The Privatization of the national public utilities that took place almost a decade ago in Argentina seem to be explained by the persisting deficits of the enterprises, a general dissatisfaction with their performance and the difficulties government faced in their control. During the period of private management, companies restructured their revenues by both regrouping consumers and raising their two-part tariffs unevenly, increased the number of customers and achieved perceptible quality improvements. For assessing the impact of the reforms in the telecomunications, electricity, natural gas and sanitation services upon residential consumers' economic well being, welfare changes of the initial consumers and the surplus of the newcomers are estimated using household level data from the Gran Buenos Aires. The results obtained suggest that the direction as well as the intensity of welfare changes differ across income groups and services and that magnitudes vary according to the rigidity of demands; the benefits for the newcomers also differ across services but they seem to have had little significance in all cases, except in water and sewage. – privatization ; public utilities ; regulatory reform ; welfare changes ; consumer surplus
Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of characteristics of the institutionalenvironment on the disclosure of corporate social responsibility (CSR).Design/methodology/approach – This is a quantitative and descriptive research. The dependent variablesused were environmental dimension (ED) and social dimension (SD) that together compose the corporate socialperformance (CSP). The independent variables that will be used are the characteristics of the institutionalenvironments of Brazil and the UK. Thus, for this end, variables of the national business system of both countrieswill be used: corruption transparency, access to credit by countries, quality of the education system and laborrelations. After their collection, the data were submitted to descriptive and inferential statistics and hierarchicalregression.Findings – Data show that UK companies make more disclosure in CSR than Brazilian companies. Throughlinear regression, it can be seen that the institutional environment affects disclosure in CSR. In the UK, a countrywith better educational, labor, political and financial indicators than Brazil, it presented better CSR practices. Thefindings reveal that the better an institutional environment, the more firms act in CSR. The findings of the researchconfirm the premise of institutional theory: different institutional fields can modify business performance.Research limitations/implications – The study analyzed only the disclosure practices of companies in thepublic sector. Thus, the results should be carefully analyzed, without generalizations for all industry sectors.Therefore, it is suggested that future research looks at other industry sectors as well as other institutionalcontexts, i.e. other countries.Practical implications – Multinational companies may have different CSR practices according to theinstitutional environment in which they operate. For example, companies in developed countries, such as theUK, have greater stakeholder pressure. Given this, managers must adapt their environmental strategiesaccording to the institutional environment in which they operate.Originality/value – This research contributes to CSR studies in various institutional contexts. There is aconsensus in the literature that institutional environments affect firms' CSR practices. However, few empiricalstudies show results between the national business system and CSR. Thus, the present study intends to fill thisresearch gap. ; Purpose – The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of characteristics of the institutionalenvironment on the disclosure of corporate social responsibility (CSR).Design/methodology/approach – This is a quantitative and descriptive research. The dependent variablesused were environmental dimension (ED) and social dimension (SD) that together compose the corporate socialperformance (CSP). The independent variables that will be used are the characteristics of the institutionalenvironments of Brazil and the UK. Thus, for this end, variables of the national business system of both countrieswill be used: corruption transparency, access to credit by countries, quality of the education system and laborrelations. After their collection, the data were submitted to descriptive and inferential statistics and hierarchicalregression.Findings – Data show that UK companies make more disclosure in CSR than Brazilian companies. Throughlinear regression, it can be seen that the institutional environment affects disclosure in CSR. In the UK, a countrywith better educational, labor, political and financial indicators than Brazil, it presented better CSR practices. Thefindings reveal that the better an institutional environment, the more firms act in CSR. The findings of the researchconfirm the premise of institutional theory: different institutional fields can modify business performance.Research limitations/implications – The study analyzed only the disclosure practices of companies in thepublic sector. Thus, the results should be carefully analyzed, without generalizations for all industry sectors.Therefore, it is suggested that future research looks at other industry sectors as well as other institutionalcontexts, i.e. other countries.Practical implications – Multinational companies may have different CSR practices according to theinstitutional environment in which they operate. For example, companies in developed countries, such as theUK, have greater stakeholder pressure. Given this, managers must adapt their environmental strategiesaccording to the institutional environment in which they operate.Originality/value – This research contributes to CSR studies in various institutional contexts. There is aconsensus in the literature that institutional environments affect firms' CSR practices. However, few empiricalstudies show results between the national business system and CSR. Thus, the present study intends to fill thisresearch gap.
Corporate reporting has been recently changed by the globalization of economies, crises, the adoption of new legislative acts and the growing demand for information. This significant change is due also to the evolution of the stakeholders' information needs, which are increasingly dedicated to non-financial information regarding, among other things, governance, strategy and the environmental policy. Integrated reporting has been framed and developed in response to those changes. It aims at providing readers with a better comprehension of the organization needed to create value over the short and the medium-long term, combining financial and non-financial information.This paper aims at providing initial empirical considerations on the quality of the integrated reports (IRs) published by Public Utilities (PUs) attending the Pilot Programme (PP) and having a public sector ownership.
Purpose – Market deregulation in the utilities sector has led to increased competition and rising customer expectations in both established and new markets. This, in turn, has forced organisations such as electricity and telecoms to make rapid, enterprise-wide changes on an increasingly frequent basis which in turn has led to problems with alignment. Misalignment can occur at many levels and can result in misused resources, loss of competitiveness, excessive cycle times, higher costs and loss of agility. The purpose of this paper is twofold. Given the lack of overarching theory, the paper begins by borrowing from contingency, dynamic capability and organisational learning constructs, to explore the role that performance measurement models can bring to improve the alignment between business strategy and functional strategy (level 1 alignment). Second, the paper analyses the role of performance measurement models in developing functional practices aligned with supply chain management (SCM) strategies (level 2 alignment).
Design/methodology/approach – The study adopts an exploratory theory-building approach using four case studies. These are used as key supply chains in both established and new business areas within two longitudinal university-industry research partnerships (each of three years duration). Data from repeat interviews (n=42), focus groups (n=10), documentation and observations is analysed and forms the basis for the development of a conceptual framework and a set of related propositions. The data analysis followed Radnor and Boaden's (2004) method for analysing interpretive research.
Findings – The findings show the role and impact of performance measurement models and methods on alignment at two levels, i.e. level 1 alignment – between business strategy and functional (SCM) strategy, and level 2 alignment – between the functional strategy (SCM) and SCM routines and practices.
Originality/value – To date, there are few studies which explore the development of theory and practice in relation to the role and impact of performance measurement models and methods in improving organisational alignment. This exploratory theory building study makes a contribution to this gap through the development of the conceptual framework and propositions.
The definitive introduction to the Utilities sector Life requires basics such as electricity, water and gas. People put their trust in utility companies to deliver uninterrupted service of these goods. Readers can put their trust in Fisher Investments on Utilities to provide the tips and the tools necessary to understand and analyze investment opportunities within the global Utilities sector. The investing world is diverse and often times can be overwhelming to investors. Fisher Investments on Utilities simplifies things. The book describes how the Utilities sector works Details the investment universe of the Utilities sector segmented by industry Explains pertinent macroeconomic drivers and challenges facing companies in the Utilities sector Utilities-the stocks of companies delivering electric, water and gas-are a key part of a well-rounded, diversified global portfolio. Fisher Investments on Utilities can help readers to make informed investment decisions as to whether utilities are right for them.
The article focuses on issues related to improvement of statistical monitoring of organizations of housing and municipal complex during the reform, which affected all types and forms of ownership of residential and non-residential units. In a market economy, organizations, rendering all kinds of housing and community services to customers, are responsible for the quality and quantity of those very same services. In a rapidly changing legislative framework economic entities face the task of ensuring constant needs of consumers for housing and communal services. As for the provision of information or reports on the consumption of housing services by owners of residential and non-residential units to territorial bodies of state statistics and budget institutions, for that is responsible a wide range of organizations from resource-saving organizations to homeowners' associations, management companies, and other organizations that have relevant information. In recent years the list of respondents expanded to include housing maintenance companies, and those responsible for management of municipal solid waste. In accordance with the changes in the procedure for conducting statistical observations, the composition of statistical indicators on the consumption of housing and communal services was revised to separately cover major maintenance costs of residential and non-residential units, costs for managing municipal solid wastes; the title of the repot form now contains new respondents. The article discusses experience of the Division of construction, investment and housing and utilities sector statistics in improving the form of statistical reporting № 22 - Utilities (summary). ; В статье рассматриваются вопросы совершенствования статистического наблюдения за организациями жилищно-коммунального комплекса в условиях реформы, которая затронула все виды и формы собственности на жилые и нежилые помещения. В условиях рыночной экономики организации, обеспечивающие потребителей всеми видами жилищно-коммунальных услуг, несут ответственность за количество и качество предоставляемых услуг. Перед хозяйствующими субъектами в условиях быстро меняющейся законодательной базы постоянно встают задачи обеспечения потребителей необходимыми жилищно-коммунальными услугами. За предоставление в территориальные органы государственной статистики информации о потреблении жилищно-коммунальных услуг собственниками жилых и нежилых помещений, а также бюджетофинансируемыми организациями несут ответственность различные организации, включая ресурсосберегающие, товарищества собственников жилья, управляющие компании и ряд других, располагающих соответствующей информацией. За последние годы в состав респондентов включены деловые операторы по проведению капитального ремонта жилых зданий, по обращению с твердыми коммунальными отходами. В соответствии с изменениями в порядке проведения статистического наблюдения уточнен состав статистических показателей, характеризующих потребление жилищно-коммунальных услуг: отдельно отражены затраты на проведение капитального ремонта жилых и нежилых помещений, затраты по обращению с твердыми коммунальными отходами; в титул формы включены новые респонденты. Показан опыт работы управления статистики строительства, инвестиций и жилищно-коммунального хозяйства по совершенствованию формы федерального статистического наблюдения № 22-ЖКХ (сводная).
в статье рассматриваются полномочия Министерства строительства и жилищно-коммунального хозяйства Российской Федерации ; особенности его функционирования в рамках системы органов исполнительной власти нашей страны ; исследуется деятельность данного ведомства ; направленная на развитие градостроительной сферы ; архитектуры и жилищно-коммунального хозяйства в России. Изучение истории возникновения отдельного и специального органа ; осуществляющего управление в сфере строительства ; городского планирования ; благоустройства территорий ; а также анализ современного российского законодательства позволяют автору выявить особенности Министерства строительства и жилищно-коммунального хозяйства РФ как субъекта административного права. Кроме того ; после проведения такого исследования делаются выводы о значимости существования данного министерства в системе органов государственной власти России. ; The article examines the powers of the Ministry of Construction Industry ; Housing and Utilities Sector of the Russian Federation ; specifics of its functioning within the system of executive bodies of Russia ; There is being researched the activity of this Ministry ; aimed at the development of urban planning ; architecture and housing and communal services in Russia. The research of the history of the emergence of a separate and special body that manages the construction ; urban planning ; territory improvement ; and аuthor's analysis of modern Russian legislation allows the author to identify the features of the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services of the Russian Federation as a subject of administrative law. In addition ; after carrying out such a study ; conclusions are drawn about the significance of the existence of this ministry in the system of Russian government bodies.
