Essays on internationalization in the context of heterogeneous firms

The significant increase in global trade flows in last decades has been one of the main features of the globalization process that started in the 1950s. In general, the main factors behind this increase were linked to (i) the significant reductions of trade costs and technical barriers; (ii) the improvements in transport infrastructure and telecommunications; (iii) the progress of the international financial system and the increasing legal certainty; and (iv) the development of a corporate culture that promotes the internationalization of firms as a strategic tool in order to survive and to grow. The remarkable increase of trade openness has also been observed in the Spanish economy. In this regard, it is clear that the entry into force of the Treaty of Accession of Spain to the European Economic Community (now the European Union) in 1986 played a main role in this dramatic increase. In addition, and because of the deep depression of domestic demand caused by the global financial and economic crisis that started in 2008, the external trade has become a key driver in the economic recovery of the Spanish economy...

Identifying the role of natural resources in knowledge-based strategies of development

Knowledge has adopted a preferential role in the explanation of development while the evidence about the effect of natural resources in countries’ performance is more controversial in the economic literature. This paper tries to demonstrate that natural resources may positively affect growth in countries with a strong natural resources specialization pattern although the magnitude of these effects depend on the type of resources and on other aspects related to the production and innovation systems. The positive trajectory described by a set of national economies mainly specialized in natural resources and low-tech industries invites us to analyze what is the combination of factors that serves as engine for a sustainable development process. With panel data for the period 1996-2008 we estimate an applied growth model where both traditional factors and other more related to innovation and absorptive capabilities are taken into account. Our empirical findings show that according to the postulates of a knowledge-based approach, a framework that combines physical and intangible factors is more suitable for the definition of development strategies in those prosperous economies dominated by natural resources and connected activities, while the internationalization process of activities and technologies become also a very relevant aspect.

La inspección veterinaria en frontera: implicaciones y responsabilidades legales del veterinario oficial en frontera

A global world. One World. The world globalization is the defining characteristic of the world today and that has encouraged major transformations in the international order since the mid-twentieth century. It is an unstoppable force for change that manifests itself in every aspect of life but more evident in the increasing internationalization and economic integration. However, globalization as a process in which markets, laws and policies are denationalized, tend to the interrelation of populations and individuals for a common good and is eroding the traditional distinction between domestic and foreign affairs. In a globalized world there is not control over economic forces and we are under an increased pressure to manage threats of globalization itself. For all sectors involved in food and agriculture, the trend towards internationalization national market is a source of flexibility and a wider range of options. As a direct consequence of this, the diets are changing and on the shelves of urban markets in the wide world you can find a growing range of products previously unknown from many countries...

Dramaturgias en el teatro actual de las Antillas. Cartografía de poéticas en movimiento: Teresa Hernández y Josefina Báez

This dissertation aims to explore the contemporary Caribbean and its dramaturgy through the study of the artistic work of two remarkable artists: the Puerto Rican Teresa Hernández and the Dominicanyork Josefina Báez. Both artists are currently generating a lot of attention due to the internationalization of their creations, but still their work deserves even more consideration. These skilled stage artists connect various islands through their artistic work: Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the islands within New York City. The different cultures that converge and coexist in these places exemplify the process of hybridization that characterizes our modern world. Teresa and Josefina illustrate in their plays the plurality of the Caribbean, depicting a true multiplicity of languages and cultures that makes it impossible to adopt a fixed and unique conception of a national identity. They engage in the difficult task of finding out what it means to be a Puerto Rican, a Dominican or a New Yorker. Both performers clearly criticize the notion of an identity that pretends to fuse and include all the possible voices of every Caribbean nation under a sole definition. Therefore, one must consider the heterogeneity that surrounds us as the basis to approach the work of these two artists when evaluating the Caribbean, as well as the dramaturgical procedures these great performers employ. To begin with, how can we talk about the Caribbean? How can we talk accurately about dramaturgical procedures? Furthermore, how can we express with words the ephemeral aspect of the theatrical event? How can we use words to address a Caribbean reality, which contains European and American standards, but does not necessarily follow them? These are the questions that the present investigation seeks to answer; however, it is not an easy task. Thus, the real challenge of this dissertation is to offer a rigorous response to these questions...