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The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between women on the board of directors and firm performance in a comparative analysis between Italy and Spain.

The generalized method of moment is employed to examine this relationship in a sample of 1,393 firm-year observations.

The results show that the presence of women on the board has a positive impact on the performance of Italian and Spanish firms. However, when the whole sample is divided into Italy and Spain, some results are remarkable. For Spain, the presence of women on the board has a positive influence on firm performance, whereas for Italy the authors find a negative and significant effect on firm performance. This study also finds that the “masculinity” dimension has a negative impact on firm performance.

The results of this study have several practical implications. First, masculinity differences within the countries can have a large impact on firm performance and can explain some differences between similar countries. Second, the legal system of countries might not explain adequately some differences in the decision-making process. Third, cultural values and thinking styles, in terms of masculinity, might better explain why the results on the relationship between female directors and firm performance are mixed. Fourth, the findings suggest that it is very important to promote gender equality, not only by passing laws but also taking action about the educational system.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study that investigates the relationship between female directors and firm performance between Italy and Spain considering the cultural differences in term of “masculinity.”

el objetivo de este trabajo es examinar la relación entre la presencia de mujeres en el Consejo de Administración y el rendimiento de la empresa, realizando un análisis comparativo entre Italia y España.

Se emplea el método generalizado de los Momentos (GMM), utilizando una muestra de 1.393 observaciones.

los resultados muestran que la presencia de mujeres en el consejo tiene un impacto positivo en el rendimiento de las empresas italianas y españolas. Sin embargo, cuando se analizan por separado ambas submuestras se obtienen algunos resultados destacables. Para España, la presencia de mujeres en el consejo tiene un efecto positivo, mientras que para Italia la influencia resulta negativa. Este estudio también muestra que la dimensión “masculinidad” tiene un efecto negativo en la rentabilidad de la empresa.

Los resultados de este estudio tienen varias implicaciones prácticas. En primer lugar, la diferencia en la masculinidad entre países puede tener un gran impacto en el rendimiento de las empresas y explicar algunas diferencias entre países de características similares. En segundo lugar, el sistema legal de los países podría no explicar adecuadamente algunas diferencias en el proceso de toma de decisiones. En tercer lugar, los valores culturales y el modo de pensar, en términos de “masculinidad” podría explicar mejor el hecho de que los resultados de la relación entre consejeras y rendimiento de la empresa no sea concluyente. En cuarto lugar, nuestros hallazgos sugieren que es muy importante promover la igualdad de género no sólo a través de la aprobación de leyes, sino también actuando sobre el sistema educativo.

Que tengamos conocimiento, este es el primer estudio que investiga la relación entre la presencia de consejeras y rendimiento de la empresa para Italia y España considerando las diferencias culturales en términos de “masculinidad.”

The purpose of this paper is to examine how the expansionary phase of a business cycle driven by an exogenous commodity price shock (oil) affects R&D expenditures among Ecuadorian firms.

Using two rounds of the Ecuadorian National Science, Technology and Innovation Activities Survey (ACTI 2012 and 2015) and a data set on gross value added (GVA) by industry, we run a sample correction model applied to a panel data of 1,023 firms from 2009 to 2014.

In deciding whether to invest in R&D, the higher an industry’s GVA, the lower the predicted probability that firms in that industry would invest. Additionally, R&D investments are not procyclical, and there is marginal evidence that they might actually be countercyclical. These findings are consistent with Schumpeter (1939) and Ouyang (2011) and are likely due to an increased opportunity cost of R&D investment during the oil boom.

In this study, we examine a boom period and not a full business cycle. This boom is driven by an exogenous shock, deviating from much of the current literature, which focuses on endogenously driven business cycles. This paper examines how the oil shock impacted a variety of industries, and not just attractive ones. Additionally, this paper adds to the limited literature around R&D and business cycles in Latin America.

El objetivo de este trabajo es examinar cómo la fase de expansión del ciclo económico, impulsada por un choque exógeno en los precios de un producto básico (petróleo), afecta al gasto en I + D de las empresas ecuatorianas.

Usando dos rondas de la Encuesta Nacional de Actividades de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación (ACTI 2012 and 2015) y una base de datos del valor añadido bruto (VAB) por industrias, se estima un modelo de corrección de muestra aplicado a un panel de 1,023 empresas de 2009 a 2014.

En cuanto a la decisión de invertir o no en I + D, mientras mayor es el VAB de una industria, menor es la probabilidad pronosticada de que las empresas inviertan en I + D. Adicionalmente, la inversión en I + D no es procíclica, y de hecho encontramos evidencia marginal de que muestra un comportamiento contracíclico. Estos resultados son consistentes con Schumpeter (1939) y Ouyang (2011) y se explican posiblemente por un incremento en el costo de oportunidad de invertir en I + D durante la bonanza petrolera.

En nuestro estudio examinamos un periodo de auge, y no un ciclo económico completo. Dicho auge fue ocasionado por un choque exógeno en los precios del petróleo, lo cual diferencia el análisis de gran parte de la literatura actual, enfocada en ciclos económicos endógenos. Este trabajo examina cómo la bonanza petrolera impactó a distintas industrias, y no únicamente a las extractivas. Nuestro estudio contribuye a la escasa literatura existente sobre la relación entre el gasto en I + D y los ciclos económicos en Latinoamérica.

O objetivo deste artigo é examinar como a fase de expansão de um ciclo de negócios impulsionada por um choque exógeno de preços de commodities (petróleo) afeta os gastos com P and D entre as empresas equatorianas.

Utilizando duas rodadas da Pesquisa Nacional Equatoriana de Atividades de Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação (ACTI 2012 and 2015) e um conjunto de dados sobre o valor agregado bruto (VAB) por indústria, aplicamos um modelo de correção de amostra aplicado a um painel de 1.023 empresas de 2009 a 2014.

Ao decidir investir ou não em P and D, quanto maior o VAB de uma indústria, menor a probabilidade prevista que as empresas dessa indústria investiriam. Além disso, os investimentos em P and D não são pró-cíclicos, e há evidências marginais de que eles podem realmente ser contracíclicos. Essas descobertas são consistentes com Schumpeter (1939) e Ouyang (2011) e são provavelmente devidas a um maior custo de oportunidade de investimento em P and D durante o boom do petróleo.

Em nosso estudo, examinamos um período de expansão e não um ciclo completo de negócios. Esse boom é impulsionado por um choque de petróleo exógeno, diferenciando-se de grande parte da literatura atual, que se concentra em ciclos de negócios impulsionados endogenamente. O artigo examina como o choque do petróleo impactou diversas indústrias, e não apenas as extrativistas. Além disso, nosso trabalho contribui para a escassa literatura em torno de P and D e ciclos de negócios na América Latina.

I investigate the efficacy of adopting two mental aptitudes in the financial industry: mindfulness and compassion.

A conceptual link is drawn between the powerful mental acuteness obtained from practicing Mindfulness (defined by Jon Kabat-Zinn) and Ruthless Compassion (defined by Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoché) and the pursuit of a noble purpose for finance, which is to channel resources into the most deserving social and/or economic activities that raise community and societal welfare.

These techniques allow decision-makers to reach new levels of awareness, giving them a competitive advantage for instance in terms of avoiding behavioral traps. Making money remains an important by-product of financial services, but not the overriding or sole criterion. An interview of Solomon Halpern, longstanding disciple of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoché, expert in Buddhist meditation, and president of Highlander Wealth Services, illustrates how these mental tools are applied for running a small US equity fund.

The present study provides a starting point for further survey research on how these practices are becoming adopted in the industry.

This chapter is the first to analyze the impact of both ruthless compassion and mindfulness in the business of finance not only in terms of raised morality but also as an added tool to resolve informational asymetries proper to the finance business.

This chapter discusses the development of tourism in peripheral areas, prompted by the “National Strategy for Inner Areas” developed by the Italian National Government. The strategy, backed by policymakers, business owners, local communities, and environmental nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), aims to stop demographic decline by boosting sustainable tourism practices. A case study of Valle D'aosta examines the problems and their solution in the implementation of the strategy. It discusses how to make strategy implementation less complex and whether sustainable tourism is possible in such areas – whether it is an oxymoron, or whether it is a utopia that is worth pursuing.

Since the end of the Second World War, American society has seen the emergence of technology promising to make life easier, better and longer lasting. The more recent explosion of the Internet is fulfilling the dreams of the high‐tech pundits as it provides global real‐time communication links and makes the world's knowledge universally available. Privacy concerns surrounding the development of the Internet have mounted, and in response, service providers and website operators have enabled Web users to conduct transactions in nearly complete anonymity. While anonymity respects individual privacy, it also facilitates criminal activities needing secrecy. One such activity is money laundering, which is now being facilitated by the emerging Internet casinos industry. These casinos can be physically located anywhere with websites available worldwide. Internet casinos were a target of legislation by the US Congress, but the legislation, the Internet Gambling Prohibition Act, failed to pass. So, at the moment, Internet casinos are a virtually unregulated mechanism for laundering illegal funds.

Il Cuore di Novi is an example of an innovative way of regenerating and revitalising a town centre in Italy in the face of intense competition from large out‐of‐town retail and residential developements. This has been achieved through a combination of research surveys linked to an organic approach to marketing strategy and effective engagement with the town's local authority and small‐ and medium‐sized retailers. The paper's aim is to discuss this development.

This case study provides an example of retailer‐led town centre management in the Novi Ligure (Italy) and builds on previous work by Molinillo Jiménez, Sánchez del Río, Vilariño et al. and Coca‐Stefaniak et al.

Southern European models of retailer‐led town centre management, known in Italy as centro commerciale naturale and discussed by Valente, Zanderighi, Moras et al. and Codato et al. can be effective in competing with large out‐of‐town shopping centres through innovative place management and marketing techniques in town centres based on local know‐how, differentiation and customer service.

The case of Novi Ligure's successful retailer‐led town centre management scheme is unique in Italy in terms of its ability to integrate retail revitalisation with urban regeneration in a town centre. This scheme is ground‐breaking in Italy and provides further evidence of the success of Southern European bottom‐up retailer‐led place management models. This study is of value to practitioners and policy makers in place management, town centre management, local authority planning officers, urban regeneration consultants, academics, small‐ and medium‐sized independent retailers, community leaders and town centre residents.

Through an analysis of 15 Latin American countries, the purpose of this paper is to explore the importance of several institutional variables (economic, regulatory, and cultural), which affect women’s careers towards being members of boards of directors in the region.

Based on primary and secondary information, the authors carry out multivariate analyses to understand the institutional reasons affecting the reduced presence of women on boards of directors in the region.

Their findings reveal differences within the region, the importance of protecting women’s professional careers in the labour market, and the effect of cultural dimensions, such as masculinity and power distance.

The analysis provides an updated cross-section of the institutional and cultural conditions of the 15 countries, considering the limitations to developing data in the region.

Latin America has witnessed important changes in the dynamics of the labour market over recent decades: women’s participation in the labour force is on the increase, and corporate strategy is evolving towards the incorporation of practices and initiatives to manage the diversity of their talents. However, the presence of women in leadership positions is a pending subject. This study, in part, reveals the institutional origin of gender inequality on boards of directors in the region. The analysis provides essential tools for public policy and for companies to help promote female leadership in the region.

Recent debate and research on the scarce participation of women on corporative boards of directors have revealed a growing interest in analysing the causes of such issues despite the progress recorded in terms of gender equity in most societies. Studies on the topic in Latin America are scarce and the aim of this paper is to help to fill part of this gap.

El presente trabajo explora en quince países de América Latina la importancia de distintas variables institucionales (económicas regulatorias y culturales) que afectan a las carreras de las mujeres hacia los consejos de administración en la región.

A partir de información primaria y secundaria, los autores desarrollan diversos análisis multivariantes para entender las razones institucionales que afectan tras la reducida presencia de mujeres en los consejos de la región.

Los resultados de los análisis realizados muestran las diferencias dentro de la región así como la importancia de de analizar las carreras profesionales de las mujeres en el mercado de trabajo y el efecto de las dimensiones culturales como la masculinidad y la distancia al poder.

El análisis muestra un corte transversal de la realidad institutional y cultural de los 15 países lo más actual posible, teniendo en cuenta las limitaciones en el desarrollo de datos en la región.

En América Latina, se han producido cambios importantes en la dinámica del mercado laboral en las últimas décadas: las tasas de participación de mujeres en la fuerza de trabajo están en aumento y las estrategias empresariales van evolucionando hacia la incorporación de prácticas e iniciativas que tienden a gestionar la diversidad de sus talentos. Sin embargo la presencia de mujeres en puestos de liderazgo empresarial es una asignatura pendiente. El presente trabajo muestra en parte el origen institucional de las desigualdades de género en los consejos de administración en la región. Este análisis provee de herramientas esenciales para la política púlica y las empresas en la búsqueda de la promoción del liderazgo femenino en la región.

Recientes debates e investigaciones sobre la escasa incorporación de mujeres en los consejos directivos en las corporaciones, han evidenciado el creciente interés por analizar las causas de estas cuestiones a pesar de los avances registrados en términos de equidad de género en la mayoría de las sociedades. Sin embargo, hay una escasez de estudios en esta área en América Latina. El presente artículo busca llenar en parte ese hueco.