IE University

About: IE University is a education organization based out in Segovia, Castilla y León, Spain. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Corporate governance & Context (language use). The organization has 527 authors who have published 1709 publications receiving 64682 citations.

More Layers than an Onion: Looking for a Definition of Sovereign Wealth Funds

Abstract: We analyze definitions used by researchers about a single concept: Sovereign Wealth Funds (SWF). It is still a matter of recent controversy and debate. We place these definitions into one of eleven categories. The results show full agreement (what we have called ‘the core’) for just two characteristics: SWFs are owned by governments and they are investment funds. Beyond the core, there are three layers commanding general consensus: SWFs are (1) international investors; (2) without explicit pension liabilities; (3) determined by the source of funding. But the debate remains open. The dynamic nature of SWFs, morphing institutions in a continuous evolution led us to conclude that there is no definition capturing the essence of these "new" instruments of state intervention.

Reconciliation Dilemmas in Post-Ba'athist Iraq: Truth Commissions, Media and Ethno-sectarian Conflicts

Abstract: Based on field work conducted in post-Ba'ath Iraq, as well as a study of official statements, print and broadcast media and insurgent communiques and interviews with proponents of truth and reconciliation in post-war Iraq, this article examines attempts to create a truth and reconciliation committee to settle differences and tensions between former members of the party and communities affected by its collective policies. It shows that in 2003 the Coalition Provisional Authority failed to endorse plans based on the South African model. Instead, it embarked on a policy of de-Ba'athification which eventually fed into the insurgency. Since then, the Arab League and Prime Minister Maliki have launched attempts to foster national reconciliation. The article argues that these initiatives failed because the idea of reconciliation from the outset was tied to greater political dynamics.

It as an agent of social change: lonxanet and the case of the galician artisanal fisheries

Abstract: Information technologies (IT) can be used as an agent to foster social change. This case study describes an Internet start-up, Lonxanet, and analyzes its potential role as a catalyst of changes in the Galician (northwest Spain) artisanal seafood fisheries. These fisheries are traditionally associated to rural communities of fishers, selling their products in local auction markets known as lonxas. Galician seafood is hugely appreciated in the Spanish market, where products achieve very high prices and have luxurious connotations. However, the product passes through a wide array of intermediaries where lack of transparence prevails until it reaches the end market, so fishers achieve just a tiny amount of the potential profits despite assuming all the risks associated to the extractive phase. In order to foster social and economic change, Lonxanet proposes a large electronic marketplace initiative partially owned by fishers’ organizations, integrating marketing and logistic services and selling directly to restaurants and other final consumers. This change enables fishers to exert control over the whole commercial cycle. Consequently, they switch from a survival mentality to an industrial one, and they become especially interested in the sustainability of the resource, thus achieving environmental benefits.

Modelling Approaches to Optimise Spares in Multi-echelon Systems

Abstract: Spare parts optimisation requires an integrated approach that starts with the removal of factors that create noise: bad coding, resulting in parts proliferation; lack of classification and thus of focus; poor network practices (uncoupled warehouses, poor relation with key suppliers); and poor data integrity (non-centralised, non-real time data). Emphasis is also placed on improving forecasts and the application of multi-echelon inventory models for repairable items. The METRIC model is then applied to a hypothetical and two real cases, an underground system and a mobile telephone company in Venezuela.

A resource dependence, social network and contingency model of sustainability in supply chain alliances

Abstract: Despite an increased emphasis on strategic alliances in supply chain in the academic and practitioner literature, we have a limited understanding of the mechanisms that underlie the sustainability of partnership model in buyer-supplier relations. This paper examines the role of context and actors in the dynamics of strategic alliance development, and their effect on its subsequent sustainability. Reconciling resource dependence, social network and contingency theories this paper proposes a model that links alliance sustainability with various conditions of supply chain’s internal and external environments. The theoretical conceptualisations are substantiated by the case study that examines the evolution of Rolls-Royce and Airbus partnership in the aviation industry.