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.

The Media Impact of Board Member Appointments in Spanish-Listed Companies: A Gender Perspective

Abstract: Recent corporate governance literature on gender diversity within boards has linked the effect of an increase in gender diversity to the firm’s corporate reputation. This paper analyzes the media impact of appointing new directors of Spanish companies at a particularly significant moment, during the period from 2007 to 2010, just a year before and 3 years after the Gender Equality Act was passed. By analyzing female and male board nominations in Spanish IBEX-35 companies, the paper examines whether appointing a female does have greater visibility than appointing a male, and thus a potential signaling effect for corporate stakeholders and an effect on the firm’s reputation. Results indicate that the effect on press visibility of appointing a female versus a male is negligible, although there is significant media visibility for new executive directors, in particular for the case of the only woman nominated as an executive director during the period. The paper contributes to the existing literature on gender diversity in corporate governance, specifically its effect on corporate reputation. The paper also offers information relevant to policy making and in particular to the current debate over quotas for women on boards.

Diagnosing the causes of territory abandonment by the Endangered Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus: the importance of traditional pastoralism and regional conservation

Abstract: Identifying threats to declining species and prescribing ways of preventing their extinction are basic challenges for biodiversity conservation. We analysed the causes underlying the loss of territories of the Endangered Egyptian vulture Neophron percnopterus in a key population at the north-western edge of its distribution in Europe by developing multi-scale models that combined factors from nest site to landscape. We used generalized linear models and an information-theoretic approach to identify the optimal combination of scales and resolutions that could explain territorial abandonment. Those models combining nest-site and landscape scales considerably improved prediction ability compared to those considering only one scale. The best combined model had a high predictive ability (96.9% of correctly classified cases). Small cliffs at high altitudes in rugged areas with declining livestock (especially of sheep and goats) increased the likelihood of territory abandonment. Our findings highlight the importance of developing region-specific multi-scale models to determine reliably the factors driving territory loss and of designing effective conservation strategies accordingly. Conservation measures for the studied population should be developed at two spatial scales. At the smaller scale it is necessary to closely control nest sites to avoid direct disturbances. At a larger scale it is essential to implement policies that can support traditional pastoralism.

Part-time work, fixed-term contracts, and the returns to experience

Abstract: Using data from Spanish Social Security records, we investigate the returns to experience for female workers in different flexible work arrangements. Our model consists of four random-effects equations simultaneously estimated using Markov Chain Monte Carlo techniques. We find a large negative wage effect of working part-time (PT), which differs by motherhood status and contract type. We also find that working PT involves lower returns to experience than standard full-time employment and thus a substantial negative wage effect accumulates over time for those employed PT. Finally, our simulations reveal that working PT also raises the probability of working under a fixed-term contract.

Diurnal Preference Predicts Phase Differences in Expression of Human Peripheral Circadian Clock Genes.

Abstract: Background: Circadian rhythms play an integral role in human behavior, physiology and health. Individual differences in daily rhythms (chronotypes) can affect individual sleep-wake cycles, activity patterns and behavioral choices. Diurnal preference, the tendency towards morningness or eveningness among individuals, has been associated with interpersonal variation in circadian clock-related output measures, including body temperature, melatonin levels and clock gene mRNA in blood, oral mucosa, and dermal fibroblast cell cultures. Methods: Here we report gene expression data from two principal clock genes sampled from hair follicle cells, a peripheral circadian clock. Hair follicle cells from fourteen individuals of extreme morning or evening chronotype were sampled at three time points. RNA was extracted and quantitative PCR assays were used to measure mRNA expression patterns of two clock genes, Per3 and Nr1d2 . Results: We found significant differences in clock gene expression over time between chronotype groups, independent of gender or age of participants. Extreme evening chronotypes have a delay in phase of circadian clock gene oscillation relative to extreme morning types. Variation in the molecular clockwork of chronotype groups represents nearly three-hour phase differences ( Per3 : 2.61 hours; Nr1d2 : 3.08 hours, both: 2.86) in circadian oscillations of these clock genes. Conclusions: The measurement of gene expression from hair follicles at three time points allows for a direct, efficient method of estimating phase shifts of a peripheral circadian clock in real-life conditions. The robust phase differences in temporal expression of clock genes associated with diurnal preferences provide the framework for further studies of the molecular mechanisms and gene-by-environment interactions underlying chronotype-specific behavioral phenomena, including social jetlag.