Search

It is expected that this research will contribute to the economic literature on the importance of evaluating the impact of public policies in order to improve the allocation of financial resources as well as contribute to the productivity and efficiency of companies. For this, the REINDUS program has been taken as a reference, one of the most representative instruments of industrial policy in Spain, which grants, among others, soft loans to companies with the purpose of promoting industrial development through business improvement and efficiency of the productive sectors. The period analyzed includes calls between 2009 and 2014, based on 689 SMEs with required information. Therefore, the objective of this research is focused on advancing in the specification about the usefulness of soft loans, as an instrument of industrial policy, from the perspective of productivity and efficiency, in this way, it will be possible to contribute to the development of indicators and policies for monitoring and adapting the aid programs to companies, in order to optimize the allocation of these resources and generate the desired effects in the various public policies to support the development of the business fabric in Spain. To study the improvement of productivity through the total change of the Total Factor Productivity (TFP), the Malmquist Index, initially introduced in the context of the consumer theory by Malmquist (1953), and the decompositions of Färe, Grosskopf et al. (1989, 1994) that assumed constant returns to scale using data envelopment analysis techniques, DEA (Orea and Zofío, 2017). Following this decomposition, we can calculate: (i) the productivity behavior (malmquist), (ii) the change in efficiency (effch), (iii) the technological change (tech). Färe, Grosskopf et al. (1994), provided the decomposition of efficiency into scale efficiency (out / in-.scalech) and into pure efficiency change (pure.out / in.effch), finally, following Färe, Grifell-Tatjé et al. (1997), we can obtain the marginal rate of substitution (input-biased technical change -ibtech-) and the marginal rate of product transformation (output-biased technical change -obtech-) in presence of technological change and the magnitude of technical change -matech-. To perform the necessary matching for the proposed analysis and because we are facing a quasi-experimental design, a combination of techniques is proposed, such as the analysis of Differences in Differences and the Matching by Nearby Neighbors using Mahalanobis Distance, to try to reduce the risk of bias in the estimation, since simple matching cannot account for unobservable characteristics (Pérez and Moral, 2015). To match the control and treatment groups, a model is used in which the criteria of financial capacity prevail, widely recognized by the literature on credit risk as determining factors when establishing the financing capacity of companies. The analysis of the Total Factor Productivity (TFP) and its components in the study period, shows that the treated companies reduced their productivity on average, for example, the treated companies in the 2009 call shown a reduction in the TFP (malmquist) between 2012 and 2008 of 9%, while in the control companies the reduction was 7%. In the best case, call 2014, practically the same level of productivity was maintained among those treated (loss of 1% between 2013 and 2017). It was expected, therefore, that the investments made would have a positive effect on productivity, however, the results show the opposite, in fact, if technological change (tech) is observed, which implies a shift of the production frontier, presented a significant setback, it is striking, since it was the one that most contributed to the negative variation of the TFP in the analyzed period. The improvements came from positive changes in efficiency (effch), probably motivated by the reduction in wage costs after the crisis of 2007 and in line with the evolution of the labor market and the destruction of jobs in these years. Following the Färe decomposition, Grifell - Tatjé et al. (1997) we calculated the alternative directions of the bias of the inputs in the technological change. The STAF / FIAS input pair presented a bias towards the use fixed assets compared to savings in personnel expenses in the treated companies when technological change occurs, the same occurs with the treated companies in the FIAS / MATE relation, To the extent that this input is used, it generates savings in the production needed materials. In general, the impact of the program did not show a positive effect within the treated companies compared to the control companies, in fact, there were setbacks in productivity (malmquist), mainly due to the technological setback (tech-frontier shift), which was largely offset by change in efficiency (effch-catch up). This technological decrease supposes a deviation from the policy objectives on the results obtained, therefore, emphasis will have to be placed on carrying out an exhaustive analysis of possible agency conflicts within the companies, on adjustment costs not contemplated in the policy, the amount of the loans and the execution of the projects proposed in such a way that the disbursements are subject to milestones that guarantee their execution. It is proposed to design a monitoring strategy based on information technologies to facilitate and promote feedback on the objectives that allows managers to have up-to-date, quality, and robust information, recognizing that such responsibility also falls on the beneficiaries of the policy, since it is a public instrument on which companies must be accountable to society, making it a fundamental requirement to provide periodic information by the beneficiary to monitor the progress of the investments contemplated in the investment projects contributed in the time of application. Likewise, greater involvement is required from the managing entity in the realization of the business plans, mainly in the actions immediately after the disbursement, as carried out by private investment funds. This work contributes to the economic literature a detailed analysis about the impact of the soft loans of the REINDUS program on the productivity and efficiency of the companies in the period 2009 to 2014, identifying the sources of the observed change on which the policy objectives can be adjusted to maximize its effectiveness, there is no previous work in this regard. The main limitation of this work was presented in the information available for the realization of the paper. The aid Managing Administration (Dirección General de Industria y de la Pyme in 2017) refers to the Boletín Oficial del Estado where the results of the respective calls are published as the only source of information available to third parties, with the limitation that this implies. It was not until the results of the 2016 call that the rejected companies began to be published and in 2018 the scores obtained by the companies benefited exclusively, which indicates that there is a path to consolidate the institutionalization of the impact evaluation of public policies within of the Public Administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, collaborative economy is an emerging concept which is open to debate, including different meanings depending on the model to provide services, the kind of participant or the use of shared information and communication platforms. However, a distinguishing feature of the collaborative economy is the use of new technologies by the various agents concerned in order to get a common goal such as in the financial sector or in the education sector. This new approach can be transferred to already consolidated organizations, which are noted for pursuing a social interest against the interest of the capital. These organizations seek social benefit and not the economic benefit, seeking a positive social impact that can change society. It is precisely the digital component and the use of the technologies of information the aspect that distinguishes these emerging activities that are developing in recent years. Besides, they are changing purchasing behaviour and ways of doing business. These changes are having significant impacts in economic and employment terms, conflicts with traditional companies that are disadvantaged, or breaches of tax duties. But, at the same time, it also encourages many actions of collective interest, to the extent that digital platforms can be an effective tool to track achievement of the multitude of actions in favour of the community. The aim of this paper is to analyse how platform cooperativism could be a suitable way to carry out the improvement of social welfare in vulnerable districts. In order to enhance the renovation and improvement of neighbourhoods it is necessary an active participation by citizens and public administrations. In fact, a key element to obtain an increase of the quality of life is the implication of residents, who often propose the changes and renovation in their districts, with significant deficiencies of habitability and power consumption, accessibility problems and lack of services. There is a need to recover the consolidated city through urban rehabilitation and urban renovation. The urban renewal has a strong impact on Europe's economy and also on its citizens' quality of life because promote their social welfare. The Spanish urban planning tradition has been based mainly on the production of new city, disregarding the regeneration of consolidated city. Nowadays, Spanish government is concerned about an environment with derelict areas and substandard housing, and a largely obsolete housing stock. Therefore, current urban regulation encourages the urban renewal, the restructuring of building industry and the compliance with European legal requirements regarding sustainable development. In Spain, there are around 6 millions of houses that were built over 50 years ago. Therefore, it is especially necessary and suitable the option of promoting urban renewal and regeneration at different levels. Urban renewal projects are fairly complex to make because many actors are involved in these processes and as well as the activities that should be carried out. Therefore, the use of the new technologies can attract many people to actively participate in the urban regeneration projects design. These projects will improve the quality of life and welfare of citizens who live in deprived neighbourhoods. In this context, we carry out a theoretical revision of platform cooperativism, as well as the urban development regulation focused on urban rehabilitation, studying the economic players involved in the urban regeneration projects such us: owners individually or associated in community of house owners, building corporations, co-operatives, and public administration, in order to analyse the role played by each of them in the platform cooperativism. The community of house owners play a leading role in the processes of urban rehabilitation, they are principal actors because these processes have a direct effect on their lifes; not only from an economic point of view (costs that must be paid by individual citizens) and from a social point of view (improvements in the building made directly affects their quality of life). In this respect, a digital platform could be very useful in order to serve as link between all owners or all those affected by the processes and should provide information about the identified problems that need to be solved by urban rehabilitation. One of the key elements in urban renewal is the implication of the residents, who take part in the changes and improvements of their district. The cooperative initiatives produce cohesive urban neighbourhoods and they are associated with participatory planning approaches and collective action. The cooperative society contributes to social cohesion; therefore this could be the economic organization more suitable in order to develop the urban renewal. The urban rehabilitation cooperative and the use of digital technologies helps to improve the level of quality of life and social well-being for citizens under the principles of democratic participation of all residents, providing more transparency into the process and the published information, allowing members of the cooperative the supervision of the information deposited in the network. In this business model the cooperative takes control of urban rehabilitation in a digital environment, resulting in a benefit to all members involved not only for the cooperative, establishing a commitment to access to different scenarios where conflicts of interest are likely to arise. This platform focuses on creating discussion for successful decision making. The construction companies and the public administration are also an essential part of the cooperative platform. They are the services suppliers, providing valuable information that must be communicated on the platform, allowing it to make effective decisions for residents for the duration of urban regeneration-development works. The platform cooperativism in the processes of urban rehabilitation would benefit all members and not just few as in the "commercial" digital economy. Thus, the main conclusion of the paper is that the cooperative platform should facilitate public participation of the different actors involved in the urban regeneration such as: cooperatives, residents or public administration. This platform should speed up the decision-making process in a democratic and transparent environment, pursuing a common goal to improve the welfare of the citizens through the urban rehabilitation. Thus, cooperative platforms involve a technological, cultural, social and political changing that we have to explore, taking into account the physical condition of many buildings in Spain. Platform cooperativism could be the link between cooperative values and digital revolution, aimed at improving the social welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Blockchain is considered today a disruptive technology that has the capacity to transform the agri-food industry, since it promises to solve many problems related to the lack of trust in the product that consumers acquire. However, the parties involved in the agrifood supply chain are numerous and physically dispersed, which makes data and information management difficult. As a result, the production process is not transparent and trust is difficult to build. In the horticultural sector, technological innovation in traceability is crucial from a economical point of view. An increasing demand in society for greater information about food reflects the need for more transparency. At the same time, more and more fresh products are accompanied by a variety of certification schemes, with an increasing risk of fraud and adulteration. Within this context, cooperatives of fresh fruits and vegetables can gain additional benefits from the implementation of blockchain technology. This paper seeks to make an initial contribution to the emerging public debate on this issue by providing an overview of blockchain and its application in agriculture, examining implications for food transparency and identifying some potential challenges for agri-food cooperatives. Based on the above reasons, the main purpose of this article is to conceptualize, design and test a traceability system of the agri-food supply chain based on blockchain technology that helps agri-food cooperatives to improve transparency regarding the origin and the processes incorporated into the product. Methodology A new model that involves blockchain and a smart contract to coordinate the tracking of food in the agriculture supply chain is presented in this paper. The food supply chain involves many different actors such as farmers, manufacturers, logistics, wholesalers, resellers, retailers and supermarkets. This system is currently inefficient and unreliable. In the current situation, much of the data and information on compliance are recorded on paper or stored in a centralized database. Through the development of a Proof of Concept (PoC) in the field of agri-food supply chain traceability, the possible implications of the blockchain are explored. The PoC based on a case related to the berries of southern Spain is developed through the construction of a demonstrator that monitors the different nodes involved in the supply chain. The demonstrator is based on a previous analysis of the berries supply chain and the interactions between farmers, the cooperative, its certifiers, logistics providers, retailers and supermarkets, in order to allow a digital representation of a batch of berries to be associated with a unique and immutable digital certificate. To prove the origin and the traceability of the berries production and to be able to customize the roles of each actor in the supply chain with blockchain, the PoC concept was developed in a Spanish farmers cooperative with a permissioned ledger (hyperledger) and a smart contract. Results At the moment, few would question the relevance of blockchain to agri-food. The main question of adopting blockchain technology in the traceability of goods in the agri-food supply chain, is related to the added value compared to existing ICT (Information and Communication Technologies) solutions. This PoC has shown that it is feasible to incorporate basic information from the field and manufacturing processes, packaging and shipping into a chain of blocks with an authorized general ledger and a smart contract. Compared to traditional situations with centralized databases, the PoC demonstrator shows how blockchain can be used to ensure that different agents share the same level of information about the validity and provenance of inviolable certificates. This new supply chain architecture via blockchain can provide the relevant data to the participants, it can maintain confidentiality and can spread data effectively among the participants that use the blockchain technology. Therefore, the PoC pilot demonstrated that the blockchain technology could be used successfully in that context. Furthermore, given the experimentation carried out, it was shown that a medium-sized server (eg VPS in cloud) could function properly as a node for the purposes of this type of use case. There was also no need for special hardware, and the software infrastructure (eg Hyperledger Fabric) is open source and for free. During the development of the PoC, it was learned that it is important to maintain periodic dialogues between stakeholders in order to achieve a better understanding of the interests of each one and to identify common bases for the application of blockchain. The experience in this project shows that the meetings, in which different stakeholders presented and debated different use cases, are a good mechanism for expanding the agri-food blockchain ecosystem. Conclusions The advantage of this model over the centralized models is that all the products are tracked with blockchain and with this traceability it is possible to give confidence to the final consumers about the origin of the products because all the data and transactions carried out in the chain are recorded in the blockchain and managed through a smart contract. The PoC shows that this system is efficient, safe, transparent and avoids intermediaries, which results in lower costs while generating greater confidence in retailers, supermarkets and consumers, which is particularly beneficial for small farmers and cooperatives The research findings contribute to a better understanding of the blockchain technology for the various stakeholders in the fresh food chain, especially for cooperatives, being an opportunity for the improvement of reputation and competitiveness in a highly globalized economy. Several limitations were found for the PoC demonstrator. First, the amount of data and information that is shared is very limited. As with most PoC pilots, the project has not yet been able to demonstrate how the system would work when handling a large number of transactions. In addition, our demonstrator focused on a single smart contract. In practice, however, multiple smart contracts would need to be implemented for the different contractual relationships and to keep the transaction data visible only to the relevant subset of participants. Mistakes in the smart contract design have also shown that testing, validation and rigorous semantics are essential to avoiding significant damage to business relationships. Finally, to take full advantage of the power of blockchain, the adoption of this technology by several cooperatives is recommended. Most cooperatives are too small or have a lack of knowledge to invest in blockchain by themselves. In summary, blockchain is a promising technology for the competitiveness of cooperatives. The near future will show if blockchain technology will become a reliable and transparent way to provide a differential value for agri-food cooperatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyses, from the perspective of public economics, the Demographic Supplement for Motherhood (CDM) introduced in the Spanish Social Security System in 2016. This measure is a supplement added to the contributory pension received on retirement, widowhood or disability for women who began to receive a pension and who have had two or more children. It was introduced with two objectives in mind: to reduce the gender gap in pensions and to socially recognise the contribution of motherhood to the pension system. In this paper, a socioeconomic analysis of this measure is carried out. The objectives and issues of this measure are reviewed and its distributional effects are analysed. The main source of information are data provided by the Ministry of Employment and Social Security, in particular the Continuous Sample of Working History (MCVL). This is a new approach, with the focus being on public economics rather than on legal aspects and use of the MCVL data which, for the first time, includes measurements related to the CDM. The main objectives of this study are: 1) to estimate the impact that the CDM has had on the pension system during the first year of application; 2) to analyse the differences in treatment it generates; and, 3) to assess its distributional effects on the gender gap in pensions and on inequality among women. The study finishes with an analysis of other equality policies and puts forward the main conclusions reached and proposals for alternative measures. The results show that the CDM has affected 58.4% of new female pensioners. The women who have benefitted most from this measure are those who receive a widow's pension (50.9%), followed by retirement pension (39.8%) and disability pension (9.2%). Their sociodemographic characteristics show that 53.4% of the supplement is paid to mothers with 2 children, while women not receiving CDM tend to have higher educational levels than those who are in receipt of the supplement. It also shows that self-employed workers tend to have more than one child and, therefore, receive the CDM in a greater proportion (62.5%) than employed workers (57.5%). The estimated cost of this measure amounted to 64 million euros in 2016 (approximately 0.05% of the expenditure on contributory pensions), a figure that will increase considerably as the supplement is extended to future female pensioners. Among the main criticisms highlighted by this study is the difference in treatment this measure generates. It purports to be a measure which acknowledges the value of motherhood yet it discriminates against many mothers by excluding women who were pensioners before 2016 and who are the most affected, historically, by more unfavourable family and work structures. In addition, other categories excluded are mothers with only one child, women who took voluntary retirement, women who receive non-contributory pensions and women who do not receive any pension. Finally, the measure works against the principle of equality between men and women, promulgated by the European Union, because it discriminates against fathers. Another criticism is that the amount of the CDM increases as the pension rises and continues to be paid even when the maximum pension is reached. This means that those women with higher pensions benefit more from the supplement, which is contrary to measures applied in other countries. One suggestion to improve the equality of this measure is that the supplement should have an upper limit. Furthermore, its effect on reducing inequality has been insignificant. As a measure of equality between men and women, the CDM has reduced the gender gap between new pensioners (2.2%) but its effect on the whole system is very poor (0.22%). The pension gap between men and women in Spain is still very wide at a rate of 29.3% and much more work needs to be done to reduce this gap. Finally, a pension system that gives women greater rights for raising children can reinforce traditional roles, discouraging mothers from entering the formal labour market and fathers from taking a break from their professional careers. This is why these measures are being questioned by the Court of Justice of the European Union in terms of equal treatment between mothers and fathers. The CDM does not address the causes of the problem of gender discrimination. It does not address discrimination in employment nor does it offer the support required in the workplace for reconciling maternity and paternity leave. It is ineffective as a stimulus to change labour behaviour of women because its effect is in the long term and it is an outdated measure that can be counterproductive. In light of these problems, the priority for the government would be to establish authentic equality policies which create opportunities for both men and women to develop their full potential. 1) labour market policies that eliminate gender differences (access to employment, wages and job promotion at work), improving the flexibility and the rationale of the working day, and 2) reconciliation policies related to family and work life, aimed at all workers, that recognise fathers and mothers as having co-responsibility for childcare. The following measures are proposed to reduce the gender gap in pensions: a) Replace the current CDM with an additional contribution period per child or a fixed amount supplement, in recognition of the period of time dedicated to bringing up children. If contribution years were added for accessing the pension, the number of women with contributory pensions would increase. To avoid the same negative aspects already highlighted, it should be implemented in a way that covers all kind of pensions and gives greater support to mothers of children with disabilities. b) Improve non-contributory (universal) pensions, which are those of lesser value. This measure would increase the number of women with pensions in their own right, thereby reducing the coverage gap and the pension gap of the total population (including non-pensioners). This extension is vital to stop the pension system being a welfare system (low coverage) and being outdated and out of touch (excessively linked to family relationships). Our further studies will be centred on these proposals with data provided by the MCVL in future years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents forecasts for the Spanish economy from 2013 to 2019, handling different scenarios for economic recovery and future development. These scenarios depend to a great extent on current and future policies. The estimates are calculated from ad-hoc simulations using a general demand equilibrium model based on the life-cycle hypothesis of Ando and Modigliani and on Hall's model of Friedman's permanent income hypothesis with rational expectations. This paper offers an outlook based on a dynamic macroeconomic scenario. It also considers some recommendations at national and supranational level for the Spanish economy to perform well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents some data-based evidence of the importance of health and social care cooperativism in Andalusia. It then compares this situation with occurrences in a different sector in Andalusia that were hailed as an opportunity for worker cooperative growth but in the end came to nothing of the sort. Despite the differences in the sectors involved, this retrospective sector-centred perspective may be helpful for understanding the system that shapes key strategic elements which explain how certain cooperative players can make a space for themselves in a tumultuous emerging sector such as health and social care. Lastly, the paper analyzes the strategies of cooperatives working in today's health and social care sector that have not just maintained but actually increased their presence in this area and, in the light of the data examined, ends with a number of remarks and reflections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Socially and environmentally responsible firms make great efforts to obtain the labels that certify their social and environmental standards. To differentiate them from their competitors, the so-called 'socially responsible' labels are considered the best way to inform consumers of their social and environmental performance. However, previous studies have concluded that most consumers do not recognize, do not understand or do not trust labels. Whereas previous studies have examined the influence of attitudes on the purchase of labelled products, this study analyses the influence of understanding and of variables associated with motivation to purchase such products. On interviewing 289 consumers in Madrid, it was found that knowledge of the label is a key precursor to CSR purchasing. The paper concludes by suggesting that organizations and marketing professionals with an interest in the CSR-labelled market should invest in building up familiarity with the label. Avenues for academic research are also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The problems of the members within the cooperative society and their relation to Stakeholder Theory are the focus of this paper. Considering not only the members' democratic participation but also their potential role in different economic functions, we address the need for proper management of member-cooperative relations. To help create or maintain these relations, we suggest using social disclosure, particularly sustainability reports prepared according to the specific GRI guidelines for the Social Economy. They are easy to apply and the benefits associated with their use would appear to more than offset the costs of implementation, justifying this proposal. In conclusion, we can state that sustainability reporting is a powerful tool for cooperatives to improve their relations with their members, although we have found few social disclosure initiatives in this type of company. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current situation, the social economy has a very important role to play because of its capacity to create employment and to energise sectors or collectives with particular economic development problems. For this reason, the ability to measure the real scope - both direct and indirect - of its impact on economic activity and employment is a matter of great interest. This paper proposes the use of multi-sector models, based on social accounting matrices, to measure the total impact of the social economy. Combining these models with the available statistical data on social economy enterprises in Spain will also make it possible to obtain information to quantify this impact in particular sectors of interest. Additionally, in this way the capacity of the social economy to contribute to economic recovery can also be assessed. The results show that social economy enterprises have a greater capacity for job creation than other companies in Spain, particularly in service sectors. This is augmented by the considerable ability of these sectors (essentially services) to multiply impacts and by their high employment ratio, which is still greater in the case of the social economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of the internationalization of social economy companies generates balanced profit and loss accounts (triple bottom line) and spreads still further a way of doing business which focuses on a socially sustainable production economy, at a great distance from the speculative economy. Previous evidence of the differential and strategic fact of social economy companies and their need to internationalize in order to guarantee their sustainability triggered this investigation. Its aim was to generate knowledge about the international orientation of cooperative companies and worker-owned companies in Andalusia and to link this to their economic results and the outcome of their innovations. Confirming the Uppsala Model through the international orientation status of social economy companies in Andalusia, this paper shows how a series of specific factors, in addition to the relationship with increasing commercial innovation, have an impact on this orientation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For cooperative oil mills, exporting has become essential for growth and competitiveness, owing to oversupply on the home market. In this research paper we examine some of the factors that have traditionally been related to the possibility of companies selling part of their output on international markets. The results show that the manager's training, company size and the use of information and communication technology (CIT) have a favourable influence on the export activity of Andalusian olive oil cooperatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to study corporate volunteering through both theoretical and practical analysis of the situation in Spain. It outlines the conceptual framework and classification employed, the positive effects and synergies that flow from corporate volunteering and models and strategies for its development, then presents the main data on the extent and the reality of corporate volunteering in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper attempts to identify the roles played by major Spanish NGOs (44 of the 100 largest in terms of their budget) in the process of collaboration between them. The results seem to show three groups of organizations with homogeneous behaviour. The first, those with very large budgets, engage in very active collaboration with other less related sectors. The second group is also made up of large-scale organizations, which focus on development activities and collaborate with other organizations in their sector. Finally, the third group is more heterogeneous, and the organizations cooperate less, for different reasons: either they are very wary of engaging with other organizations, or they prefer to engage in smaller-scale collaborations with other organizations with which they share a mission (values, ideology, beliefs, etc..), or they are isolated from the rest because they are involved in some legal process or judicial intervention. The method applied is Blockmodel Analysis, in the context of Network Theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the demographic changes which are taking and will take place in Spain, as well as the uncertainty about the ability of the public social security system to meet the obligations it has acquired, mutual provident societies are offering complementary services within a mixed social security system. Due to the limited attention that the literature has paid to these societies, the aim of this paper is to acquire a deeper knowledge of these companies by drawing multiple comparisons between these organisations and another type of mutual called industrial accident and occupational illness mutual insurance companies, using the Scheffé test. Special attention will be paid to the regions of Catalonia and the Basque Country, which are the most active Spanish regions in developing mutualism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sexenio de investigación or six-yearly research assessment was initially designed as a bonus to promote research among the Spanish university community. However, it has now lost its character as a productivity bonus and has become a requirement for pursuing a university career. In this new situation it is essential to have a transparent assessment process with objective criteria, known in advance, that reflect the particularities of different scientific fields. This paper examines the differences in research evaluation results in the areas of economics and business studies. It also compares them with other areas of social sciences and law, and so with other fields of knowledge. Based on the findings of this study, it concludes by analysing various reasons that suggest the advisability of undertaking a thorough review of the assessment methods, as well as some recommendations in this regard [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the current situation of the Spanish labour market, the option of self-employment seems to be an alternative to consider for both going back to work and entering the labour market for the first time. The option of creating a new firm faces obstacles and difficulties. Becoming an entrepreneur "in a network", through a labourmanaged firm (cooperative or employee owned company) or individual entrepreneurship, is a way to contribute to the revitalization of the economy, transform unfavourable economic circumstances into an opportunity, as demonstrated in previous recessions, and, above all, a way to reduce risk. Research shows that a lack of knowledge about this type of company is widespread, among university students as well. Consequently their image is not positive and conventional forms of company are preferred when setting up a new enterprise. It is necessary (but not sufficient) to generate a cultural environment in which being an entrepreneur is socially valued whatever legal form it takes. We must develop a culture of entrepreneurship at earlier levels of education, include specific subjects in the curriculum which are currently scarce or even non-existent, and set up support mechanisms. This paper seeks to establish the right research framework to generate a range of educational and training opportunities, based on cooperation between the different levels of education, to provide the impetus for the creation of cooperatives and employee-owned companies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The question of considering a cooperative's transactions with its members in pursuance of its objects (its 'cooperativised activity') to be related party transactions and applying the fair value criterion to them has given rise to some debate in Spain. To move the debate forward, this article first studies the related party rules in the IFRS, the US GAAP and the Spanish PGC-2007 accounting standards then examines the economic background to cooperativised transactions, concluding that the fair value criterion is not appropriate in these cases. It continues with an empirical study of information on related party transactions divulged by cooperatives and the valuation criterion employed in transactions with their members by cooperatives that report in accordance with IFRS, and concludes by comparing the results of the empirical study with the previous analytical study. The main contributions of this paper are that to the best of our knowledge this is the first study of this kind on related parties; the comparison between its conclusions and the recent Normas sobre los Aspectos Contables de las Sociedades Cooperativas or Rules on Accounting Aspects of Cooperative Societies (Order EHA/3360/2010); and the suggestions to the accounting regulators for improving financial information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crises require the invention of institutions that make it possible to combine capital accumulation and social progress. Given the values and principles they express, greater development of cooperatives and the social economy and of their integration with the socio-economic system could improve the creativity and long-term prospects of the latter. So why does the social economy not play a more active part in social concertation in Spain or in the Valencia Region of this country? Based on an evolutionist/regulationist theoretical framework, this situation is ascribed both to the participants' lack of support or opposition to the entry of new actors and to the organisational weakness of the cooperative movement itself. However, this paper shows that when social economy organisations take part in the social concert of a geographical area they make a difference, helping to bring about significant achievements in the areas of local development and structural change. This points to future lines of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, agro-food cooperatives have not been making widespread use of websites despite the potential benefits of their successful integration and management. The advantages that websites offer include ease and reliability in processing orders, the increased quality of the services offered and improving relations with their stakeholders. In this context, the objective of this paper is to explore the level of website use among agrifood cooperatives, examining the history behind their adoption and the consequences of their implementation. For this purpose, it proposes a theoretical framework to identify these factors and reports on an empirical study of information obtained from a survey of Spanish agri-food cooperatives. The results of the study indicate that the adoption of websites is favoured by the site not being perceived as complex and by the managers having more training, among other factors. In view of these findings, it is suggested that it is important to make a more advanced use of the service, relating it correctly to the achievement of the company's objectives, in order to increase the adoption and extent of website use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spanish social economy enterprises (SEE), like capital-based ones, have been facing a general economic crisis since 2008. SEE in the Murcia region are no exception. They are mainly small and mediumsized companies and because of their lack of size and structure they face considerable competitive difficulties in fighting this situation. This paper is based on a survey of 102 social economy enterprises in the Murcia Region, essentially labour companies and cooperatives in the service and industrial sectors, which was conducted in early 2010. To examine the situation in which companies from these sectors - mostly micro-enterprises - find themselves, information was collected on their main ratios in 2009, their expectations and their assessment of the competitive context and the main difficulties they face in the current situation of economic and social crisis. The extensive questionnaire made it possible to classify these enterprises into four types, based on the evolution of their main economic ratios (jobs, sales, investment and profits), and in a second stage, to consider the relation with whether or not the companies had adopted active innovation strategies and strategic planning. This made it possible to define the companies that had been able to improve or at least maintain the levels of their principal ratios even in times of crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The various types of social enterprise include Work Integration Social Enterprises (WISEs), which have to compete in the market from a position of inferiority. This paper first examines different aspects of WISE management, emphasising the use of strategic management tools. After defining the theoretical aspects of WISEs and social management, it continues with an empirical study that focuses on WISEs in the Valencia region of Spain in connection with the main management variables in these enterprises. The results highlight the low levels of professional management skills and strategic analysis tool use. Strategic management therefore needs to be introduced into WISEs, while taking into account their peculiarities in the case of the Valencia region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper attempts to clarify and analyse certain issues that have been raised in relation to the possible need to draw up, develop and implement a standardized accounting model for political parties in Spain. Said sectorial and specific accounting regulations could mean a significant and vital stimulus for consolidating and boosting the inclusion of political groupings in the social environment to which they belong, thus increasing transparency and credibility of all their actions in the financial and economic spheres, especially in these times of severe financial crisis, when good management and availability of the money received from state public funds, becomes an unquestionable priority. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is to analyse the presence of women in different spheres of the agri-cultural cooperative enterprises in the province of Teruel, where the preponderance of the agricultural sector is paramount. This research compares, firstly, the extent to which the participation of women as against men differs both in employment and in the governing and representative bodies of cooperatives in the rural agricultural environment in Teruel. Subsequently the presence of women in agricultural cooperatives is compared with other sectors and the existence of statistically significant differences is confirmed for some of the variables analysed. This study contributes to the literature on gender and cooperatives in the agricultural sector, an aspect which has hardly been studied in previous works and which enhances the knowledge on the value provided by the presence of women in agricultural sector cooperatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fruit and vegetable cooperatives are major players in Mediterranean agriculture and play an important role in its development in Catalonia. This paper aims to analyse the economic and financial situation of this kind of cooperative in the province of Tarragona from an empirical study based on the analysis of the annual accounts for the years 2005 to 2009. A study has been carried out on the composition of their assets and liabilities, the main items in their profit and loss accounts and the principal economic and financial ratios of these entities using a dynamic analysis and an analysis based on scatter diagrams using linear regression. In this study it will be shown that these cooperatives find themselves in an unfavourable economic and financial situation, aggravated by the economic crisis and that size is not a determining factor for the improvement of said situation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main aim of this paper is to build the satellite accounts of the Social Economy enterprises in Asturias for 2005, in order to ascertain the chief macroeconomic dimensions so that the importance, strengths and weaknesses of this sector may be explored. These accounts are drawn up according to type of activity and enterprise. A prior descriptive analysis of the Social Economy of Asturias has been made, both at the level of sector enterprises and the employment it generates; likewise, a geographical study of where these third sector enterprises are located and their characteristics has also been undertaken. To enrich the data, a comparative study of the importance of the Social Economy in relation to the "rest" of the economy of Asturias and with the Social Economy nationally was also made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accounting rules for cooperative societies are in the process of being adapted, under the guidance of ICAC (Instituto de Contabilidad y Auditoría de Cuentas). One of the most contentious issues is whether financial instruments should be classified as capital resources or debt. Consequently, the basic objective of this paper is to reflect on the interpretation and scope of the application of IAS32 to cooperative societies, specifically as regards compulsory share capital. After a short introduction we focus on a review or state of the art of the more significant literature, continue with the evolution of the accounting standard under study, a review of compulsory share capital in Spanish law and the applicability of the international standard, and end by proposing a contribution to the unfinished debate on the nature of the compulsory capital of cooperative societies and its identification in the accounts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new Spanish rule on transfer pricing raises the question as to whether it should be applicable to transactions within cooperatives, and to what extent. In the present paper the author presents her view, distinguishing two types of transactions: those between cooperatives that belong to the same group and those between a cooperative and its members. While Art. 16.3 TRLIS (the Revised Text of the Company Law Act) specifically includes the former within its scope, there is reason to believe that it is not applicable to a cooperative's transactions with its members, as the new act is general in nature and applicable only in the absence of specific legislation, and the latter situation is addressed by art. 15 of the Cooperative Tax Regime Act (20/1990), which remains in force. Thus, the provisions of the new general law do not apply to this case. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The special tax regime for Spanish cooperatives has been called into question by a recent European Commission decision regarding state aid. The decision is one of a series of proceedings and rulings by the European authorities concerning this subject in Italy, France, Norway and Spain. This paper examines the criteria used by the Commission and the Courts to define the presence of elements of the state aid concept in the cooperative tax regimes under scrutiny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Law 20/1990, which governs the tax regime for cooperatives in Spain, is in a delicate situation. On the one hand, its technical or adjustment rules need to be adapted and brought up to date in view of the modifications that have been made to all types of law (fiscal, accounting, company) since it was passed. On the other hand, despite the tax relief provisions' having lost most of their coverage, paradoxically they are being questioned by the European Commission and the European Courts. This paper analyses the deficiencies of this tax regime and its possible reform from a critical viewpoint. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to analyze the quality of employment generated by Labour companies and Special Employment Centres, as well as their positive links to social cohesion, in the Autonomous Community of Castilla y Leon. To this end, it considers various indicators of the different dimensions around which the "quality jobs" concept mentioned in the European Employment Strategy revolves. Within this framework, the analysis focuses on examining the degree of job quality in the two types of firms, using an empirical source: the results of a survey of businesses in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to study the connection between training policy and labour flexibility practices in the Mondragon cooperative corporation, exploring whether this connection might explain Mondragon's success in dealing with recession. We conducted in-depth interviews with 15 managers from Mondragon's corporate training centres, some of whom provided internal documents on training and employment policies which have also been incorporated into our analysis. We find that training in general skills can generate competitive advantages in a highly diversified corporation when this training policy goes hand in hand with an employment policy that promotes lifelong employment, functional flexibility and the relocation of employees between the corporation's different companies. The training policy and the labour flexibility practices developed by Mondragon and their positive effects may be applicable in other corporations and especially in other diversified cooperative groups that aim to maintain employment during economic downturns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to offer a series of contributions to the realm of accountancy in fair trade. The fair trade movement is first situated in the context of development cooperation, then the concept and organisations involved are presented and the accounting requirements for these organisations in Spain are analysed. This is followed by an examination of whether the accounting information that has to be prepared allows relevant aspects of solidarity to be revealed, including identification of the solidarity components of production processes and their accounting status and conceptual analysis of the more relevant qualitative components of the price paid by consumers for fair trade products. The conclusion suggests several proposals for improving the accounting information of these organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Public Administrations or basic public action units that work with the philosophy of market orientation, it is essential to equip them with an information and data analysis system that can simplify decision making targeted at public sector market needs. This paper explains the importance of creating a Market Information System (M.I.S.) as a support tool for decision making in the planning, management and operations of the Basque Country Social Economy Business Intercooperation Promotion Service. In this framework, it discusses the importance of market orientation for the Basque Country Public Administration, as a system for eliciting information from users, understanding their needs, spreading that information and answering these needs in the context of promoting cooperation between social economy businesses in the Basque Country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corporate Social Responsibility is a relatively new term that arose as a result of the changes taking place in the economic environment. The concept is not new, however, as this approach has long been a feature of cooperative societies. As the European Commission (2002) stated: "Cooperatives […] have a long tradition in combining economic viability with social responsibility. They ensure this through stakeholder dialogue and participative management and thus can provide an important reference to other organisations". The aim of this paper is to examine 'E-Corporate Social Responsibility' in Andalusian agricultural cooperatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of trust in ethical investment products hinders the development of socially responsible investments in Spain. However, there is no model or framework to evaluate the ethical quality of the available products. This paper proposes a model for ethical suitability investments and evaluates how Spanish mutual funds comply according to that model. We conclude that there is no product that meets the ten stated requirements, the information that fund managers provide being especially poor. This jeopardises the accountability of the management firm to its client, for whom it is supposed to be working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to present the programme of business schools in Andalusia from their creation to the present. We will also present an empirical study of the programme, taking 106 companies as a sample. Studying Business Schools helps us to analyse the phenomenon of business incubation from a territorial point of view and to state that the incubation period is decisive in the formation of certain companies that would not otherwise have become established, thus directly and indirectly generating employment. It can be seen that there is a greater degree of recognition in the market of companies that are hosted compared to those that are not. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial participation in companies by their workers has become a key objective of European policies. However, the European Union does not provide specific regulations for companies in which the majority of the share capital is provided by the workers. The aim of this paper is therefore to analyse the main economic differences between companies that are predominantly worker owned as opposed to those which are not. Since both types of companies operate within a framework of legally regulated structures in Spain (labour-owned firms and limited liability companies), we propose worker-owned firms as a reference model on the basis of the results achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the characteristics that define microenterprise cooperation networks in Spain and their use of information and communication technologies. The article also aims to compare the results with those obtained by microenterprises that do not belong to a network and the results obtained by other statistical sources in order to try and prove that cooperation through networks of companies with fewer than ten employees may be the key to facilitating any innovative/entrepreneurial process and may help to improve competitiveness through the technological development of microenterprise in the market, thus promoting the economic development of the territory where they are located by generating added value and creating jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to study the level of efficiency in the sector of cooperative savings banks in Spain, using a non-parametrical approach by means of the DEA analysis. (DEA - Data Envelopment Analysis). Due to this, we start by a restricted approach that includes inputs such as business banking, staff costs, depreciation and financial costs, the traditional outputs being, loans and the securities portfolio. Subsequently, an incremental approach is proposed, extending the outputs of cooperative savings banks to bank operations, preferably with partners and the requirement to have a large workforce, with a reduced net profit in comparison with the rest of the banking entities. After discriminating the size of the cooperative savings banks, the future strategic response of the most important savings banks is given, according to the volume of Average Total Assets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diversification of the agrarian activities towards different branches of the economy seems a viable alternative to clear the gray horizon of this type of organizations. An emergent activity, Rural Tourism, appears as a very interesting option to complement partners' income, as well as the effective development of these companies. To demonstrate the viability of both activities within an organization, as well as to obtain the ideal cooperative profile for the development of theses activities, or better still, to establish the form to reach it, are some of the goal pursued with this paper. We follow an empirical analysis based on a qualitative and quantitative methodology, on the agrarian cooperatives integrated in the Hojiblanca group, and pertaining to Antequera, a Spanish region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of the economy of knowledge has resulted in, among other consequences, the triumph of globalization and market liberalization, the primacy of the individual as a competitive critical factor and the crisis of the relevance of financial information, its comparability and reliability. The financial scandals we have witnesses during the last decade have highlighted the need for greater transparency in our corporations. Thus, corporate governance emerges as a tool for the company to comply with its social responsibility by providing more reliable information to all its stakeholders. In addition, one of the main features is the knowledge society, which is the availability of information and communication technologies (ICT). Consequently, the reliability of the financial information that companies disseminate over the Internet is relevant, assuming a good example of transparency takes place. This paper analyses the information contained on the websites of Spanish rural saving banks, as a tool for evaluating their corporate e-government (one of the major innovations in corporate governance). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we analyse the impact of the Fifth EU R&D Framework Programme (1998-2002) in the Spanish regions, considering the characteristics of the respective regional systems of innovation. The starting theoretical framework is the interactive pattern of technological change where the interaction among the different phases of innovation processes and between actors involved is emphasized. The important role that firms play in this process is also underlined. This model links with the concept of regional innovation systems. The contextual character of technological innovation is furthermore highlighted as well as its importance for the effectiveness of technology policies that should respond to the necessities defined by the innovation system to which it is directed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses current developments in public intervention in local economies. The changing Fordist/Keynesian paradigm takes aside the dominance and hierarchy of public action and gives way to a new governance model where the public administration is one more agent among several. We take into account the social innovation view in the analysis of the keys for the deployment of socially inclusive governance policies. We focus on the development of social or institutional capital and the innovation of the governance itself as the main axis for the social innovation processes. Consequently, we will consider the case study of general scientific and technological policies and particularly those developed in the Basque Country as one of the most important areas of local economic intervention nowadays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a critical evaluation of the economic survival of labour-managed firms (LMF) compared to that of conventional companies, paying particular attention to their different forms of capital ownership. There are many arguments both ways; some argue that LMFs enjoy a higher likelihood of survival, since they offer greater employment stability and their workers enjoy more incentives as they are involved in the decision-making process. The counterarguments claim that LMFs are less efficient, due largely to the free-rider problem, serious agent-principal problems, a higher degree of risk aversion on the part of their worker-owners and degeneration due to rent-seeking behaviour, which reduces their likelihood of survival. The results of this evaluation point to the divergence between most of the predictions of economic theory and the successful development of LMFs in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperativist integration, an example of the sixth cooperative principle of inter-cooperation, means the concentration of cooperative enterprises. Of the different means of organization that are covered by the legislation on cooperatives, cooperative groups appear to be a similar concept to that of groups of corporations. However, there are actually significant differences between the two concepts due to the very nature of cooperative groups in the light of the cooperative formula as an independent entity. This paper analyses, on the one hand, to what degree it would be possible to transfer the principles that govern groups of corporations to the concept of cooperative groups and, on other hand, in what conditions and under what assumptions a cooperative enterprise could be a member of a mixed group consisting of cooperatives and other types of corporation. Our second objective will then be to determine, in this case, the requirements in terms of preparing consolidated annual accounts, if cooperative enterprises could be brought within the scope of consolidation, especially as a result of the new concept of "horizontal groups", which has arisen as a consequence of the modification of company legislation in Spain prior to its adaptation to international accounting legislation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adoption of IASB accounting regulations by the European Union has led to a process of reform in Spanish legislation on corporations, similar to that which occurred at the end of the 1980s. The approval of Law 16/2007 brings with it numerous changes in the legal framework of companies, particularly with regard to their accounts. This paper analyses the most important of the new measures arising from the reform, focusing especially on how they affect social economy enterprises. In particular, a study is carried out to compare the draft of the new General Accounting Plan, which was published last July by the Institute of Accounting and Auditing, and the currently applicable regulations.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]