Editorial

Jorge Carneiro

Editor-in-Chief

Dear BAR Readers,

The first issue of BAR in 2012 brings six interesting contributions.

The first article, “Relationships between Learning, Context and Competency: a Multilevel Study” (by Hugo Brandão, Jairo Borges-Andrade, Katia Puente-Palacios and Jacob Laros) investigates if management competencies are influenced by attributes of bank managers (such as the learning strategies they use) and attributes of the branches where they work (such as organizational support).

It is worth noting that this article was evaluated though the “fast track” process, by which the best papers presented in ANPAD conferences are given priority in the review process (by skipping the desk review phase and entering immediately in the double blind review phase) and publication order (being published in the next issue of the journal after they have been eventually accepted). But such articles are, of course, subjected to the same rigor and relevance analyses as any paper submitted through the regular process.

The second paper, “A Socio-Environmental Development Programme in Action in Brazilian Amazonia” (by Ana Maria Vasconcellos and Mário Vasconcellos Sobrinho), discusses the links between three different levels of actions of a state-sponsored socio-environmental development programme in Brazilian Amazonia called Proambiente: the macro (federal government), intermediate (NGOs) and local (community) levels. Impacts on local communities are discussed. This paper also underwent a “fast track” process of review and publication.

The next paper, “IT Business Value Model for Information Intensive Organizations” (by Antonio Carlos Maçada, Mateus Beltrame, Pietro Dolci and João Luiz Becker), employed the IT Business Value for Information Intensive Organizations in order to investigate the impact of IT (Information Technology) on value generation.

The fourth paper, “Determinants of Scale Efficiency in the Brazilian Third-Party Logistics Industry from 2001 to 2009” (by Peter Wanke), investigates the impact of some variables (e.g., coordination mechanisms in the supply chain, availability of real time information and inventory synchronization) over 3PLs (third-party logistics) scale efficiency.

The following article, “Discretionary-Based Disclosure: Evidence from the Brazilian Market” (by Fernando Murcia and Ariovaldo dos Santos), tests three models (economic, socio-environmental and total disclosure models) in an attempt to identify factors that would explain the level of voluntary disclosure by Brazilian companies, according to the Discretionary-based Disclosure theory.

The last paper in this issue, “New Technologies, Old Habits: Automation without Innovation” (by José Osvaldo De Sordi, Manuel Meireles and Marta Valentim), investigates the underuse of technological tools by innovative organizations, which are otherwise recognized for their use of and familiarity with new technologies. Findings suggest that merely possessing good technological tools is not sufficient for fostering innovation and strategic gains in organizations.

I hope you will enjoy reading these papers.

With best academic wishes for a productive New Year.

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  30 Jan 2012
• Date of issue
  Mar 2012