How significant is corporate social responsibility to business research?

[EN] Previous studies have established that there is a positive evolution of the quantity ofcorporate social responsibility (CSR) research output in terms of published papers. Sofar, however, there has been little discussion about how influential it has becomewithin the business discipline. This article seeks to obtain data which will help toaddress this research gap. The databases Web of Science andJournal Citation Reports(JCR) were used to carry out analyses at the journal and article levels. Results con-firmed a solid growth in CSR research and revealed that papers on the topic havegained attention from the scientific community. Furthermore, CSR articles are mostlyconcentrated in a small number of specialized journals, and opting for these journalsmay be related to the total citations. The conclusions drawn from this study may beespecially useful for academic managers and business researchers interested in theevaluation of academic performance.S

How Does Reciprocity Affect Undergraduate Student Orientation towards Stakeholders?

5987Nowadays, students are more aware of the impact of companies on their stakeholders and the need for properly handling their expectations to operationalize corporate social responsibility. Nevertheless, little is known about how certain individual traits may relate to their stance on the issue. This exploratory research contributes to stakeholder theory by analysing the e ect of the individual’s decision-making process, including the consideration of their social preferences, on their orientation toward stakeholder management. Here, we draw upon a theoretical model for resource-allocation decision-making consisting of reciprocal and non-reciprocal components. Our data, from undergraduate students enrolled in di erent degrees, were collected through a questionnaire and two social within-subject experiments (ultimatum and dictator games). Thus, our results show that the presence of a reciprocal component when decisions are made is positively linked to an instrumental orientation toward stakeholders. In addition, a greater non-reciprocal component in the decision-making process corresponds to a more normative orientation.S

Glottal-Source Spectral Biometry for Voice Characterization

The biometric signature derived from the estimation of the power spectral density singularities of a speaker’s glottal source is described in the present work. This consists in the collection of peak-trough profiles found in the spectral density, as related to the biomechanics of the vocal folds. Samples of parameter estimations from a set of 100 normophonic (pathology-free) speakers are produced. Mapping the set of speaker’s samples to a manifold defined by Principal Component Analysis and clustering them by k-means in terms of the most relevant principal components shows the separation of speakers by gender. This means that the proposed signature conveys relevant speaker’s metainformation, which may be useful in security and forensic applications for which contextual side information is considered relevant

Bio-inspired Dynamic Formant Tracking for Phonetic Labelling

It is a known fact that phonetic labeling may be relevant in helping current Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) when combined with classical parsing systems as HMM's by reducing the search space. Through the present paper a method for Phonetic Broad-Class Labeling (PCL) based on speech perception in the high auditory centers is described. The methodology is based in the operation of CF (Characteristic Frequency) and FM (Frequency Modulation) neurons in the cochlear nucleus and cortical complex of the human auditory apparatus in the automatic detection of formants and formant dynamics on speech. Results obtained informant detection and dynamic formant tracking are given and the applicability of the method to Speech Processing is discussed

Catalytic performance of a new 1D Cu(II) coordination polymer {Cu(NO3)(H2O)}(HTae)(4,4'-Bpy)

Abstract y comunicación en formato poster: 5th International Conference on Multifunctional, Hybrid and Nanomaterials (6-10 March 2017 | Lisbon, Portugal)There has been extensive interest in the synthesis and design of new porous coordination polymers [1] because of their potential applicability in different areas. One interesting crystal engineering approach to construct new coordination polymers is the selection of metal chelating ligands different from those commonly used. [2] In this regard, the β-diketonates, and concretely the metal β-diketonates, have been recently started to be used as structural building blocks in coordination polymers. [3] Deprotonated β-diketonates act as metal chelating agents; hence, in order to obtain extended structures other substituents are necessary to make them act as bridging ligands. This is the case of bis(β-diketonate) 1,1,2,2-tetraacetylethane (H2Tae) which can act as bischelating ligand bridging two metal centres. During the course of our research with the system Cu−Tae−4,4´-Bpy, we have obtained the 1D {Cu(NO3)(H2O)}(HTae)(4,4’-Bpy) coordination polymer.[4] The crystal structure consists in parallel and oblique {Cu(HTae)(4,4’-Bpy)} zig-zag metal-organic chains stacked along the [100] crystallographic direction. Copper atoms are in octahedral coordination environment linked to two nitrogen atoms of two bridging 4,4’-Bipy and to two oxygen atoms of one HTae molecule. The occupation of the other two positions varies from one copper atom to another with different combinations of water and nitrate molecules, giving rise to a commensurate super-structure. By means of thermal removal of water molecules we were able to obtain copper coordinatively unsaturated centres which could act as Lewis acid active sites in several heterogeneous catalytic reactions. Therefore, we have tested the anhydrous compound as heterogeneous catalyst for Knoevenagel condensation reactions. {Cu(NO3)(H2O)}(HTae)(4,4’-Bpy) is an efficient catalyst for the condensation of benzaldehyde and malonitrile in mild conditions (60 ºC in toluene, 5 % catalyst). The scope of the reaction was studied with various substrates. Recycling and leaching tests were also performed.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad: MAT2013-42092-R Gobierno Vasco: IT-630-13 Dpto. Desarrollo Economico y Competitividad, programa ELKARTEK: ACTIMAT-KK-2015/0009

A Hybrid Parameterization Technique for Speaker Identification

Classical parameterization techniques for Speaker Identification use the codification of the power spectral density of raw speech, not discriminating between articulatory features produced by vocal tract dynamics (acoustic-phonetics) from glottal source biometry. Through the present paper a study is conducted to separate voicing fragments of speech into vocal and glottal components, dominated respectively by the vocal tract transfer function estimated adaptively to track the acoustic-phonetic sequence of the message, and by the glottal characteristics of the speaker and the phonation gesture. The separation methodology is based in Joint Process Estimation under the un-correlation hypothesis between vocal and glottal spectral distributions. Its application on voiced speech is presented in the time and frequency domains. The parameterization methodology is also described. Speaker Identification experiments conducted on 245 speakers are shown comparing different parameterization strategies. The results confirm the better performance of decoupled parameterization compared against approaches based on plain speech parameterization

¿Cómo se percibe la dirección socialmente responsable por parte de los altos directivos de empresas en España? = How is socially responsable management perceived by top managers of companies in Sapain?

32-49La Responsabilidad Social Corporativa (RSC) constituye un elemento estratégico de la empresa de gran importancia en la actualidad y los altos directivos juegan un papel preponderante en su formulación e implementación. Dada la trascendencia de las percepciones como determinantes del comportamiento, surge el interés por conocer cómo perciben los directivos el papel de la RSC. Con este propósito, realizamos un estudio empírico sobre 324 altos directivos españoles. Los resultados obtenidos revelan la existencia de dos grupos de directivos según la relevancia concedida a la RSC, encontrándose diferencias significativas entre ellos a partir de las características de sus empresas pero no de las personales. La positiva valoración que en general realizan los directivos encuestados permite prever una mayor presencia de la RSC en la toma de decisiones estratégicas.S

Factors influencing board of directors’ decision-making process as determinants of CSR engagement

[EN] This paper focuses on the determinants of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) at the organisational level. Specifically, it aims to understand the influence of not previously analysed board of directors’ characteristics on a company’s CSR engagement. A random effect probit model was applied to a panel of Spanish non-financial and non-insurance listed firms over the period 2009–2013. The analyses revealed that the existence of a board sub-committee responsible for social and environmental matters and its size, the establishment of a statutory term limit for independent directors and the possibility for directors of receiving advice from external sources positively affect a firm’s CSR engagement. This paper contributes to the debate about corporate governance and CSR by relating factors determining the decision-making process at boards of directors to CSR. Thus, it extends research on the board as a driver for social and environmental issues and suggests new ways to deal with this issue empirically.SIThe authors acknowledge the funding received from the Project ECO2015-63880-Rfrom the Ministerio de Economı ́a y Competitividad of Spain and the Project ULE2014-1 from theUniversity of Leo ́n (Spain). They also acknowledge funding from Project ECO 2015-69058-R

Does CEO media exposure affect corporate social responsibility?

[EN] Given the central role played by CEOs in the arena of strategic decision making, thisarticle focuses on their impact on the implementation of socially responsible initia-tives, which try to comply with the stakeholders' demands. Specifically, and drawingupon the relevant influence of media on decision makers, we analysed how CEOs'media exposure affects the development of their companies' corporate social respon-sibility (CSR) practices. Moreover, relying mainly on the agency and stakeholder the-ories, we also considered a potential moderating effect of other CEO characteristics.The results of the hierarchical regression analysis carried out on a sample of 60 pub-licly listed Spanish companies in 2014 suggest that greater CEO media exposure canlead to a greater commitment to CSR. Furthermore, it was observed that this relation-ship may be affected by CEO tenure and prior political experience.SIThe authors acknowledge the financial support by the Ministerio deEconomía y Competitividad del Gobierno de España (research projects ECO2015‐63880‐R and ECO2015‐69058‐R

Fluorinated mixed valence Fe(ii)-Fe(iii) phosphites with channels templated by linear tetramine chains. Structural and magnetic implications of partial replacement of Fe(ii) by Co(ii)

Three new fluorinated mixed valence Fe(ii)-Fe(iii) phosphites were synthesized by employing mild hydrothermal conditions. (H4baepn) 0.5[FeIII 2.3FeII 1.7(H2O)2(HPO3) 4-(x+y)(HPO4)x(PO4) yF4] (x ≃ 0.13, y ≃ 0.3) (1) (baepn = N,N′-bis(2-aminoethyl)-1,3-propanediamine (C7N 4H20)) and the Co(ii)-substituted phase with the formula (H4baepn)0.5[FeIII 2.0Fe II 0.71CoII 1.29(H2O) 2(HPO3)4-x(HPO4)xF 4] (x ≃ 0.38) (2) were studied by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The phase with the major content of Co(ii), (H4baepn) 0.5[FeIII 2.0FeII 0.62CoII 1.38(H2O) 2(HPO3)4-x(HPO4)xF 4] (x ≃ 0.38) (3) was obtained as a polycrystalline powder and studied by Rietveld refinement by using the structural model of 2. These compounds were characterized by ICP-Q-MS, thermogravimetric and thermodiffractometric analyses, and XPS, IR, UV/vis and Mössbauer spectroscopy. The single crystal data indicate that phases 1 and 2 crystallize in the P21/c space group with lattice parameters a = 13.6808(4), b = 12.6340(2), c = 12.7830(3) Å and β = 116.983(4)° for 1 and a = 13.6823(4), b = 12.6063(3), c = 12.7535(4) Å and β = 116.988(4)° for 2, with Z = 4. The reciprocal space of 1 shows satellite reflections with a modulation wavevector q = 0.284(2)a* which indicate an incommensurate long-range order. The average structure of these compounds is built up by a 3D lattice constructed by inorganic layers of Fe(iii) chains and Fe(ii) and Co(ii) dimers joined by phosphite groups partially substituted by HPO4 and PO4 tetrahedral groups. These anionic layers stack along the [100] direction encapsulating linear tetramines in eight-membered open channels involving host-guest interactions. Magnetic measurements of 1 and 3 showed antiferromagnetic coupling as the major interactions, exhibiting a weak ferromagnetic component together with a spin glass transition at low temperature in the case of 1. Heat capacity measurements showed a small anomaly at 20.5 K for 1 and a sharp magnetic peak at 28 K for 3. Unexpectedly, the small anomaly observed in 1 increased with the magnetic field and became better defined. © the Partner Organisations 2014