Vol. 8 No. 2 (2014)

In the first article of this issue, Janaina de Moura Engracia Giraldi, lecturer at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, aims to study the influence of the image of the country of origin on the brand value of the Spanish banks, analysing the moderating role of type and knowledge of the country of origin. The author concludes that the image of the country of origin has a good influence on the brand value of the Spanish banks. On the other hand, the greater the knowledge of the country of origin, the more the people are influenced by its image. Furthermore, men are more influenced by the image of the country of origin than women.

Professor Antonio Vives (Stanford University, USA) analyses the self-assessment tools on CSR for SMEs, the purpose of which is generally to identify gaps in responsible practices in relation to some ideal, explicit or implicit, and therefore encourage actions for their improvement. In order to analyse their effectiveness, the author studies the characteristics and content of eleven tools produced by different institutions in Latin America, Spain and multilateral agencies; categorises its content; assesses their suitability for SMEs; and aims to draw conclusions on their effectiveness in the adoption of responsible practices. He also discusses the risks of adopting a uniform model scheme and recommends, implicitly or explicitly, that companies use responsible practices in all areas, which according to the author may lead to constraints in the effectiveness of the tools.

In the following article, Marlon Fernandes Rodrigues Alves and Elizabeth Krauter (University of São Paulo, Brazil) aim to explore the relationship between the executives’ pay and financial performance. The authors pick industrial organisations in the same sector in order to reduce sectorial interference, selected among the best to work in Brazil, and compare their financial outcomes to the executives’ pay structure (fixed salary, variable salary and benefits) for the period 2007-2011. The authors conclude that there is no relationship between the salary and financial performance of the organisations in the analysed sector.

Gislaine de Miranda Quaglio (Universidade Estadual Paulista Júlio de Mesquita Filho, Brazil); Alberto Borges Matias, João Paulo Resende de Lima, João Gabriel Gomes Senh (University of São Paulo, Brazil) aim to study the behaviour of the Brazilian banks’ profitability compared to that of American banks, taking into account a period of great changes for the sector. The sample represents the major banks according to the total of their assets, and indices of financial analyses were used to measure the variables under study during the period 2001-2013. The results obtained by the authors show that Brazilian banks have higher return indicators than American banks, though they have lower margins.

In the following article, lecturer María Iborra (University of Valencia, Spain) makes a critical approach to the theory of stakeholder identification and relevance. According to the author, descriptive and instrumental theories of stakeholders have encouraged the managers of companies to focus on the results of their actions and neglect the consequences, be it intentional or not. Therefore she proposes that legitimation, power and urgency criteria should be accompanied by the identification of the groups concerned, legitimate but dependent, giving special relevance to the most vulnerable groups to the decisions of a company.
The goal of the next article is to verify the application of management skills to align employees with the industry’s objectives in a higher education institution in Brazil. For this purpose, Ana Carolina da Silva, Fernanda Martins Munhoz, Luciana Mariano Batista Oliveira, Willian Roberto Carvalho da Silva, Sidele Woehl, Paulo Fernando Martins (Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná, Brazil) and Anderson Catapan (Federal Technological University of Paraná, Brazil), conducted interviews and searches in literature to identify these characteristics and they presented the data to the area manager to validate it. According to the authors, the results drawn from this case study show that a management model of the competition can be implemented with a methodology to suggest an improvement action, and thus contribute more efficiently to achieving the strategic goals of the organisation.

In the last paper, Maria Gabriela Montanari, Raissa Alvares de Matos Mirand, y Janaina de Moura Engracia Giraldi (Universidade de São Paulo, Brazil) compare two competitiveness indexes, considering base year of 2013: the Global Competitiveness Index (GCI) and The World Competitiveness Scoreboard (WCC). The authors used a simple regression, as well as cluster analysis, seeking to relate these indices to the variable named "Region". The results indicated a positive correlation between them, but differences were noted when the indexes are considered in general as well as when separating countries into regions. This is a breakthrough in the concepts and measures of competitiveness and can direct the design of future rates.

We would like to thank again all those that ensure the proper functioning of the journal: members of the Advisory Board and Editorial Board, Editors and Associate Editors of area, assessors, authors, and especially readers.