This study aims to analyse the relationship between strategic alliances and organizational performance and determine whether intellectual capital plays a mediating role in that relationship. To do so, a quantitative study was chosen, with data being gathered through questionnaires directed to the management organs of Portuguese industrial technology‐based small and medium‐sized enterprises, from which 257 valid responses were received. The results obtained based on a structural model show that strategic alliances and intellectual capital stimulate the organizational performance of the SMEs studied. This evidence is very relevant, as in an increasingly globalized and competitive world, these two tools can become essential for this firm sector to be able to attain sustainable competitive advantages. Furthermore, the empirical evidence reveals that intellectual capital has a mediating effect on the relationship between strategic alliances and organizational performance, this finding being the main contribution of the study. Other implications for theory and practice will be presented.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyse the influence of strategic alliances (knowledge/learning, efficiency and market motives) on the development of human capital. Design/methodology/approach To do so, a quantitative study was chosen, with data on technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Portugal, leading to 257 valid answers. Findings The results obtained from a structural equation model show that motives for strategic alliances (knowledge/learning, efficiency and market) have a strong influence on the human capital of the SMEs analysed. Practical implications These outcomes reveal that strategic alliances are a way for SMEs to overcome resource constraints in terms of human capital, representing an important implication for business practice. As strategic alliances influence human capital, the relations SMEs establish with other firms are increasingly important for their sustainability and development. Acting in isolation in the market can reduce this type of firm’s chances of survival. Originality/value Despite some studies relating the formation of strategic alliances and human capital, there is a gap regarding the relationship between the role of strategic alliances and human capital in the technology-based sector. Therefore, this research represents a contribution and innovation in academic terms in this area.

No abstract

Purpose From an absorptive capacity perspective, this study aims to analyse the influence of strategic alliances on the development of intellectual capital. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative study was chosen, with data on technology-based small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Portugal, leading to 257 valid answers. Findings The results obtained from a structural equation model show that learning/knowledge and efficiency as important functions underlying strategic alliances exert a strong influence on intellectual (human, structural and relational) capital. Practical implications These outcomes reveal that strategic alliances are a way for SMEs to overcome resource constraints in terms of intellectual capital, which represents an important implication for business practice. This study provides particular insights into how and to what extent alliance-specific mechanisms and functions lead to which improvement and effect. Originality/value The study underlines the importance of strategic alliances for technology-based SMEs. In this way, this study adds to the scarce in the field providing evidence for the SMEs sector. Therefore, strategic alliances and intellectual capital should be considered two key tools for this firm segment and worthy of further research in absorptive capacity.

No abstract

<p style="text-align: justify;">For effective control of wine quality, a routine wine laboratory should be able to analyse rapidly and reliably a large number of samples. As flow injection analysis (FIA) is becoming a privileged way for automation of wet chemical procedures, a critical review of its present status for application to wine analysis is presented. We evidence the possibilities of this analytical technique in this area as weil as its possible evolution trends, namely by using manifolds for multidetection.</p>

No abstract

Since its origin, the audiovisual documentary has played an important role in recording not only certain historical events, but also the ways of life of local communities. In this paper we will present an historical reading on the exploration of topics from everyday life in documentary filmmaking. This is something that cuts across the entire history of cinema, from the earliest recordings by the Lumière brothers in the late 19th Century to the experiences created on the crowdsourcing model in the early 21st Century. As the documentary gained momentum as a film genre, important filmmakers like Flaherty and Vertov presented their distinct views on the everyday lives of people. In the 1930s, the sociological and anthropological research project called Mass Observation created an observatory on the daily lives of the English. Later, in the 1950s and 1960s in France, the United Kingdom and the United States, avant-garde movements emerged in documentary cinema: respectively, Cinéma Vérité, Free Cinema and Direct Cinema. From these movements, the work of a group of filmmakers and anthropologists who made documentary films about native populations and about the everyday lives of urban communities of the time will be highlighted, taking special attention to the work of Jean Rouch and his self-reflective approach to cinema that lead him to explore the inclusion of the subject filmed in the actual process of constructing the film.