Francisco J. López-Arceiz, Lourdes Torres and Ana J. Bellostas Ana J. Bellostas
The economic literature shows contradictory results when the relationship between corporate governance and financial position is assessed. The purpose of this paper is to analyze…
Abstract
Purpose
The economic literature shows contradictory results when the relationship between corporate governance and financial position is assessed. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the role of the online disclosure of information, as an omitted variable, in this relationship.
Design/methodology/approach
In order to test the role of the online disclosure of information, a set of the structural equation models is evaluated. In these models, the indirect effect of the online disclosure on the relationship between corporate governance and the financial position, defined by performance, funding and investment, is analyzed.
Findings
Using data from a sample of 252 Spanish public non-profits between 2012 and 2016, the authors found that the development of corporate governance practices is not, by itself, able to improve the financial position of these organizations. These improvements can only be achieved if the online disclosure is promoted.
Research limitations/implications
Organizations should not only follow corporate governance practices but also communicate to the stakeholders the degree of development of these practices in an exercise of accountability. Finally, Web 3.0 practices must be promoted because they can be a mechanism to reinforce corporate governance practices and achieve a solid financial position.
Originality/value
This study contributes to the debate about the role of the online disclosure, introducing this transparent practice as a variable omitted by previous research. Moreover, the authors have considered the evolution for a period of four years in relation to the information published by each organization on the internet.
Details
Keywords
Vicente Pina and Lourdes Torres
Online transparency has become a tool to increase legitimacy and trust in governments. The purpose of this paper is to study the online transparency of Spanish Central Government…
Abstract
Purpose
Online transparency has become a tool to increase legitimacy and trust in governments. The purpose of this paper is to study the online transparency of Spanish Central Government agencies and analyze whether their corporate governance (CG) structures influence their online transparency.
Design/methodology/approach
The information used for building an online transparency index and about the board of directors has been collected from the websites of the 168 agencies and from their statutes and activity reports. Ordinary least squares analysis is used. Based on a previous literature review and the requirements of the EU Directive and Spanish legislation, 108 items included in the websites have been analyzed.
Findings
The average information displayed through the website agencies is significantly less than the information considered as relevant in previous literature and in the Spanish legislation. The highest values are presented by the technical dimensions and the lowest by the organizational/political dimension. The presence of independent directors and women on the boards of directors are revealed as the most important explanatory factors of online transparency.
Practical implications
Practical implications to improve online transparency are related to the organizational/political dimension – including the positions and CVs of members of governing bodies, minutes, etc. and to the presence of independent directors and, to a lesser extent, of women, on the board of directors.
Originality/value
The contribution of this paper is the identification of some online transparency determinants in public entities under the same general legal framework. This is the first paper that analyzes the relationship between online transparency and CG in public agencies.
Details
Keywords
Vicente Pina, Lourdes Torres and Sonia Royo
The purpose of this paper is to describe an empirical study of the advances and trends of e‐government in transparency, openness and hence accountability in European Union (EU…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to describe an empirical study of the advances and trends of e‐government in transparency, openness and hence accountability in European Union (EU) local governments to determine the extent to which the internet promotes the convergence towards more transparent and accountable government. The paper also tests the extent to which different factors related to the implementation of information and communication technologies (ICTs), the number of inhabitants and the type of public administration style have influenced e‐government developments in the cities studied.
Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive content analysis of 75 local government web sites was conducted using a 73‐item evaluation questionnaire. The evaluations were performed in 2004 and 2007 and 15 EU countries were covered (five per country). To analyse the evolution of e‐government, several techniques were used: tests of difference of means, multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis. The contribution of the different contextual factors to the development of government web sites was tested with OLS regression analysis.
Findings
The results show noticeable progress in the application of ICTs and increasing EU local government concern for bringing government closer to citizens and for giving an image of modernity and responsiveness, although few web sites show clear signs of real openness to encouraging citizen dialogue. The evolution of the e‐government initiatives analysed shows that, at present, they are still overlapped with the public administration style of each country as an extension of traditional front offices with potential benefits in speed and accessibility.
Originality/value
Although a growing number of e‐government studies are appearing, previous research has not analysed the evolution of EU local governments from a comparative perspective.
Details
Keywords
Lourdes Torres and Ignacio Cabeza
The Court of Auditors – Tribunal de Cuentas – is the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of Spain which, together with the Regional Audit Institutions (RAIs) of the Autonomous…
Abstract
The Court of Auditors – Tribunal de Cuentas – is the Supreme Audit Institution (SAI) of Spain which, together with the Regional Audit Institutions (RAIs) of the Autonomous Communities – Órganos de Control Externo – carry out the institutional external audits in Spain. At internal level, the Intervención General de la Administración del Estado (IGAE) and the internal comptroller bodies of the Autonomous Communities and the Local Entities, carry out the internal audit on the three levels of the Spanish public sector, contracting in some cases private audit firms. So, the structure of the public audit in Spain is fragmented. With respect to the scope, although in theory the three types of audit are carried out on the public entities in Spain (legality compliance audits, accounting and finance audits and performance audits), in practice the last one is not enough implemented. There are room for improvements. Public audits in Spain include more and more actions for electronic administration environments.
Details
Keywords
Lourdes Torres, Vicente Pina and Sonia Royo
The objective of this paper is to study the development of e‐government initiatives at the regional and local level in the EU through the opinion of those agents directly involved…
Abstract
Purpose
The objective of this paper is to study the development of e‐government initiatives at the regional and local level in the EU through the opinion of those agents directly involved in the projects.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors wrote a questionnaire that was sent to the regions and the largest cities of EU countries, in order to find out their degree of involvement in e‐government initiatives. Responses were received from 47 regional and local governments.
Findings
At present, most regional and local governments have a web site, although in most cases it is little more than a governmental billboard. E‐government is not likely to remodel governance in the short term, since democracy initiatives are not on the present agenda of most EU countries. The survey findings show that e‐government initiatives are still predominantly non‐interactive and non‐deliberative. They tend to reflect present service delivery patterns, not transform them.
Research limitations/implications
The construction and management of web sites is becoming an essential element of modern public administration, but little is known about how these initiatives are being implemented. Given the substantial investment in time and other resources for governmental online initiatives, it is essential to begin to evaluate governmental web site initiatives in terms of quality and effectiveness.
Originality/value
This work is of value as, to date, there are very few studies that benchmark local government web sites across the EU.
Details
Keywords
Lourdes Torres, Vicente Pina and Caridad Martí
The purpose of this paper is to analyse how local governments implement non‐mandatory performance measures (PM), the types of PM employed, the degree of their usefulness in…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse how local governments implement non‐mandatory performance measures (PM), the types of PM employed, the degree of their usefulness in decision making and/or accountability, and their outcomes.
Design/methodology/approach
The information was collected through a questionnaire sent to the expert managers in charge of developing PM for Spanish local governments with more than 50,000 inhabitants. In addition, data sources were triangulated through an analysis of the performance indicators published in the notes to the local governments' financial statements and in their web sites.
Findings
The implementation of PM in Spain follows a top‐down approach in which each local government can choose whether to implement PM, how to implement them, and what information to disclose. Implementation features a high degree of involvement on the part of managers and little involvement on the part of medium‐ and street‐level staff. PM are used primarily for budgetary and strategic management planning and long‐term decision making.
Practical implications
The paper will be useful to academics and practitioners to enable better understanding of the problems associated with introducing and using non‐financial, non‐mandatory PM. The Spanish case is similar to that of most continental European countries, in the leeway their local governments have in implementing their own PM systems.
Originality/value
The paper sheds light on the application of an interesting aspect of public sector management accounting and contributes to the literature by analyzing the application of a non‐mandatory PM system in a non‐Anglo‐American context.
Details
Keywords
Vicente Pina, Lourdes Torres and Patricia Bachiller
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the economic and technological factors that determine the quality of European telecommunications services. The paper test whether the…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to analyse the economic and technological factors that determine the quality of European telecommunications services. The paper test whether the privatisation, the efficiency and the labour factor of telecommunications operators are determinants of service quality and whether competition, technology and infrastructure investment in the telecommunications sector influence that quality.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper use the panel data methodology to analyse the factors that determine the quality of service of telecommunications.
Findings
The results indicate that the more efficient the company is, the more quality it will deliver. However, the paper finds no evidence that the privatisation and the restructuring of the labour force of the main telecommunications operators, or the competition, technology and investments in the sector, lead to greater quality.
Practical implications
In order to foster higher quality, effective market competitiveness has to be established to avoid benefitting the incumbent company and to make the development of competition possible in the long run.
Originality/value
Although previous literature assumes a positive relationship between the performance of privatised companies and quality, this study shows that the privatisation and liberalisation processes do not bring about quality improvements by themselves. The research finds that the efficiency of privatised companies is the primary source of quality.
Details
Keywords
How do participants navigate the sexual politics of multiracial dating and how does this relate to belonging? The results of this study illustrate that the 21 participants…
Abstract
How do participants navigate the sexual politics of multiracial dating and how does this relate to belonging? The results of this study illustrate that the 21 participants interviewed faced internal and external struggles and triumphs due to their mixed-race identity. For participants, trying to situate themselves into just one racial identity when they straddled both became a point of contention with romantic partners and themselves. Moreover, participants struggled with feeling like they were “enough” and if they belonged. Furthermore, mixed-race women and non-binary people were forced to navigate the racial expectations of others as well as the fetishization of their mixed-race identity. In turn, this impacted confidence levels, self-esteem, and sense of belonging and authenticity. The findings contribute to research on desirability and critical mixed-race studies by examining how mixed-race women and non-binary people perceive their own desirability.