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From Values to Economic Myths
Interview by Abel Hernández, published at Sintetia on September 24 (first part) and 26 (second part), 2012
Benito Arruñada is Professor of Business Organization at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. His research is at the borders of Organization, Economics and Law. He has published a large number of books and scientific articles, and his most recent … →
Retiring before We Work
Arruñada, Benito (2010), “Retiring before We Work”, Expansión, February 22, p. 46.
The Spanish public has recently received two items of news: we shall live longer, but retire later. The two announcements are connected because we shall have to work longer to finance, amongst other things, the health care expenditure that will help us live longer.
Because of this … →
The Three Spanish Crises
Arruñada, Benito (2009), “The Three Spanish Crises,” La Razón, December 16, p. 26.
Spain was in crisis well before 2008. The problems are longstanding ones and may well last for many decades more. That is why the gap that separates us, in terms of convergence, from the more developed European countries is becoming wider. Over recent years, Spain has … →
Labour Reform as an Ethical Imperative
Versión en español y comentarios
Spain has the most restrictive labour law of all developed countries. As a result, it also has the highest unemployment.
The rules that weigh down industrial relations today stem from those laid down formulated under Franco. Why are they still alive 34 years after the death of the dictator?
Some people may think that the … →
The Spanish Crises
Versión en español y comentarios
In Spain, we don’t have one crisis but three—a financial crisis, an institutional crisis and a crisis of values
“The only cause for optimism that I can see is in the quality of the individual, in the existence of people who are competitive, are keen to come out on top and do not have … →
Organizations or Markets in Morality?
Moral codes can be produced and enforced through markets or through organizations. In particular, Catholic theology can be interpreted as a paradigm of the organizational production of morality. In contrast, the dominant moral codes are now produced in something resembling more a market.
The organizational character of Catholicism comes from its centralized production and enforcement of the moral code by … →
Is the Future in Contract Manufacturing?
The purchase of Opel by Magna shows the strength of contract manufacturers and their strategies, which I discussed with Xosé H. Vázquez in our 2006 article in the Harvard Business Review. Once thought of as a lifebelt for the decreasing margins of large-brand owners, contract manufacturing has now become a major source of competition. Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC), … →
Does Economics Hinder Managers’ Ability?
In a paper with Xosé H. Vázquez we explore the consequences of using different behavioral assumptions in training managers on their future performance. We argue that training with an emphasis on the standard assumptions used in economics (rationality and self-interest) leads future managers to rely excessively on rational and explicit safeguarding, crowding out instinctive contractual heuristics and signaling a “bad” … →