On the perception of social corporate responsibility in portugal among academic community – an exploratory study

This paper intends to investigate the level of awareness and perception of the concept and practices of social responsibility in Portuguese companies from the perspective of the academic community. To respond to this it was elaborated a questionnaire, addressed to teaching and non-teaching staff and students, composed by 20 questions. The questionnaire was distributed by Google Doc's program, sent to all universities and polytechnics in Portugal, between 13 May 2015 and 5 June 2015, being obtained 143 responses. 77.6% of respondents consider that there are no initiatives to encourage companies to be socially responsible. The overwhelming majority of respondents (92.3%) believe that social responsibility is not well developed in Portugal. This is due largely to the current crisis that is going through, which ultimately also affect social entrepreneurship. The existing perception is that the concept of CSR is not very developed and spread within the various stakeholders of companies and even in academia. Despite the existence of some courses on CSR in Portugal, these should be placed within all educational levels and especially in higher education courses in the area of economics and management and related fields.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Determinantes da rendibilidade do ativo e a estrutura de capitais - estudo aplicado a PME portuguesas

Os fatores que determinam a estrutura de capitais, entre as grandes empresas, têm sido alvo de intensa pesquisa nas últimas décadas, porém os estudos sobre as pequenas e médias empresas (PME) são mais escassos. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo principal identificar as determinantes da rendibilidade da empresa medida pela rendibilidade do ativo total, tomando em consideração as teorias e determinante da estrutura de capital das PME portuguesas. A amostra foi constituída por empresas 1024 empresas localizadas no interior norte e centro de Portugal, com dados financeiros respeitantes ao período de 2006 a 2009. Os resultados indicam que a rendibilidade do ativo destas PME, do interior de Portugal, é influenciada positiva e estatisticamente significativa pela estrutura de capital da empresa e negativamente pelos resultados transitados. A dimensão das empresas apresenta coeficiente negativo e estatisticamente significativo contrariamente ao esperado.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Sistemas de medición de desempeño en PYMES – un estudio de caso

El presente trabajo consiste en un estudio de caso desarrollado en la empresa SBC - Sociedade Brigantina de Consultores, Lda. Una PYME que se ubica en Bragança (Portugal), dedicada a la prestación de servicios de consultoría en las áreas de administración, contabilidad, sistemas de información y proyectos especiales a empresas de la región norte de Portugal. El objetivo principal de este trabajo fue analizar los factores financieros y no financieros, que influencian el desempeño financiero de la empresa medido por la rentabilidad del capital propio. Utilizando la regresión robusta recurriendo al software R se constato que la variación del volumen de negocios, la satisfacción de los clientes y la autonomía financiera están positivamente correlacionados y son estadísticamente significativos para un nivel de significancia de 10%, así se deduce que los indicadores no financieros también pueden contribuir en el desempeño financiero

Influencia de los indicadores no financieros en el desempeño financiero de las PYMES – un estudio de caso

El presente trabajo consiste en un estudio de caso desarrollado en la empresa SBC, Lda. El objetivo principal de este trabajo fue analizar los factores financieros y no financieros, que influencian el desempeño financiero de la empresa medido por la rentabilidad del capital propio. Utilizando la regresión robusta recurriendo al software R se constato que la variación de los indicadores financieros y no financieros parecen influenciar el desempeño financiero de la empresa.This work consists in a case study developed in the SBC, Lda. The main objective of this study was to analyse the financial and non-financial factors that influence the company's financial performance as measured by return on equity. Using robust regression with the software R it was verified that the change in turnover, customer satisfaction and financial autonomy are positively correlated and statistically significant for a 10% significance level, so it follows that the non financial indicators also may contribute to financial performance

Efflciency and capital structure in portuguese SMEs

This paper aims to analyse the bi-directional relationship between technical efficiency, as measure of companies' performance, and capital structure, under the agency cost theory as well as the pecking order and trade-off theory to explain the capital structure decisions. The technical efficiency was estimated by the DEA method and corrected by using a suitable bootstrap to obtain statistical inferences. To test the agency cost hypothesis, asymmetric information hypothesis, risk-efficiency hypothesis and franchise value hypothesis (under pecking order and trade off theories framework) two models were performed using some determinants of capital structure such as size, profitability, tangibility, liquidity as control and explanatory variables through a truncated regression with bootstrapping. From an initial sample of 1024 small and medium sized companies from the interior of Portugal, for the period 2006-2009, it was selected a subsample of 210 SMEs from secondary and tertiary sectors. The results suggest that medium sized companies have higher average bias-corrected efficiency than small companies; short-term leverage is positively related to efficiency and the companies in the sample follow pecking-order theory.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Efficiency and capital structure in Portuguese SMEs

This paper aims to analyse the bi-directional relationship between technical efficiency, as a measure of companies’ performance, and capital structure, under the agency cost theory as well as the pecking order and trade-off theory, to explain the capital structure decisions. The technical efficiency was estimated by the DEA method and corrected by using a suitable bootstrap to obtain statistical inferences. To test the agency cost hypothesis, asymmetric information hypothesis, risk-efficiency hypothesis and franchise value hypothesis (under pecking order and trade off theories framework), two models were applied using some determinants of capital structure such as size, profitability, tangibility, liquidity as control and explanatory variables through a truncated regression with bootstrapping. From an initial sample of 1024 small and medium sized companies from the interior of Portugal, for the period 2006–2009, a subsample of 210 SMEs from secondary and tertiary sectors was selected. The results suggest that medium sized companies have higher average bias-corrected efficiency than small companies; that short-term leverage is positively related to efficiency and that the companies in the sample follow pecking order theory.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Overindebtedness and self-perception of social status – a case study in great Porto region (Portugal)

The aim of this paper is to explore the relationship of self-perception of social status (SPS) and propensity towards indebtedness related to consumer goods' acquisitions. It also intends to identify the variables that discriminate the propensity towards overindebtness. We have used a questionnaire specifically designed for this purpose, using several elements from Gathergood (2012) and Adler & Stewart (2007) questionnaires. The survey includes 312 individuals, the majority living in the Greater Porto area. Using logit regression and discriminant analysis, we observed that SPS might plays a significant role in the process of indebtedness and overindebtedness. Only gender did not have an association with indebtedness. Education should also be a distinctive factor between all the three groups of indebtedness.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Performance das empresas familiares versus não familiares da Região do Alto Douro Vinhateiro

Este trabalho tem como principal objetivo analisar o desempenho das empresas familiares (EF), comparativamente com as não familiares (EnF), do setor agroindustrial, nomeadamente do setor vinhateiro. Embora existam diversos estudos sobre empresas familiares, a sua governance e performance, não existem estudos sobre o setor agroindustrial ligado à vitivinicultura e produção de vinho e as regiões, em Portugal. Na Região do Alto Douro Vinhateiro (RADV), que é particularmente representativa da paisagem que caracteriza a vasta Região Demarcada do Douro, predominam as EF. Definiu-se assim como perguntas de investigação: as EF localizadas na RADV, que exercem como atividade principal a viticultura e a produção de vinhos licorosos, ostentam um desempenho económico-financeiro superior às EnF? Que fatores explicam este desempenho? Recorrendo ao modelo de regressão linear, utilizando dados económico-financeiros obtidos da base de dados SABI (Sistema de Análise de Balanços Ibéricos), no período de 2012 a 2017, e dados não financeiros (tais como, profissionalização da gestão, CEO, sucessão de gerações, participação de membros da família no conselho de gestão, etc.), procurou-se determinar o poder explicativo das variáveis financeiras e não financeiras no desempenho económico-financeiro das EF e EnF. Utilizou-se um questionário para obter as informações não financeiras das empresas em estudo realizado no período compreendido entre 8 de agosto e 17 de dezembro de 2019. A amostra do estudo é composta por 115 EF e 33 EnF, maioritariamente dos municípios dos distritos de Vila Real e Viseu. Estudou-se a performance recorrendo a variáveis como o ROA, ROE, FCF e EVA®. Como fatores explicativos considerou-se variáveis financeiras (a estrutura do endividamento não corrente, rotação do ativo, valor acrescentado bruto, autonomia financeira, estrutura do ativo não corrente, liquidez geral e os gastos financeiros de financiamento) e não financeiras acima referidas. Concluiu-se, através da análise ao desempenho económico-financeiro que, durante o período analisado, as EF da RADV, tendem em média, a apresentar melhor desempenho económico e financeiro comparativamente às não familiares, confirmando as previsões iniciais.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

S-nitrosoglutathione reverts dietary sucrose-induced insulin resistance

The liver is a fundamental organ to ensure whole-body homeostasis, allowing for a proper increase in insulin sensitivity from the fast to the postprandial status. Hepatic regulation of glucose metabolism is crucial and has been shown to be modulated by glutathione (GSH) and nitric oxide (NO). However, knowledge of the metabolic action of GSH and NO in glucose homeostasis remains incomplete. The current study was designed to test the hypothesis that treatment with S-nitrosoglutathione is sufficient to revert insulin resistance induced by a high-sucrose diet. Male Wistar rats were divided in a control or high-sucrose group. Insulin sensitivity was determined: (i) in the fast state; (ii) after a standardized test meal; (iii) after GSH + NO; and after (iv) S-nitrosoglutathione (GSNO) administration. The fasting glucose level was not different between the control and high-sucrose group. In the liver, the high-sucrose model shows increased NO and unchanged GSH levels. In control animals, insulin sensitivity increased after a meal or administration of GSH+NO/GSNO, but this was abrogated by sucrose feeding. GSNO was able to revert insulin resistance induced by sucrose feeding, in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting that they have an insulin-sensitizing effect in vivo. These effects are associated with an increased insulin receptor and Akt phosphorylation in muscle cells. Our findings demonstrate that GSNO promotes insulin sensitivity in a sucrose-induced insulin-resistant animal model and further implicates that this antioxidant molecule may act as a potential pharmacological tool for the treatment of insulin resistance in obesity and type 2 diabetes.publishersversionpublishe

El desarrollo sostenible: nuevos retos para la contabilidad y la gestión

La ‘Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible’ de la ONU insta a todos los sectores de la sociedad a trabajar en torno al concepto de sostenibilidad. Esta motivación es lo suficientemente fuerte para estimular la reflexión y el debate entre la comunidad científica y los profesionales. Este documento tiene como objetivo hacer una breve revisión de la literatura más reciente sobre el desarrollo sostenible, especificando los roles de la contabilidad y de la gestión. Los resultados muestran que el desarrollo sostenible y la creación de valor ambiental, financiero y humano requieren sólidos principios éticos y de responsabilidad social corporativa.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio