Tomás Escobar-Rodríguez

Online transparency of the banking sector

Purpose – The objective of the present work is to analyse the web pages of the principal European financial entities, with the aim of assessing the degree to which they are already disseminating information by internet in preparation for implementing the new requirements for transparency introduced by the New Capital Agreement of the Bank of International Settlements of Basel (Basel II).Design/methodology/approach – The study takes as its reference the literature existing on the examination of the quality of web pages, in particular the provisions of the Web Quality Model (WQM), and the importance of the content as a key variable in the quality of web pages. The normative requirements are converted into a disclosure index that is used to score the corporate web sites of all the banks quoted on the EuroStoxx Index. A linear regression analysis is performed in search for a relationship between size and degree of web transparency in the financial entities analysed.Findings – The analysis of these entities sh...

Navigation quality as a key value for the webpage of a financial entity

Purpose – The objective of this study is to measure the navigation quality of the corporate webpages of the principal European financial entities, given the vital importance of the accessibility of online content for the successful execution of their operational activities.Design/methodology/approach – The web quality model proposes a structure that allows the quality of corporate webpages to be analysed according to the three main quality criteria of content, presentation and ease of navigation (navigability). Bonson et al. take this theoretical framework as their point of departure for analysing the webpages of the principal European financial entities, and they measure the quality of their content in the context of the extra significance these webpages will acquire when the new Basel II international regulations enter into force in the imminent future. In this study, a joint analysis is made of the results of both studies in order to classify European financial entities according to the strategy adopte...

Acceptance of E-Prescriptions and Automated Medication-Management Systems in Hospitals: An Extension of the Technology Acceptance Model

ABSTRACT:  The serious repercussions of heath care errors on patient safety have led hospitals to deploy corrective information technologies. Hospitals are moving away from traditional paper-based systems and focusing on designing new methods that reduce errors, using information technology to catalyze the reengineering process. This paper analyzes the intention of health care personnel (physicians and nurses) to use e-prescriptions and automated medication-management systems (EPAMMS), identifying influencing factors. Understanding these factors provides the opportunity to explore which actions might be carried out to boost adoption by potential users. The theoretical grounding for this research is the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). TAM specifies the causal relationships between perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and actual usage behavior. The proposed model has seven constructs; we have generated 11 hypotheses from connections among these seven constructs. These constructs include perceived...

Empirical Analysis of Delays in the Signing of Audit Reports in Spain

This study sets out to analyse the factors that determine delays in the signing of audit reports. The delays are measured as a function of the number of days that elapse from the closure of the accounting period until the date when the audit report is signed. The study has been conducted in Spain, on 105 companies of the Spanish continuous market, from 2002 to 2005. The results obtained utilizing panel data methodology demonstrate that the two factors characterizing the companies that present less audit delay are: classification to sectors that are subject to regulatory pressure, such as the financial and energy sectors; and the size of company relative to its sector. Variables such as audit firm, qualifications or regulatory change show no significant relationship with audit delay in the Spanish context.

Operational risk information system: a challenge for the banking sector

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyse the capacity of response of the banking sectors information systems (IS), in the light of the new requirements of Basel II (Basel Bank for International Settlements) on the measurement and control of operational risk (OR). Design/methodology/approach – By means of a structured case, developed with a Spanish savings bank of medium size, an analysis is made of the practices and structures that may need to be modified to prevent a loss of competitive position. Lastly specific improvements are proposed to facilitate the implementation of an operational risk information system (OR-IS). Findings – The paper concludes that there still exists a considerable distance between the current IS in use and an OR-IS compatible with the model proposed under Basel II, for that kind of entities, and indicates the opportunities and incentives that would arise in the attempt to reduce this distance. Practical implications – The IS of a bank should evolve towards the achievement of an OR-IS that enables the banks competitive position to be strengthened. In addition, the bank should aspire to obtain the external validation of its supervisory authority, which certifies the OR-IS implemented and classifies it as an advanced measurement approach (AMA) under Basel II. An analysis is made of the principal organisational weaknesses and necessities that should be rectified, with a view to applying the methodologies designated the AMA to OR in the Basel II agreement. Originality/value – Basel II has given increased visibility to the “OR” variable and there has been little explicit research into the process by which managers and organisations at medium sized entities decide to develop IS capable to measure and mitigate this new risk.

Corporate YouTube practices of Eurozone companies

Purpose – The current study extends the investigation into online relationship building by examining how Eurozone companies belonging to the EURO STOXX 600 index use the popular video platform YouTube to facilitate dialogic communication with their stakeholders. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the extent and main purposes of the channels usage, the companies’ activities and online practices, as well as the factors on this platform influencing the channels activity, the audience, and the stakeholders’ engagement. Design/methodology/approach – To achieve this goal a sample of 306 Eurozone companies listed in the STOXX Europe 600 index, including 19 subsectors and 12 countries, have been analysed. Stakeholder and dialogic theory were applied as a theoretical background for this study. Findings – The results indicated that 44 per cent of companies studied have an official YouTube channel, which is mostly used for promotional purposes. It was found that the size of the company, the sector, and its co...

The acceptance of information technology innovations in hospitals: differences between early and late adopters

The increasing maturity of information technologies (IT) in hospitals and their infrastructure development is improving the quality and efficiency of healthcare services. In these circumstances, an investigation of the diffusion of IT in this context would provide some insight into adopters’ behaviours and further the diffusion of IT in the near future. The purpose of this paper is to conduct an investigation of the diffusion of IT’s innovations in hospitals. Technology acceptance model and innovation diffusion theory have been applied in this research trying to find factors that permit an effective discrimination between early and late adopters. The differences in characteristics between these two categories are assessed and implications based on the research findings are discussed.

The role of metadata language implementation in the European banking supervision network

The mark-up language eXtensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) has been chosen by the Committee on European Banking Supervision (CEBS), which reports to the European Central Bank (ECB), as the medium of communication between financial entities and national supervisory authorities, after considering the special features involved in the functioning of the network comprising these entities. This system of communication makes it possible for the various national authorities to collaborate in promoting the stability and solvency of the financial system at the European level. The construction of the new system has involved a collaborative framework in which both the operating practices and the highest-level standards are becoming uniform, making XBRL an element that is actively stimulating cooperation between entities that work in this network. The present study reviews the explicit benefits of the incorporation of this type of technology in such networks, and how the fact that the incorporation of technology implies consensus is enabling these networks to evolve into more cooperative groupings, and to increase their visibility.

Corporate Facebook and stakeholder engagement

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to provide an initial assessment of corporate Facebook use by Spanish hotel chains. Two aspects are considered: communication activity and stakeholder engagement through this social media platform. Design/methodology/approach – Based on a content analysis, data on 109 Spanish hotel chains are collected to describe current practices and identify significant relationships among different variables. Findings – The main findings include that their Facebook presence, audiences and levels of activity are positively related to hotel size, while stakeholder engagement is higher in small hotel chains and seems to be influenced by content and media types. Originality/value – This research contributes to previous research by providing an assessment of corporate Facebook in the hospitality industry (Spanish hotel chains). The paper considers two aspects: communication activity and stakeholder engagement through this social media platform.

Facebook and the intention of purchasing tourism products: moderating effects of gender, age and marital status

ABSTRACT This article proposes a theoretical model of factors that influence the intention to purchase touristic products or services in the context of social media. It contributes to tourism literature by identifying the relationships among disposition to trust, trustworthiness, perceived trust, perceived value and purchase intention of touristic products in this context. We also analyse the moderating effects of age, gender and marital status in the formation of that intention and the potential application of these moderating variables in order to identify more homogeneous groups of users. The model and its hypotheses were tested using structural equation modelling, applying the PLS technique. A multi-group analysis was used to identify different relationships depending on population profile. The sample consisted of 848 individuals who normally use Facebook to meet peers, share ideas and collaborate. The results showed that trust in Facebook context positively affected purchase intention and perceived value. Besides, perceived value directly influenced purchase intention. Moderating effects of age, gender and marital status in the formation of purchase intention were also discussed.