos medidas centradas en la calidad del servicio, como la implantación de un código de derechos de los consumidores, la publicación periódica de encuestas de satisfacción, y modificaciones en la Oficina de Atención al Usuario de Telecomunicaciones del Ministerio. Consumer protection in the mobile telecommunications industry has become increasingly important, in particular because in Spain individual consumers exhibit considerably lower satisfaction levels than in the rest of Europe. Recently, consumer protection legislation has been shifting its focus from technical quality to subjective customer service quality. In order to adequately monitor service quality, we propose the publication of a code of rights for the telecommunications user, the periodic publication of satisfaction surveys and several measures regarding the functioning of the Telecommunications Customer Care Office.

Research paper thumbnail of Satisfaction and Protection of Individual Mobile Telecommunications Consumers

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2012

Thanks are due to Jeffrey Wooldridge for comments and suggestions.

Research paper thumbnail of Demand for international telephone traffic in Spain: An econometric study using provincial panel data

Information Economics and Policy, 1996

Research paper thumbnail of German demand for tourism in Spain

Tourism Management, 2007

Since Germany has traditionally been one of the most important sources of tourism for Spain, a de... more Since Germany has traditionally been one of the most important sources of tourism for Spain, a deep knowledge of the main determinants of the demand may be useful for policy-makers and agents of the industry. In this paper, a dynamic model is used to examine German demand for tourism in Spain. The proposed model is applied to a panel data set consisting of inbound German tourism in each of the 17 Spanish destinations (Autonomous Communities) for the period 1991-2003. The empirical results suggest that tourism demand in the previous period has an important effect on current tourism demand. The results also indicate that the demand for tourism in Spain is a luxury for the Germans and highly dependent on the evolution of relative prices and cost of travel between Germany and the destination.

Research paper thumbnail of Forecasting China's Carbon Dioxide Emissions: A Provincial Approach

Forecasts of Chinese carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are critical to any global agreement on mitig... more Forecasts of Chinese carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are critical to any global agreement on mitigating possible global climate change. We provide such forecasts through 2050 using a reduced form model selected using a general to simple search strategy. These estimates are the first based upon provincial-level data (1985-2000). The model chosen by the information criterion is one that melds the standard approach taken in the science and engineering literature with the environmental Kuznets curve approach popular in the economics literature whereby per capita emissions can first rise and then fall with increases in income. Other aspects of the model allow for the possibility that the rate of technological change varies across provinces and the possibility of population density effects. We find statistical support for the presence of an inverted U shaped environmental Kuznets relationship with the projected turning point being not too far above Shanghai's current income level. Our ...

Research paper thumbnail of E-commerce by individuals in Spain using panel data 2008–2016

Telecommunications Policy, 2019

Digital technologies sometimes create digital divides. One of the remedies for certain divides in... more Digital technologies sometimes create digital divides. One of the remedies for certain divides in Europe is the creation of the Digital Single Market, of which e-commerce is one of the main elements. The focus of this work is e-commerce in Spain. The current study improves on existing international literature by using a large and representative panel data set on individual consumers, with 133,420 observations for the period 2008-2016. Moreover, it uses economic models and employs a variety of panel techniques. This paper measures digital e-commerce divides and their evolution along time. Next, a model that incorporates previously neglected explanatory variables, at the individual level, such as income and digital skills, is formulated. Individual demand models are estimated using panel logistic regression techniques. This allows quantifying the impact of each of the socioeconomic and geographic characteristics on the adoption of the service. Newly incorporated variables are significant as well as age, education, gender and geographical and time variables. The results allow novel regional comparisons. Policy recommendations are derived, suggesting effective and affordable measures targeted at specific socio-demographic groups.

Research paper thumbnail of Drivers and barriers to cross-border e-commerce: Evidence from Spanish individual behavior

Telecommunications Policy, 2018

This paper explores the determinants of the individual's decision to perform cross-border ecommer... more This paper explores the determinants of the individual's decision to perform cross-border ecommerce (CBeC). The European Union (EU) is especially interested in the promotion of CBeC because it is an important tool in its strategy to achieve the Digital Single Market in Europe. In this paper official data is used from a representative survey of 16,209 individuals on ICT usage by households and individuals that was carried out in Spain by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) for the year 2016. Using a standard neoclassical utility maximization framework, and logistic regression techniques, the results show that being a male is positively related to the probability of practicing CBeC. Education is positively and significantly related to the probability of being involved in CBeC with EU countries. Computer and Internet Skills are significant and positive factors in explaining CBeC (either with EU countries or with the rest of the world). The variable "how often the consumer sees other customer reviews before buying online", has a positive effect. Foreign nationality also increases the likelihood of using CBeC. To promote CBeC in Spain measures towards developing digital skills, Internet trust and use of online information reviews of goods and services are discussed.

Research paper thumbnail of Customer Service Quality and Incomplete Information in Mobile Telecommunications: A Game Theoretical Approach to Consumer Protection

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2012

There is growing evidence that low-quality customer service prevails in the mobile telecommunicat... more There is growing evidence that low-quality customer service prevails in the mobile telecommunications industry. In this paper we provide theoretical support to this empirical observation by using simple game theoretical models where inefficient low-quality service levels are part of an equilibrium strategy for the firms. We also find that the inefficiency is due to a demand-side market failure generated by incomplete information, and that it does not necessarily vanish with competition or with repeated interaction. This is particularly important in terms of policy implications because it suggests that the inefficiency should be solved through regulation via consumer protection.

Research paper thumbnail of Customer Satisfaction of Mobile-Internet Users: An Empirical Approximation for the Case of Spain

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2012

This paper studies the mobile Internet services in Spain. It deals mostly with overall consumer s... more This paper studies the mobile Internet services in Spain. It deals mostly with overall consumer satisfaction as well as with some of its attributes. The study is based on Micro data from a survey conducted by the Spanish Center for Sociological Research (CIS, 2009). The analysis shows that communication quality and cost are the main attributes of the service involved in the overall satisfaction of the individual. The main model allows us to analyze to what extent different service providers generate different levels of satisfaction of individuals when controlling for other relevant variables. In this regard, statistically significant differences have been found for both overall satisfaction and for satisfaction with any other of its attributes. Taking into account that the dependent variable is somewhat ordinal, the model is estimated by three alternative methods: ordinary least squares (OLS), ordered probit and ordered logit. The three techniques produce fairly similar results.

Research paper thumbnail of Tourism in the Balearic Islands: A dynamic model for international demand using panel data

Tourism Management, 2007

The Balearic Islands are one of the most important tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea.... more The Balearic Islands are one of the most important tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea. The tourism sector dominates the economic activity of the islands. The purpose of this study is to identify and measure the impact of the main determinants of the inbound international tourism flows. The annual panel data set includes the number of arrivals from the 14 most important generating countries during the period 1991-2003, and a number of possible explanatory variables. Taking into account the changing structure of consumer preferences, a dynamic model is estimated. The estimated coefficient for the lagged dependent variable may be reflecting the importance of consumer loyalty to the destination as a determinant of tourism demand. The results suggest that the demand is heavily dependent on the evolution of economic activity in each of the origin countries and on the relative cost of living of tourists in the destination. This study also suggests that diversification of promotion and provision of high-quality services are some recommended measures of tourism policy.

Research paper thumbnail of Internet Usage for Travel and Tourism: The Case of Spain

Tourism Economics, 2011

The importance of the Internet for the travel and tourism industry has increased rapidly over the... more The importance of the Internet for the travel and tourism industry has increased rapidly over the past few years. Understanding how travellers behave is of critical importance to travel suppliers and tourism authorities for formulating appropriate marketing strategies to exploit the full potential of this channel. This study explores the factors influencing Internet usage for travel information and shopping by analysing representative annual panel data on the 17 Spanish autonomous communities from 2003 to 2007. The results indicate that Internet usage for information depends basically on the ICT penetration level in the regions and the demographic characteristics of the population. However, when considering Internet usage as a product-purchasing tool, variables related to the characteristics of travel are also relevant.

Research paper thumbnail of Econometric modelling of Spanish very long distance international calling

Information Economics and Policy, 1998

We estimate a model of the demand for outgoing telephone calls from Spain to a group of African a... more We estimate a model of the demand for outgoing telephone calls from Spain to a group of African and Oriental countries. The traffic to those countries is called very long distance calling because of the high tariffs applicable to all of them even when some of them are geographically not very distant. In this study a theoretical framework is used which takes into account the specific characteristics of the international long distance services and the socioeconomic relationships between Spain and this group of countries. The analysis of annual data for minutes of calling between Spain and 27 countries from 1982 to 1991, using panel data techniques, reveals a significant own-price elasticity of 2 1.31 and a positive reciprocal calling effect of 1 0.69. The estimated elasticity of the outgoing traffic to the volume of foreign tourism is 1 0.22. The estimated elasticities are in the range that is reported in other empirical studies. The favorite equation passes a battery of diagnostics.

Research paper thumbnail of An econometric model for international tourism flows to Spain

Applied Economics Letters, 2000

The purpose oC this study is to measure the impact of the economic determinants of the intemation... more The purpose oC this study is to measure the impact of the economic determinants of the intemational demand for tourist services in Spain. We use a panel data set of seventeen countries over the perlad 1985-1995. By usíng appropriate panel data techniques we estímate the effects of real per capita income, exchange rates, and real prices on the demand fOf Spanish tourist services. The estimated elasticities are +1.40, +0.50, and-0.30, respectively. The negative effect ofthe GulfWar i8 al80 detected, with a coefficient of-0.15. These results are comparable to previous empirical studies for other countries.

Research paper thumbnail of A model of Spain-Europe telecommunications

Research paper thumbnail of Digital divides across consumers of internet services in Spain using panel data 2007–2019. Narrowing or not?

Telecommunications Policy, 2021

Digital gaps have the potential to exacerbate the inequalities that exist in society. The main ob... more Digital gaps have the potential to exacerbate the inequalities that exist in society. The main objective of this paper is to study the gaps that occur in the use of internet services by households in Spain during the period 2007-2019 and to become useful in the design of policies addressed to narrow specific digital divides. The data is a panel obtained from the ICT-H Survey on Households of the National Statistics Institute. This paper defines the gaps as the differences in the use of internet services across individual consumers. A selected group of twelve digital services are considered: e-commerce, e-selling, e-tourism, e-learning, e-health, ebanking, e-government, VoIP, chat, email, cloud services, and social networks. The second level digital gaps are analyzed in each service according to six relevant socio-demographic characteristics: gender, age, education, digital skills, population size, and income. A set of graphs show the evolution of the gaps. Gaps are narrowing in most dimensions and specific characteristics, but not in others such as age, education, and digital skills. The gaps reveal the evolution of digitization and in some cases of digital exclusion for specific groups. Specific knowledge about digital gaps is useful for policymakers, since closing the digital divide is an explicit policy goal in this country, as well as in other parts of Europe. Then, a dynamic panel data model was proposed and estimated using Arellano and Bond techniques. A dynamic/network effect was found, as well as other socio-demographic determinants. Finally, the paper contains conclusions, policy recommendations and an agenda for future research. The policy recommendations consist of digital education programs targeted at the most exposed groups such as the elderly, the less well-educated and people with lower digital skills.

Research paper thumbnail of E-Commerce and Digital Divide in Spain Using Individual Panel Data 2008-2016

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2019

Digital technologies sometimes create digital divides. One of the remedies for certain divides in... more Digital technologies sometimes create digital divides. One of the remedies for certain divides in Europe is the creation of the Digital Single Market, of which e-commerce is one of the main elements. The focus of this work is e-commerce in Spain. The current study improves substantially on existing international literature by using a large and representative panel data set on individuals, with 133,420 observations for the period 2008-2016. Moreover, it uses economic models that incorporate previously omitted variables, and employs a variety of panel techniques. This paper starts by measuring digital divides and their evolution along time. Next, a model that incorporates previously neglected explanatory variables, such as income and digital skills, is formulated. Individual demand models are estimated using panel logistic regression techniques. This allows quantifying the impact of each of the socioeconomic and geographic characteristics on the adoption of the service. The resulting models have high explanatory power. Newly incorporated variables like income and digital skills are highly significant. Age, education, gender and geographical variables are also significant. The results also allow novel regional comparisons. Policy recommendations are derived, suggesting effective and affordable measures targeted at specific socio-demographic groups.

Research paper thumbnail of Enhancing Financial Impact of Tourism While Preserving Sustainability in the City of Barcelona

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2016

Barcelona is a successful tourist destination, but currently it is reaching the limit of its carr... more Barcelona is a successful tourist destination, but currently it is reaching the limit of its carrying capacity. Consequently, far from increasing the number of visitors and overnight stays, interest should be to recruit those tourists that generate the highest average daily expenditure. To achieve this goal, the following procedure was carried out. In a first phase, from a survey of Turisme de Barcelona, the market was segmented based on the average daily spending per tourist. As a result, three distinct and easily identifiable groups emerged. In the second phase, the group of heavy spenders was selected and an in-depth analysis of their behaviour was conducted, both in terms of total expenditure and by specific categories of goods and tourism services. Results allow making recommendations on how to attract the high-spending market. Promoting tourism for middle-age and older travellers, encouraging short stays and intensifying efforts to increase business versus leisure tourism are some of the measures that would help achieve a greater daily expenditure per person. It would also be helpful to design and develop some tourism products that may be attractive to tourists traveling alone.

Research paper thumbnail of Models for Individual Adoption of eCommerce, eBanking and eGovernment in Spain

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2017

This paper analyzes the adoption patterns of selected internet services such as eCommerce, eBanki... more This paper analyzes the adoption patterns of selected internet services such as eCommerce, eBanking and eGovernment in Spain. High quality official data from the Survey on Equipment and Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Households (ICT-H) of the National Institute of Statistics are used. The dataset is a cross section of 16,209 individuals for 2016. Theoretical demand models, grounded in a standard neoclassical utility maximization framework, are adapted to these services. Logistic regression techniques allow quantifying the impact of the socioeconomic characteristics of the individual on the adoption of each service. The resulting models are statistically significant and with a high predictive power. Age, education and levels of internet and computer skills are all significant in explaining the adoption of any of the three services; as are gender and income, but just for eCommerce and eBanking. Interestingly, the level of trust in internet is only significant to explain participation in eCommerce. Finally, policy recommendations are suggested, highlighting the desirability of using specific measures for the different socio-demographic groups and income strata.

Research paper thumbnail of Defensa de los consumidores individuales de telefonía móvil en España - De la calidad técnica a la calidad del servicio (Consumer Protection in Spain's Private Mobile Phone Industry - From Technical Quality to Service Quality)

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2013

ABSTRACT La protección de los consumidores de telefonía móvil está cobrando relevancia, en parte ... more ABSTRACT La protección de los consumidores de telefonía móvil está cobrando relevancia, en parte porque la satisfacción de los consumidores en nuestro país es inferior a la de otros países europeos. Históricamente la normativa de protección al consumidor se ha centrado primero en mediciones técnicas objetivas para más tarde ir desplazándose hacia mediciones subjetivas de la calidad del servicio al cliente. Proponemos medidas centradas en la calidad del servicio, como la implantación de un código de derechos de los consumidores, la publicación periódica de encuestas de satisfacción, y modificaciones en la Oficina de Atención al Usuario de Telecomunicaciones del Ministerio. Consumer protection in the mobile telecommunications industry has become increasingly important, in particular because in Spain individual consumers exhibit considerably lower satisfaction levels than in the rest of Europe. Recently, consumer protection legislation has been shifting its focus from technical quality to subjective customer service quality. In order to adequately monitor service quality, we propose the publication of a code of rights for the telecommunications user, the periodic publication of satisfaction surveys and several measures regarding the functioning of the Telecommunications Customer Care Office.

Research paper thumbnail of Satisfaction and Protection of Individual Mobile Telecommunications Consumers

SSRN Electronic Journal, 2012

Thanks are due to Jeffrey Wooldridge for comments and suggestions.

Research paper thumbnail of Demand for international telephone traffic in Spain: An econometric study using provincial panel data

Information Economics and Policy, 1996

Research paper thumbnail of German demand for tourism in Spain

Tourism Management, 2007

Since Germany has traditionally been one of the most important sources of tourism for Spain, a de... more Since Germany has traditionally been one of the most important sources of tourism for Spain, a deep knowledge of the main determinants of the demand may be useful for policy-makers and agents of the industry. In this paper, a dynamic model is used to examine German demand for tourism in Spain. The proposed model is applied to a panel data set consisting of inbound German tourism in each of the 17 Spanish destinations (Autonomous Communities) for the period 1991-2003. The empirical results suggest that tourism demand in the previous period has an important effect on current tourism demand. The results also indicate that the demand for tourism in Spain is a luxury for the Germans and highly dependent on the evolution of relative prices and cost of travel between Germany and the destination.