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This paper aims to introduce a new framework that helps to get an overview of contextual factors that influence the ability of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to survive the economic crisis in a business cluster, as parts of a system.

The spatial autologistic model and the logit regression tree (RT) were applied to SME manufacturing companies localized in the business clusters of the Italian Marche region to explain interconnection among the actors of the network and their heterogeneous behavior with the environment.

The main findings of the application confirm that contextual influences are decisive in the definition of firm’s survival, explained through the presence of spatial dependence in bankruptcy analysis, validating the transmission effects of corporate bankruptcy within the business clusters in the Marche region.

The estimation of the logistic RT allowed to identify sub-systems, homogeneous with respect to crucial context variables, with different firms’ behaviors in terms of probability to survive in the system and relation to their environment. Therefore, a systemic approach is required to provide a better understanding of such kind of phenomena.

The aim of this paper is to introduce a holistic decolonial lens for Library and Information Studies (LIS). As such it centres in the following questions: what does decolonisation mean in the context of LIS? How can a holistic approach help improve our understanding of the field?

This is a conceptual paper that draws on theoretical analysis and discussion with in-depth examination of two cases of librarianship and information for development.

The paper presents a decolonial framework for interpreting and comprehending LIS-specific issues. As a result, we believe it is critical to recognise three interconnected types of colonial legacies and identify ways in which LIS academics and practitioners can consider these in the context of their research and work.

The paper introduces a holistic framework for thinking about decoloniality in the LIS discipline. Further work should consider how this framework can be useful for other LIS fields.

The framework is of practical significance for LIS academics and practitioners who wish to take a decolonial approach to their research and thinking. We provide questions intended to lead to action.

The paper provides a holistic decolonial approach to critically reflect on research and teaching practices in the context of LIS.

Purpose – The purpose of this chapter is to examine the hypothesized effects of board characteristics and performance on directors’ compensation in the Spanish corporations, whose corporate governance is a special example of a unitary board system.

Methodology/approach – In order to test the influence of a set of factors on directors’ compensation levels, we have developed several models based on linear panel data regression. The sample included 76 listed companies on the Spanish computerized trading system or Continuous Market for the period 2004–2009.

Findings – The control mechanisms, like board characteristics and performance and their effect on the level of directors’ compensation, depend on the types of director (executive, independent and proprietary).

Research limitations/implications (if applicable) – This study has certain limitations mainly related to problems associated with obtaining information. The methodology should be complemented by other types of analyses, such as the influence of the characteristics of the board on the remuneration structure in a greater level of disaggregation.

Practical implications (if applicable) – The results of this research chapter give reasons to regulators and investors to be aware of the importance of the board's characteristics as corporate control mechanisms over the directors’ remuneration and the necessity of connection between directors’ compensation and the firm's performance.

Originality/value of paper – Firstly, descriptive empirical evidence on the level of directors’ compensation is provided within a unitary board system for different types of directors. Secondly, an ample panel data set enables the examination of a set of determinants using panel data methods which control for unobserved firm heterogeneity. Finally, the perspective is extended from executive director compensation to other types of directors, such as proprietary or independent, which are very important features of the Spanish board structure.

Purpose – The concept of equality of opportunity (EOp) goes back to Roemer (1993, 1998) who argues that a society should guarantee its members equal access to advantage regardless of their circumstances, while holding them responsible for turning that access into actual advantage by the application of effort. First, this chapter investigates how family background influences income acquisition in 17 European countries. Second, it particularly scrutinizes how governments affect EOp through redistributive policies.

Methodology – We apply two different methods in order to measure EOp: the Gini opportunity index defined by Lefranc et al. (2008) and a parametric estimation method. Effective redistribution is measured via income concepts at different stages of the tax-and-transfer schemes.

Findings – We find clear country clustering in terms of EOp for Nordic, Continental European, and Anglo-Saxon countries. For Eastern Europe our results are less definitive. By examining the impact of redistributive policies in the countries under analysis, it can be concluded that both taxes and transfers reduce inequality of opportunity (IOp), with social benefits typically playing a key role. Furthermore, the equalizing impacts of the tax-benefit system on IOp differ substantially from the ones observed in the traditional notion of inequality of outcomes.

Originality – We systematically compare two approaches used to identify the extent of EOp. Our results reveal that both methods yield rather robust country rankings for various circumstance sets. Furthermore, the impact of tax-benefit policies on EOp is rarely addressed in the existing literature. We contribute by focusing on effective redistribution directly related to different income concepts.

The case introduces the evolution and diversification of the Ceretto family business from the production and distribution of their own wines to the opening of two restaurants and the promotion of cultural and artistic projects. The case provides specific details about how strategic decisions were made. In particular, it shows how non-economic factors such as founders’ identity and personal relationships can shape the choice of new ventures and the formation of alliances. Since the second generation of the family joined the company, the case is useful to highlight the succession process in a family-owned company. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Due to the exploratory nature of the study the authors adopted a qualitative approach. Information was collected through secondary data and semi-structured, face-to-face interviews with family members and the company's top management. The case explores from a theoretical and empirical point of view the entrepreneurial decision-making process and how it affects the evolution of the company strategy.

The case illustrates the role of founders’ (organizational) identity and of social relationships in influencing the diversification of the company and its partnership strategy.

The research strategy does not allow generalizations.

The case integrates strategic alliances literature highlighting the importance of the nature of the tie existing between companies before the alliance is set and of the decision makers’ identity in shaping partnerships’ choice. The case is useful in entrepreneurship and managing small or family business courses but also for students attending management of foods and beverage or cultural management courses.

The purpose of this paper is to estimate the impact of fixed-term contracts (FTCs) on labour productivity, wages (i.e. labour cost), and productivity-wage gaps (i.e. profits).

The authors apply dynamic panel data techniques to detailed Belgian linked employer-employee panel data covering the period 1999-2006.

Results indicate that FTCs exert stronger positive effects on productivity than on wages and (accordingly) that the use of FTCs increases firms’ profitability.

This paper is one of the first to examine the FTC-productivity-wage nexus while addressing three important methodological issues related to the state dependency of the three explained variables, to firm time-invariant heterogeneity, and to the endogeneity of FTCs.