Co-operative Banking Groups in Europe: Comparative Analysis of the Structure and Activity

The aim of this paper is to show the situation of the main European co-operative banking groups (or systems) through the analysis of particular aspects of their structure and the activities and services they offer, in order to compare these groups with the Spanish case to check if the different ways of dealing with these aspects agree, and under what circumstances or how they are developed. This analysis is also intended to identify the decision-making and economic linking relations set up between credit co-operatives and the centralised services structures which work within the co-operative banking groups.Credit co-operatives, co-operative banks, co-operative banking groups.

La financiación del desarrollo regional europeo: un análisis de la asignación de los fondos FEDER

The aim of the present paper it is to analyse the volume and the distribution of the financial resources that form the FEDER funds in the European Union. These funds have got a main purpose in relation with reduction of the structural development differences among the states members. To attain this target, the funds are assigned to each Zone in function of several criteria and parameters that try to destine more funds to the low development areas. In this sense, Spain has been until now one of the European countries that has received more funds.FEDER, Target Zone, regional development, structural differences.

El “activismo” de los socioscomo catalizador de laresponsabilidad social de la empresa: aplicación a las organizaciones de participación

In this paper we intend to analyse the real application of the shareholders´ voting rights as a means to encourage social commitments among companies. Shareholders activism has succeeded in introducing corporate governance and corporate social responsibility in companies. The current framework of shareholders activism in Spain is analysed. Besides, we tried to answer two research questions: 1. partners in cooperatives do have or may have a significant and active role in implementing CSR in their organizations, which may be different from the shareholders´ role in listed companies; 2. social economy organizations, by their own mission and identity, comply with social demands.Shareholders activism; members; corporate social responsibility; social economy; corporate governance.

Innovación en servicios en las entidades financieras de economía social: un análisis de comportamiento con el sector servicios

El presente trabajo, mediante la utilización de un análisis multivariante, realiza una comparación de los patrones comunes en cuanto al comportamiento conducente a la innovación en las empresas de intermediación financiera de economía social (EIFES), frente a los patrones comunes en este mismo comportamiento para las empresas del sector servicios español en general (ESSG). Los resultados revelan que, si bien es posible ordenar bajo las mismas categorías de análisis los patrones de comportamiento que les permiten crear salidas exitosas en el proceso de innovación en servicios (Recursos, Barreras, Fuentes, Fines y Estructura organización). Se aprecian diferencias significativas en la composición de estas categorías para las empresas de intermediación financieras de economía social, respecto a la composición de las mismas para las empresas del sector servicios.The present work using a multivariate analysis, do a comparison of patterns in behaviour conducive to innovation in enterprises of financial intermediation sector (EIFES), compared with patterns observed in this same behavior for Spanish companies in the service sector in general (ESSG). The results reveal that, although it is possible to order under the same categories of analysis the behavior patterns that allow them to create successful outputs in their innovation process; Resources, Barriers, Sources, Goals and Organizational Structure. Significant differences are evident in the composition of these categories for companies in financial intermediation in social economy, as regards the composition of the same for companies in the services sector

La investigación en materia de cooperativas de crédito y de grupos cooperativos

This work proposes to provide an overview of the research carried out over the last twenty years by a number of authors who have focused their research on credit unions and their cooperative groups. The intention is not to provide an exhaustive list of all the works that have been published, but rather to give a general overview of the work that has been done in this broad field of research and its various ramifications. It shows the timeframe of these studies and the gradual consolidation of more specific subjects, which have provided us with a great deal more knowledge about a sector of cooperativism that had been studied very little twenty years ago.Cooperativas de crédito, secciones de crédito, banca cooperativa, cajas rurales, grupos cooperativos.

El perfil de los inversores y las entidades financieras: una aproximación desde el entorno de la economía social

Este trabajo pretende presentar un análisis, de los resultados de perfiles de ahorro e inversión de la familia española, específicamente, de aquellas familias que han optado por los servicios financieros ofrecidos por las cajas de ahorros y las cooperativas de crédito, al, entre otros, financiar la compra de la vivienda principal, financiar la compra de otros inmuebles, adquirir créditos de consumo, contratar activos financieros y contratar seguros o planes de pensiones. A través de un análisis de conglomerados, efectuado sobre los datos publicados en 2006de La Encuesta Financiera de las Familias Españolas, realizada a familias de cuatro estratos de riqueza diferentes, distribuidas en todas las comunidades del país, llevada a cabo en el año 2002 por el Banco de España, se hallan y se describen en esta investigación, las principales características demográficas y de la estructura financiera de 687 familias, que de un total de 5143, han preferido y efectivamente seleccionado a las cooperativas de crédito o a las cajas de ahorro, como proveedoras de los más básicos servicios financieros.This paper aims to present an analysis of the saving and investment profiles of the Spanish family, more specifically, those families who have opted for the financial services offered by savings and credit cooperatives in order to finance the purchase of a primary residence or other property, acquire consumer credit, purchase financial assets or acquire insurance or pension plans. Through a cluster analysis performed on the data published in The Financial Survey of Spanish Families in 2006, which surveyed families of four different wealth strata throughout the country, conducted in 2002 by the Bank of Spain, this research describes the main demographic characteristics and financial structures of the 687 families, of a total of 5143, that actually preferred credit unions or savings banks as their providers of basic financial services

Digital Inability and Social Sustainability in the Face of the Fourth Industrial Revolution: A Proposal of New Non-Financial Indicators

In the knowledge economy, financial indicators are not sufficient to predict the evolution of business competitiveness and anticipate risks. This paper proposes new non-financial indicators based on the analysis of eighteen variables representative of the interest of the different stakeholders, which correlate the organization’s commitment to socially sustainable digital transformation and the enhancement of business capabilities. This study, based on a specific adaptation of the IMPACT methodology and carried out in forty countries, obtains as main findings that there are significant differences in the perception of the business impact generated by the improvement of the digital capabilities of the workforce according to variables, such as job level, area of work, cultural area of the interviewee, type of company, or the number of years that digital training programs have been implemented among the workforce, while factors, such as gender or generation of the interviewee, company size, or productive sector, are not determinant. The proposed analysis methodology provides useful indicators for corporate governance bodies to analyze and improve human performance and labor engagement in the face of digitalization, applicable to any type of organization, sector, or country, facilitating the deployment of more economically efficient and socially sustainable transformation programs

Digital Inability and Social Sustainability in the Face of the Fourth Industrial Revolution: A Proposal of New Non-Financial Indicators

In the knowledge economy, financial indicators are not sufficient to predict the evolution of business competitiveness and anticipate risks. This paper proposes new non-financial indicators based on the analysis of eighteen variables representative of the interest of the different stakeholders, which correlate the organization’s commitment to socially sustainable digital transformation and the enhancement of business capabilities. This study, based on a specific adaptation of the IMPACT methodology and carried out in forty countries, obtains as main findings that there are significant differences in the perception of the business impact generated by the improvement of the digital capabilities of the workforce according to variables, such as job level, area of work, cultural area of the interviewee, type of company, or the number of years that digital training programs have been implemented among the workforce, while factors, such as gender or generation of the interviewee, company size, or productive sector, are not determinant. The proposed analysis methodology provides useful indicators for corporate governance bodies to analyze and improve human performance and labor engagement in the face of digitalization, applicable to any type of organization, sector, or country, facilitating the deployment of more economically efficient and socially sustainable transformation programs

Is corruption a determinant of the effectiveness of gender diversity in business management? Application to co-operative banks

[ES] Este trabajo constituye una extensión de la literatura que estudia la relación entre diversidad de género en el ámbito directivo y rentabilidad empresarial, ya que se propone avanzar más allá de la medición de una posible relación directa entre ambas variables, a la vez que realiza una aplicación de la teoría institucional, todo ello particularizado para entidades financieras. Concretamente, se ha analizado la cuestión del género en la cúpula de las cooperativas de crédito españolas y su influencia en la rentabilidad de dichas entidades, no solo directamente sino a través de la relación con los socios y el nivel de endeudamiento, incluyendo la corrupción del entorno como posible condicionante de tales efectos indirectos. Tal alcance resulta novedoso respecto a las investigaciones existentes, caracterizadas por centrarse principalmente en una relación directa y por no tener en cuenta el contexto institucional, indicando la necesidad de poner el foco en posibles vías de influencia indirecta y en las instituciones como condicionantes de la calidad de la gestión empresarial. Para llevar a cabo el análisis, se estimarán ecuaciones dinámicas, tratando la endogeneidad mediante el Método Generalizado de los Momentos (MGM). Los hallazgos confirman la influencia indirecta de las medidas de género en la rentabilidad a través de los indicativos de relación con los socios y endeudamiento, potenciada cuando el nivel de corrupción en el entorno es menor.[EN] This work is an extension of the literature that studies the relationship between gender diversity in the managerial posts and business profitability. It aims to advance beyond the measurement of a possible direct relationship between both variables in financial entities, applying the institutional theory. In particular, it focus in the senior executive team of Spanish credit cooperatives. The gender effect over the profitability of these entities will be evaluated through the relationship with their partners and with the level of indebtedness, including as a new variable the corruption of the environment as a possible conditioning factor. Such scope is novel with regard to existing research, characterized by focusing mainly on a direct relationship and for not taking into account the institutional context, indicating the need to focus on possible indirect influence and on institutions as quality determinants of business management. To carry out the analysis, dynamic equations will be estimated, treating endogeneity using the Generalized Method of Moments (MGM). The findings confirm the indirect influence of gender measures on profitability, which results enhanced when the level of corruption in the environment is lower.Los autores manifiestan que han contribuido de manera igualitaria en la realización del artículo y que esta publicación se ha realizado dentro del Proyecto de Investigación Competitivo en I+D+I FEM2017-83006-R, financiado por AEI/FEDER, UE