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The purpose of this paper is to carry out a meta-regression analysis upon the literature that examines the relationship between family firms and financial performance.

Information of publication and study characteristics from 61 primary studies, comprising 726 size effects was collected. In particular, three leading factors highlighted in narrative literature reviews analyzed were: the financial performance measures, the family–firm definitions and the estimation methodologies.

Overall, a positive relationship between family involvement and financial performance was found. A series of results, those linked to return on assets (ROA) – earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), suggest positive publication bias from family definition and negative publication bias when OLS is used. Tobin’s Q estimates show no linkage to certain traits and aspects of the research process.

Existing literature review and meta-analysis studies show not concluding results on the family effect upon firm performance. The meta-regression analysis used in this paper allows to examine simultaneously effect size and publication bias. The latter effect is particularly salient in the approach and findings, and not present in previous studies.

Llevar a cabo un análisis de meta-regresión a la literatura que examina la relación entre firmas familiares y desempeño financiero.

Se usa la información de la publicación y características del estudio de 61 estudios primarios, que incluyen 726 estimaciones. Se examinan tres elementos principales de esta literatura: (i) medidas de desempeño financiero, (ii) definición de firma familiar, y (iii) metodología de estimación.

Se establece una relación positiva entre involucramiento familiar y desempeño financiero. Las estimaciones que examinan ROA-EBITDA sugieren sesgo positivo de publicación. Las estimaciones que utilizan estimación de Mínimos Cuadrados Ordinarios sugieren un sesgo negativo de publicación. Las estimaciones que examinan la Q de Tobin, no sugieren relación con las características de los estudios o de la investigación.

Los estudios de meta-análisis existentes sobre esta literatura no ofrecen resultados concluyentes del efecto de las firmas familiares y desempeño financiero. El método de meta-regresión permite examinar simultáneamente el efecto entre las variables y la posible existencia de sesgo de publicación. La indagación de este último es de particular interés y no se encuentra en otros estudios.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the extent to which hope and perceived goal attainment can be developed in subsistence entrepreneurs through the right training tools.

A longitudinal study of a subsistence entrepreneurship training program in three Central American countries was carried out. Participants were divided on the basis of their exposure to training (yes, no), and of the type of training received (none, business plan, business model). The authors carried out three assessments (just before the program, six months and one year after the program) of participants’ business goals and their hope of attaining them. Information was analyzed using linear regression.

Participants exposed to training reported significant increases in perceived goal attainment and in their hope levels. Training based on the business plan affected hope agency in the short term, as predicted by the logic of causation theory. Training based on the business canvas affected hope pathways, as predicted by the logic of effectuation theory.

Given the data collection process (a non-random sample and selection of participants), the findings are not generalizable without stringent procedures and further replication.

If hope is a reliable predictor of goal attainment, it should be promoted and measured. Given the limited means of gathering data and making reliable projections that most entrepreneurs endure, the business canvas’ contribution to entrepreneurs’ “emotional equipment” ceteris paribus should be more valuable for subsistence entrepreneurs.

This is the first study comparing the short- and long-term effects of two entrepreneurial learning devices on entrepreneurs’ hope and business goal attainment.

South America is a heterogeneous continent, with diverse prison realities. Its prison population is estimated at 600,000 inmates, of whom 10,000 are declared insane. Physical and mental health care supplied to the inmates is precarious and preventive programs in progress are rare. The authors’ comment on the Roman Law tradition and describe the situation in Brazil and Argentina, from the point of view of their legal backgrounds. They also consider the kind of mental health resources found and the types of treatment offered, mainly in Forensic Psychiatric Hospitals. Their conclusion emphasizes the need to improve the conditions of penitentiaries in South America, which, because of their deficiencies, often violate the human rights of prisoners.

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the protection against corrosion of carbon steel SAE 1020 promoted by a niobium- and titanium-based coating produced from a resin obtained by the Pechini method.

A resin was prepared with ammonium niobium oxalate as niobium precursor and K₂TiF₆ as titanium precursor. Carbon Steel SAE 1020 plates were dip coated in the resin and calcinated for 1 h at 600 ºC. Scanning electron microscopy, energy dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the coating morphologically and structurally. Open circuit potential, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, anodic potentiodynamic polarization and scanning vibrating electrode technique were used to evaluate the corrosion protection of the coating.

The electrochemical analyses evidence slight protection against corrosion of the coating by itself; however, the needle-like crystal structure obtained may potentially provide a good anchorage site, suggesting the coating could be used as a pretreatment that may present similar application to phosphating processes, generating lower environmental impacts.

Due to increasingly restrictive environmental laws, new environmentally friendlier surface treatments must be researched. This paper approaches this matter using a combination of niobium- and titanium-based coating, produced by a cleaner process, the Pechini method.