La integración de las TIC en los procesos educativos y organizativos

El ámbito educativo ha incorporado gradualmente las oportunidades ofrecidas por las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicación (TIC). Si bien este dato resulta positivo, desde el punto de vista organizativo, es necesario complementar la implantación de las TIC con una estrategia global e integradora que aporte coherencia entre los aspectos puramente tecnológicos y los modelos educativos, para alcanzar resultados superiores. El presente trabajo ofrece una revisión de la importancia de las TIC en el ámbito educativo, centrando la atención en la necesidad de ajuste estratégico en el contexto universitario, como elemento de mejora en la adaptación a las necesidades competitivas de las universidades. Para alcanzar este objetivo, se lleva a cabo una revisión de la literatura sobre las TIC y su impacto, se resumen las principales recomendaciones para su óptima utilización en el proceso de enseñanza aprendizaje y se ofrece una reflexión sobre el papel estratégico de estas herramientas. In recent years, the education sector has gradually incorporated the opportunities offered by the Information Technology and Communication (ICT). While this finding is positive, from an organizational perspective, it is needed to be complemented with a comprehensive and integrated strategy that brings coherence between purely technological aspects and educational models to achieve superior results. In this paper we provide a review of the importance of ICT in education, focusing on the need of strategic alignment on the university context, as an element of improvement to adapt to the competitive needs of universities. To achieve this goal, we conducted a literature review on ICT and its impact; we summarize the main recommendations for optimal use in the teaching-learning process and offer a reflection on the strategic role of these tools

Environmental practices in firms located in underpopulated rural areas in Spain: The case of the province of Teruel

This study aims to develop a better understanding of what drives small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to engage in environmental practices in isolated rural areas. Despite a growing literature on environmental behavior in different contexts, the green activities of SMEs in rural areas remains underexposed. This neglect is remarkable, and deserves attention given the serious depopulation problems they have to face, and the economic and social challenges that lie ahead. Using unique data from 141 SMEs in one of the most sparsely populated regions in the European Union, we study the influence of territorial relations on firms’ environmental conduct. Our results suggest that different territorial factors have some impact on the adoption of environmental practices. We report evidence indicative of the role of these factors in shaping environmental decisions. Finally, we offer suggestions for future research that could further develop our understanding of environmental management decisions in rural and underpopulated areas

Prácticas de RSE en cooperativas. Experiencias y resultados mediante el estudio de casos

La conducta observada en las organizaciones que conforman el entramado de la Economía Social ha supuesto un precedente en actuaciones y prácticas que representan una forma de hacer empresa basada en la responsabilidad social, incluidas sus múltiples acepciones y enfoques. Asimismo, se percibe un creciente interés en la llamada Responsabilidad Social de la Empresa (RSE), un modelo de gestión implantado en diversos tipos de organizaciones, con y sin fines lucrativos, que lleva consigo el compromiso con un conjunto de valores ligados a todos sus grupos de interés. En el marco de la Economía Social, las cooperativas operan en conformidad con los criterios, valores y principios de RSE, interés por la comunidad y servicio a sus miembros, no solamente en la esfera económica, sino también en el ámbito social y medioambiental. Múltiples trabajos manifiestan la concordancia entre el desarrollo de las políticas de RSE en sus tres vertientes (económica, social y ambiental) y los valores y principios cooperativos enunciados por la Alianza Cooperativa Internacional (ACI, 1995). Estos estudios avalan la afirmación de que la propia naturaleza de las cooperativas implica un comportamiento socialmente responsable. Asumidos estos postulados, el objetivo del presente trabajo es observar y constatar el cumplimiento efectivo de los mismos en cooperativas de diferentes sectores y entornos, cuestión que conlleva el análisis de la gestión integral de las actuaciones inherentes de RSE, derivadas de sus relaciones con los distintos agentes, según la Teoría de los grupos de interés (Turker, 2009). Adicionalmente, las cooperativas deben buscar la supervivencia mediante sus resultados económicos plasmados en la obtención de unos excedentes y una rentabilidad adecuados (López y Marcuello, 2006), con la finalidad de prestar servicios a los socios a lo largo del tiempo, y todo ello en sintonía con las demandas de los distintos grupos de interés. Por estos motivos, el estudio contrasta la aplicación de la RSE con la obtención de resultados económicos en un entorno de crisis económica. Mediante una metodología de estudio de casos, se han seleccionado seis cooperativas españolas pertenecientes a diversos sectores, para analizar sus memorias y cuentas de resultados, con el objeto de identificar relaciones entre sus comportamientos de RSE y los resultados económico-financieros obtenidos en un periodo de tiempo determinado. The behaviour observed in the organizations of the Social Economy framework has set a precedent in business practices which are based on social responsibility. There is also a growing interest in so-called Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), a management model implemented in different types of for- and non-profit organizations, which entails a commitment to a set of values linked to all its stakeholders. Within the framework of the Social Economy, cooperatives operate under the criteria, values, and principles of CSR. They have an interest in the community and in providing service to their members, not only economically but also socially and environmentally. There is a body of evidence which shows the link between the development of CSR policies (economic, social and environmental) and the cooperative values and principles laid out by the International Cooperative Alliance (ICA, 1995). These studies support the claim that the very nature of cooperatives implies socially responsible behaviour. In the last two decades, and more intensely during the recent economic crisis, Spanish cooperatives have shown an increasing interest in the development of CSR policies through concrete actions (Monzon and Antunano, 2012). Likewise, cooperatives seek to broaden the communication channels with their stakeholders and with society as a whole, through the preparation of well-defined and accessible CSR reports, as an additional element of transparency in their management model. In light of the above, the general objective of this study is to observe and verify the effective CSR compliance in a scenario of economic crisis across cooperatives from different sectors and environments. This issue entails the analysis of the management of CSR actions, derived from the relations with the relevant agents, according to the Theory of Stakeholders (Turker, 2009). This is linked to the nature of cooperatives and their operating principles given their afore-posited predisposition to more effective CSR implementation in comparison to other business formulas (Bel and Marin, 2008; Sanchis and Rodriguez, 2018). This facet goes hand in hand with a marked interest in transparency, accountability and the preparation of SCR reports as a way of transmitting their differentiating characteristics to their interest groups (Gallardo and Castilla, 2015). In addition, the economic literature on the subject recognises CSR as a fundamental resource for creating a competitive advantage applicable to cooperatives. These organizations develop strategies that allow them to survive thanks to their economic results, reflected in the obtaining of adequate surpluses (Lopez and Marcuello, 2006), by the aim of providing services to members over time, and all in tune with the demands of the different interest groups. For these reasons, the second objective of the study is to contrast the CSR implementation with profit generation in these entities, in a context of economic crisis, and to seek certainties on the alignment between the social and economic function of the cooperatives (Gallardo and Castilla, 2015). Following Villareal and Landeta (2010), a case study methodology has been applied. For this, we have selected six Spanish cooperatives from different sectors with a high degree of significance within the Ranking "Relevant Companies of the Social Economy" 2010-2011 published by the Social Economy Business Confederation (CEPES). Subsequently, the chosen cooperatives have been refined and sorted based on the available documentation. For this, first all the potentially comparable information regarding the development of CSR actions has been collected. Then, the available financial data have been obtained. In parallel, qualitative and quantitative information of these cooperatives has been extracted from the publications of CSR and economic reports. These data have been complemented with information from other secondary sources. Consequently, the relevant CSR factors relating to the social, economic and environmental dimensions have been determined according to the RSECOOP model (2011) following the indicators of the Global Reporting Initiative. Then, the economic-financial ratios have been selected, which reveal positions in accordance with the different interest groups of the selected cooperatives. Next, we start from the hypothesis, widely reviewed in the literature, which associates cooperative principles with behaviours consistent with the development of social responsibility towards stakeholders, and considers that these organisations should integrate these behaviours into their management policies (Server and Capo, 2009). This issue is closely related to the creation of added (Mozas, 2010) and the obtaining of lasting competitive advantages (Castilla et al., 2015). Thus, under the stated objectives, a basic evaluation of compliance with the relevant CSR factors for these six cooperatives is first carried out (COCETA, 2001). To this end, the results obtained are verified and compared using the numerical values offered and are grouped into charts for better visualization of the degree of compliance (concentration-dispersion) with the CSR in the three vectors considered. Then, the CSR values obtained are contrasted with the average values of the profitability ratios applied for these cooperatives, to observe possible relationships between compliance with the CSR variables and the economic results of the organizations. After analyzing the CSR practices developed by the cooperatives under study, relatively high compliance with socially responsible behaviours has been observed, since the results show positive values and highly homogeneous deviations. However, not all cases denote a development of CSR according to the relative position of the cooperative in the market and its economic results. Therefore, a degree of commitment to its stakeholders based on the specific corporate culture and values present is perceived. On the other hand, certain biases in the configuration of the CSR have been observed as an integral business management model, ` since not all CSR vectors have been observed with the same intensity in each of the cases. Also, there is a correlation in the cooperatives between the economic results obtained, measured in terms of commercial margin, and the overall development of CSR practices. It is reflected more intensely in the economic profitability ratios and corresponds to the progress of social responsibility aspects in the economic vector. Finally, the results obtained could serve, in general, to strengthen the theory, generally accepted in the literature about the capacity of cooperatives to be more resistant in crisis environments by promoting a more socially responsible economy. However, it is still necessary for these organizations to make greater efforts to communicate their social performance and the advantages of the CSR''s reported management as a tool for competing in markets. One of the limitations of the study derives from the difficulty of configuring and examining a large number of variables. This leads to a reduced case study, which prevents, due to the size of the sample, the establishment and/or modelling of causal relationships for Spanish cooperatives in the reference period as a whole. Nevertheless, this issue has not been the object of analysis, as justified in the design of the study. We must also add the limitation of not having homogeneous and constant information for all cooperatives or more extended periods. The contribution of this research is reflected firstly in the particularities that can be approached in greater depth from the analysis of specific cases, reviewing social and economic behaviour of cooperatives. And secondly, the proposed methodology can be used as a guide to be adapted and expanded to analyze this type of relationship in different contexts and scenarios. For example, the study can be replicated to analyze cooperatives from the same sector or to carry out cross-sector comparisons. Future research can consider specific geographical areas and different periods, with varying dimensions and sizes, or even ultimately, the model may allow comparisons with other companies that are not part of the Social Economy

¿Presentan las cooperativas contextos favorables para la igualdad de género?: Especial referencia a la provincial de Teruel

Las cooperativas presentan características organizativas y de funcionamiento diferenciales que podrían ofrecer contextos favorables para la igualdad de género. En este trabajo se exponen diferentes aspectos relacionados con las condiciones laborales y de flexibilidad en el trabajo de las mujeres en las cooperativas de un territorio con alta despoblación, como es la provincia de Teruel. A su vez se estudia el papel de los distintos agentes de interés involucrados en estas organizaciones y los potenciales beneficios y ventajas para el desarrollo familiar, personal y profesional de las mujeres en este contexto de la economía social. El mayor conocimiento de los factores sociales y organizativos inherentes a estas organizaciones facilitará el desarrollo de políticas y acciones encaminadas a reforzar proyectos empresariales que contribuyan a integrar las necesidades de las mujeres y las de su entorno. Con esta finalidad se ha llevado a cabo un análisis cualitativo mediante del desarrollo de entrevistas en profundidad, dado que estas aportan información más precisa y extensa que otras metodologías de investigación alternativas. Los resultados aportan evidencia sobre las políticas sociales internas y externas aplicadas, y las relaciones institucionales y empresariales de estas cooperativas, caracterizadas por una alta presencia de mujeres en su gestión y funcionamiento. También se observa que la autogestión permite mayor flexibilidad que otras fórmulas empresariales, en aspectos como la conciliación o las condiciones laborales. Así mismo, las mujeres reconocen que su implicación con la entidad debe ser mayor, dado que su futuro laboral depende de la supervivencia de la cooperativa