The Evolution of Well-Being in Spain (1980–2001): A Regional Analysis

Evaluations of regional welfare conventionally rely on Gross Value Added (GVA) per capita as an indicator of well-being. This paper attempts to re-address the regional welfare issue using alternative indicators to per capita income. With this aim, a database for the Spanish regions (NUTS II) has been constructed for the period 1980–2001 and an augmented version of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Human Development Index (HDI) has been estimated incorporating indicators of health, education and per capita income. The results show that, whereas regional income per capita disparities have remained constant, regional convergence in the Augmented Human Development Index (AHDI) was achieved between 1980 and 2001. None the less, there is no evidence of intra-distributional mobility (leap-frogging) across regions in the AHDI     

Illicit Financial Flows: Another Road Block to Human Development in Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Social Indicators Research - This article analysed the relationship between illicit financial flows (IFFs) and human development, as measured with the United Nations Human Development Index (HDI),...     

The moderating effects of corporate and national factors on lean projects barriers: a cross‐national study

Abstract

Despite companies’ efforts to develop lean thinking in their industrial context, the implementation of many lean projects has not been consistently successful, often resulting in delay, failure, abandonment or rejection. Whereas some authors emphasised that company characteristics, like the product demand profile, are significant factors in lean projects, other studies analysed the impact of national culture. This paper aims to study the combined effect of various factors related to national culture and company characteristics of lean implementation barriers in order to determine whether the environmental context in which the company operation can affect the outcome of lean project implementation. A survey has been conducted to collect information about companies of various sizes (small–medium–large) in all industry fields. Data from companies, including manufacturing firms, in 23 different countries, were analysed in depth by a combination of Association Rules and Network Analysis. The results show that some national culture dimensions, such as Performance Orientation and Gender Egalitarianism, influence lean management success and help to maintain a lean culture. Maintaining a lean culture is even more critical than developing it. Furthermore, if the implementation of lean practices is an arduous task for large organisations, it becomes even greater for SMEs. Other cultural factors of individuals such as Uncertainty Avoidance, Future Orientation and Institutional Collectivism also help to support a lean culture and overcome human and cultural barriers.