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JOURNAL ARTICLES by rafael castro balaguer

Business History, 2019

This article examines the transnational operations of the French firm Derosne & Cail, one of the ... more This article examines the transnational operations of the French firm Derosne & Cail, one of the most innovative engineering companies in the mid-nineteenth century. It would become the leading European firm supplying advanced steam-powered technologies and equipment to the international sugar industry. Derosne & Cail’s international expansion was achieved primarily through a global strategy that connected customers and suppliers, particularly by building an effective international network of technological knowledge and expertise. This article explores three aspects related to its international activities from 1818 to 1871 (both before and after Derosne’s death): strategies of commercialisation of steam technologies; relationships with end users; and consequences for industrialising peripheral countries in terms of the transfer of knowledge, technology, and human capital.

Business History, 2018

The call for a special symposium on ‘The Brand and Its History’ has led to two journal issues tha... more The call for a special symposium on ‘The Brand and Its History’ has led to two journal issues that focus on trademarks and brands, respectively. This issue is devoted to trademarks, the more concrete, well-documented, and measurable aspect of brands. This editorial introduces trademark studies; summarises previous contributions from economic, legal, business, and historical literature; provides a short overview of the topics and findings of the seven articles included in this issue; and reflects on further research.

Business History, 2020

This is the second special issue resulting from the symposium titled ‘The Brand and Its History’.... more This is the second special issue resulting from the symposium titled ‘The Brand and Its History’. This issue aims at deepening the knowledge of the historical and cultural roots of the origin, uses, and meanings of modern branding. This editorial summarises previous contributions from economic, marketing, and historical literature; presents the main findings of the seven articles included in this issue; and reflects on possible further research.

Enterprise & Society, 2017

This article reflects on foreign direct investment (FDI) and intellectual property rights (IPRs) ... more This article reflects on foreign direct investment (FDI) and intellectual property rights (IPRs) over the long term, and analyzes the case of Spain during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Although the interactions between IPRs and FDI have attracted significant research efforts in distinct economic and business areas, the results lack permanent answers. Our findings demonstrate that, from a macro-level perspective: (1) FDI and IPRs are effectively related over the long term; (2) weak IPR protection does not seem to have stopped FDI; and (3) the countries with major FDI in Spain were less worried about IPR management than were other countries with less FDI.

Journal of Macromarketing, 2015

The processes of structural change and modernization in the food distribution industry have been ... more The processes of structural change and modernization in the food distribution industry have been submitted to different economic and institutional frameworks in European countries. Three essential factors have affected structural change in Spain: 1) the role of technical and organizational innovations, 2) institutional factors such as regulation and market structures, and 3) foreign direct investments. This article discusses with the framework of the “latecomers.” In these countries, the factor of innovation has been produced in terms of appropriation, whether this is technological or organizational, usually influenced by foreign models or through direct foreign investment. The impact of these innovations has been highly conditioned by inflexible institutional surroundings. Considering the Spanish food trade in the last sixty years is a good way understanding processes of structural change in Mediterranean Europe. This research helps one understand the role taken by countries, which introduced factors of innovation and growth in less favourable surroundings than those of developed Europe.

Industrial and Corporate Change , Oct 10, 2014

We study the behavior of the French Technical Consulting firms in the Spain of the Planning (1959... more We study the behavior of the French Technical Consulting firms in the Spain of the Planning (1959-1976), when the Spanish market converted into a very competitive one due to the liberalization and modernization of the economy. For this purpose, the main players – both the French as well as their Spanish partners - have been identified and the strategies, models and sectors in which the French technical consultancies specialized in our country have been analyzed. Our research reveals that the French firms operated mainly via technical assistance contracts, when providing services to the classical sectors of French investment of between the first and the second industrial revolutions. These sectors include mining, railroads, iron and steel, chemicals and electricity. The French presence within these activities was based upon their experience and knowledge of the markets, in turn resulting from their historical presence in Spain. The paper is also useful to assist in the conceptualization of how management knowledge crosses borders, in light of the available literature regarding business consultancy.

Enterprise & Society 14 (3), pp. 606-641. , 2013

Spain emerged from the Civil War (1936-1939) with formidable economic problems. They were caused ... more Spain emerged from the Civil War (1936-1939) with formidable economic problems. They were caused by military destruction, by foreign condemnation, and especially by the establishment of an autarkic system, in which the victorious Francoist side followed the political and economic path of other European fascist regimes. Despite legal restrictions, many foreign companies continued to seek out and exploit both new and old relationships in Spain, usually in association with the state-owned holding Instituto Nacional de Industria (INI). This foreign support was a major factor in ending Spain’s international isolation, increasing confidence in the Spanish economy, and removing obstacles for later growth. The purpose of this article is to analyze the collaboration between French firms and INI in the early Franco era (1940s and 1950s), identifying the main enterprises, agreements, and results. We assert that foreign assistance to Spain was present during the autarky period and highlight the continuity of the collaboration between Spain and France in those difficult years. Therefore, we defend multinationals' flexibility in adapting themselves to a hostile environment, particularly across political and economic networks with local partners.

Tst: Transportes, Servicios y telecomunicaciones, pp. 34-64, 2012

This research studies the behavior of the French Technical Consulting firms in the Spain of the P... more This research studies the behavior of the French Technical Consulting firms in the Spain of the Planning. Our paper reveals that French consultancy firms specialized in classic sectors of the French FDI in Spain such as mining, railways, steel, chemicals and electricity, halfway between the first and the second Industrial Revolutions. The French presence in the sector was due to the accumulated experience, the knowledge of the Spanish market and, also, due to a better adaptation to the Spanish firms. With new French and Spanish sources and in the light of new definitions given by historians of technology, the paper is also useful to reinterpret and to clarify some concepts without a sharp definition.

Universia Business Review, núm. 32, 2011, pp. 82-93, 2011

Since the 1960s, the growth of infrastructure related to family business education, and the devel... more Since the 1960s, the growth of infrastructure related to family business education, and the development of family business centres and professional associations enabled the transfer of
new ideas about management. By doing so, consultant, institutions and scholars encouraged a process of change of family firms that also affected other types of companies, i.e. family offices, organizations to protect their particular family’s investments and assets for both current and subsequent generations. Clearly, the family office was not a new concept, but the changes operated in the family business field allowed its transformation into professional organizations.

Revista de Historia Industrial (44), pp. 97- 137, 2010

This paper seeks to draw the path of one of the most successful sectors in French international b... more This paper seeks to draw the path of one of the most successful sectors in French international business: the big retailing. The starting hypothesis assesses that the arrival and the success of French hypermarkets is due to a set of circumstances: the fact that Spain was a neighbor country and a preferential destination for French tourists is, probably, the first reason. We cannot forget the relaxed legislation in the country and the election of good local partners. The paper is a case of study on the international investment in a sector with a lack of research, the big retailing. The main character of the research is the Carrefour Group (which includes the stories of PRYCA and Continente in Spain) and the Auchan Group (with the name of Alcampo in Spain). It is the history of a business with a gradual growth, from pioneering investments, and that seems to fit with the theoretical framework developed by several authors of the School of Uppsala in the seventies.

Información Comercial Española nº 849 (julio- agosto), pp. 39- 53., 2009

Este trabajo describe y explica el crecimiento de la inversión extranjera directa española hasta ... more Este trabajo describe y explica el crecimiento de la inversión extranjera directa española hasta 1980 y ofrece una tipología de las empresas españolas antes de la internacionalización del capital: pequeñas y medianas empresas que buscaron refugio en una inversión fronteriza. Además, analiza las implicaciones económicas, financieras y políticas, y el papel de las instituciones en todo el proceso. El trabajo demuestra la absoluta compatibilidad entre la acción institucional (que impulsa o marca el comportamiento de los agentes económicos) y una actitud proactiva (de carácter ofensivo) de la inversión extranjera.

Investigaciones de Historia Económica - Economic History Research (13), pp. 133- 171, 2009

As the oldest foreign bank presence in the country, the second half of the 20th means for Frenc... more As the oldest foreign bank presence in the
country, the second half of the 20th means for
French banking the search of a place in the
difficult Spanish bank market. Following the
legislation and economy evolution, French
banks diversified their financial supply in the
sixties, lent capitals in the seventies and the
eighties, and tried to compete with Spanish
commercial banks in the nineties. Its
evolution, for almost fifty years, permits us to
analyze an episode of foreign direct
investment (FDI), focused, in this occasion, in
transnational banking. This paper tries to
contribute in the debate about persistent and
changing patterns of FDI in a host country in
the long run.

Business History Review 83 (fall), pp. 505–537., 2009

International capital flows are strongly in uenced by country specific patterns that can be best... more International capital flows are strongly in uenced by country specific patterns that can be best understood in historical and
comparative perspective. A long-term empirical analysis of
French and German investment in Spain reveals that the core
capabilities of foreign frms and their relations with local partners
have spurred the rise and development of two national models of international investment, characterized here as “political” and “technical.” The research identifes the main actors and ownership advantages of the two models, which have proved resilient over time.

Revista de Historia Industrial nº 33, pp. 81- 117., 2007

This article tries to reconstruct the path of the French investment in Spain from the beginning o... more This article tries to reconstruct the path of the French investment in Spain from the beginning of the 19th century to the start of the Civil War. To do so, we describe the set up and the height of the French investment model during a large part of the 19th century as well as its exhaustion and its subsequent restructuring since the beginning of the 20th century and, especially, in the inter-war
period. The role of the French capital in Spain is taken as a case of study to examine the dynamics of the foreign investment in a peripheral country and to analyse how it crosses borders and how it adapts to the host's changes. The exam is carried out to 3 levels: the interactions of the French capital with the Establishment and with its Spanish associates; the involved sectors and their evolution; and the bequest of the French investment in Spain.

Books by rafael castro balaguer

La Revolución Industrial es uno de los hitos más importantes de la historia de la humanidad. Las ... more La Revolución Industrial es uno de los hitos más importantes de la historia de la humanidad. Las transformaciones que acarreó desbordaron lo económico de tal forma que, desde un punto de vista social, cultural y político, el mundo ha sido otro desde que el proceso comenzara en Inglaterra. Este libro, con un estilo ameno y riguroso, narra esa progresiva metamorfosis de la economía mundial desde finales del siglo XVIII hasta nuestros días, siguiendo no solo la evolución de los protagonistas o de la tecnología, sino desgranando los efectos de la industrialización en el aumento o descenso de la desigualdad entre países y dentro de los países. Este enfoque temático se acompaña de una serie de estudios de casos así como de una selección de documentos comentados.
En definitiva, este libro está dirigido a estudiantes universitarios y especialistas, pero también a cualquier lector interesado en la historia económica, pues tiene el objetivo de articular el conocimiento de la industrialización y el cambio económico profundizando en aquellos aspectos que fueron decisivos y que permiten entender mejor el mundo que nos rodea.

Book chapter by rafael castro balaguer

Francesc Ribera, Los números uno en España, Barcelona, Dobleerre Editorial, pp. 131-145, 2008

Francesc Ribera, Los números uno en España, Barcelona, Dobleerre Editorial, pp. 1-15, 2008

Business History, 2019

Business History, 2018

Business History, 2020

Enterprise & Society, 2017

Journal of Macromarketing, 2015

Industrial and Corporate Change , Oct 10, 2014

Enterprise & Society 14 (3), pp. 606-641. , 2013

Tst: Transportes, Servicios y telecomunicaciones, pp. 34-64, 2012

Universia Business Review, núm. 32, 2011, pp. 82-93, 2011

Revista de Historia Industrial (44), pp. 97- 137, 2010

Información Comercial Española nº 849 (julio- agosto), pp. 39- 53., 2009

Investigaciones de Historia Económica - Economic History Research (13), pp. 133- 171, 2009

Business History Review 83 (fall), pp. 505–537., 2009

Revista de Historia Industrial nº 33, pp. 81- 117., 2007

Francesc Ribera, Los números uno en España, Barcelona, Dobleerre Editorial, pp. 131-145, 2008

Francesc Ribera, Los números uno en España, Barcelona, Dobleerre Editorial, pp. 1-15, 2008

H.G. Schröter (editor), The European Enterprise. Historical Investigation into a Future Species, Berlin, Springer, pp. 269-279., 2007

Did multinationals already existed in the 19th century? and if so, what was their role in interna... more Did multinationals already existed in the 19th century? and if so, what was their role in international technology transfer to colonial markets? In this paper we examine a French machinery manufacturer -Derosne & Cail- one of the most innovative engineering firms in the mid-nineteenth century as well as one of the first European companies supplying advanced sugar technology and railway equipment to emerging colonial plantations. This firm was indeed an early multinational that created an extensive international network of factories, branches, intermediaries and agents across four continents. This socio-technical network sustained the distribution of Derosne & Cail's machinery to sugar planters who, in turn, adapted the new technology to local conditions and helped spread the necessary practical knowledge for the operation of the machines. The strategy of the company became globally successful because technology transfer was linked to the migration of trained mechanical and chemical experts.

In this paper, we reflect on the links between the origin and rate of foreign direct investments ... more In this paper, we reflect on the links between the origin and rate of foreign direct investments (FDI) and the granting of intellectual property rights (IPRs) to foreigners in Spain during the nineteenth and the first half of the twentieth century. Our main hypothesis is that the two issues were strongly related during the extension of industrialization in Europe, although distinct interests and goals could have led to different investment and IPR strategies. This was true during the whole period studied, and especially after 1880, when the first globalization emerged, progressively favoring corporative transnational investments and international agreements on IPRs. During both centuries, foreign investors from several North Atlantic countries flooded the Spanish economy, taking thousands of patents and trademarks. Based on outstanding data on FDI and foreign IPRs in Spain, the scope of this complex relation is explored. In doing so, our hypothesis is confirmed and distinct international strategies and performances in the Spanish economy disentangled. Thus, our study provides a better understanding: 1) of the spread of international capitalism and multinationals, 2) of the competition among pioneers and first followers in the international markets, and 3) of the role of IPRs in that process. Our findings also shed light on the current debates regarding the relation of international investments and the protection of intangible assets in today’s global markets.

Munich Personal RePEc Archive, 2013

The processes of structural change and modernisation in the food distribution industry have bee... more The processes of structural change and modernisation in the food distribution industry
have been submitted to different economic and institutional frameworks in European
countries. Two essential factors have affected these changes: on one hand, the role of
technical, financial and organisational innovations and on the other, institutional factors.
The weight of both has varied depending on the historical circumstances of the
countries in consideration and their level of development.
This paper discusses with the framework of the “latecomers”. In these countries, the
factor of innovation has been produced in terms of appropriation, whether this is
technological or organisational, usually influenced by foreign models or through direct
foreign investment. The impact of these innovations has been highly conditioned by
inflexible institutional surroundings.
Considering the Spanish food trade in the last sixty years is a good way of dealing with
the processes of structural change in Mediterranean Europe. This paper helps one
understand the role taken by countries which introduced factors of innovation and
growth in less favourable surroundings than those of developed Europe.

El Tema de los Temas., 2009

With unpublished sources, this paper draws the evolution of French banking in Spain between 1800 ... more With unpublished sources, this paper draws the evolution of French banking in Spain between 1800 and 2000 and shows how French banks operated in the country, seeking, once and again, to consolidate business positions in a more and more difficult market. As the oldest foreign bank presence in the country, French banks strongly dominated the Spanish market in the 19th century. The turn of the 20th century and the Spanish economic evolution meant a sort of hibernation for French banks. They only did with it in the middle of the fifties. The second half of the 20th means for French banking the search of a place in the difficult Spanish bank market. Following the legislation and economy evolution, French banks diversified their financial supply in the sixties, lent capitals in the seventies and the eighties, and tried to compete with Spanish commercial banks in the nineties. Its evolution, for almost one hundred and fifty years, allows us to analyze an episode of foreign direct investment (FDI), focused, in this occasion, in transnational banking. This paper tries to contribute in the debate about persistent and changing patterns of FDI in a host country in the long run.

Business History Review on- line, 2006

In this paper, we address the long-term evolution of international investment, examining patter... more In this paper, we address the long-term evolution of international
investment, examining patterns in two major home economies
(France and Germany) and a major host economy (Spain) over 150
years. We look at French and German investment models, the
ways they related to the wide institutional context, cultural
background, and technological and organizational abilities of
French and German firms, and how they have changed in response
to challenges. We pay particular attention to the predominantly
“political” versus “technical” nature of French and German
investment, as well as to business and economic diplomacy in each
country. We conclude that, although both models show a
considerable degree of inertia over time, the French pattern
underwent significant changes that helped French capital and
expertise to overcome a long period of decline and play a leading
role in Spain’s late industrialization and ongoing transformation
into a service economy. In contrast, the German pattern was
strikingly stable, closely linked to German firms’ original focus and
capabilities as they overcame major exogenous shocks in the
central decades of the twentieth century.

Broder respondió al reconocimiento con un discurso lleno de sencillez y humanidad; como es él. Un... more Broder respondió al reconocimiento con un discurso lleno de sencillez y humanidad; como es él. Un año después de aquella emotiva ceremonia, gracias a la iniciativa de la Fundación de los Ferrocarriles Españoles, y muy especialmente de Domingo Cuellar y Miguel Muñoz, sale a la luz un libro que debiera haber sido publicado en castellano hace mucho tiempo. Se trata del capítulo dedicado al sector ferroviario de la tesis doctoral de Broder, Le rôle de intérêts étrangers

Una simpática anécdota introduce al lector en el tema que ha ocupado al autor de este libro a lo ... more Una simpática anécdota introduce al lector en el tema que ha ocupado al autor de este libro a lo largo de ocho años de su vida. La visita a la cámara acorazada del Banco de España, y el hallazgo en ella de un lingote de oro con la firma N.M. Rothschild & Sons, permite a López Morell anunciar rápidamente cuál es el objetivo de su investigación: acercarse a la figura de los Rothschild para estudiar su influencia y su aportación a la economía española a largo plazo. Una contribución, la de la inversión extranjera, protagonizada en este caso por la familia de banqueros, necesaria para una economía atrasada como la España del siglo XIX pero, obviamente, no gratuita. El trabajo responde, a lo largo de doce capítulos, a cuatro cuestiones esenciales: en primer lugar, trata de determinar cuándo se produjeron las principales entradas de capital por su iniciativa, qué intensidad tuvieron y a qué sectores afectaron. A continuación, se busca cuantificar cuál pudo ser la importancia de estas inversiones y actividades financieras y qué peso tuvieron en el sector público, la empresa y los mercados españoles y, así mismo, sobre el conjunto de las inversiones extranjeras en cada periodo. Por otro lado, el autor destaca cuáles fueron las pautas de actuación y los medios de los que se dotó la casa Rothschild para alcanzar el éxito en cada uno de sus negocios. Finalmente, se analizan las consecuencias de este fenómeno en el crecimiento real de la economía española contemporánea, tanto a escala general como sectorial. Al igual que en su tesis, que es la base de este libro, López Morell ha preferido no abandonar el hilo temporal de los acontecimientos para que la propia evolución interna de las inversiones sea la que marque el relato, al menos en los diez primeros capítulos del trabajo. Para llevarlo a cabo, el autor ha tenido acceso a las fuentes originales. En una ardua labor investigadora, se han explorado los propios archivos de las ramas británica y francesa de los Rothschild, cuyos fondos han sido contrastados con documentación de la Administración española (Archivo Histórico Nacional y Archivo de la Administración Civil del Estado), de instituciones financieras claves en el periodo (Archivo Histórico y del Registro del Banco de España) y con la de otras administraciones extranjeras entre las que se deben destacar los ministerios franceses de Exteriores, Economía y Finanzas y Comercio. Los fondos documentales que se conservan en las propias empresas controladas en su día por la familia en España

Enterprise and Society, 2013

Entreprises et histoire

This article seeks to identify whether the origins of the circular economy were already in place ... more This article seeks to identify whether the origins of the circular economy were already in place by the end of the 20th century. Historical analysis has highlighted that wartime often generates the conditions in which innovative actives thrive as scarcity and shortages require adaptation of productive models. What is less well understood is how these changes occur, for how long they last and, specifically in this research, what role is played by adopting elements of the circular economy. This article examines a particular case of war and its aftermath: the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and the First Franco regime (1939-1959) and it focuses on the railway sector. Our research traces the manner in which the railway companies and the State managed their limited resources using the circular economy almost sixty years before it had appeared as a concept. To do so, we analyze the recycling and waste recovery programs of the different companies during the war. We then look in more detail at the case of one of the main railway infrastructure companies of the 1950s and 1960s, Ferrovial, whose success stems, in part, from the introduction of certain elements of circularity in its management. These two studies allow us to explore the historical links between scarcity and the circular economy.

Entreprises et histoire

The Brand and Its History, 2021

Business History, 2018

the call for a special symposium on 'the Brand and Its History' has led to two journal issues tha... more the call for a special symposium on 'the Brand and Its History' has led to two journal issues that focus on trademarks and brands, respectively. this issue is devoted to trademarks, the more concrete, well-documented, and measurable aspect of brands. this editorial introduces trademark studies; summarises previous contributions from economic, legal, business, and historical literature; provides a short overview of the topics and findings of the seven articles included in this issue; and reflects on further research.

Business History, 2019

This is the second special issue resulting from the symposium titled 'The Brand and Its History'.... more This is the second special issue resulting from the symposium titled 'The Brand and Its History'. This issue aims at deepening the knowledge of the historical and cultural roots of the origin, uses, and meanings of modern branding. This editorial summarises previous contributions from economic, marketing, and historical literature; presents the main findings of the seven articles included in this issue; and reflects on possible further research.

Business History, 2019

This article examines the transnational operations of the French firm Derosne & Cail, one of the ... more This article examines the transnational operations of the French firm Derosne & Cail, one of the most innovative engineering companies in the mid-nineteenth century. It would become the leading European firm supplying advanced steam-powered technologies and equipment to the international sugar industry. Derosne & Cail's international expansion was achieved primarily through a global strategy that connected customers and suppliers, particularly by building an effective international network of technological knowledge and expertise. This article explores three aspects related to its international activities from 1818 to 1871 (both before and after Derosne's death): strategies of commercialisation of steam technologies; relationships with end users; and consequences for industrialising peripheral countries in terms of the transfer of knowledge, technology, and human capital.

France contemporaine, 2011

12 "Networks were retrenched at these times to those most trusted, reliable and reputable members... more 12 "Networks were retrenched at these times to those most trusted, reliable and reputable members of the trading community. Reputation mechanisms and fulfilling obligations were crucial to maintaining personal trust networks at such times".

De sólida formación y convicción chandleriana, Michael S. Smith, profesor de la Universidad de Ca... more De sólida formación y convicción chandleriana, Michael S. Smith, profesor de la Universidad de Carolina del Sur, ha elaborado una síntesis del nacimiento y desarrollo de las grandes empresas francesas que se inscribe en la major tradición de Scale and Scope. El libro se propone explicar cómo y por qué nació en Francia un buen número de empresas que dominaron la economía del país durante buena parte del siglo XIX y que proyectaron la influencia económica francesa por toda Europa hasta bien entrado el siglo XX. Oponiéndose a la idea (ya no tan común, pero muy extendida) del atraso económico francés, el trabajo trata de demostrar que las mismas fuerzas que dieron lugar a organizaciones muy grandes y complejas en países como Estados Unidos, Alemania o Gran Bretaña, se dieron cita también en Francia entre 1880 y 1930. Antes de resumir y analizar el trabajo del profesor Smith, avanzamos que está muy bien escrito y estructurado, revelando un intenso trabajo de archivo (sobre todo en el Centre des Archives du Monde du Travail en Roubaix) durante más de diez años. Avanzamos, asimismo, que cumple con la misión de aportar una nueva visión sobre el advenimiento del capitalismo moderno en el país vecino. El libro está divido en tres partes y dieciséis capítulos, además de un índice que incluye nombres de personas y empresas presentes en el texto principal (que no en las notas). La primera parte resume cronológicamente en tres capítulos la continuidad y el cambio en el mercantilismo francés (1800-c.1840), la revolución en la banca y los transportes (c.1850-c.1870) y, finalmente, el nacimiento de un nuevo mundo financiero en la Francia de 1870-1900. Se trata de unos apartados meramente introductorios que contextualizan la situación francesa ante los cambios que se estaban produciendo en la economía mundial. En el primero de ellos se describe de manera muy convencional el capitalismo mercantilista francés. Se hace de modo muy local (se analizan las plazas de Burdeos, Nantes o Le Havre) e individual (se trata únicamente a la Haute Banque), olvidando cualquier relación entre las ciudades y las personas (entre esos puertos y la Haute Banque precisamente), y obviando cualquier organización formal a nivel nacional. El segundo capítulo describe la intensa correlación entre la revolución financiera y la revolución de los transportes. El germen de ambas se encuentra en las ideas del conde Henri de Saint-Simon y en las redes establecidas, a nivel europeo, por el Segundo Imperio. Asimismo, se analiza con solvencia el hecho de que el éxito francés en los ferrocarriles residiera no sólo en el profundo fervor Saint-Simonista de los mayores protagonistas del proceso a mediados del siglo XIX, los hermanos Péreire (Émile y Eugène), sino también en el intenso papel del

espanolUna de las transformaciones derivadas del Espacio Europeo de Educacion Superior mas apreci... more espanolUna de las transformaciones derivadas del Espacio Europeo de Educacion Superior mas apreciable ha sido la forma de impartir docencia con la convivencia de formatos clasicas de ensenanza junto con la inclusion de nuevas metodologias docentes. El objetivo planteado en esta experiencia docente es precisamente valorar la incorporacion de una de esas metodologias activas y evaluar el impacto en diferentes aspectos del aprendizaje. Se ha llevado a cabo una experiencia piloto a traves de los Small Private Online Course con vistas a promover el aprendizaje y la motivacion de los estudiantes. La finalidad no es solo testar si esta herramienta es valida para impulsar estrategias viables de autoaprendizaje fuera del aula sino su impacto en los resultados del aprendizaje de los estudiantes. EnglishOne of the main changes arising from the European Higher Education has been a new way to face university teaching, where classical methods get along with new teaching methodologies. In the pape...

Industrial and Corporate Change, 2014

In this article, we study the behavior of French technical consulting firms in the Spain of the P... more In this article, we study the behavior of French technical consulting firms in the Spain of the Planning (1959–1976), when the Spanish market increased its competitiveness as a result of the liberalization and modernization of its economy. For this purpose, the main players—both the French and their Spanish partners—have been identified, and the strategies, models, and sectors in which the French technical consultancies specialized in Spain have been analyzed. Our research reveals that French firms mainly operated via technical assistance contracts when providing services to the classical sectors of French investment in Spain between the first and the second industrial revolutions. These sectors include mining, railroads, iron and steel, chemicals, and electricity. The French role in these activities was based on their experience and knowledge of the market, in turn resulting from their historical presence in the neighboring country. The article is also useful to assist the available literature regarding business consultancy in the conceptualization of how management knowledge is transferred from one country to another.

Journal of International Economics, 2004

The American Historical Review, 2013

ENTREPRISES ET HISTOIRE, 2023

This article seeks to identify whether the origins of the circular economy were already in place ... more This article seeks to identify whether the origins of the circular economy were already in place by the end of the 20th century. Historical analysis has highlighted that wartime often generates the conditions in which innovative actives thrive as scarcity and shortages require adaptation of productive models. What is less well understood is how these changes occur, for how long they last and, specifically in this research, what role is played by adopting elements of the circular economy.
This article examines a particular case of war and its aftermath: the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) and the First Franco regime (1939-1959) and it focuses on the railway sector. Our research traces the manner in which the railway companies and the State managed their limited resources using the circular economy almost sixty years before it had appeared as a concept. To do so, we analyze the recycling and waste recovery programs of the different companies during the war. We then look in more detail at the case of one of the main railway infrastructure companies of the 1950s and 1960s, Ferrovial, whose success stems, in part, from the introduction of certain elements of circularity in its management. These two studies allow us to explore the historical links between scarcity and the circular economy.

Business History, 2020

The processes of structural change and modernization in the food distribution industry have been ... more The processes of structural change and modernization in the food distribution industry have been submitted to different economic and institutional frameworks in European countries. Three essential factors have affected structural change in Spain: 1) the role of technical and organizational innovations, 2) Institutional factors such as regulation and market structures, and 3) foreign direct investments. This article discusses with the framework of the ‘‘latecomers.’’ In these countries, the factor of innovation has been produced in terms of appropriation, whether this is technological or organizational, usually influenced by foreign models or through direct foreign investment. The impact of these innovations has been highly conditioned by inflexible institutional surroundings. Considering the Spanish food trade in the last sixty years is a good way understanding processes of structural change in Mediterranean Europe. This research helps one understand the role taken by countries, which introduced factors of innovation and growth in less favourable surroundings than those of developed Europe.