Alejandro Sáez-Martín

A vision of social media in the Spanish smartest cities

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to analyse whether it is the Spanish urban environments that can be considered smart cities that are making the greatest efforts to ensure that citizens have better access to city information and, thus, participate to a greater degree in its governance. Design/methodology/approach – This analysis of the use made of social networks, as an integral part of democratisation, is divided into two phases: first, a descriptive study was made of the cities’ use of their social networks; we then examined, by multiple linear regression analysis, whether the urban areas classed as smart cities are those that make more or less use or application of social networks. Findings – Although, in general terms, the “smartest” smart cities are those which obtain the best overall results in terms of social networks, further improvements are needed, especially in the field of activity and interaction with citizens via these networks. Originality/value – The impact made by social media is on...

Using social media to enhance citizen engagement with local government: Twitter or Facebook?:

The social media are becoming a major channel of online interactive participation, and local governments are seizing this opportunity to enhance citizen engagement in political and social affairs. This article analyses the various forms of social media used – that is, Twitter or Facebook – by citizens in their relations with Spanish local government, to determine which of these achieves the strongest degree of commitment. We also analyse the influence of various factors on this level of commitment. The results obtained show that Facebook is preferred to Twitter as a means of participating in local government issues. Other factors that are relevant to citizen engagement are the level of online transparency, mood, the level of activity in social media and the interactivity offered by the local government website. The findings of this study contribute significantly to understanding how citizen engagement is influenced by the type of social media adopted.

Mandatory versus voluntary disclosures Drivers of proactive information provision by local governments in Central America

The aim of this paper is to develop the findings of previous research on policies regarding online proactive information disclosure, both voluntary and mandatory. We present and analyze new evidence on the factors that influence decisions taken in this respect. This study is focused on Central America, a region that has received little previous research attention on these issues. To achieve the study goals, we analyze the online information disclosure made by local authorities, regarding both the degree of compliance with legal requirements and the volume of information provided voluntarily. Finally, with respect to the same two types of information provision, we determine the influence of environmental factors on online information disclosure. The results obtained show that transparency is more an issue of attitude than of laws, and highlight the existence of a large gap between legal requirements and actual performance.

Freedom of information in local government: rhetoric or reality?

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to analyse the level of implementation by Spanish local authorities of the Transparency Act (19/2013), and their voluntary information disclosure in areas where such disclosure is obligatory in other EU countries. We identify the main factors that may influence the implementation of this Act and the self-regulation policies adopted. Our analysis highlights the existence of delays among some local authorities, with notable differences between municipalities with larger and smaller populations, in implementing the Act, and also the fact that many municipalities are committed to achieving transparency, often going beyond minimum legal requirements. Factors such as population size, the political ideology of the governing party and the education level and economic capacity of the population are related to the level of implementation of transparency and self-regulatory policies in this respect by local authorities. We acknowledge that the 2013 Act was still being implemented during the period analysed.

Proactive disclosure of public information: legislative choice worldwide

Purpose The purpose of this paper is twofold: to identify legislators’ policy on the mandatory, online proactive disclosure of information; and to identify environmental influences on behaviour in this respect. To implement these proactive policies on transparency included in the legislative frameworks, internet websites are being used as a means of disseminating this proactive information. Design/methodology/approach To achieve these goals, by application of the theories used to analyse the causes of information disclosure, the authors first developed an index of online proactive disclosure; then, by means of a regression analysis, the authors examined and tested eight hypotheses related to environmental variables. Findings The results obtained show that legislators have chosen to require scant online proactive information on which to base institutional legitimacy, and that in this respect they are influenced by how long the previous laws have been in force, by the level of public sector borrowing and by the degree of political commitment among the population. Originality/value The results obtained from this study will provide valuable information for future legislators and for civil society about information policies, clarifying the amount and nature of information that, according to the authorities, should be disclosed without the need for prior request. The paper is also intended to stimulate the development of further research in this area, by showing how different economic, political, social, cultural and institutional contexts influence the decisions taken regarding the public information that must be reported proactively to stakeholders.

Citizens’ Engagement in Local Government in a New Political Scenario: Emergent vs. Traditional Parties

Municipal authorities often use social media to enhance communication with the population and to encourage participation in decision-making processes. In this chapter, we analyse the evolution of such engagement via Facebook, before and after the local elections held in Spain in 2015. Engagement was measured by obtaining metrics of popularity, commitment and virality for each Facebook profile, in a sample composed of large local governments. The results obtained reflect significant differences in the index of engagement before and after these elections, which was calculated in terms of Facebook “likes”, “shares” and “comments”. A significant decrease was observed in citizens’ engagement to their local government following the election, especially among governments where emergent parties with a left-wing ideology took power, in contrast to areas governed by right-wing parties, where levels of engagement increased.

Access to public information: a scientometric study of legal versus voluntary transparency in the public sector

The aim of this study is to identify, synthesise and evaluate the current state of research into transparency in the public sector, with respect to the period 2005–2014, in order to provide a critical overview of published trends in this field and to identify future areas of interest. Specifically, we focus on the questions of mandatory and voluntary transparency that arouse most interest among researchers, institutions and journals in this field, with particular attention to the methodological aspects of the studies considered. To achieve these aims, various scientometric approaches are applied to articles included in the 2014 edition of the ISI Journal Citation Reports database for the research areas “Public Administration”, “Political Science” and “Information and Library Science”. During the past ten years the number of studies published in this field has increased considerably, particularly as regards voluntary transparency.

Papel do conselho de Administração na ética empresarial em países da América Latina

In the present paper, we analyze the ethical values promoted in the codes of ethics of Latin American organizations, and the influence of the composition of the Board of Directors (BD) in this regard is identified. In particular, the presence of gender diversity, independent directors and foreign directors in the BD. The study was conducted on the 100 largest listed companies in Latin America. The results indicate that the companies studied elaborate codes of conduct with ethical values that enhance the relationships with their stakeholders. However, prevailing the establishment of values that protect the organization from the employee, and the imposition of sanctions. On the other hand, the regression analysis indicates a positive and significant influence of women and independent directors of the BD in the content of codes of ethics however, the effect of foreign directors in this respect is negative. The research findings allow advance the sparse literature on business ethics in the Latin American context.RESUMEN El presente trabajo analiza los valores eticos fomentados en los codigos de etica en las empresas latinoamericanas, e identifica la influencia de la composicion del Consejo de Administracion (CA). En particular, la presencia de diversidad de genero, consejeros independientes y extranjeros en el CA. El estudio, realizado sobre las 100 empresas cotizadas mas grandes de Latinoamerica, muestra que las empresas estudiadas elaboran codigos de conducta con valores eticos que mejoran las relaciones con sus stakeholders . No obstante, prevalece el establecimiento de valores que protegen a la organizacion del empleado y la imposicion de sanciones. Por otro lado, la regresion efectuada indica que la presencia de mujeres y consejeros independientes en el CA afecta de manera significativa y positiva al contenido de los codigos de etica, mientras que la presencia de consejeros extranjeros incide negativamente. Los hallazgos de esta investigacion permiten avanzar en la escasa literatura existente sobre la etica empre-sarial en el contexto latinoamericano.

EL ROL DEL CONSEJO DE ADMINISTRACIÓN EN LA ÉTICA EMPRESARIAL EN PAÍSES DE LATINOAMÉRICA

In the present paper, we analyze the ethical values promoted in the codes of ethics of Latin American organizations, and the influence of the composition of the Board of Directors (BD) in this regard is identified. In particular, the presence of gender diversity, independent directors and foreign directors in the BD. The study was conducted on the 100 largest listed companies in Latin America. The results indicate that the companies studied elaborate codes of conduct with ethical values that enhance the relationships with their stakeholders. However, prevailing the establishment of values that protect the organization from the employee, and the imposition of sanctions. On the other hand, the regression analysis indicates a positive and significant influence of women and independent directors of the BD in the content of codes of ethics however, the effect of foreign directors in this respect is negative. The research findings allow advance the sparse literature on business ethics in the Latin American context.RESUMEN El presente trabajo analiza los valores eticos fomentados en los codigos de etica en las empresas latinoamericanas, e identifica la influencia de la composicion del Consejo de Administracion (CA). En particular, la presencia de diversidad de genero, consejeros independientes y extranjeros en el CA. El estudio, realizado sobre las 100 empresas cotizadas mas grandes de Latinoamerica, muestra que las empresas estudiadas elaboran codigos de conducta con valores eticos que mejoran las relaciones con sus stakeholders . No obstante, prevalece el establecimiento de valores que protegen a la organizacion del empleado y la imposicion de sanciones. Por otro lado, la regresion efectuada indica que la presencia de mujeres y consejeros independientes en el CA afecta de manera significativa y positiva al contenido de los codigos de etica, mientras que la presencia de consejeros extranjeros incide negativamente. Los hallazgos de esta investigacion permiten avanzar en la escasa literatura existente sobre la etica empre-sarial en el contexto latinoamericano.

The role of the board of directors in corporate ethics in Latin American countries

In the present paper, we analyze the ethical values promoted in the codes of ethics of Latin American organizations, and the influence of the composition of the Board of Directors (BD) in this regard is identified. In particular, the presence of gender diversity, independent directors and foreign directors in the BD. The study was conducted on the 100 largest listed companies in Latin America. The results indicate that the companies studied elaborate codes of conduct with ethical values that enhance the relationships with their stakeholders. However, prevailing the establishment of values that protect the organization from the employee, and the imposition of sanctions. On the other hand, the regression analysis indicates a positive and significant influence of women and independent directors of the BD in the content of codes of ethics however, the effect of foreign directors in this respect is negative. The research findings allow advance the sparse literature on business ethics in the Latin American context.RESUMEN El presente trabajo analiza los valores eticos fomentados en los codigos de etica en las empresas latinoamericanas, e identifica la influencia de la composicion del Consejo de Administracion (CA). En particular, la presencia de diversidad de genero, consejeros independientes y extranjeros en el CA. El estudio, realizado sobre las 100 empresas cotizadas mas grandes de Latinoamerica, muestra que las empresas estudiadas elaboran codigos de conducta con valores eticos que mejoran las relaciones con sus stakeholders . No obstante, prevalece el establecimiento de valores que protegen a la organizacion del empleado y la imposicion de sanciones. Por otro lado, la regresion efectuada indica que la presencia de mujeres y consejeros independientes en el CA afecta de manera significativa y positiva al contenido de los codigos de etica, mientras que la presencia de consejeros extranjeros incide negativamente. Los hallazgos de esta investigacion permiten avanzar en la escasa literatura existente sobre la etica empre-sarial en el contexto latinoamericano.