Search results

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the development of the theoretical framework for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and to provide a number of conceptual considerations which can be considered in the design of measures for corporate social performance (CSP).

This study develops a theoretical framework of CSR and provides conceptual considerations to improve the measurement of CSP. The example of Spanish savings banks is used to illustrate the complexity of the concept of CSR, which includes different dimensions and relationships.

CSP evaluation can be affected by the illusion of CSR, which may result in invalid conclusions on the relationship with financial performance. This risk mainly affects those studies whose CSP measure is based on charity or philanthropic activities, as most of the time they are disconnected from core business. These activities enjoy great visibility and, in some cases, such as Spanish savings banks, they become a thick veil that can be used to hide serious deficiencies in other key aspects of CSP.

This study has implications for the literature on the conceptual and theoretical framework of CSR and the research on the link between CSP and financial performance. This paper highlights the importance of seeking comprehensive measures that cannot be misleading because of the relationships between the components of CSR.

The paper provides a novel conceptual framework for CSR, which connects the conceptual debate around “Strategic CSR” with the theoretical framework designed by Carroll’s (1991) Pyramid of CSR and emphasizes the importance of a meticulous examination of the CSP construct before studying its relationship with financial performance.

The purpose of this paper is to examine how Spanish savings banks have come to compete directly with commercial banks. It also looks at how regulatory changes and corporate strategies have affected the nature of competition between the two types of bank in Spain.

There is a re‐examination of the existing bibliography as a basis prior to the analysis of new data as identified in surviving records from the Bank of Spain and the Spanish Confederation of savings banks (Confederación Española de Cajas de Ahorro (CECA)).

The work adopts a novel approach to explaining the current status quo in the Spanish banking industry and refocuses the performance of Spanish savings banks. The analysis highlights the role of the diverse institutional agents, i.e. the banks, savings banks, cooperative banks and mutual banks and the role these play in the evolution of competition. The effectiveness of the managers, of both the CECA and the savings banks, is also placed under the spotlight, and the part they play in the development of collaborative competition. The trajectory of Spanish banking, post deregulation, has been somewhat different from that of its European counterparts over recent decades.

Some lessons for present day managers emerge as to the role of diversification rather than scale under an otherwise tight regulatory regime and the role of competitive collaboration in banking market.

Particular attention is given to the impact that diverse organisational forms have on the evolution of competitive forces.

Cross-border investment has been a large part of merger and acquisition activity in the Latin American banking sector. Spain and the United States have been the largest investors, participating in almost 70% of the total transaction value. After an explanation of the importance of foreign direct investment and implications for cross-border investment, this paper focuses on the largest investor in the region's banking sector and attempts to find an explanation for the increasing participation of Spanish banks. The paper alludes to a potential new reality: Latin America could be the geographical location where major contenders in banking will be engaged in battles for global dominance.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the cost efficiency of banks operating in two “non‐core” EU countries, Portugal and Spain, over a number of years. Specifically, the paper aims to examine the extent to which banks' efficiency is influenced by their portfolio orientation and scale of operation.

Data envelopment analysis is used to identify banks' levels of performance over time in both countries. In order to decompose banks' total factor productivity change into technological, scale efficiency and pure efficiency changes, the Malmquist index method is applied.

Banks operating in both countries have improved their performance over time and savings banks and large banks, in particular, have tended to outperform other types of banks. Banks operating in Spain tend to perform better than in Portugal and Spanish‐owned banks perform better than their Portuguese‐owned counterparts. The improvements in performance revealed have mainly been due to technological change.

Bankscope is a well‐respected data source and has been the basis of many studies of performance in international banking. Unfortunately, owing to data deficiencies, around 20 per cent of the banks operating in Portugal and Spain were not included.

If Portuguese banks are to be competitive internationally, there is considerable need for efficiency improvements.

The paper provides insights into the dynamics of the Portuguese and Spanish banking systems. The results should be of interest to management in banking and bank regulators in Europe, and economists and others studying bank performance trends. The research reported may shed light on some of the challenges facing the banking sectors of the “new” EU states (such as Poland and Hungary).

The purpose of this paper is to analyse the performance of Spanish banking entities between 2009 and 2013, a period marked by the reform of the banking system with a large number of mergers and integrations.

First, efficiency is measured applying the data envelopment analysis (DEA) methodology and, then, the Malmquist index is calculated to assess its evolution.

The results show that most of the entities have improved their performance from the production approach. However, from the intermediation approach, the efficiency of the sample has deteriorated, which raises questions about the sustainability of the traditional banking business when the current credit restriction strategy is long lasting.

The comparative analysis demonstrates that, after the deep reforms carried out in Spain, the banking entities maintain similar efficiency rankings to those they had at the beginning of the period analysed. This shows that the reform has created new groups that operate adequately, avoiding the closing of institutions. Despite the better rationalisation of the available resources, the outlook for Spanish banks remains unclear in the current macroeconomic context, which does not favour the banking business.

The study contributes to the literature on the Spanish banking system because it adds new empirical evidence about its restructuring and it applies a DEA model to a sample before and after mergers. The authors discuss theoretical and managerial implications and offer suggestions for future research on this field.

The present globalisation of the economy is one of the main forces driving the internationalisation process of firms, a phenomenon that has been one of the most widely studied in the literature and which has given rise to numerous explanatory theories. The manufacturing sectors of machinery, food, textiles, furniture have already consolidated their presence in international markets, induced by the increased competition deriving from liberalisation of foreign trade and the desire to conquer new markets. If in manufacturing sectors globalisation has been high, the service sector has not been far behind. One of the sectors that has been most influenced by changes in the competitive framework is banking. Therefore, the objective of this empirical study will be to analyse the process of internationalisation followed by Spanish banks (Banco Santander, BCH, BBV and Argentaria), and the results obtained, measured in terms of “internationalisation degree” and “return on assets” (ROA). The main markets receiving the investment of the banks chosen for the study, as well as the motives and the different entry modes adopted for their internationalisation are then analysed. It will be seen what international movements have occurred as a result of the mergers in 1999, and whether they represent any change in the internationalisation, strategy of these firms. The study will be completed with the presentation of some patterns of behaviour observed in the internationalisation processes of the Spanish banks analysed.

Attempts to shed light on strategies and international entry modes of financial services firms, providing a framework of the internationalisation process in one specific industry. This is based upon the analysis of four case studies of Spanish banks entering the Latin American markets at two different stages – before and after the 1990s – to see how internationalisation strategies of financial services have evolved over time. Shows that, in accordance with the perceived market risk and the commitment of resources involved, firms may opt to enter a foreign market in a gradual (lineal) process or in a more opportunistic (contingent) way. The foreign direct investment decision vis‐à‐vis the resources and risks involved in the operation has been evolving through time, industry and country of destination.

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether bank debt‐maturity decisions are conditioned by growth opportunities, the firms’ ownership structure, or the institutional environment.

The empirical analysis is undertaken using an unbalanced panel data of Chilean and Spanish firms.

The results indicate that when banks are not allowed to become stockholders, managers use bank debt‐maturity as a corporate governance mechanism. When banks can participate in the ownership of the firms that they finance, short‐term bank debt can serve as a substitute for a governance mechanism.

The main contribution of this paper is the analysis of how differences in financial development among countries modify financial decisions by firms.

The purpose of this paper is to examine customer corporate social responsibility (CSR) expectations in the crisis context of the Spanish banking industry. The paper also takes into consideration the role that corporate governance structure plays in customer CSR expectations.

Analysing 648 customers of savings banks and 476 customers of commercial banks, several univariate statistics and two cluster analyses are implemented.

The authors identify significantly consistent patterns in the CSR expectations of savings banks and commercial banks customers. The customers of both types of banking companies have similar high expectations concerning the CSR oriented to customers, shareholders and supervising boards, employees, the community and legal and ethical CSR. Also customers of both types of banking companies can be consistently classified as customer oriented, legally (customer)-oriented and CSR-oriented customers depending on their CSR expectations.

These results have interesting implications for managers because it allows them to develop optimal CSR based on their customers’ expectations. In this regard, it is observed that the CSR expectations of savings banks and commercial banks customers are quite homogeneous in such a way that the traditional differentiation in the CSR implemented by savings banks and commercial banks may be no longer justified.

Previous scholars who have analysed customer CSR expectations have not studied them in a crisis context. This paper contributes to literature by proposing new managerial strategies for companies facing a product or corporate crisis. Scholars studying customer CSR expectations in the banking industry have not considered the role of corporate governance structure either. This paper provides detailed information about the CSR expectations of savings banks customers and commercial banks customers.