Aprendizaje,innovación y gestión tecnológica en la pequeña empresa: Un estudio de las industrias metalmecánica y de tecnologías de información en Sonora

In the industrial development in Northwestern Mexico stands out the limited capacity of local firms to integrate into the global value chains and there is an emergent participation of the metalworking sector and information technology as suppliers of goods and services for large exporters. Recent local researches analyze the accumulation of technological capabilities, but they have not researched the relationship with technology management strategies. This paper presents the results of an empirical study of micro, small and medium enterprises in such areas, which allows the guessing of a direct correlation between the level of accumulated skills and the level of technology management.     

Una medida de eficiencia de mercado. Un enfoque de teoría de la información

In this paper, based on the concept of Shannon entropy, we propose a measure of market efficiency by using the empirical density function of returns. Under certain conditions of ergodicity and stationarity, it is shown that the sample entropy converges to the entropy of the dominant state. It is also shown that the proposed measure is consistent with some of the axioms from Artzner et al. (1999) of a coherent risk measure. Bounds on the behavior of entropy as a measure of efficiency on the basis of extreme cases are also established; going from deterministic processes to pure white noise stochastic processes. Finally, for illustrative purposes, we carry out several applications of the proposed efficiency measure of capital to different markets: DJIA, S&P500, FTSE100 and IPC.     

Selección de proveedores basada en análisis dimensional

This article presents the evaluation of a group of six suppliers for an electromechanical component of hydraulic bombs. The comparison is made by using the dimensional analysis technique and the attributes evaluated were the component´s costs, product quality, post sale service from supplier, product reliability, supplier’s administration and organization and production technology in their production system. In addition, in order to integrate the opinion of several persons in the selection and decision process, the information analysis was done with the aid of a decision group integrated by five persons with responsibilities in the purchase area. The technique is easy to apply and has been widely accepted by its users, who are making its use extensive to other components supplier’s selection process.     

Evolución de la capacidad tecnológica en México. Aplicación del análisis estadístico multivariante de cluster

This paper conducts an analysis on the existence of state clusters related with technological capabilities in Mexico. An empirical study was conducted using the technique of multivariate statistical cluster analysis, based on the set of indicators proposed by Cepal (2007), collecting data from various public sources country for 2006 and 2012 in order to study the time evolution of such clusters, trying to see what states have been moving to a cluster located in positions more which have advanced and retreated over the period. The results show the existence of 7 groups of states characterized by different technological capabilities, plus states are identified in decline and progress, both in terms of absorptive capacity and innovation, and in relation to the technological infrastructure capabilities.     

Aplicación de análisis discriminante para evaluar la productividad como resultado de la certificación BASC en las empresas de la ciudad de Cartagena

This research paper presents the evaluation of productivity in companies in the city of Cartagena as a result of the certification of said companies in the Business Anti-Smuggling Coalition (BASC). The methodology used calculated productivity indicators at 23 companies certified at BASC. Next, we used the Discriminant Analysis technique to explain the belonging and discrimination of each group of productivity indicators evaluated, resulting in the correlation between certified companies and increased productivity indices for 2008 and 2010. From the discriminant function obtained and the statistics analyzed, it can be concluded that certification in BASC standard showed no improvement in the indicators selected, but presented significant differences in the Gross Profit / Value Added (IP1), Operating Income / Operating Capital (IP5) and Net Income / Operating Capital (IP6) indicators.     

Escuelas de negocios latinoamericanas Un análisis empírico

Drawing on recent available data of a sample of Latin American business schools, this paper aims at identifying the organizational determinants of the students’ success in their post-MBA professional work. These relationships are tested through multiple regressions using panel data with random effects. The main finding is that the level of scholarly knowledge production, operationalized as number of articles published in journals indexed in the Social Science Citation Index, is in a positive and statistically significant way associated with the alumni’s success. The quality of the faculty has also a positive and significant effect upon the dependent variable, although this result is not robust as per different model specifications.     

Propuesta de un modelo de medición de la competitividad mediante análisis factorial

This article presents a proposal of a model to measure competitiveness at the three geographical levels simultaneously: country, states, and municipalities by using a multivariate factor analysis resulting in the identification of five factors, seven subfactors and thirty variables used to measure and to present the results of an empirical study of several entities: the country, the state of Sonora and nine municipalities that represent 80% of the population and 80% of its Total Gross Production (PBT). The results show that the municipality of Hermosillo was the most competitive in 2010.     

Análisis del servicio de Urgencias aplicando teoría de líneas de espera

Those responsible for making decisions in hospitals are increasingly aware of the need to efficiently manage hospital systems. An option for analysis is done by queuing models. In this paper is analyzed the service area ER, in a public hospital applying the concepts and relationships of waiting lines. From the model results, it is concluded that in the emergency department does not have the required minimum number of doctors to allow a steady flow of patients. With the model, the minimum required number of doctors is calculated to meet current and future demand for service with the same service time and the same discipline of service. Analytical models, allowing direct understand the relationships between service demand, number of doctors and patient care priority viewed as a queuing system. The work is useful for administrators and managers of hospital systems.     

La empresa familiar en México Situación actual de la investigación

Family businesses are fundamental productive structures in industrialized and developing economies. Even though there are no rigorous data to support the fact, family businesses have a relevant influence in the generation of national wealth, but they are not well known. Research on family enterprise has been recent; in this article we aim to reconstruct the state of the art research that has been undertaken in Mexico since the main objective of this paper is to encourage family business research. The results presentation is inspired by Chua et al. (1999), Low and MacMillan (1988) and Sharma’s works (2004).     

Análisis de costos y estrategias productivas en la lechería de pequeña escala en el periodo 2000–2012

An accounting analysis was performed on the evolution and performance of productive, economic and marketing strategies implemented by small-scale dairy farmers in the peri-urban area of Texcoco, Mexico. Economic and production records for 1 023 lactation were obtained in two periods, 2000 and 2012. The general cost methodology was used to establish the accounting structures of these production systems, and the re-adjustment of values financial methodology through calculating deflated values based on data from the Mexican National Index of Consumer Prices. Evidence is presented that farmers in Stratum I defined as strategies not hiring temporary or permanent labour, as well as independence in the purchase of inputs (this Stratum produces 90% of its inputs). Stratum II reduced 3 of the main 4 items of the total production cost (feeding, medicines and breeding) and increased the mean profit per litre of milk ($ 2.00 MXN) through selling strategies. Stratum III defined as their strategies increased productivity (59%), a reduction in the cost (29%) of the main input (feed) and taking advantage of their productive scale to obtain a higher receipt of revenues for the farm.     

Evaluación de la conversión a café orgánico usando la metodología de opciones reales

Since the deregulation of the coffee market in 1989, price crises are proof of the uncertainty and risk around coffee growers’ income, particularly for small producers who, in the case of Mexico, have taken action such as the conversion of their traditional crops into the organic production system which, besides the ecological priority, allows them to get a higher income than from conventional coffee. In this document we model as real investment options (RIO) the possibility of conversion from one system into the other one also including the feasibility of abandoning this strategic decision.     

Medición de la intensidad en el uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación en Escandinavia

One characteristic of the processes related to technological innovation in the Scandinavian countries is the high participation level of public and private agents. The objective of this strategy is to assimilate knowledge and to spread it out in the best possible way. Thus, in this article we identify the profile of ICT users; we try to establish how important they are for these countries, their good use of these technologies and how they impact on their communication processes. The results derived from the research prove that: 1) Swedish and Danish homes are a reference when it comes to the utilization of ICTs, 2) Finnish companies lead the way in the adoption of ICTs, followed by Danish and Swedish companies; 3) When it comes to provision and implementation of public services on a technological platform, the leading countries are Denmark, Finland and Sweden; and 4) When it comes to the utilization of ICTs in infrastructures, the EU leadership is headed by Sweden and Denmark, far ahead from the other Member States.     

Dinámica de la inversión extranjera directa en los estados de México: un análisis de cadenas de Markov espaciales

The aim of this investigation is to analyze the evolution of the spatio-temporal distribution of foreign direct investment (FDI) across Mexican states. The literature that analizes foreign direct invesment in Mexico is numerous and diverse; however, it is argued that the analysis of the spatio-temporal distribution of FDI conditioned to spatial interaction effects in Mexico, is still absence. In this sense, by applying the spatial Markov chain approach as proposed by Rey (2001), we found a divergence process in the FDI inflows among mexican states that seems to get stronger over time. In particular, during the period from 2006 to 2013, the process of divergence towards higher-FDI-inflows quantiles occurs among states spatially associated with neighbors in lower-FDI-quantiles.     

Análisis del comportamiento estadístico y aproximación fractal en la recaudación del impuesto sobre nóminas y asimilados en el estado de Quintana Roo

This paper analyzes the tax collection from payroll tax on staff and non-staff in the state of Quintana Roo from 2000 to 2010. Its main contribution is to identify the statistical revenue behavior using a fractal approach, establishing iterative patterns at both state and municipal level, for the entire analyzed series of 132 months as well as shorter time periods. It serves as a trigger for application in other locations and charges in order to explore some features of taxation. Two statistical criteria were used to determine normal or abnormal series of municipal tax collection during the study period, namely, the Empirical Rule criteria and parameters using Chebyshev’s theorem. As a contrast, the Jarque-Bera test was applied on residuals, concluding that the fiscal revenue from the state of Quintana Roo (municipal data) does not follow a normal distribution, which is why the fractal approach has been used. The results with data for tax collection by municipalities throughout Quintana Roo show the presence of a fractal behavior (repetitive and cyclic) in revenue, which can be interpreted as the presence of a consolidated tax base, thus justifying the conclusion that there is strength (the observed level of collection) in local public finances. The same conclusion is obtained, with different temporal cuts, when analyzing and detecting the presence of specific fractal revenue behavior observed in municipalities of Benito Juarez (Cozumel) and Othon P. Blanco from 2000 to 2010.     

Anomalías en la autocorrelación de rendimientos y la importancia de los periodos de no transacción en mercados latinoamericanos

This paper aims to determine the evidence of returns autocorrelation for the main Latin American stock markets, and the influence of the day of the week effect on this phenomenon. Also, we analyze the importance of non-trading periods and their incidence on stock markets returns. We determine a high autocorrelation in most of the stock markets analyzed, both in local and global currency and the day-of-the-week effect on only some of the stock markets. Evidence of correlation between trading periods returns and those of non-trading periods is also found.     

Simulación de la tasa de reciclaje de productos electrónicos Un modelo de dinámica de sistemas para la red de logística inversa

Current trends in the development and innovation of information technologies and shorter life cycles of electronic products have resulted in the generation of large amounts of waste (e-waste) which can potentially cause environmental problems due to the toxicity of some of their components. The e-waste problematic has attracted the attention of governments, companies and consumers that look to identify strategies for the management and proper disposal of e-waste with the goal to protect the environment. This work uses the methodology of system dynamics to simulate how the rate of products returned by individuals and the amount of computers recovered in an open-loop reverse supply chain, varies under different scenarios. The simulated scenarios correspond to the possible combinations of five macro factors: rate of innovation and product life cycle, information available to consumers about e-waste recycling, legislation, e-waste programs structure along with diffusion and publicity efforts. The results of the simulation are relevant to identify over which factors it is convenient to intervene to increase the amount of recycled computers because this amount represents a reduction in the volume of e-waste and an enterprise opportunity to generate earnings from recycling computers.     

Análisis del riesgo de mercado de los fondos de pensión en México Un enfoque con modelos autorregresivos

The aim of this paper is to analyze the market risk of two types of investment funds, Basic SIEFORE 1 (SB1) and Basic SIEFORE 2 (SB2). To do this, we propose a performance index that will be used in ARIMA-GARCH models and some of its extensions, with the purpose of examining the dynamic behavior of the returns and their volatility on such investment funds. Moreover, the risk premium of both types of funds is analyzed. One of the relevant research results is that yields obtained by these funds in the period studied, are not sufficient to offset the additional risk assumed by the pension funds including equity components. Finally, some remarks are made, on investment policy, about the market risk and how it is being measured and managed in these funds.     

Empleo manufacturero en la Región Centro de México. Una estimación por gran división

In this paper, the production performance by great division and its effects on formal job generation in the central region of Mexico is analyzed. The more dynamic manufacturing divisions are identified and with the estimation of an employment function with panel data for each of the nine manufacturing great divisions, it is found that divisions I. Food, beverages and tobacco, II. Textiles, clothing and leather industry, III. Wood and wood products and IX Other manufacturing industries exhibit a high income elasticity of employment (0.716, 1.035, 0.781 and 0.94) and that the more technical divisions, with greater innovation processes and highly exporting divisions such as division VIII. Metal products, machinery and equipment show a lower elasticity.     

Factores que explican la extensión de revelación de activos intangibles de los bancos que cotizan en la Bolsa de Valores de Panamá

This paper analyzes the level of voluntary disclosure of intangible assets, and identifies the factors that explain the disclosure of such information by the banks listed on the Panama Stock Exchange during the period 2005-2009. The information is recorded on an index that contains 158 indicators divided into five categories: human capital, technological structural, organizational structure, relational business and social relational. Three hypotheses are posed: H₁ there is a positive relationship between the size and extent of disclosure of intangible assets; H₂ a positive relationship between the extent of incorporation and disclosure of intangible assets; H₃ there is a positive relationship between leverage and the extent of disclosure of intangible assets. The results indicate that for Panama banks it is more important to disclose information on intangibles in the following order: business relational capital, social relational, organizational structure, human and technological structural. H₁ was accepted as a size category except for the structural capital; H₂ was accepted for the years in all categories, while H₃ was rejected.