CORPORATE GOVERNANCE AND THE PERFORMANCE OF COMMERCIAL BANKS: A FUZZY-SET QCA APPROACH

This paper examines the role of commercial banks’ governance mechanisms in financial performance and loan quality. The research draws upon corporate governance theory, agency theory, and information asymmetry. Fuzzy-set QCA was used to analyze a sample of 32 commercial banks listed in the UK. Data referred to the pre-crisis period. Results confirm that different combinations of governance mechanisms can yield similar financial performance and loan quality. This research contributes to a better understanding of the relationships among banking governance mechanisms, financial performance, and loan quality. The paper also has practical implications because it identifies alternative governance solutions for the commercial banking sector

The determinants of internal audit quality

Purpose – This study aims to understand the behavior of internal auditors towards quality and analyze if some organizational and individual factors influence internal audit quality. Design/methodology/approach – The sample is constituted by Portuguese internal auditors, and the methodology includes the use of partial least squares – structuring equation model (PLS-SEM) to test the hypothesis under study. Findings – The results show that there is a negative relationship between reduced audit quality practices (RAQP) and organizational commitment and independence. The results found that time pressure positively affect RAQP. There is no evidence that perceived organizational support (POS) and risk profile are determinants of RAQP. Originality/value – This work contributes by extending the literature about the determinants of internal audit quality, but also to the practice by understanding the factors that influence the behavior of internal auditors and by making recommendations that allow an improvement of the quality of internal auditing. 研究目的 – 本研究擬瞭解內部審計師就保持內部審計質量所作出的行為，並探討是否有些組織或個人因素、會影響內部審計的質量。 研究設計/方法/理念 – 研究的樣本由葡萄牙內部審計師構成，而研究方法則包括偏最小平方法的結構方程模型 (PLS-SEM) 的使用，以測試正在研究中的假設。 研究結果 – 研究結果顯示、降低審計質量的慣常做法與組織承諾及獨立性是成負相關的; 研究結果亦顯示、時間壓力會對降低審計質量的慣常做法產生正面影響，沒有證據證實、組織支持感和風險概況是降低審計質量慣常做法的決定因素。 研究的原創性 – 本研究的貢獻為、就研究內部審計質量決定因素的文獻方面、擴展了有關的學術探討; 研究亦對內部審計作出實務方面的貢獻，因研究結果幫助我們更瞭解影響內部審計師行為的因素，而且，研究人員提出了提升內部審計質量的建議。 關鍵詞 – 內部審計質量、降低審計質量的慣常做法、組織決定因素、個人決定因素

A influência da estratégia na política dos preços de transferência nas empresas transnacionais

Mestrado em Gestão/MBANo presente trabalho empírico foram identificadas as políticas de preços de transferência internacionais ("PTI") utilizadas por um conjunto de filiais de empresas transnacionais Alemãs e Americanas e quais os factores organizacionais e ambientais que influenciam essa escolha. Com base em dados recolhidos através de um inquérito por questionário, foi possível corroborar conclusões de estudos anteriores de que a maximização do lucro global, o fortalecimento da competitividade da filial, a diferença de tributação do rendimento das sociedades e a gestão interna das operações e dos fluxos financeiros constituem factores determinantes na definição da política de PTI para estas empresas. Os resultados sugerem igualmente, que o papel que é atribuído aos PTI condiciona os objectivos a atingir através dos PTI, bem como, todo o processo administrativo de implementação da política de Pll. O nosso estudo sugere que os Pll não são vistos como urna mera necessidade, mas antes como um importante instrumento de desenvolvimento da estratégia de negócio e de criação de valor. De facto, os Vil têm sido considerados pelas empresas como um instrumento necessário para um planeamento eficiente, tanto na óptica operacional, financeira, como na óptica fiscal.This empirical study is an attempt to identify the intemational transfer pricing polices ("ITP") used by a sample of German and American transnational companies branch offices and also which environmental and organizational factors predispose that choice. Based on results gathered through an inquiry by questionnaire it was possible to corroborate conclusions of previous studies that the maxirnization of global profit, promote competitive position of subsidiaries in foreign countries, the differentials in income tax rates and income tax legislation among countries and internai management of the operations and financial flows are significant determinants in the definition of ITP polices for these companies. The results also suggest that the role that given to the ITP conditions the goals to be reached through the ITP, as well as, all the administrative process of ITP's policy implementation. Our study suggests that the ITP are not seen as a mere necessity, but as an important instrument of development of the business strategy and value creation. Indeed, the ITP have been considered by companies as a useful tool to achieve an efficient planning, either in the operational, financial optics and fiscal perspectives.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Geografia eleitoral : análise espacial de vinte anos de resultados eleitorais

A Geografia Eleitoral definida como a análise da interação entre o espaço, o lugar e os processos eleitorais, compreende fundamentalmente três domínios: padrões de voto, influências geográficas nas eleições e a geografia da representação. A Geografia Eleitoral conta uma longa história, ao ponto de já ter tido um status próprio no âmbito da disciplina. Depois ter aparecido nos anos 70 e 80 com algum vigor no contexto português, esta abordagem dos fenómenos eleitorais tem sido relativamente negligenciada nos anos. Neste trabalho, conjugando as metodologias espaciais-analíticas mais tradicionais com um conjunto de novas tecnologias - como os Sistemas de Informação Geográfica (SIG) e os Self- Organizing Maps (SOM) -, pretendemos dar uma nova ênfase à Geografia Eleitoral nacional, realçando o seu caráter explicativo e abrindo portas a abordagens multidisciplinares dos dados eleitorais. Com base nos resultados das eleições legislativas portuguesas realizadas no período compreendido entre 1991 e 2011, analisamos neste trabalho os seguintes tópicos: a distribuição espacial dos resultados, em conjunto e individualmente, dos cinco partidos com representação parlamentar; a distribuição dos resultados deste conjunto de partidos por região, considerando uma das propostas de divisão administrativa referendada em 1998 e analisando a região da Estremadura e Ribatejo como um estudo de caso; os padrões gerados pela distribuição do bloco constituído pelos dois principais partidos (PS e PPD/PSD); o comportamento espacial dos blocos Direita/Centro-Direita e Esquerda/Centro- Esquerda; a abstenção eleitoral, confrontando os valores registados em cada freguesia com o resultado nacional; a comparação entre diferentes tipos de eleições; a distribuição dos resultados por partido nos dois principais distritos (Lisboa e Porto) que em conjunto representam mais de 40% da população portuguesa; o comportamento do Bloco de Esquerda, o mais jovem dos partidos considerados; e os mapeamentos das freguesias “sociais-democratas” e “socialistas”. Os resultados deste trabalho comprovam de forma geral, de que a georreferenciação dos dados eleitorais nacionais geram uma cartografia que permite confirmar aquilo que outras análises têm vindo a mostrar sobre o comportamento eleitoral dos portugueses. No entanto, existem aspectos específicos da distribuição espacial deste mesmo comportamento eleitoral que permitem aprofundar o conhecimento sobre a interacção entre o espaço e os processos eleitorais

Effect of Computer Assisted Audit Tools on Corporate Sustainability

The literature is fertile in studies that examine the determinants of internal and external auditors’ adoption of computer-assisted audit tools and techniques (CAATs), often ignoring their practical effects on audit quality and organizational performance. This study provides novel evidence on the type of CAATs used by internal auditors, tests the effect of their adoption on corporate sustainability, and explores the moderating effect of organizational characteristics. In this paper, we used data from Portuguese internal auditors collected through a survey, whose research hypotheses were analyzed by the partial least squares–structural equation modeling technique. We found that internal auditors use CAATs moderately in the exercise of their tasks. The results of our study show that there is a strong and positive effect of the use of CAATs by internal auditors on fraud detection in the purchase-to-pay business process, and that the intensity of this relationship is not influenced by the type and size of the entity. This study complements previous research and provides support to practitioners’ decisions that can boost the use of CAATs in internal auditing to make organizations more sustainable

Application of Novel Phase Change Material Constructive Solution for Thermal Regulation of Passive Solar Buildings

A comprehensive investigation regarding the hygrothermal behavior of a constructive solution containing phase change materials (PCMs) was performed on a full-scale test cell, divided into two similar compartments. This involved hygrothermal monitoring (indoor air temperature) of the two compartments, in which one had PCM incorporated into the floor mortar. The main goal of this research was to investigate the potential of this kind of solution for overheating mitigation. The numerical study was conducted using EnergyPlus® software (version 9.0), exploring different natural ventilation flow rates to gauge the novel solution’s potential to reduce overheating rates. The results from the monitoring studies revealed prolonged periods of thermal discomfort in both test cells, particularly overheating. However, it was proven that the PCM application in one of the test cells led to a reduction of almost 10 °C in the maximum peak of air temperature. In the simulation analysis, the increase in the ventilation rate led to a linear decrease in the overheating hours of up to one renovation per hour, and then the reductions were attenuated

Modeling the Evolution of Construction Solutions in Residential Buildings’ Thermal Comfort

The evolution of the construction sector over the years has been marked by the replacement of high thermal inertia mass constructions by increasingly lighter solutions that are subject to greater thermal fluctuations and, consequently, thermal discomfort. To minimize these effects, energy demanding space conditioning technologies are implemented, contributing significantly to the sector’s share of global energy consumption. Enhanced constructive solutions involving phase-change materials have been developed to respond to the constructive thermal inertia loss, influencing buildings’ thermal and energy performance. This work aims to model the evolution of the construction over the last decades to understand to what extent constructive characteristics influence the occupants’ thermal comfort. For this purpose, typical and enhanced solutions representing distinct constructive periods were simulated using the EnergyPlus® software through its graphical interface DesignBuilder® and the thermal comfort of the different solutions was evaluated using the adaptive model for thermal comfort EN16798-1. The main results reveal that more restraining regulatory requirements are indeed mitigating thermal discomfort situations. However, overheating phenomena can rise, creating worrying consequences in the short-medium term. Thus, countries with mild climates such as Portugal, must pay special attention to these effects, which may be aggravated by climate change

Multiscale Modelling Approach Targeting Optimisation of PCM into Constructive Solutions for Overheating Mitigation in Buildings

Nowadays, the rising gap between the global energy supply and demand is a well-known circumstance in society. Exploring the solution to invert this tendency leads to several different scenarios of energy demand saving strategies that can be improved using phase change materials (PCM), especially in cold-formed steel-framed buildings. The present research reports the overheating (indoor air temperature above 26 °C expressed as an annualized percentage rate) reduction in south-oriented compartments and energy performance of a detached house located in the Aveiro region, in Portugal. An optimisation study was performed incorporating different phase change materials (PCMs) solutions and their position in the exterior envelope focusing overheating rate reduction and heating demand. The optimisations were managed by using a hybrid evolutionary algorithm coupled with EnergyPlus® simulation software. The overheating risk was reduced by up to 24% in the cooling season, for the case of the building compartments with south orientation. Thus, the use of construction solutions using PCMs with different melting temperatures revealed to be a good strategy to maximise PCM efficiency as a passive solution

Design and Thermal Characterization of Two Construction Solutions with and without Incorporation of Macroencapsulated PCM

Improving the energy efficiency of new and existing building stock while fostering the use of renewable energy is one of the major goals of the Renovation Wave initiative promoted by the European Union. In this framework, the present research focuses on the design of an innovative and efficient construction solution for an external envelope and internal partitions that can improve energy efficiency and thermal comfort in lightweight construction technology for buildings. The use of phase change materials (PCMs), particularly in the macroencapsulated form, in building construction solutions or components enhances the buildings’ thermal mass without significantly increasing the solutions’ weight. Therefore, the solution herein developed is essentially targeted at lightweight building technology since the incorporation of a macroencapsulated PCM core will allow to store and release large amounts of energy per volume unit, in order to attenuate high indoor temperature fluctuations. In the scope of this study, the use of a thermally active core in a lightweight construction solution was designed and thermally characterized. Thus, an experimental campaign on the thermal properties of the solution containing macroencapsulated PCMs was performed, intended for applications in two twin full-scale cold-formed steel lightweight tiny houses. Regarding the hot box heat flux meter approach, the results revealed the following: good correlation between thermal conductivity and mean specimen temperatures for both construction assemblies tested, and significant thermal amplitude reduction with the use solution containing the macroencapsulated PCM core