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Article
Publication date: 29 July 2019

Javier Andrades, Domingo Martinez-Martinez, Manuel Larrán and Jesus Herrera

The purpose of this paper is to examine how different variables can affect the amount of information reported by Spanish enterprises owned by the central state as well as by local…

437

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine how different variables can affect the amount of information reported by Spanish enterprises owned by the central state as well as by local and regional governments, all categorized as state-owned enterprises (SOEs).

Design/methodology/approach

Using, as a reference, the obligations of information disclosure contained in the Spanish Law 19/2013 on Transparency and Good Governance, the authors performed a web-content analysis of web pages of all Spanish SOEs and the authors examined a sample of Spanish enterprises owned by regional and local governments.

Findings

The results show that the amount of information reported by Spanish SOEs is quite reduced and limited. Among the variables examined, the most influential ones for explaining the amount of information reported are the nature of public ownership and the institutional size.

Originality/value

This study contributes to the literature by exploring the potential determinants of the online disclosure of mandatory information reported by enterprises whose ownership is shared by private and public organizations. Thus, this research could help public managers make decisions and improve public confidence.

Details

International Journal of Public Sector Management, vol. 32 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0951-3558

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Article
Publication date: 6 February 2017

Domingo Martínez-Martínez, Jesús Herrera Madueño, Manuel Larrán Jorge and María Paula Lechuga Sancho

The purpose of this paper is to analyse empirically the corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategic effects on the competitive performance of small- and medium-sized…

2006

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to analyse empirically the corporate social responsibility (CSR) strategic effects on the competitive performance of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by performing a multiple mediator analysis.

Design/methodology/approach

The empirical research was conducted in Spanish SMEs. A questionnaire was distributed among managers of these companies. Thus, with a final sample of 481 cases and using consistent partial least squares structural equation modelling, direct and mediating effects were tested. In particular, relationships among corporate social performance (CSP) (exogenous variable), competitive performance (endogenous variable), relational marketing (mediating variable) and innovative capacity (mediating variable) were hypothesized. Moreover, a further analysis about the superior returns offered by socially responsible practices related to core business stakeholders was conducted.

Findings

The results highlight a significant and positive effect that CSP has on competitive performance. Additionally, both mediating positive effects were supported and the firm size was checked as a relevant control variable which, as proxy for resources availability, affects all constructs used with the exception of relational marketing. Managers interested in a strategic approach to social responsibility should be aware that the investment in activities related to employees and customers leads to higher competitiveness.

Research limitations/implications

The study was limited to SME in Spain. Moreover, information related to competitive performance was gathered from managers’ own perceptions, considering the performance of their direct competitors as a reference level.

Originality/value

To the authors knowledge, no research studies were found that empirically examined the business case in SMEs and employed a CSR approach based on stakeholders’ perspective. Therefore, the main contribution of this research is to show how socially responsible management of SMEs leads to higher competitive performance both direct and indirectly, using two strategic variables suggested in literature on large corporations. Despite their resources limitations, this kind of organizations is in a favourable position to engage with different stakeholders and benefit from their relationships, especially with employees and customers.

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Article
Publication date: 11 August 2020

María Paula Lechuga Sancho, Manuel Larrán Jorge and Jesus Herrera Madueño

The purpose of this study is to provide an initial, valid and reliable measure of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in small companies from the theoretical perspective of the…

413

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to provide an initial, valid and reliable measure of corporate social responsibility (CSR) in small companies from the theoretical perspective of the stakeholders.

Design/methodology/approach

To design the multi-item scale or measure a factorial analysis was used. This helped the authors develop the CSR assessment tool, measurement instrument and formalize the model connecting observable phenomena to theoretical attributes.

Findings

The results of the analysis provided a four-dimensional structure of CSR, including, employees, customers, the environment and society. Specifically, the authors concluded with an original scale of 24 validated indicators that measures CSR in small and medium enterprises (SMEs). The observed results confirmed the validity of the measure proposed to evaluate the commitment of SMEs to CSR through the level of practices developed with their stakeholders.

Originality/value

The scale developed to assess the level of CSR practices in SMEs stands not only as a valid and reliable measure for future research studies but also as a perfect guide for SMEs managers that want to develop CSR practices in their firms.

Details

Social Responsibility Journal, vol. 17 no. 8
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-1117

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Article
Publication date: 27 June 2018

María Paula Lechuga Sancho, Domingo Martínez-Martínez, Manuel Larran Jorge and Jesús Herrera Madueño

Regardless of the noteworthy growth in research and practice associating corporate social responsibility (CSR) with human resource management, little has been written in regard to…

3334

Abstract

Purpose

Regardless of the noteworthy growth in research and practice associating corporate social responsibility (CSR) with human resource management, little has been written in regard to one major dimension of CSR in small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as CSR policies and practices are directed toward employees. The purpose of this paper is to develop and test a conceptual framework connecting socially responsible human resource management (SRHRM) to competitive performance that fits small business.

Design/methodology/approach

In order to get empirical evidence, structural equation modeling technique was applied on the data from 481 Spanish SMEs.

Findings

Results confirm both the direct contribution of SRHRM to business competitiveness and the multiple effects resulting from including two variables of additional interest for the relationship under study: employee’s commitment and relational marketing.

Practical implications

One of the main research limitations is that the paper only reflects the perceptions of owners/managers of SMEs. Although it was believed that the respondents give reliable and accurate information about the way their firms are involved in CSR practices, there is a possibility that they might provide incorrect or incomplete information.

Originality/value

The relationships proposed have never been studied before in context of SMEs. This is a worthwhile endeavor, which makes an empirical contribution.

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Article
Publication date: 29 August 2019

Javier Andrades, Domingo Martinez-Martinez, Manuel Larran and Jesus Herrera

The purpose of this paper is to examine the amount of online information reported by Spanish municipal-owned enterprises (MOEs) according to the legal requirements indicated in…

396

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the amount of online information reported by Spanish municipal-owned enterprises (MOEs) according to the legal requirements indicated in the Spanish Law 19/2013 on Transparency and Good Governance. In addition, the authors analyze how different variables can affect the extent of online information reported by such enterprises.

Design/methodology/approach

To do this, we conducted a content analysis of the web pages of Spanish MOEs located in cities with more than 100.000 habitants, as well as those cities that are provincial capitals. To find information about these enterprises, the authors accessed the General Intervention Board of the State Administration (IGAE) webpage (www.igae.pap.minhafp.gob.es/sitios/igae/es-ES/Paginas/inicio.aspx). This sample was composed of 273 enterprises majority owned and controlled by local governments.

Findings

The findings reveal that the amount of information reported by Spanish MOEs, in accordance with the legal requirements, is quite reduced. The most influential variables for explaining Spanish MOEs’ commitment to information disclosure are population size, political positioning of the local government and reputation.

Originality/value

This study seeks to contribute to the scarce literature on mandatory transparency in the public sector as well as to reinforce the degree of compliance with requirements of information disclosure.

Details

Online Information Review, vol. 43 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1468-4527

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Article
Publication date: 5 September 2016

Manuel Larrán Jorge, Jesús Herrera Madueño, Yolanda Calzado and Javier Andrades

Numerous sustainability assessment tools are being created and applied in the higher education sector. In light of such diversity, there is a need to provide a common guideline…

2546

Abstract

Purpose

Numerous sustainability assessment tools are being created and applied in the higher education sector. In light of such diversity, there is a need to provide a common guideline for sustainability assessment which makes easier the comparison among universities. Using as a reference the Spanish university system, the main aim of this paper is to develop a multi-item quantitative tool for measuring sustainability performance at universities.

Design/methodology/approach

To accomplish this task, the first step was to review the literature on sustainability assessment in universities. After reviewing the literature, the authors found more than 1,000 items. The next step was to select those items which were able to fit to the Spanish university context. On this basis, the authors selected a total of 268 items. These items were discussed in a workshop with senior management members from eight Spanish universities with the aim of analyzing the validity and relevance of the items selected.

Findings

Then, the proposal for measuring sustainability in Spanish universities was composed of a total of 156 relevant items. In addition, these items were grouped according to seven different dimensions (corporate governance, students, staff, society, environment, companies and continuous improvement). Also, it is important to note that these items were not associated with political risk and they were linked to provide more reliable information to assess sustainability in universities.

Originality/value

Recent literature have stated that the existing tools specifically developed for assessing higher education institutions performance toward sustainability have some weaknesses. Then, one of the main contributions of this study has been the creation of a new multi-item quantitative tool aimed at measuring the integrated consideration of social, economic and environmental dimensions of sustainability in universities.

Details

International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, vol. 17 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1467-6370

Keywords

Available. Open Access. Open Access
Article
Publication date: 6 October 2023

Xiaomei Jiang, Shuo Wang, Wenjian Liu and Yun Yang

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescriptions have always relied on the experience of TCM doctors, and machine learning(ML) provides a technical means for learning these…

659

Abstract

Purpose

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) prescriptions have always relied on the experience of TCM doctors, and machine learning(ML) provides a technical means for learning these experiences and intelligently assists in prescribing. However, in TCM prescription, there are the main (Jun) herb and the auxiliary (Chen, Zuo and Shi) herb collocations. In a prescription, the types of auxiliary herbs are often more than the main herb and the auxiliary herbs often appear in other prescriptions. This leads to different frequencies of different herbs in prescriptions, namely, imbalanced labels (herbs). As a result, the existing ML algorithms are biased, and it is difficult to predict the main herb with less frequency in the actual prediction and poor performance. In order to solve the impact of this problem, this paper proposes a framework for multi-label traditional Chinese medicine (ML-TCM) based on multi-label resampling.

Design/methodology/approach

In this work, a multi-label learning framework is proposed that adopts and compares the multi-label random resampling (MLROS), multi-label synthesized resampling (MLSMOTE) and multi-label synthesized resampling based on local label imbalance (MLSOL), three multi-label oversampling techniques to rebalance the TCM data.

Findings

The experimental results show that after resampling, the less frequent but important herbs can be predicted more accurately. The MLSOL method is shown to be the best with over 10% improvements on average because it balances the data by considering both features and labels when resampling.

Originality/value

The authors first systematically analyzed the label imbalance problem of different sampling methods in the field of TCM and provide a solution. And through the experimental results analysis, the authors proved the feasibility of this method, which can improve the performance by 10%−30% compared with the state-of-the-art methods.

Details

Journal of Electronic Business & Digital Economics, vol. 2 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2754-4214

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 26 June 2019

Alejandro Alvarado-Herrera, Leonel Jesús Rodríguez-Soberanis and Heyden Rubén Herrera-Medina

This paper aims to examine the influences of perceived corporate social responsibility (pCSR) over the brand reputation (BR) and the visitor commitment of protected areas (PAs) of…

351

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine the influences of perceived corporate social responsibility (pCSR) over the brand reputation (BR) and the visitor commitment of protected areas (PAs) of Quintana Roo visitors, to create useful resources for the design of public policies in accordance to the expectations of the stakeholders from a sustainable development (SD) approach.

Design/methodology/approach

A cross-sectional causal multistage research was conducted. First, a literature review was performed to develop the hypotheses and the theoretical model on the basis of the paradigm of “sustaincentrism.” Afterwards, the model was empirically contrasted with data gathered from a representative sample of 440 real visitors of three Mexican PAs. The data covariance structures were examined through confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

Findings

The results of the study undercover the direct and indirect effects that pCSR has over the BR and the commitment of PA’s visitors, evidencing their relevance as valuable resources for the design of public policies.

Originality/value

This research manifests the capacity to benefit from the studied variables as resources for the design and implementation of public policies that incorporate the development and execution of SD-attuned CSR programs able to create competitive advantages required by PA to their sustainable tourism exploitation.

Details

Social Responsibility Journal, vol. 16 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1747-1117

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 1 October 2018

Amine Allaoui, Cristina Barranquero, Sanaa Yahia, Luis Vicente Herrera-Marcos, Souhila Benomar, Mourad Jridi, María Ángeles Navarro, Maria Jesús Rodriguez-Yoldi, Moncef Nasri, Jesús Osada and Ahmed Boualga

This paper aims to investigate the in vivo hypocholesterolemic property of fenugreek proteins (FP), Purafect-fenugreek protein hydrolysate (PFPH) and Esperase-fenugreek protein…

148

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to investigate the in vivo hypocholesterolemic property of fenugreek proteins (FP), Purafect-fenugreek protein hydrolysate (PFPH) and Esperase-fenugreek protein hydrolysate (EFPH) on high cholesterol (HC)-fed rats.

Design/methodology/approach

Rats were randomized into five groups: four were fed for four weeks a hypercholesterolemic diet and the tested products were given by gavage. The fifth group was taken as control (C) receiving the same diet without cholesterol.

Findings

Results showed that the elevated aspartate aminotransferase activity in HC group plasma was significantly corrected by FP and EFPH administration (−33 per cent; p = 0.0003). HC liver lipids and total cholesterol (TC) contents were not markedly affected by FP and EFPH. However, liver triglycerides (TG) contents trended to decrease in FP rats vs HC (p = 0.07), while, the TG decrease was significant in groups fed the proteins hydrolysates (p = 0.02). On the other hand, serum TC and TG decreased by 53 per cent (p = 0.0003) and 20 per cent (p = 0.04), respectively, in FP treated rats compared to HC group. This decrease was associated with a high fecal cholesterol excretion (2.5-fold higher in FP vs HC; p = 0.0001). Likewise, EFPH-treated rats exhibited lower TC compared to HC rats (p = 0.004). The very low density lipoprotins was the main affected fraction in these two groups, while there were no significant difference in apolipoproteins (Apo) B, A-I and A-IV contents between the different groups, except in FP group, where Apo A-I and A-IV decreased by 26 and 17 per cent, respectively, compared to C rats (p = 0.02). The high density lipoproteins (HDL) of rats treated with proteins hydrolysates showed a better antioxidant property compared to those of HC rats, which was accompanied with an increase in paraoxonase activity when compared to HC group.

Originality/value

Unlike PFPH which had almost no effect, FPs and EFPH could constitute a nutraceutical ingredient in cardiovascular disease management.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 48 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

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Article
Publication date: 13 August 2019

Amanda Escobar, Arthur Rocha-Gomes, Clarisse Giovana Maciel dos Reis, Kiara Nubia Silva Herrera, Tiago de Jesus Guedes, Alexandre Alves da Silva, Mayara Rodrigues Lessa, Nísia Andrade Villela Dessimoni-Pinto and Tania Regina Riul

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the chemical composition of unripe banana flour from Southeast Brazil and verify its nutritional, physiological and biochemical properties…

269

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the chemical composition of unripe banana flour from Southeast Brazil and verify its nutritional, physiological and biochemical properties in adult Wistar rats.

Design/methodology/approach

Analysis of soluble solids, titratable acidity, pH, moisture, ash, lipids, proteins, carbohydrate, resistant and total starch and energy was obtained. In all, 18 male Wistar rats were given different concentrations of unripe banana flour (0, 10 and 20 per cent) and these assessments were performed: feed, caloric and water intake; weight gain; coefficient of food efficiency; weight of organs; body, tibia and femur length; total mineral of bones; and biochemistry of blood, hepatic fluids and feces.

Findings

Unripe banana flour showed a potential for weight control as well as increased fecal cholesterol excretion. These results showed the potential of unripe banana flour for obesity treatment and lipid excretion. Nevertheless, plasma triacylglycerol levels increased in the animals that received the largest amount of banana flour (20 per cent w/w), possibly because of the large amount of resistant starch in the flour, indicating the need for additional studies to confirm the mechanisms responsible for this increase.

Originality/value

Unripe banana flour may promote beneficial health effects (such as weight control and increased elimination of cholesterol in feces); however, the large amount of resistant starch present may be responsible for an increase in blood triacyglycerol.

Details

Nutrition & Food Science, vol. 50 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0034-6659

Keywords

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