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- Is social capital a driver of the green transition in the European Union?(2025) Peiró Palomino, Jesús.; Gianmoena, Lisa.; Picazo Tadeo, Andrés.J.; Rios, VicenteThe green transition is a topic of great interest for European policymakers. It is broadly acknowledged that socio-cultural elements embedded in societies, such as social capital, have a major influence on environmental performance. European regions differ widely in terms of both social capital and environmental behavior. However, there are very few related studies at the sub-national level. Using data on 230 regions of the European Union in 2021, this paper examines the impact of social capital on air quality, which is a key indicator of environmental performance. The results show a positive effect, which is robust to several model specifications and to endogeneity. Some potential transmission mechanisms are also explored, revealing that the positive effects of social capital are channeled through the quality of government and more stringent environmental policy. These insights suggest that regional social capital endowments can be a determinant of a green transition that occurs evenly across European regions.
- Is the European Social Progress Index robust? Implications for the design of European Union regional Cohesion Policy(2023) Beltrán Esteve, Mercedes; Peiró Palomino, Jesús; Picazo Tadeo, Andrés J.; Rios, VicenteThe European Social Progress Index (EU-SPI) is a composite index launched by the European Commission in 2016 to assess social progress. It is constructed using non-economic indicators, and is intended to serve as a tool for European regional policies. This paper shows that the 2020 release of the index is robust to multiple alternative designs, and thus suitable for policymaking. The EU-SPI and gross domestic product per capita (GDPpc) are positively correlated, although they are in no way substitutes. These findings suggest that the EU-SPI could complement the GDPpc as an instrument to determine eligibility and achieve a more citizen-oriented allocation of European Cohesion Policy funds.
- Measuring environmental performance in the treatment of municipal solid waste: The case of the European Union-28(2021) Ríos, Ana María; Picazo Tadeo, Andrés JoséThis paper proposes a measure of environmental performance in the treatment of municipal solid waste, which is defined as a ratio between a composite indicator of waste treated through environmentally desirable operations -recycling and recovery in our case study- and a composite indicator of waste treated through undesirable operations -landfill and incineration. Moreover, it contributes both overall and treatment-specific indicators of performance. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) techniques are used to compute the environmental performance indicators and they are illustrated with an empirical assessment of the environmental performance of the European Union-28 (EU-28) members in their treatment of municipal waste, with data for the year 2017. Our results point to a worryingly low average level of performance, with the best performers being mainly Nordic and Central European countries such as Sweden, Germany, Belgium, Finland and Denmark; at the opposite end of the spectrum, environmental performance in the treatment of waste is particularly low in most of the Eastern European countries that joined the EU-28 from the 2000s, and some Southern member states. The determinants of performance are also investigated, the main finding being a positive and statistically significant association between environmental performance in municipal waste treatment and the level of economic development.
- Performance and risk in the Brazilian banking industry(2021) Sáez Fernández, Franciso Javier; Picazo Tadeo, Andrés; Jiménez Hernández, IgnacioThis paper assesses the technical performance of Brazilian banks while accounting for risk, which is considered as an undesirable outcome of banking. To this end, frontier techniques based on Data Envelopment Analysis and directional distance functions are applied to a sample of 124 banks and data for the six-year period 2014-19. Our main finding is that the Brazilian banking industry could notably increase its production of conventional outputs without additional input usage and while maintaining the same levels of risk. Besides, investment banks are found to be more efficient than commercial banks mainly because of their superior managerial performance.
- Contract renewal in urban water services, incumbent advantage and market concentration(2022) Albalate, Daniel; Bel, Germà; González Gómez, Francisco; Picazo Tadeo, Andrés J.Contract renewal with the incumbent is common practice in the contracting-out of public services. It could, however, affect competition by reinforcing trends towards market concentration. This article contributes empirical evidence on the determinants of the result of public tenders for the renewal of private provision of urban water services. A dataset with information on 215 public tenders held in Spain between 2008 and 2019 is employed. The methodology is based on logistic regression techniques. The findings indicate that incumbent size does not play a role in the probability of alternation between service providers. Furthermore, competition (proxied by the number of bidders) and transparency in managing public tenders both increase the likelihood of alternation between providers. Lastly, the estimates suggest that larger municipality size and discretionary power of entrenched political parties might also play a role in favoring incumbent contract renewal.
- Social progress around the world: Trends and convergence(2023) Peiró-Palomino, Jesús; Picazo-Tadeo, Andrés; Ríos, VicenteThis paper assesses social progress in 139 countries over the period 1995-2017 following the framework proposed by the Social Progress Imperative; a notable contribution is a composite index allowing for comparisons across countries and over time. The index considers 45 raw indicators covering three fundamental pillars of social progress: basic human needs, foundations of well-being, and opportunities. The results point to a marked improvement in social progress all over the world from the mid-1990s, although they also depict a highly polarized world. Cross-country convergence patterns are also investigated, revealing a reduction in the differences in social progress, largely driven by the narrowing of the gap in basic human needs. Conversely, sizeable cross-country disparities remain in foundations of well-being and opportunities.
- Legislative reforms and market dynamics in the provision of urban water service by private contract operators in Spain(2022) Albalate, Daniel; Bel, Germà; González-Gómez, Franciso; Picazo-Tadeo, AndrésThis paper studies the dynamics of concentration in the Spanish market for the provision of urban water service by private contract operators in the 2000-2020 period. The market is highly concentrated. Concentration increased until 2007, at which point it started to decline when Law 30/2007 on Public Sector Contracts and Organic Law 8/2007 on Political Party Financing were passed; before rising again from 2016 onwards. This latter trend results from strategic behaviour by the two leading operators, acquiring smaller companies with a notable presence in some regional markets. Further legislative reforms aimed at safeguarding space for competition are thus proposed.
- Regulatory asymmetry between the U.S. and the EU: climatic transition risk and the stock market reaction to Trump's 2024 victory.(2026) Castaño, Leticia; Farinós, José Emilio; Ibáñez, Ana MaríaWe study whether short-term market values reflect changes in relative climate‑transition risk arising from expected regional policy asymmetries. We focus on the stock market reaction to a key political signal following Trump's 2024 victory: the announcement of Lee Zeldin's appointment as head of the Environmental Protection Agency, interpreted as a turning point toward weaker U.S. climate regulation relative to the European Union (EU). Using event‑study methodology, we estimate abnormal returns around this announcement for 1,122 EU and 808 U.S. listed companies with 2023 carbon emissions data. While prior research focuses on single-country settings or elections, we address the gap in how markets price regulatory divergence across major jurisdictions. We find EU firms experienced significant negative abnormal returns, whereas U.S. firms exhibited positive or non‑significant reactions, with significant differences across most industries. The negative reaction for EU firms is, in general, not more pronounced in carbon‑intensive sectors and firms and remains robust to alternative pollution measures (CO2 emission levels and carbon intensity). Additional tests indicate that asset exposure in the U.S.A. does not attenuate this effect for EU firms. These findings suggest that investors anticipate a deterioration in the relative competitive position of EU firms due to increasing regulatory asymmetries and price this as a broad, economy‑wide transition risk rather than a risk confined to the most carbon‑intensive industries and firms. This study contributes by providing a clean identification of a climate policy signal and firm-level evidence on how transatlantic regulatory asymmetries and associated transition risks are incorporated into asset prices.
- Attitudes of millennials toward corporate responsibility: a 28-society multilevel analysis(2025) Terpstra Tong, Jane LY; Ralston, David A; Pla-Barber, Jose; Furrer, OlivierWe examined the attitudes of millennial-aged business students toward economic, social and environmentalcorporateresponsibility(CR).Currently,theseindividualsareofanagethattheyhaveenteredthe workforce andare nowascendingorhaveascendedintorolesofleadership inwhich they havedecision-making power that influences their company's CR agenda and implementation. Thus, following the ecological systems perspective, we tested both the macro influence of cultural values (survival/self-expression and traditional/ secular-rational values) and structural forces (income inequality, welfare socialism and environmental vulnerability) on these individuals' attitudes toward CR.
- Clinical tool or distraction? Predictors of smartphone use during nursing clinical placements and implications for professional formation(2026) Peidró-Huerta, Alba; Casanoves-Boix, Javier; Santateresa-Bernat, Patricia. I.; Navarro-Martínez, OlgaBackground Smartphones may support point-of-care learning during nursing clinical placements, but their use also raises concerns about distraction, professionalism, infection prevention, and patient safety. Aim To examine smartphone-use frequency during placements and identify factors associated with more frequent use among undergraduate nursing students. Methods A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 248 nursing students in Spain. Results Smartphone use was generally infrequent, although 10.5% reported habitual use. Use increased across academic years, and leisure use was the strongest independent predictor of more frequent use. More frequent use was also associated with coping motives, feeling safer with the phone available, and perceived risks to professionalism and patient safety. More than half never disinfected their phones, and one-third never performed hand hygiene after use. Conclusions Nursing programs should explicitly teach when smartphone use is appropriate for learning during placements and how it differs from leisure use. Clinical placement policies should include device-hygiene guidance and shared expectations for professional smartphone conduct across academic and clinical settings.
- Brand Communication in the Digital Context: A Systematic Literature Review (2020-2024)(2026) Mayorga-Escalada, Santiago; Alameda-García, David; Luque-Ortiz, Sergio; Casanoves-Boix, JavierThis study analyses brand communication in a digital context by conducting a systematic review of the literature published between 2020 and 2024. Twenty-five scientific articles were examined using the PRISMA method, employing quantitative and qualitative research to identify trends, methodological approaches, and lines of discourse within the discipline. The results highlight four key areas of brand communication: (1) brand identity construction; (2) the impact of technology; (3) social media engagement; and (4) the growing popularity of purpose-driven brands. The findings reveal that brand identity is a strategic pillar that evolves based on user interactions. Furthermore, the impact of technological advancements is examined.
- Factores determinantes para el emprendimiento en personas con niveles de discapacidad(2026) López Torres, Harlyn Dario; Saorin Iborra, María del Carmen; Revuelto Taboada, Lorenzo; Escola de DoctoratLa tesis doctoral analiza los factores que determinan la intención emprendedora de personas con discapacidad en el Área Metropolitana del Valle de Aburrá, integrando la Teoría del Comportamiento Planificado y la Perspectiva Institucional. La investigación se desarrolló bajo un enfoque cuantitativo, no experimental y transversal, con una muestra aproximada de 401 participantes. Mediante modelos de ecuaciones estructurales, se validaron las relaciones entre educación empresarial, apoyo de familiares y amigos, actitud hacia el emprendimiento, autoeficacia emprendedora, barreras percibidas e intención emprendedora. Los resultados muestran que la educación empresarial y el apoyo social fortalecen la actitud y la autoeficacia, variables que inciden positivamente en la intención de emprender. Además, el apoyo de familiares y amigos contribuye a reducir las barreras percibidas. La tesis aporta un modelo empíricamente validado y ofrece orientaciones para diseñar programas, políticas y estrategias de emprendimiento inclusivo con enfoque territorial.
- Comunicación interna digital y responsabilidad social corporativa interna: efectos sobre la felicidad y el bienestar laboral de los empleados(2026) Soler Sanchis, Alexandra; Gil Saura, Irene; Berenguer Contrí, Gloria; Escola de DoctoratLa Tesis Doctoral analiza el papel de la comunicación interna digital en las organizaciones, centrándose en el uso de las redes sociales corporativas como herramientas estratégicas de interacción, participación y conexión organizativa. La investigación diferencia entre la dimensión formal e informal de la comunicación interna digital y examina su relación con la responsabilidad social corporativa interna y con variables psicosociales, como la felicidad y el bienestar laboral. Asimismo, incorpora la antigüedad del empleado como variable moderadora dentro del modelo de análisis. La tesis se desarrolla bajo la modalidad de compendio de publicaciones y en el marco de mención industrial. Metodológicamente, combina distintos enfoques cuantitativos aplicados al sector servicios en España. Los resultados evidencian que una comunicación interna digital efectiva favorece la felicidad y el bienestar de los empleados, fortalece el compromiso organizativo y contribuye al desarrollo de entornos laborales más participativos, sostenibles, colaborativos y orientados a las personas.
- Las restricciones en el acceso al crédito bancario y el uso de sistemas de contabilidad y control de gestión en pequeñas empresas(Centro de Estudios Financieros (CEF), 2025) Álvarez-Espiño, Marcos; Fernández-López, Sara; Rey-Ares, Lucía; Graña-Álvarez, Roberto; Berbel-Vera, Jose; López-Valeiras, ErnestoEste trabajo estudia la relación entre el uso de sistemas de contabilidad y control de gestión (SCCG) y las restricciones de acceso al crédito bancario de las pequeñas empresas en España. El acceso al crédito es un factor determinante para el crecimiento y la supervivencia de este tipo de organizaciones. Aunque la literatura sugiere que el uso de SCCG puede reducir las barreras para obtener financiación, la evidencia empírica al respecto es limitada. Los análisis previos son escasos y relativamente recientes, se centran en sectores específicos de economías en vías de desarrollo y no tienen como objetivo principal relacionar estas variables. Este estudio utiliza datos de la Encuesta de Competencias Financieras en las Pequeñas Empresas, realizada por el Banco de España en 2021, con un total de 1.120 observaciones. Los resultados confirman una relación negativa entre el uso de estos sistemas y las restricciones de acceso al crédito bancario, lo que sugiere que su implementación favorece el acceso de las pequeñas empresas a la financiación externa.
- Management control meets AI: From data- driven literature review to research gap(Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP) — Departamento de Ciencias Contables, 2025) Feria Alonso, Omar; Shakina, Elena; Gonzalez-Sanchez, Maria Beatriz; Berbel-Vera, JoseLa integración de la inteligencia artificial (IA) en la investigación académica constituye un instrumento de alto impacto para la gestión del conocimiento científico. A partir de ello, este artículo presenta una revisión de la literatura basada en datos que explora la intersección entre los sistemas de control de gestión (SCG) y la IA, mapea los principales clústeres temáticos, e identifica vacíos de investigación. Sobre la base de un corpus curado de artículos revisados por pares, publicados entre 2010 y 2025, se identificaron cinco clústeres temáticos principales; además, se evaluó en qué medida cada uno aborda la transparencia y la explicabilidad, preocupaciones centrales en la implementación de IA en contextos de SCG. Los hallazgos revelan que solo dos clústeres abordan explícitamente la IA explicable (XAI), lo que evidencia una importante laguna en la literatura. Este estudio ofrece una doble contribución: proporciona un mapeo sistemático de las investigaciones actuales sobre sistemas de control habilitados por IA, y propone una agenda de investigación que destaca la necesidad de un enfoque más integrado y transparente hacia la explicabilidad en contextos de toma de decisiones impulsados por IA. Además, el estudio demuestra la capacidad de las técnicas basadas en datos para orientar futuras investigaciones, subrayando el papel indispensable de la lectura crítica y del juicio humano en la aplicación de métodos de IA a la investigación académica.
- The role of management control systems for digital transformation success(Springer, 2025) Berbel Vera, Jose; González Sánchez, María Beatriz; Barrachina Palanca, Mercedes; Sánchez García, JavierThe aim of this paper is to gain a better understanding of the role played by management control systems (MCSs) in digital transformation success (DTS) within organizations. We draw on Simons’ (Levers of control, Harvard Business School Press, Boston, 1995) levers of control to investigate, first, whether the interactive use of MCSs and belief systems fosters the development of digital dynamic capabilities (DDCs) and, second, whether they can act as moderators to increase DTS. On the basis of survey data collected from a sample of 415 managers, the study employs structural equation modelling with EQS to assess the proposed relationships. Our findings partially support the hypotheses regarding the interactive use of MCSs and belief systems. While we observed a positive direct association with DDCs, the moderating effects are not significant for interactive MCSs and are negative for belief systems. Furthermore, this study encourages managers to recognize the potential of alternative uses of MCSs beyond those hypothesized, within the context of digital transformation. This study contributes to the literature by providing new insights into the role of MCSs in DTS and by highlighting the fundamental function of DDCs as mediating variable in the relationship between MCSs and DTS.
- El rol de los sistemas de control de gestión como dinamizadores de la transformación digital en las empresas de España y América Latina(Fundación Carolina, 2021) González Sánchez, María Beatriz; Barrachina Palanca, Mercedes; Berbel Vera, JoseEste capítulo analiza el papel de los sistemas de control de gestión (SCG) como dinamizadores de la transformación digital en las empresas de España y América Latina. Partiendo de la literatura sobre capacidades dinámicas y transformación digital, los autores examinan cómo los SCG contribuyen al desarrollo de las capacidades necesarias para que las organizaciones establecidas afronten el cambio estratégico que implica la digitalización. El trabajo incluye un estudio empírico que combina un estudio Delphi para definir las funciones del Chief Digital Officer (CDO) y un análisis basado en una muestra de organizaciones españolas y latinoamericanas, y presenta un modelo teórico que relaciona los SCG, las capacidades dinámicas digitales y el éxito de la transformación digital.
- Using Textual Sentiment in Key Audit Matters reporting as a Proxy of Financial Health(2026) Dusadeedumkoeng, Orathai; Gandía Cabedo, Juan Luis; Huguet Benavent, David; Escola de DoctoratThis doctoral thesis examines whether Key Audit Matters (KAMs) disclosed in audit reports can serve as a warning sign of firms’ financial health. The three objectives examine: (1) what factors influence the number and type of KAMs; and (2) how auditors write and voice, as well as what factors shape these linguistic features; and (3) the new communication channel has effectively enhanced the communication and information value of audit reporting and the KAMs characteristics including their quantity and their textual features can be used as signals of a meaningful proxy for a firm’s financial health. Using an unbalanced panel data of 3,052 firm-year observations and 5,687 KAMs-level across 682 companies from Thai listed and delisted companies on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) and the Market for Alternative Investment (MAI) between 2016 and 2020. Readability is measured using both readability indices: the Fog Index and the Flesch Reading Ease Score. Sentiment is captured through dictionary-based sentiment analysis, using Loughran and McDonald word lists. Descriptive, univariate, and correlation analyses are performed. Regression models combining KAMs’ characteristics, firm characteristics, and audit characteristics are used to assess their association with firms' financial health, proxied by Altman’s Z’’-score. A two-step system GMM estimator is employed to address potential endogeneity. The findings show that auditors disclose approximately 2 KAMs per year. The most common KAMs type is related to areas with high estimation uncertainty, such as revenue recognition, inventory, impairment, and financial instruments. Next, the results indicate that auditors convey a moderate negative tone and write less readable text, particularly in ALRKAMs. Lower readability is associated with a more negative tone and that these linguistic features vary across firms. Further, the number, type, and textual features of KAMs are shaped by firm characteristics (i.e., firm size, firm complexity, and firm risk) and audit characteristics such as audit firm size, audit specialization, audit opinion, and auditor gender. Additionally, the evidence also suggests that firms with poorer financial health tend to receive more KAMs, particularly those related to solvency and firm viability. KAMs related to impairment, PPE valuation, leasing, internal control, litigation, and going-concern issues are associated with financial difficulty. Importantly, a negative tone is significantly associated with weaker financial health. The thesis finds that the unreadable and more negative tone of KAMs is associated with a higher firm’s financial distress level, consistent with conservative audit communication. Therefore, these findings highlight the importance of considering not only the number of KAMs, but also their nature, readability, and tone when assessing firms’ financial health, supporting the view that high-quality audit communication can serve as a meaningful proxy for financial distress in emerging markets.
- Porque fuimos, somos: historia reciente del trabajo social en España(Consejo General del Trabajo Social, 2026) Martín Estalayo, Maribel; Lombardero Posada, Xoán; Navajas-Pertegás, Nina"Porque fuimos, somos: Historia reciente del trabajo social en España" reconstruye la evolución del trabajo social español desde las décadas de 1960 a 1980 a partir de los testimonios de treinta y cuatro trabajadoras sociales de distintos territorios del Estado. La obra combina investigación histórica y entrevistas cualitativas para recuperar la memoria profesional de una generación que participó activamente en la construcción de la disciplina y de los servicios sociales modernos en España. El libro muestra cómo una actividad inicialmente vinculada a la beneficencia y a modelos asistenciales de carácter moralizador fue transformándose progresivamente en una profesión orientada a los derechos sociales, la justicia social y la dignidad humana. Este proceso se desarrolló en un contexto marcado por la dictadura franquista, la transición democrática y la posterior consolidación del estado del bienestar. La obra analiza los orígenes de la profesión, el desarrollo de las escuelas de formación y la progresiva institucionalización de los estudios de trabajo social, desde las primeras escuelas impulsadas durante la Segunda República hasta el reconocimiento universitario de la diplomatura en 1981 y, posteriormente, la implantación del grado universitario. También examina las trayectorias educativas de las participantes, sus motivaciones para estudiar asistencia social y las dificultades derivadas de un contexto profundamente condicionado por las desigualdades de género y por las limitaciones educativas y laborales impuestas a las mujeres durante el franquismo. Un eje central del libro es la transición desde la formación al ejercicio profesional. Las entrevistadas relatan cómo comenzaron a trabajar en ámbitos tan diversos como Cáritas, ayuntamientos, diputaciones, empresas, hospitales psiquiátricos, educación o vivienda. En muchos casos tuvieron que definir funciones, diseñar recursos y desarrollar metodologías prácticamente desde cero. Sus testimonios reflejan creatividad, compromiso, capacidad organizativa y una fuerte orientación transformadora en un momento en que gran parte de los dispositivos de bienestar aún no existían. La investigación también destaca la importancia del asociacionismo profesional, los congresos y las jornadas que permitieron construir una identidad colectiva. Especial atención reciben las Jornadas de Pamplona de 1977, los debates sobre bienestar social y los procesos que condujeron a la creación y consolidación del sistema público de servicios sociales. La profesión aparece así como un actor relevante en la democratización del país y en el desarrollo de las políticas sociales contemporáneas. En conjunto, el libro constituye un ejercicio de memoria profesional que reconoce el papel de las trabajadoras sociales que contribuyeron a definir la identidad, los valores y las prácticas del trabajo social en España. Su mensaje principal es que comprender el presente de la profesión exige conocer las luchas, aprendizajes y conquistas de quienes la hicieron posible.
- El maltrato hacia la cuidadora en un contexto de cuidado familiar. Un estudio de caso(Bellaterra, 2026) Gil Junquero, Mónica; Navajas-Pertegás, NinaLa crisis de los cuidados, el envejecimiento poblacional y el carácter familista del estado de bienestar en España han intensificado la presión sobre los hogares y, en particular, sobre las mujeres que cuidan. Sin embargo, la literatura ha prestado poca atención a una forma específica de violencia: el maltrato ejercido por la persona mayor cuidada hacia su cuidadora familiar. Este capítulo analiza este fenómeno en un contexto de cuidado doméstico. A partir de un estudio de caso con tres hermanas cuidadoras de su padre anciano en Valencia, examina cómo construyen discursivamente el maltrato hacia una cuidadora familiar en la relación de cuidados. Los datos proceden de observación participante, diario de campo y entrevistas semiestructuradas, y se examinan mediante análisis temático. Los resultados se organizan en tres ejes: la caracterización del maltrato psicológico, verbal y pasivo-agresivo sufrido por una cuidadora; la reactivación de antiguos patrones familiares de violencia en el escenario actual de dependencia; y las consecuencias físicas, emocionales, sociales y laborales del cuidado y del maltrato. El capítulo muestra que esta violencia permanece poco visible y constituye una injusticia social de género que exige mayor atención investigadora, profesional y política.
