Carmen Marcuello

Evaluation of Efficiency in Primary Health Care Centres: An Application of Data Envelopment Analysis

The aim of this paper is to analyse one of the principal problems in primary health care management: the evaluation of efficiency in primary health care centres. Given the special characteristics of measuring outcome in primary care it is necessary to evaluate the performance of centres from a quality perspective too. The methodology used, DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis), allows us to introduce quantitative and qualitative variables in a sample of primary care centres in a Spanish province. Once the efficiency of the different centres is known, we investigate the sensitivity of the methodology to changes in the definition of outputs used.

Determinants of the Non-profit Sector Size: An Empirical Analysis in Spain

The economic literature has proposed different explanations about the role and existence of the non-profit organizations in the economy. These theories can be divided into two types: demand theories and supply theories. However, Ben-Ner and Van Hoomissen (1991, 1992) suggested that, in some cases, demand and supply factors operate simultaneously and it is particularly difficult to separate them. Thus, it is necessary to consider these two factors in the study of the determinants that have influence in the existence of non-profit organizations. In this paper, this argument is considered in order to analyse the demand and supply determinants of the non-profit organizations’ development in Catalonia, a Spanish region.

Nonprofit Organizations, Monopolistic Competition, and Private Donations: Evidence from Spain

This article presents an analysis of the determinants of money and time donations to Spanish nongovernmental organizations that channel aid to less developed countries. A basic model inspired by the theory of monopolistic competition is formulated and tested taking into account that some of the explanatory variables, such as fund-raising expenditure and price, are endogenous. The results show that the average donor is different for money and time donations and that government preferences differ from those of private donors. Finally, the authors find that the hypothesis of efficient fund-raising expenditures cannot be rejected.

A household model of charitable contributions and tax incentives

The aim of this paper is to present a theoretical model of the monetary contributions made by households to nonprofit organizations, and to analyse the effect of tax incentives according to the different tax systems currently in force in the European Union Member States. This model is estimated by means of data drawn from the Family Expenditure Survey and the Regional Accounts in Spain covering the period 1990–91. We analyse the effects that different variables and tax incentives have on household decisions. The results indicate that the decisions to donate, and how much to be donated, are taken sequentially and are significantly influenced by household characteristics, the provision of public funds and donation price. The analysis of the Spanish tax system indicates that the model generates donation incentives.

Family model of contributions to non-profit organizations and labour supply

In this article a model is presented in which the family decides the labour supply of both spouses and their time donations to non-profit organizations. For the estimation, Spanish data was used which showed that family size and pre-school children influence decisions made about time distribution of husband and wife. Women with fewer family responsibilities work longer hours and donate more time, whilst the effect on men is the contrary. Also, monetary donations by the family are directly related to time donations by the spouses.

THE WAGE GAP BETWEEN COOPERATIVE AND CAPITALIST FIRMS: EVIDENCE FROM SPAIN

This paper analyses the differences between the wages received by workers in cooperative and capitalist firms in Spain using a sample constructed from administrative data. This paper shows that size and the sign of the wage gap depend on economic sector, type of cooperative and the wage distribution. This approach let us explain some contradictory results obtained in previous literature. Additionally, the wage gap decomposition used let us identify the causes for this gap.

REVISITING GLOBALIZATION CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF COOPERATIVES

Cooperatives have gained prominent attention in recent years as strategic elements to achieve sustainable economic development and greater social cohesion in the context of neoliberal globalization. This article explores, theoretically, the current challenges and opportunities for cooperatives to develop successfully in the globalizing economy. To this end, we provide an analytical, critical review of the key bibliography concerning some fundamental aspects that shape the relationship between economic globalization and cooperatives, an issue that has been generally neglected by previous literature. Three key fields are addressed: 1) the viability of cooperatives, based on their strengths and possible weaknesses, under current globalization; 2) the role of these organizations in promoting the local development and stability of local communities; and 3) the tensions and potentialities that internationalization entails for cooperatives. Based on the analytical review and the organization of the literature, we propose an agenda for further research. This includes some hypotheses and strategies for testing them that would be essential to assess the role of cooperatives in economic globalization, and sheds light on key areas for future research that could provide a better understanding of the complexity surrounding the relationship between globalization and cooperatives.

NGOs, corporate social responsibility, and social accountability: Inditex vs. Clean Clothes

Markets and businesses are undergoing major changes as globalisation deepens. Pressure from diverse social groups, both environmental and economic, is changing the operating environment. Many corporations are interested in devising social-responsibility strategies, both as a response to outside pressures and in their own interests. Against this background, this article considers the case of Inditex, a company based in Galicia, and the ‘harassment’ to which it was subjected by Setem, the Spanish chapter of the Clean Clothes Campaign (CCC). Reviewing Setems claims leads to a better understanding of the repercussions for social systems that are now increasingly informed by external actors. The authors argue that both corporations and non-government organisations must account for the social impact of their activities.

Government Social Spending and GDP: has there been a change in social policy?

Government Social Spending (GSS) is made up of a very heterogeneous range of variables, monetary transfers for retirement or illness, unemployment benefits, family services, active labour market policies and health expenditure. We believe that each of these components is of enormous importance to the economic development of a country. As has often been affirmed, however, GSS is one of the economic aggregates most sensitive to the ups and downs of economic growth. In moments of crisis, sharp cuts are almost immediate, and these may or may not be recovered when times are good. In this article, we examine the sensitivity of GSS to the evolution of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in order to reveal the relationship between the two.

Individual and Social Factors in Volunteering Participation Rates in Europe

The main goal of this article is to explore the role of individual sociodemographic characteristics and national social backgrounds in forming people’s decisions to engage in voluntary work. We have drawn data from the European Value Survey (1990, 1999, and 2008). We analyze voluntary work as an aggregate measure and also through four different categories. We have performed multilevel regression models taking into account a hierarchical structure of two levels: individual and country. There are no relevant gender and age differences, and, in fact, the most important differences lie in the impact of social factors rather than individual characteristics. We also highlight that geographical effects are diluted after controlling for social factors, but a certain level of geographical variance remains unclarified by the explanatory variables. This conclusion has important policy implications because it opens the door to implementing social policies that could be effective for all European countries.