Narrow Results

This paper uses comparable firm level data from France, Italy and Spain to test a hypothesis derived by Bustos (AER 2011) in a model that explains the decision of heterogeneous firms to export and to engage in R&D. Using a non-parametric test for first order stochastic dominance it is shown that, in line with this hypothesis, the productivity distribution of firms with exports and R&D dominates that of exporters without R&D, which in turn dominates that of firms that neither export nor engage in R&D. These results are in line with findings for Argentina reported by Bustos, and with findings for Germany and Denmark. The model, therefore, seems to be useful to guide empirical work on the relation between exports, R&D and productivity.

The following sections are included:

• Introduction: the industry before the liberalisation

• The process of liberalisation

• An assessment of the regulatory reform
  • The market structure
  • The liberalisation of supply
  • The remuneration for the competitive transition costs
  • The procedure for the regulatory reform

• Conclusions

• References

Irrigation plays a fundamental role in guaranteeing food security. Increasing food production to meet the growing future demands of the world population will require not only the expansion of the irrigated area (i.e., through the conversion of rainfed land) and better water availability (both in space and time), but also greater efficiency in the use of resources. Both drivers of growth require complex institutional and policy reforms, especially in those regions of the world with water scarcity problems. In the particular case of Spain, the growth of agricultural production as a guarantor of food security appears to lack the support of an increase in resources (i.e., land and water), but not that of an increase in agricultural productivity. The analysis carried out in this chapter has shown that the achievement of a higher production per unit of productive factor used (especially per unit of water used) has been decisive in maintaining the production of the Spanish agricultural sector.

The main objective of this chapter is to examine the invariance of Richins and Dawson's (1992) previously validated three-factor materialism model scale across different cultural groups of respondents and to analyse and estimate the presence of materialistic values among Europeans, more precisely in samples from Germany, Spain, and Portugal. Through Richins and Dawson's (1992) materialism values scale, we checked and cross-examined the materialistic dimensions among the young people of the countries referred to using Structural Equation Modeling. There are different levels and sort of materialism among the three European countries.

This paper presents partial results of a research developed during the year 2002 to 2006. Population analyzed was Science and Technology teachers of Spanish universities. The investigation has worked with sample academic users, distributed among 19 Spanish universities. The main contribution of this study is to present a BIQUAL tool. It is useful for the evaluation of the quality services in university libraries and especially of Science and Technology. This tool is created using the user's point of view. Results identify behaviour of these users and the aspects that concern the quality of the service in this environment. We also discuss about some problems and difficult experimented in this research. We analyzed the use of quantitative methods, in special, survey as well as it effectiveness to library quality management.

Spain and Portugal have established cooperation mechanisms to manage their shared water resources in order to avoid any potential conflict. Cooperation is clearly reflected in the 1998 Albufeira Convention, which provides a legal framework to regulate all transboundary basins between both countries to protect surface water and groundwater, as well as the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems that depend on them for the sustainable use of water resources. The 1998 Albufeira Convention establishes as one of the uses of the Tagus Basin Gthe transfer of water interbasin such as the Aqueduct Tagus-Segura (ATS). According to this Convention, the management of water uses and the right to use water shall be addressed to guarantee the sustainable use of water that is already established. The ATS is a use guaranteed and protected under international water law. The analysis of the ATS in the context of the international legislation to mitigate water scarcity, and droughts provides the strategies to promote resilience to climate change and the impacts of drought conditions in the society in a sustainable manner while ensuring the fundamental rights.