Search

Bans on the cosmetic use of pesticides in urban green spaces (UGS) is part of the toolbox to reduce pesticide use. While most technical barriers have been lifted, the acceptability of the global changes induced by pesticide-free UGS management is questioned. Public administrators in charge of UGSs have their own preferences and poorly informed opinions on citizens’ ones. A Discrete Choice Experiment approach was adopted to investigate the discrepancy between the preferences of French citizens and public administrators in charge of technical and budget decisions, in 2017, when the pesticide ban was enforced. Results indicate that the most important differences are in the willingness to improve the working conditions of the maintenance teams, the interest in more natural UGSs and the relevance of communication on the pesticide ban. By challenging some of the opinions of UGS administrators with regard to citizens’ preferences, our results remove some of the barriers to a successful transition toward pesticide-free UGSs.

Innovation and adaptation of renewable energy technologies significantly reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions and increase energy efficiency. Understanding the convergence patterns in renewable energy innovation will enable policymakers to design policies to increase energy efficiency and renewable energy consumption and reduce CO2 emissions. This paper applies the convergence algorithm proposed by Philips and Sul to assess the convergence in renewable energy innovation for 90 countries covering the period between 1993 and 2018. This paper also examines the determinants/factors driving the convergence clubs of the countries using Probit and Logit regression. The convergence analyses suggest that there is no global convergence in renewable energy innovation. Findings highlight two convergence clubs: i) a club comprising more innovative countries and ii) another club that includes less innovative countries. We find that countries with higher income per capita, CO2 emissions per capita, research and development (R&D) investment, better environmental regulations and stronger institutional settings are more likely to be part of the innovative club. Countries should increase their R&D investment and environmental regulations and improve their institutional quality to increase their likelihood of belonging to a more innovative club. Furthermore, less innovative countries could promote policies to transfer renewable energy technologies from innovative countries

En España, la aceituna de mesa se produce principalmente en Andalucía. Destaca la producción de Sevilla. El cultivo del olivar con las variedades Manzanilla y Gordal se encuentra en un contexto bastante difícil y complejo desde hace un buen número de años. Por una parte, está en clara desventaja frente a otros sistemas olivareros con variedades con menos costes y más competitivas. Además, la fuerte expansión internacional del olivar de mesa con plantaciones intensivas y costes bajos son un serio competidor para el olivar manzanillo y para el gordal. Y por otra, se ha producido una concentración en el sector de la gran Distribución comercial, adquiriendo un elevado poder de negociación en la cadena de valor. El objetivo general es el estudio de los principales cambios en el cultivo del olivar de las variedades Manzanilla y Gordal, y la estimación de la rentabilidad de la cadena de valor

El Consejo Regulador de las Indicaciones Geográficas Protegidas (IGP) de las aceitunas de mesa tradicionales sevillanas como son Aceituna Manzanilla de Sevilla y Aceituna Gordal de Sevilla junto a la Universidad de Sevilla han realizado un proyecto de investigación con el objetivo de profundizar en el conocimiento de las características geográficas de las parcelas adscritas a la IGP para disponer de una herramienta de análisis y valoración de su grado de sostenibilidad. El estudio y análisis de los datos nos permitirá comprender, y por tanto si fuera preciso intervenir, las relaciones espaciales y temporales de la producción de aceituna Manzanilla y Gordal en el marco territorial protegido de la IGP

The Circular Economy (CE) has notable potential for the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of agriculture. However, the literature on the CE has focused on the industrial sector, leaving significant gaps in the analysis of sustainable circular models in agriculture. In the case of traditional table-olive cultivation, which suffers from serious competitiveness problems, the possibilities of the CE are particularly relevant. Given the lack of previous research for the sector, this work aims to map the circular practices carried out in traditional tableolive groves and identify their drivers and barriers. To this end, an exploratory methodology of mixed approaches is proposed that combines desk research, observational fieldwork, focus groups with stakeholders and experts, and farmers’ in-depth interviews. This methodology can be generalised to other crops. The results obtained have enabled up to 59 practices to be brought to light throughout all stages of the life cycle of olive cultivation, which cover all the principles and strategies of the CE. Plant covers, the use of eco-efficient techniques, the repair and sharing of machinery and tools, and the management of organic outputs stand out. The collaborative economy and institutional support were identified as the main drivers, while technical-economic barriers and regulatory limitations constitute the main obstacles detected. Based on these results, three groups of recommendations are proposed as a guide to future policies for which certain CE practices are highlighted: increase financial incentives, create a stable legislative framework, and reinforce incentives for the collaborative economy.

Se aborda una investigación histórica centrada en la evolución del comercio de la aceituna de mesa a través del Guadalquivir y, principalmente, en sus años de apogeo desde finales del siglo XIX hasta la última década del siglo XX, como lo atestigua el que en ya en el año 1960 la comercialización de la aceituna de mesa sevillana a través del Puerto de Sevilla fue 16,3 veces mayor que en 1891 (pasando de 5,8 a 94,8 millones de Kg). El inicio y final de este periodo coincide con un momento de esplendor y decadencia, respectivamente del Puerto de Sevilla, que pasa de ser uno de los puertos más importantes del sur de España a ser sustituido en gran medida por otros puertos marítimos cercanos. En el caso concreto de la comercialización de la aceituna de mesa sevillana, el Puerto de Sevilla es principalmente sustituido por el Puerto de Algeciras.

Although traffic police enforcement is widely recognized as a key action in the road safety field, it can be a costly policy to implement. In addition, governments often impose budget constraints that can limit the resources available for activities such as law enforcement and surveillance. To evaluate the impact of human traffic control resources planning on traffic fatalities on Spanish NUTS-3 regions interurban roads, this paper uses an econometric model to investigate the performance of police enforcement intensity by focusing on two crucial traffic law infractions (i.e., speeding and drunk driving). After controlling for a range of economic, demographic, climate, and risk exposure variables, results highlight the relevance of visible, human, and in-person traffic law enforcement through regular vehicle patrols for reducing traffic crashes, with a non-significant effect of automatic enforcement. Our findings have important implications for traffic police resource management regarding the effective maintenance of patrol cars and plans to digitalize and automatize police administrative tasks and procedures.

Uno de los actuales problemas de la Educación Superior es la cuestión de las tasas de abandono universitario. Este trabajo aborda dicha cuestión para el Grado en Administración y Dirección de Empresas (GADE), una de las 5 titulaciones universitarias con más salidas profesionales en el mercado español. Concretamente, se realiza un primer análisis descriptivo del abandono de los estudiantes de GADE de la Universidad de Sevilla y, apoyándonos en estudios anteriores, poniendo el foco en la dimensión de género

Firm-level bribery and regulation are two of the many determinants of firm performance. However, most of the existing studies examine the direct and linear effects of bribery and regulation and overlook their indirect effects. Using firm-level data, covering 20,343 firms in 78 developing countries, and employing a threshold model, the effects of firm performance’s standard determinants vary based on the bribery and regulation levels. Our findings reveal that the impact of bribery and regulation on firm performance varies significantly depending on corruption and regulation levels. Access to external finance improves firm performance if and only if the firms are exposed to bribes and firm-level regulation is below a given threshold. Furthermore, exports boost the performance of the firms that are exposed to more bribery and spend more time with regulation than those that face lower levels of regulation and bribery. While bribery harms firm performance, our findings reveal that spending time with regulation could improve firm performance if firms are exposed to low levels of bribery. Our findings confirm the ‘sand the wheels’ hypothesis and limiting firm-level bribery improves firm performance.

Higher education is currently facing several challenges as a result of an uncertain environment. This has led to a demand from organisations for employees with an entrepreneurial, innovative, and risk-taking profile in a global environment. These traits are characteristic of the so-called intrapreneurs. This paper compares the intrapreneurial intentions of university students in Spain and Nicaragua by analysing the effect of the variables age, gender, previous professional experience and entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial training. Based on a total sample of 474 students, among the main results, we highlight the fact that Nicaraguan students have a higher assessment of innovation and risk-taking than Spanish students. In addition, age and professional experience are common variables that improve innovation and risk-taking for both groups. Although there is no gender gap among Nicaraguan students, in Spanish students women are rated lower than men.

Although researchers have investigated the relationship between inter-organisational collaboration andfirm performance, there is scattered evidence on the relationship between environmental collaboration and environmental performance in agri-food supply chains. This study assesses the effects of environmental collaboration onfive dimensions of environmental performance (greenhouse gas emissions management, energy management, food waste management, food safety management, and water footprint management) in agri-food supply chains, particularly when mediated and moderated by customer and regulatory pressures. This study used a survey of Chilean agri-food companies. The data were analyzed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. We found that environmental collaboration positively influences all five dimensions of environmental performance and that customer and regulatory pressures mediate this relationship. The dimension most affected by environmental collaboration was water footprint management. Finally, we provide recommendations for improving the environmental performance of companies in agri-food supply chains through collaboration.

While universities are expected to exemplify sustainable practices, they often encounter high energy demands. This dichotomy highlights the necessity for research into their energy consumption. Through a Systematic Literature Review, we examined international research trends in this field and explored factors influencing energy consumption. The importance of this article stems from its novel approach to energy consumption in universities, addressed from a global and comprehensive perspective, offering generalizable insights. Additionally, it pioneers in the use of a market concentration indicator (Herfindahl–Hirschman index) to measure the level of diversity in various bibliometric aspects. The extended perspective of our approach helps to close knowledge gaps about scientific trends and common energy consumption factors. Our results show that this topic has been investigated with limited involvement of social sciences. Building function, research intensity, and disciplinary orientation are distinctive factors in energy consumption in this field. Most influential authors, countries, and journals in this area were identified. This analysis contributes academically, by mapping research trends and providing guidance for future studies; practically, by offering insights for educational administrators on common factors affecting energy consumption; and in terms of policy, by advocating for the promotion of social sciences-based investigations on the topic.

Invasive alien species are the second cause of biodiversity loss worldwide and imply huge economic costs related to their impact on ecosystems, production systems, and human health. Quantifying these losses is a complex task, but it becomes essen- tial to evaluate the problem and support measures to prevent and control biological invasions. In the last 6 years, Rugulopteryx okamurae has invaded a large part of the rocky bottoms of the coasts of the Strait of Gibraltar. Moreover, it has meant significant losses for the economic activities that take place along the Andalusian coast. Using a mixed-method approach, this work estimated the costs associated with the pres- ence of Rugulopteryx okamurae in the municipality of Tarifa, Spain, in a minimum annual loss of more than three million euros, concentrated mainly in the fishing sector and public administration. These results buttress the relevance of prevention, early detection, and prompt action measures to soften the economic impact of future biological invasion processes in the marine-coastal environment.

The Research Excellence Framework (REF) follows a set of submission rules. Here we analyse whether the submission rules of the impact element arguably shaped the submission sizes of the submitting units – a group of academics researching on a specific subject area in higher education providers – to the REF in 2014. The number of impact case studies required was determined by the number of full-time equivalent (FTE) staff members submitted by the unit. We argue that units that did not have an extra impact case study or units’ perception of lower quality of additional impact case study made some units to lower their submission sizes. We show that there were proportionately more submissions with a size just below the threshold FTE – a threshold used to identify the numbers of impact case studies – than those just above the threshold, suggesting that some units arguably decreased their size to return fewer impact studies.

This paper aims to address the current limitations in knowledge about e-democracy by establishing the conceptual, intellectual, and social structure of scientific literature. Hence, this paper offers an in-depth bibliometric analysis of the literature that has addressed this reality since its first publication in 1983. The most important scientific databases currently used in the academic field were consulted to achieve this objective: Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus. In the case of WoS, 540 articles were identified, 572 in the case of Scopus. The results were harmonised to obtain a final 773 articles under study. This harmonisation of results from different databases is a differential element concerning other studies in which the analysis was carried out on a single database, thus reducing a global and homogeneous vision of the possible connections and interrelationships of the realities analysed. The information collected has been processed using the Bibliometrix tool, which provides information on annual scientific production, authors, journals, topics, keywords, etc. The processing and analysis of the results has made it possible to identify research trends in the area, establish relationships between them and detect future research opportunities for the e-democracy phenomenon., Este artículo aborda las limitaciones actuales en el conocimiento de la democracia electrónica estableciendo la estructura conceptual, intelectual y social de la literatura científica. Se realiza un análisis bibliométrico en profundidad desde la primera publicación en 1983. Se consultaron las bases científicas más importantes en la académica: Web of Science (WoS) y Scopus. En el caso de WoS, se identificaron 540 artículos, 572 en el caso de Scopus que cumplían los criterios de inclusión. Los resultados se armonizaron obteniendo un total de 773 artículos objeto de estudio. Esta armonización es un elemento diferencial respecto a otros estudios en los que el análisis se ha realizado sobre una única base de datos, reduciendo así una visión global y homogénea de las posibles conexiones e interrelaciones de las realidades analizadas. La información recogida se ha procesado utilizando la herramienta Bibliometrix, que proporciona información sobre producción científica anual, autores, revistas, temas, palabras clave, etc. El tratamiento y análisis de los resultados ha permitido identificar tendencias de investigación en el área, establecer relaciones entre ellas y detectar futuras oportunidades de investigación para el fenómeno de la e-democracia.

This research provides new empirical evidence of the gender gap in university studies in the economics-business area based on econometric analysis (mean difference, OLS, quantile regression, logit/probit). The sample includes 717 first-year students of the 2016–2020 economics, business administration and management, and marketing degree courses at the University of Seville, Spain. Gender differences favoring female students both in the variables prior to entering the university and in university academic success indicators are documented. The findings continue to indicate the underrepresentation of women in these studies (40.4%), even though better academic performance and retention results for women are documented in the estimated models. The dissemination of these results could encourage females to choose these studies, thereby helping to achieve more equality in the profession.

This work delves into the increasing relevance of Large Language Models (LLMs) in the realm of sustainable policy-making, proposing an innovative hetero-intelligence framework that blends human and artificial intelligence (AI) for tackling modern sustainability challenges. The research methodology includes a hetero-intelligence performance test, which juxtaposes human intelligence with AI in the formulation and implementation of sustainable policies. After testing this hetero-intelligence methodology, seven steps are rigorously described so that it can be replicated in any sustainability planning related context. The results underscore the capabilities and limitations of LLMs, underscoring the critical role of human intelligence in enhancing the efficacy of hetero-intelligence systems. This work fulfils the need of a rigorous methodological framework based on empirical steps that can provide unbiased outcomes to be integrated into sustainable planning and decision-making processes.

The Circular Economy (CE) has notable potential for the economic, environmental, and social sustainability of agriculture. However, the literature on the CE has focused on the industrial sector, leaving significant gaps in the analysis of sustainable circular models in agriculture. In the case of traditional table-olive cultivation, which suffers from serious competitiveness problems, the possibilities of the CE are particularly relevant. Given the lack of previous research for the sector, this work aims to map the circular practices carried out in traditional table-olive groves and identify their drivers and barriers. To this end, an exploratory methodology of mixed approaches is proposed that combines desk research, observational fieldwork, focus groups with stakeholders and experts, and farmers' in-depth interviews. This methodology can be generalised to other crops. The results obtained have enabled up to 59 practices to be brought to light throughout all stages of the life cycle of olive cultivation, which cover all the principles and strategies of the CE. Plant covers, the use of eco-efficient techniques, the repair and sharing of machinery and tools, and the management of organic outputs stand out. The collaborative economy and institutional support were identified as the main drivers, while technical-economic barriers and regulatory limitations constitute the main obstacles detected. Based on these results, three groups of recommendations are proposed as a guide to future policies for which certain CE practices are highlighted: increase financial incentives, create a stable legislative framework, and reinforce incentives for the collaborative economy.

The decarbonisation of electricity supply poses a major milestone in the mitigation of climate change. Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) provide a relevant instrument for the quantification and comparison of the economic and environmental impacts of various electricity decarbonisation scenarios, despite having rarely been applied to a national context. In this paper, an IAM able to calculate such impacts on the electricity sector in Spain is presented. Developed using the latest IAM modelling literature, the proposed model is able to estimate changes in temperature, climate-induced economic losses, and investment needs for climate mitigation corresponding to a range of electricity decarbonisation scenarios on a time horizon to 2050. The findings show that scenarios that undertake deeper and earlier cuts in CO2 emissions from electricity generation would achieve better welfare results, and that further reliance on fossil fuels would imply higher costs than the investment needed for renewable energy deployment in Spain. The findings constitute an insight towards the formulation of policies that address the decarbonisation of the Spanish electricity supply.

The current climate change debate puts forest conservation and halting deforestation at the forefront of the social and political agenda. This paper analyzes the relationship between forested area and economic growth for a sample of 19 Latin American countries. The selected region has extensive forested areas, but also high rates of deforestation, which makes it a crucial area for reversing deforestation trends. The Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis for deforestation is tested for the period 1991–2014, taking environmental damage to the forest cover as an indicator, measured through two variables: the forested area per capita and a comparison to the country's total area. The methodology used applied regressions by panel data, using a semiparametric technique, as well as the generalized method of moments quantile-regression. Obtained results support the hypothesis, although the positive effects of economic growth on forestation tends to disappear, as the income levels become higher. More specifically, the quantile regression shows a positive, growing relationship between forested area per capita and economic growth (from a threshold point) that tends to be softer in more forested areas. Meanwhile, the Ushaped relationship supported when the forested area is compared to the total area tends to reach the maximum value. Therefore, the positive effects of economic growth on forestation tend to disappear, this being more especially observed in the most forested areas.

The changes that have come about at airports in recent decades in the areas of security, deregulation, and technological advances have affected both airport management and the passenger experience at airport facilities. In addition, all around the world, the airport sector has been struck by the COVID-19 pandemic during 2020 and 2021. Using a broad sample of data taken from Airport Service Quality (ASQ) surveys and robust econometric methodology, specifically, an Ordered Logit model with Principal Component Analysis, this paper seeks to cover the gap in the academic literature regarding the effect of a worldwide pandemic on passenger satisfaction at airports during the 2015–2021 period, while taking into consideration the passenger profile and journey and airport attributes. It takes as its reference a Spanish regional airport, which had been experiencing a strong expansion process prior to the pandemic. With respect to the variables linked to the passenger profile, a dif- ferential behavior is observed in satisfaction depending on nationality, motive for travel, and destination. In addition, the four facility- and airport process-related dimensions are significant, with cleanliness and comfort standing out above all others. These are even more important in a health emergency scenario such as is currently being experienced. Lastly, 2021 is shown to cause a downturn in the positive passenger satisfaction with the airport that had been observed during the first year of the pandemic. Therefore, more long-term management is required alongside the initial rapid and efficient action taken by airports, with up-to-date information for pas- sengers to internalize the inconveniences associated with this long-drawn-out period of uncertainty.

Although the pre-pandemic tourism debate was led by Overtourism, when the pandemic erupted, the increasing literature on this topic was still in an initial stage. The mobility restrictions derived from Covid-19 stopped Overtourism, but the problem is still far from being eradicated. There is an increasingly need for a solid body of knowledge on which to build recovery to avoid making past mistakes. A comprehensive pre-pandemic literature review is carried out, by proposing an overtourism conceptual framework that integrates its causes and consequences. How the pandemic could become an opportunity to transition to a responsible tourism model is discussed., El debate turístico previo a la pandemia estuvo protagonizado por el fenómeno del overtourism, con un crecimiento exponencial de la literatura científica. No obstante, en el momento de la irrupción del coronavirus, este topic aún estaba en un estadio inicial. Aunque las restricciones de movilidad derivadas del Covid-19 frenaron el overtourism, el problema está aún lejos de haberse erradicado. Hoy es más patente la necesidad de un cuerpo sólido de conocimientos sobre el cual construir la recuperación del sector, evitando cometer los errores del pasado. Este trabajo realiza una revisión exhaustiva de la literatura previa a la pandemia, proponiendo un marco conceptual para el análisis del overtourism que integra sus causas y consecuencias. Se discute cómo la pandemia podría convertirse en una oportunidad para la transición hacia un modelo de turismo responsable.

Tesis doctoral que aborda las externalidades medioambientales negativas como elemento a integrar dentro del paradigma económico, ofreciendo cuatro estudios interconectados sobre la inclusión de dichas externalidades en distintos contextos socioeconómicos, utilizando metodologías tanto cuantitativas como cualitativas. La tesis doctoral parte de la premisa de que nos encontramos en un momento fundamental en lucha contra el cambio climático, en el cual las políticas públicas de reducción de emisiones y transición a la neutralidad climática en Europa deben dar un salto cualitativo para contener los efectos más adversos del cambio climático.

Performance-based research funding systems (PBRFSs) have been used in selectively distributing research funding, increasing public money accountability and efciency. Two recent such evaluations in England were called the Research Excellence Framework (REF), which took place in 2014 and 2021, and the research environment, outputs and impact of the research were evaluated. Even though various aspects of the REF were examined, there has been limited research on how the performance of the universities and disciplines changed between the two evaluation periods. This paper assesses whether there has been convergence or divergence in research quality across universities and subject areas between 2014 and 2021 and found that there was an absolute convergence between universities in all three research elements evaluated, and universities that performed relatively worse in REF in 2014 experienced higher growth in their performance between 2014 and 2021. There was also an absolute convergence in the research environment and impact across diferent subject areas, but there is no signifcant convergence in the quality of research outputs across disciplines. Our fndings also highlight that there has been an absolute convergence in research quality within the universities (between diferent disciplines in a given university) and within disciplines (between universities in a given subject).

This paper investigates the impact of climate change on the spatial distribution of agricultural production in Turkey between 2004 and 2019. Our findings show that climate change has a pervasive impact on agricultural development. The empirical results show that the average temperature is negatively associated with agricultural land use, grain, and legume production. Moreover, regional variability analyses reveal the nonmonotonic relationships between climatic factors and agricultural output. Climate change hurts agricultural production in northern and central regions the most. This finding points out the ineffectiveness of one-size-fits-all-type pol- icies for mitigating the adverse effects of climate change in topography with sizeable spatial dissimilarities. Over- all, our results suggest that climate change will significantly threaten the evolution of agricultural activities that are critical for regional development. In addition, findings show that spatial spillovers and heterogeneity will be crucial for designing climate change policies for rural and agricultural development.

The existing studies that examined the green aid effectiveness in reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions found mixed results; however, neither of these studies considered the role of aid fragmentation in the effectiveness of green aid flows. By using the dynamic panel generalized method of moments (GMM) methodology to panel data of 92 countries covering the period between 2002 and 2018, this study examines the impact of green aid fragmentation on the effectiveness of green aid flows in reducing CO2 emissions. Using different fragmentation measures, this paper finds that green aid fragmentation is detrimental to the effectiveness of green aid flows in reducing CO2 emissions per capita. The findings also highlight that the damaging impact of green aid fragmentation is lower in countries with stronger institutions. This paper highlights the need for better coordination of the green aid flows by having less fragmented green aid flows.

Evaluation is a crucial part of the teaching and learning process in any higher education institution and one that has gone through a deep change. This has been particularly true since the Bologna Declaration (http:// www. ehea. info/ page- ministerial-conference- bologna- 1999, 1999) ushered in the European higher education area, with the subsequent major rise in the employment of continuous assessment methods focused on student participation. This article analyses the impact on academic performance of e-continuous assessment based on e-tests on a virtual platform as a previous step towards the substitution of the traditional evaluation system, based on a final exam, with a continuous evaluation system, prescribed as an alternative preferred by the regulations of multiple Spanish universities. Microeconometric models have been applied to a database of 250 first-year students on the Business Administration and Management course at the University of Seville (Spain). Our findings show that e-tests could prevent the risk of students dropping out and could also provide a credible predictor of students’ academic marks in the theoretical contents of the subject, but not in those of a practical or applied nature. Based on the results of this evaluation, an e-continuous assessment has been developed in the subject, which has become the majority option for students, with 90% participation, while also increasing pass rates. Moreover, the positive effect of a computing environment does not appear to be limited to the classroom, but also extends to students’ home environments. This teaching experience shows that the swift feedback that e-tools provides, especially in especially in environments of large class size such as in the class evaluated, could support instructors’ personal tutoring of students’ progress and promote a greater implementation of e-continuous assessment in Spanish higher education.

Climate change imposes an existential threat on the globe and has already had sizeable economic costs to countries. Environmental aid flows aim to alleviate the rising concerns of climate change in the developing world. Even though the existing literature has examined the effectiveness of green aid flows for reducing carbon dioxide emissions in the recipient countries, no existing study has examined the effectiveness of different classifications of green aid. Examining the green aid flows to 97 developing countries between 2002 and 2018, we find that all types of green aid significantly reduce carbon dioxide emissions; however, the aid flows targeting the environmental objectives are more effective in reducing carbon dioxide emissions compared to the aid flows that do not target environmental objectives or are not screened. The findings highlight that more aid should be screened and targeted for environmental objectives to increase the effectiveness of green aid flows in developing countries.

Firm-level bribery and regulation are two of the many determinants of firm performance. However, most of the existing studies examine the direct and linear effects of bribery and regulation and overlook their indirect effects. Using firm-level data, covering 20,343 firms in 78 developing countries, and employing a threshold model, the effects of firm performance’s standard determinants vary based on the bribery and regulation levels. Our findings reveal that the impact of bribery and regulation on firm performance varies significantly depending on corruption and regulation levels. Access to external finance improves firm performance if and only if the firms are exposed to bribes and firm-level regulation is below a given threshold. Furthermore, exports boost the performance of the firms that are exposed to more bribery and spend more time with regulation than those that face lower levels of regulation and bribery. While bribery harms firm performance, our findings reveal that spending time with regulation could improve firm performance if firms are exposed to low levels of bribery. Our findings confirm the ‘sand the wheels’ hypothesis and limiting firm-level bribery improves firm performance.

This paper analyzes the effect of certain factors on electricity consumption in Spain at a sectoral level. An electricity consumption function has been estimated by using panel data, depending on gross value added (GVA), temperatures, capitalization, and human capital. This function is obtained for total productive electricity consumption and for the agricultural, construction, industrial, service, and public administration sectors, referring to the 17 Autonomous Communities of Spain for the 2000–2013 period. The obtained results show important sectoral differences in the effect that GVA has on electricity consumption, indicating a positive and increasing effect of temperatures above 22 °C in the total economy and in the tertiary sector, and a negative effect of temperatures below 18 °C in some sectors. These results may indicate that global warming may induce an electricity demand growth in Spain, especially related to cooling needs. The results also highlight the positive effects of capitalization in all sectors, and the negative effects of human capital, except for the public administration sector. In this context, it may be appropriate to carry out policies that mitigate this consumption growth, reinforcing energy efficiency measures, and human capital investments.

This paper conducted a systematic literature review (SLR) of peer-review documents focused on residential energy consumption. The main finding of this SLR derived from its computational implementation, filling a gap in the available literature. The paper had two main objectives: (i) the SLR itself; and (ii) to systematically identify the main policy measures oriented at reducing energy consumption recommended by the available literature and its related greenhouses gas emissions. A significant lack of a connection between scientific fields was identified. The fields of energy, engineering and environmental science are those that have addressed these topics the most. The sub-field with the largest presence is energy, with 29.5%, followed by engineering (23.9%) and the environment (21.3%). It is recommended that this gap be bridged because many of the main political measures in force to reduce residential energy consumption come from economics and need to be explored from a social science perspective to choose those measures that are more cost-effective.

Recent work documents that even though partisan polarization may have detrimental economic and social outcomes, polarized societies lead to better governance and less corruption. However, the effect of corruption on partisan polarization has been mostly ignored by the literature. By using various measures of partisan polarization and corruption, this paper demonstrates that corrupt behaviours are associated with more partisan polarization in the European Union, indicating that a stronger presence of corruption leads to higher partisan polarization. The findings are robust to the use of different polarization measures, methodologies, and a battery of control variables. This paper’s main finding, increased corruption leading to increased partisan polarization, provides another important mechanism beyond the standard socio-economic factors that led to the current rise in support of parties opposing to European Union and rise of populist parties in European Union. Polarized societies tend to generate inefficient economic outcomes and the alleviation of corruption could improve economic outcomes by decreasing partisan polarization.

Driving offences can cause road accidents with serious outcomes and are a topic where differences in attitudes and behaviour can be found between sexes. While men are more prone to taking risks and, statistically, are involved in a greater number of traffic accidents, even today, sex stereotypes persist with women regarded as worse drivers. To explore the truth behind the myth, this study analyses how the increase in the number of females in the driver census in Spain, could impact the effectiveness of traffic law enforcement in terms of traffic offences recorded by the traffic police (including the main violations such as passive safety feature use, speed limits and drunk driving) while considering a set of control variables related to the quality of infrastructure, legal reforms and other socio-economic attributes. The results point to Spanish women paying closer attention to traffic regulations, behaving more carefully, which should be considered in designing specific preventive policies and road safety awareness strategies.

The previous literature has extensively examined the effect of firm-level bribery on firm performance but not through on-the-job training. This paper investigates the impact of paying bribes on the firm’s investment decisions in on-the-job training and offers mediating implications of corruption on firm performance. We empirically examine the relationship between bribery and on-the-job training using firm-level data from the World Bank Enterprise Surveys consisting of a sample of 94 developing countries with 20,601 firms. The findings show that bribery and on-the-job training intensity affects real annual sales growth rates negatively and positively, respectively. Furthermore, firms exposed to more bribery reduce their on-the-job training intensity. The results are robust to the different classifications of the firm’s size, different subsamples, and controls for the endogeneity of the on-the-job training and bribery.

Michelin-starred restaurants are not only the greatest exponent of haute cuisine in hospitality industry but also key players in the process of the development of gastronomy, food science, tourism destinations, and even regional economies. Despite the impact of this award, the previous academic literature has not addressed the factors and determinants that enable destinations to accrue Michelin-starred restaurants. This paper intends to be the first study that covers this gap using a rigorous econometric analysis (panel data) focused on the case of the Spanish provinces (NUTS-3). Results suggest that the promotion of international tourism (rather than domestic tourism), high-quality supply (such as PDOs), R&D institutions, luxury sectors and hospitality internship among others, might foster the development of appropriate ecosystems for Michelin-starred restaurants in the hospitality industry. The conclusions seek to serve as a basis not only for the development of managerial implications for the hospitality and tourism managers, including a public policy perspective, given their significant and positive socio-economic externalities.

Modelo de Análisis Integrado (IAM) en formato Excel que cubre el período 2010 a 2050 en diversos escenarios de descarbonización del sistema eléctrico español, permitiendo comparar los costes medioambientales y económicos de cada uno de ellos.

The European Union (EU) stands as one of the pioneering areas worldwide in the planning of the Circular Economy (CE), despite the fact that practical advances in this area are currently ahead of the related research. Significant gaps remain to be filled, particularly with regard to the measurement of circularity. This work is based on the need for global tools to measure the circular transition which, in turn, can be useful in evaluating the implementation of the action plans under development by the EU. A composite index of economic circularity (CECI) has been built for the EU and its Member States with which to approximate the progress after completion of the first Action Plan for the Circular Economy (APCE): 2014–2020. This index is based on recycling and downcycling, which is the main strategy developed by APCE. In contrast to previous indicators, CECI globally and rigorously summarises the transition towards the circular economy throughout the period of validity of the plan, by using a simple and easy-to-interpret calculation methodology known as Principal Component Analysis. Likewise, the results of the CECI make it possible to establish a ranking of the EU Member States based on their CE performances for each year under consideration. The results of the CECI show that the EU as a whole has advanced in economic circularity by 17.9%, which is almost 3% on average per year. The situation is very uneven across the various Member States and, although differences have narrowed during the APCE period, in recent years this rapprochement has deaccelerated. The countries that continue to lead the circular transition of the EU are the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany, while trailing behind are Romania, Malta, and Cyprus. In light of the results of the CECI and with the aim of achieving greater convergence in the transition to economic circularity in the EU, it would be advisable to intensify actions in those Member States whose starting situation is comparatively worse

This research analyzes the possible underlying determinants of citizens' intent to use electronic services provided by e-government (e-gov). A total of 519 responses and a theoretical model based on Unified Model of Electronic Government Adoption (UMEGA) including the role of e-gov in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, were used. A partial least squares structural equation model and the fs-QCA technique were used to analyze the data collected. The results showed how two factors studied, Attitude and Facilitating Conditions directly affected the decision to use e-gov services. Attitude means that governments must find effective ways to entice positive attitudes toward using e-services, and Facilitating Conditions implies that the resources and facilities provided to users improve their intention to use. However, the second most robust relationship was associated with the influence of Performance Expectancy on Attitude, suggesting that the trust placed in e-gov by the citizens, based on previous experiences, is a crucial determinant of their attitude toward it and their behavior when using it.

The European Union has identified the Textile and Clothing industry as one of the essential objectives towards carbon neutrality in 2050 in line with the “European Green Deal”. There are no previous research papers focused on analysing the drivers and inhibitors of the past greenhouse gas emission changes of the textile and clothing industry in Europe. This paper aims to analyse the determinants of the changes in these emissions, and the disassociation level between emissions and economic growth, throughout the 27 Member States of the European Union, from 2008 to 2018. A Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index that explains the key drivers of the changes in greenhouse gas emissions of European Union Textile and Cloth industry and a Decoupling Index have been applied. The results generally conclude that the intensity and carbonisation effects are key factors that contribute to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The lower relative weight of the textile and clothing industry throughout the EU-27 was noteworthy, and favours lower emissions, partially counteracted by the activity effect. Also, most Member States have been decoupling the industry's emissions from economic growth. Our policy recommendation shows that if further reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are to be achieved, energy efficiency improvements and cleaner use of energy sources would offset the potential increase in emissions of this industry as a result of a relative increase in its gross value added.

En 1971 fue creada la Facultad de Ciencias Económicas y Empresariales en la Universidad de Sevilla, donde comenzó a impartirse por primera vez en la universidad pública española la licenciatura en Ciencias Empresariales. El antecedente inmediato de la Facultad de Sevilla fue el Instituto Universitario de Ciencias de la Empresa (IUCE), fundado en la Facultad de Derecho de la Universidad de Sevilla en 1963. Este Instituto público fue el primero de España especializado en economía de la empresa, y su plan de estudios sirvió de base para la implantación de la licenciatura en Ciencias Empresariales de la Facultad de Sevilla. El objetivo de este trabajo es mostrar el origen de estos estudios universitarios y para ello este artículo se centra en la historia del IUCE hasta la creación de la Facultad de Sevilla, con un análisis de sus factores determinantes, así como de sus principales artífices., Em 1971 foi criada a Faculdade de Ciências Económicas e Empresariais da Universidade de Sevilha, onde a licenciatura em Ciências Empresariais começou a ser leccionada pela primeira vez na universidade pública espanhola. O antecessor imediato da Faculdade de Sevilha foi o Instituto Universitário de Ciências Empresariais (IUCE), fundado na Faculdade de Direito da Universidade de Sevilha em 1963. Este instituto público foi o primeiro em Espanha a especializarse em economia empresarial, e o seu currículo serviu de base para a implementação da licenciatura em Ciências Empresariais na Faculdade de Sevilha. O objetivo deste artigo é mostrar a origem desses estudos universitários e, para isso, este artigo focaliza a história da IUCE até a criação da Faculdade de Sevilha, com uma análise de seus fatores determinantes, bem como de seus principais arquitetos., In 1971, the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration was created at the University of Seville, where the first degree in Business Administration was taught for the first time in a Spanish public university. The immediate predecessor of the Faculty of Seville was the Instituto Universitario de Ciencias de la Empresa (IUCE), founded at the Faculty of Law of the University of Seville in 1963. This public institute was the first in Spain specialized in business economics, and its curriculum served as the basis for the implementation of the degree in Business Sciences at the Faculty of Seville. The aim of this paper is to show the origin of these university studies and for this purpose it focuses on the history of the IUCE up to the creation of the Faculty of Seville, with an analysis of its determining factors, as well as its main architects.

El fenómeno de la gamificación es una realidad creciente en el ámbito de la formación y la educación tanto universitaria como en otros niveles. En este trabajo se pone el foco en el caso de los estudios de posgrado de carácter universitario, en concreto en los estudios de máster y de doctorado. A partir de una muestra inicial de 350 artículos procedentes de la consulta en las bases de datos Web of Science y Scopus, fue procesada la información mediante la herramienta Bibliometrix. Esta proporcionó información sobre producción anual, análisis de revistas, autores, documentos, palabras clave, etc. Los resultados permitirán identificar las principales tendencias de investigación en este ámbito, establecer relaciones entre ellas y detectar futuras oportunidades de investigación., The phenomenon of gamification is a growing reality in training and education at both university and other levels. This paper focuses on the case of postgraduate university studies, specifically on master's and doctoral studies. Based on an initial sample of 350 articles from the Web of Science and Scopus databases, the information was processed using the Bibliometrix tool. This provided information on annual production, analysis of journals, authors, documents, keywords, etc. The results will make it possible to identify the main research trends in this field, establish relationships between them, and detect future research opportunities.

La mitigación de los efectos del cambio climático y la adaptación de nuestra sociedad a los mismos forman parte de los grandes retos del siglo XXI. En el corazón de este desafío se encuentran la energía y la aún gran dependencia a nivel mundial existente de los combustibles fósiles. La presente memoria de tesis responde al modelo de tesis por indicios de calidad. Está motivada en la contribución científica dentro de la línea de investigación de la Economía de la Energía y del Medio Ambiente. Específicamente se centra en analizar la generación y el consumo energético desde tres niveles de acción energética; supranacional, nacional e individual-sectorial. Cada uno de estos niveles de acción tiene un papel determinante en la adopción de prácticas sostenibles y en la descarbonización efectiva de la sociedad. Los resultados obtenidos respaldan la necesaria actuación multinivel para lograr la transición integral del sistema energético en el proceso de descarbonización. En primer lugar, a nivel supranacional se lleva a cabo una evaluación utilizando una novedosa metodología de clasificación de países, permitiendo a las autoridades de todo el mundo adoptar una perspectiva más detallada de la situación actual. Esta evaluación es útil para detectar problemas, fijar objetivos, comprender mejor los resultados e identificar las acciones políticas óptimas. Por otro lado, a nivel nacional el estudio se enfoca en la necesaria reestructuración y mejoras en los mercados energéticos nacionales actuales, especialmente en lo que respecta a la competencia y supervisión en la formación del precio mayorista de la electricidad. En este contexto se analiza la introducción de una herramienta innovadora de supervisión con el objetivo de garantizar una competencia correcta y eficiente en el mercado energético mayorista español. Finalmente, a nivel sectorial-individual la investigación lleva a cabo un análisis detallado de los drivers que impulsaron el consumo eléctrico del sector residencial en, Mitigating the effects of climate change and adapting our society to them is one of the great challenges of the 21st century. At the heart of this challenge is energy and the world's still high dependence on fossil fuels. This thesis report, which follows the model of Thesis by quality indicators, is motivated by the scientific contribution, within the research line of Energy and Environmental Economics, regarding energy generation and consumption from three levels of energy action (supranational level, national level and individual-sectoral level). Each of these levels of action has a decisive role to play in the adoption of sustainable practices and the effective decarbonization of society. Therefore, the main idea that emerges from the results is the need for multi-level action to achieve a complete transition of the energy system. First, at the supranational level, an assessment is carried out using a new country ranking methodology, which allows policy makers around the world to gain a more detailed perspective on the current situation. This assessment is useful for detecting problems, setting targets, better understanding results and identifying optimal policy actions. On the other hand, at the national level, the study focuses on the necessary restructuring and improvements in the current national energy markets, especially with regard to competition and supervision in the formation of the wholesale electricity price. In this context, the introduction of an innovative monitoring tool is analyzed with the aim of ensuring fair and efficient competition in the Spanish wholesale energy market. Finally, at the sectoral-individual level, the research conducts a detailed analysis of the drivers of electricity consumption in the residential sector in 2020, an unprecedented and complex time period marked by the global pandemic. Variables of different kinds are examined, including changes in work patterns and distance learning, as well as changes in daily routines and

Desde mediados del siglo XX, la seguridad vial ha representado un reto de crucial importancia para la salud pública, con relevantes repercusiones a nivel socioeconómico y fuertes vínculos con el desarrollo tecnológico e industrial de los países alrededor del mundo. Como manifiesta la Organización Mundial de la Salud (WHO, 2021), los accidentes de tráfico causan aproximadamente 1,3 millones de muertes anuales a nivel mundial. En términos de coste económico, la siniestralidad vial puede cuantificarse en una cantidad que oscila entre el 1% y el 3% del Producto Interior Bruto (PIB en adelante) mundial según los análisis consultados (siendo este porcentaje incluso significativamente superior para el caso de economías desarrolladas). En este impacto económico se cuantifican aspectos como gastos por reparación de los vehículos e infraestructuras públicas o las bajas laborales por morbilidad, entre otros (Bastida et al., 2004; Blincoe et al., 2002; WHO, 2015). De cara a abordar la magnitud de este problema, los enfoques y concepciones aplicados a la gestión de la seguridad vial han ido progresando desde principios de la década de los 60 del siglo XX, evolucionando desde la atención centrada en cuestiones técnicas relacionadas con la ingeniería aplicada a vehículos y carreteras, hacia una perspectiva más global, surgida a partir de los 70, y en la que se tienen en cuenta todos los factores que impactan en la seguridad vial de forma integrada (Hakkert y Gitelman, 2014). En este sentido, destaca el trabajo pionero del Dr. William Haddon quien, en 1968, introdujo la matriz conocida con su nombre (Haddon, 1968) siendo desde entonces el paradigma más utilizado en la prevención de la siniestralidad vial, y que se centra en un conjunto de factores o atributos (tanto intrínsecos como extrínsecos) que impactan antes, durante y después de un posible accidente de tráfico. En esta línea, la presente Tesis Doctoral, con la que se concurre a la obtención del título de Doctor en el Program, Since the mid of the 20th Century, road safety has represented a challenge of crucial importance for public health, with relevant repercussions at the socio-economic level and strong links with the technological and industrial development of countries worldwide. As it is stated by the World Health Organization (WHO, 2021), traffic accidents cause approximately 1.3 million deaths annually worldwide. In terms of economic cost, road accidents can be quantified in an amount between 1% and 3% of the world Gross Domestic Product (GDP hereinafter) according to the analysis consulted (this percentage being even significantly higher in the case of economies developed). This economic impact quantifies aspects such as expenses for repairing vehicles and public infrastructure or sick leaves due to morbidity, among others (Bastida et al., 2004; Blincoe et al., 2002; WHO, 2015). In order to address the magnitude of this problem, the approaches and concepts applied to road safety management have progressed since the early 1960s, evolving from an initial attention focused on technical issues, towards a more global perspective, which emerged from the 1970s, and in which all the factors that impact road safety are taken into account in an integrated way (Hakkert and Gitelman, 2014). In this sense, the pioneering work of Dr. William Haddon stands out, who, in 1968, introduced the matrix known by his name (Haddon, 1968), which has been since then the most widely used paradigm in the prevention of road accidents, and which focuses on a set of factors or attributes (both intrinsic and extrinsic) that have an impact before, during and after a potential traffic accident. In this line, the present PhD Dissertation, submitted to obtain the title of Doctor in the ‘Programa de Ciencias Económicas, Empresariales y Sociales’ at ‘Universidad de Sevilla’, aims to contribute to the study of the influence of environmental factors present in the Haddon matrix, analyzing the role of socioeconomic attr

Climate change has caused signifcant changes in temperature with diferent consequences depending on the geographical location of the regions, afecting among other aspects, electricity consumption (EC). Spain being a country that encompasses so many diferent temperature zones, this work analyses EC per capita among the Autonomous Communities (AC) of Spain through a spatial-temporal decomposition analysis during the 2000–2016 period. The regional diferences are explained by four decomposition factors: intensity, temperature, structural and per capita income. The temporal decomposition results show that temperature changes in Spain between 2000 and 2016 have substantially afected the per capita EC. Likewise, it has been noted that in the 2000–2008 period, the temperature efect mainly acted as an inhibitor compared to the 2008–2016 period, in which an increase in the days of extreme temperature acted as a driver. The spatial decomposition reveals that the structural and energy intensity efects contribute to the AC moving away from average fgures, while the temperature and income efects contributes to reducing the diferences depending on the location of the AC. The results enable to determine the importance of establishing public policy measures aimed at improving energy efciency.

Nuestro trabajo amplía la escasa evidencia empírica sobre la posible influencia de diferentes aspectos de la formación preuniversitaria para los resultados académicos de las titulaciones del área Económico-Empresarial, en particular del Grado en Administración y Dirección de Empresas y todas las asignaturas de primer curso. Esto permitiría tener mejores elementos sobre los que evaluar la adecuación del actual sistema de educación preuniversitario y de acceso a estas titulaciones en España y proponer acciones de mejora. La investigación ofrece resultados más robustos combinado distintas técnicas econométricas.