Analysis of competitiveness in Colombian family businesses

Purpose: Building on the resource-based view and the configuration theory, the purpose of this study uses a systemic and multidimensional competitiveness index (CI) i.e. that incorporates system constraints among the 10 competitive pillars that form the index to assess the competitiveness level and the connection between competitiveness and economic performance [return on assets (ROA)] in family businesses (FBs). Design/methodology/approach: For the empirical application, the use a unique primary data set drawn from the global competitiveness project (www.gcp.org) that includes information for 77 Colombian FBs for 2017. Cluster analysis is used to evaluate the potential relationship between competitiveness, the configuration of competitive pillars and economic performance (ROA). Findings: The results for the CI show that the main competitive strengths of the analysed firms are related to the introduction of product innovations and networks (suppliers and customers), while the limited use of technologies in their operations and the low online presence are the main competitive weaknesses of these firms. Additionally, the findings of the cluster analysis reveal that different configurations of competitiveness pillars are associated with different performance levels. Therefore, the results contribute to identifying how specific strategies aimed at improving different resources or capabilities contribute to enhance business competitiveness, and ultimately, performance. Originality/value: By using an index number that takes into account the multiple interactions between resources and capabilities, the proposed analysis not only sheds light on the drivers of competitiveness i.e. resources and capabilities, and its connection to performance but also contributes to understanding the boundaries of the businesses’ competitiveness system, as well as the strategies that can potentially enhance competitiveness, and subsequently, business performance.Peer ReviewedPreprin

Gender diversity in the board, women’s leadership and business performance

Purpose: This paper investigates how gender diversity in top management—i.e., boardroom and top management positions—impacts business performance among Colombian public businesses. Design/methodology/approach: Building on the Upper Echelon theory which emphasizes that gender in an important characteristic that influences top management’s decision making, we employ panel data models on a sample of 54 Colombian public businesses for the period 2008-2015 to test the proposed hypotheses relating gender diversity and subsequent business performance. Findings: The results support that gender diversity is positively associated with subsequent business performance. More concretely, we find that the relationship between gender diversity at the top of the corporate hierarchy—in our case, as CEO and in the top management team—and subsequent performance becomes more evident when performance is linked to business operations (ROA), while the positive effect of women’s representation in the boardroom and subsequent performance is significant when performance is measured via shareholder-oriented metrics (ROE). Originality/value: Few studies have addressed the role of gender diversity on performance in developing economies. This study contributes to better understand how gender diversity impacts performance in contexts where women are underrepresented in the top management, and where the appointment of women directors or managers is not driven by regulatory pressures.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Predicting Betas: Two new methods

Betas play a central role in modern finance. The estimation of betas from historical data and their extrapolation into the future is of considerable practical interest. We propose two new methods: the first is a direct generalization of the method in Blume (1975), and the second is based on Procrustes rotation in phase space. We compare their performance with various competitors and draw some conclusions.systematic risk, beta coefficients, risk prediction, Procustes rotation

Argentina’s Participation in the International Penal and Penitentiary Congress (1872-1950)

This article analyzes the participation of Argentine delegates in international prison congresses held between 1872 and 1950. We argue that the forms of participation can be divided into two. On the one hand, the presence of non-penitentiary experienced representatives, generally diplomats assigned to the places where the congresses were held. On the other hand, the participation of outstanding penitentiary specialists, both for their theoretical training (in Criminal Law) and for their daily management of the Argentinian prisons. For a better development, we will divide the article in two sections. In the first one, it will be dealt with from the first congress held in London (1872) to the sixth one held in Budapest (1905). In the second part, we will analyze from the seventh congress held in Washington (1910) to the last one held in The Hague (1950). It should be noted that for the preparation of this article we have used unpublished material located in the Archive of the Argentine Foreign Office and Ministry of Justice and Education; and other published texts.Fil: González, Esteban. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. Ministerio de Ciencia. Tecnología e Innovación Productiva. Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica; ArgentinaFil: Nuñez, Jorge Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto de Investigaciones de Historia del Derecho; Argentina. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentin

Predicting Betas: Two new methods

Betas play a central role in modern finance. The estimation of betas from historical data and their extrapolation into the future is of considerable practical interest. We propose two new methods: the first is a direct generalization of the method in Blume (1975), and the second is based on Procrustes rotation in phase space. We compare their performance with various competitors and draw some conclusions.This research was partially supported by grant IT-321-07 from the Gobierno Vasco and ECO 2008-00777/ECON from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación

Transition in-and-out of exporting and its impact on employment growth

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to evaluate how different strategic choices related to the transitions in-and-out of exporting (export entry, export persistence, export exit) impact employment growth in Romanian small- and medium-sized businesses. Design/methodology/approach Using linear regression models on a sample of 566 Romanian SMEs, The authors model employment growth as a function of three different dimensions of foreign market participation: export entry, persistence and exit. Findings Results indicate that exporting is positively associated with employment growth. The findings reveal that the different strategic choices linked to exporting have a differentiating impact on employment growth: while employment growth is more pronounced among new exporters which points to the presence of an impulse effect of exporting, businesses that interrupt their exporting activities report employment losses. Research limitations/implications This study underlines the relevance of distinguishing the specific impact of the different export behaviours related to the transitions in-and-out of exporting. Practical implications The results of the study fuel the debate on the relevance of promoting policies that encourage exporting among small businesses operating in emerging economies. Originality/value This study presents an original analysis of the distinctive effect that different forms of export behaviour related to the transitions in-and-out of exporting have on employment growth. The relevance of this study not only flows from the particular empirical design that simultaneously evaluates different export choices and their specific impact on employment growth.Peer ReviewedPostprint (updated version

¿Hacia un Penitenciarismo latinoamericano?: Cambios y continuidades en las políticas penitenciarias argentinas (1900-1955)

Este trabajo, que tiene un carácter preliminar, se propone demostrar la existencia de dos momentos diferentes en el intercambio internacional de ideas penitenciarias en Argentina en la primera mitad del siglo XX. Por un lado, consideramos que durante las primeras décadas del siglo XX, las referencias penitenciarias fueron principalmente europeas. En este sentido, la recepción activa de la criminología italiana fue central en las publicaciones académicas argentinas. Por otro lado, nos centramos en la figura de Roberto Pettinato durante las décadas de 1940 y 1950. Pettinato, que fue Director General de Institutos Penales durante el primer peronismo, contribuyó decisivamente al desarrollo de una teoría penitenciaria de alcance transnacional, concretamente latinoamericana, aunque sin descuidar las referencias europeas establecidas anteriormente.Cabe señalar que el establecimiento de estas relaciones científicas y técnicas con América Latina contrasta con la política penitenciaria promovida por el Estado argentino en los decenios anteriores. En este sentido, consideramos la figura de Pettinato como un paradigma de ruptura respecto de las relaciones transnacionales y las prácticas penitenciarias que implementó sin abandonar los postulados de la criminología positivista.This work aims to demonstrate the existence of two different moments in the international exchange of penitentiary ideas in Argentina during the first half of the twentieth century. On the one hand, we consider that during the first decades of the twentieth century the penitentiary references were principally European. In this sense, the active reception of the Italian criminology was central in the Argentinian academic publications. On the other hand, we focuses on Roberto Pettinato’ figure during the 1940s and 1950s. Pettinato, who was the General Director of Penal Institutions (Dirección General de Institutos Penales) of the Argentine Republic during the first Peronism, made a decisive contribution to the development of a penitentiary theory that was transnational in scope, specifically, a Latin American one. It should be pointed out that the establishing of these scientific and technical relations with Latin America was unprecedented and stood in contrast to the penitentiary policy promoted by the Argentine state in the previous decades. In this sense, we consider Pettinato’s figure a paradigm of rupture regarding the transnational relations and the penitentiary practices he implemented while not abandoning the criminology postulates.Fil: Nuñez, Jorge Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Instituto de Investigaciones de Historia del Derecho; Argentina. Max-planck-institut Für Europäische Rechtsgeschichte.; AlemaniaFil: González, Esteban. Universidad de San Andrés; Argentina. Ministerio de Ciencia. Tecnología e Innovación Productiva. Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica; Argentin

Mechanical and Environmental Assessment of Lathe Waste as an Addiction to Concrete Compared to the Use of Commercial Fibres

The use of fibres applied to concrete in order to improve its properties is widely known. Nowadays, research is not only focused on improving mechanical properties but also on the environmental implications. The aim of this research was a mechanical and environmental comparison between different types of fibres. For this purpose, commercial fibres of three materials were used: low carbon steel, modified polyolefins, and glass fibre. In order to improve the sustainability of the sector, we also analysed and compared the performance of using a waste product, such as fibres from machining operations on lathes. For the evaluation of the mechanical properties, compression and flexural tests were carried out. The results show that the use of low carbon steel fibres increases the flexural strength by 4.8%. At the environmental level, and in particular for impact categories such as the Global Warming Potential (GWP), lathe waste fibres prove to be the most suitable. For instance, compared to glass fibres, CO2 emissions are reduced by 14.39%. This is equivalent to a total of 38 kg CO2 emissions per m3 of reinforced concrete. In addition to avoiding the consumption of 482 MJ/m3 of fossil fuels, the results of the research indicate the feasibility of using waste fibres as a substitute for commercial fibres, contributing to an improved environmental balance without losing mechanical performance

Metro de Madrid rolling stock models and comparative studies relating to comfort

This paper presents the work carried out by Metro de Madrid and the Railway Technology Research Centre (Polytechnic University of Madrid), aimed at setting up rolling stock simulation models with a high level of detail. To do this, the features of the SIMPACK simulation tool used to create models have been briefly outlined, explaining the main features of models in two of the series modelled: 7000 and 8000. Finally, the results obtained from comparing comfort in the 7000 and 8000 series are presented