bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Managerial Early Warning System
Authors: Leon Ramona-Diana
Published: July 2017

The purpose of this research is to determine how managers could influence the results generated by a managerial early warning system, based on an artificial neural network. In order to achieve this goal, a multiple case-study strategy is employed which combines the qualitative with the quantitative perspective. The results prove that 78.10% of the variability of the managerial early warning system reliability can be explained by managers' influence and company's size; the first one is negatively correlated with system's reliability while the latest is positively correlated with system's reliability. These findings have both theoretical and practical implications. On the one hand, they extend the literature regarding managers' participation in the process of developing the future corporate strategy. On the other hand, they offer a better understanding on how managers may influence not only the identification of the weak signals but also the development of scenarios and forecasted business results.
The Breath of Life
Authors: Özbağ Gönül Kaya
Published: July 2017

This chapter aims to contribute to the debate about corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainable development (SD) and global corporate citizenship (GCC) that is becoming increasingly an important issue for the human well being as well as that of ecological systems. It contains three sections. The first section looks at the concept of CSR with a historical perspective. The dimensions of CSR and its relationship with ethical theories is investigated in the second section since CSR is an ethical concept. Throughout this chapter three main groups of ethical theories classified by Garriga and Mele (2004) will be presented such as normative stakeholder theory, universal rights, the common good approach. Based on the relationship between common good approach and sustainable development, the author will discuss a requirement for global corporate citizenship approach in the third section.
Performance Measurement Systems for Healthcare Organisations
Authors: Rodríguez Raúl Rodríguez , Figueroa Sara Elena Trespalacios , Alfaro-Saiz Juan-Jose , Verdecho María-José
Published: July 2017

This chapter deals with the performance measurement systems (PMS) for healthcare organisations topic. PMS have been proved to be a widely used management tool to control, monitor and manage performance and, extensively, organisations. However, most of the developed works have focused on industrial organisations, being the application of this topic to health organisations not fully exploited. This chapter brings, based on scientific literature, some sound reviews that could be the starting point for researching activities in this topic. Then, it shows an overview of performance measurement elements applied to healthcare organisations from different optics such as efficacy, quality, adequateness, use of ICT and sustainability at both intra and inter-organisational contexts.
Measurement of Company Performance as Part of Its Strategic Management
Authors: Janošková Mária , Csikósová Adriana , Čulková Katarína
Published: July 2017

One assumption of success is definitely strategic thinking, knowledge of methods, practices and recommendations how to achieve success. Performance measurement and management presents subject of constant discussions of academics and practitioners looking for a solution to create management tool that supports continuous improvement of performance evaluation of business processes. It is characterized by two key insights into functioning of the company, i.e. financial view when owner expected appreciation of investments and increasing of company value and viewing business as a socio-economic system, mainly as a complex network of internal and external relations, which should also be managed with balance. The purpose of the chapter is to provide an overview of approaches to management and measurement of business performance according to the experts' views presented in the literature. Part of the chapter is also selected results of realized researches, orientated to the management and measurement of performance of Slovakian and foreign companies with emphasis to changes of used means.
Probabilistic Studies of Hydrologic Drought Events in Juba River in Somalia
Authors: Njoroge Anne Njeri
Published: July 2017

Juba River runs from its headwaters in Ethiopia through Somalia and discharges into the Indian Ocean near Kismayo. Severe droughts recur in Juba River Catchment. This chapter examines the time series of hydrologic droughts and the factors influencing their occurrence in the catchment. The Author further demonstrates the application of probability distributions to compute the exceedance probabilities of the hydrologic drought experienced in the catchment in the past, from 2001 to 2014. The fit of the probability distributions are compared to show the best fitting of all distributions. The probability distribution that will reasonably fit well to the data set is adapted to generate graphical plots for forecasting the return periods of drought events in the Catchment. Reconstructing past drought episodes and future drought predictions is useful in drought risk management in Baardheere region of Somalia.
Infrastructures for Data in the Context of Flow Forecasting Using Artificial Neural Network Model for Okavango River in Namibia
Authors: Amutenya Jacobine Taukondjele , Perez Gerald (Augusto) Corzo
Published: July 2017

A number of evolutions on data collection and sharing have been published. Countries have collected data but lack of access and complexity to implement these technologies has limitations. HydroServer Lite a web based server for sharing water data helps to address the need of data sharing and storing in a standard format. Namibia Hydrological Services has no common online system for storing and sharing of water data. This study extends the research on HSL features as data system linked to online ANN forecasting model. This is done by implementing a Namibian HSL using real time connection to the database to operate in real time tools developed to visualize and fill in missing data. Lastly, a model was build using Waikato Environment for Knowledge Analysis. Results of the best model obtained are coded in Hypertext Preprocessor with near real time data to provide continuous forecast. Linking data system for water resource management in a standard format is practical and promising.
Multi-Temporal Landsat Remote Sensing for Forest Landscape Fragmentation Analysis in the Yoko Forest, Kisangani, DRC
Authors: Ngamba Jean-Fiston Mikwa , Ekokinya Ewango Corneille , Luwesi Cush Ngonzo , Kahindo Yves-Dady Botula , Marie Muhogwa Jean , Seya Hyppolite Nshimba
Published: July 2017

This study assessed the impact of human activities on deforestation and sustainability of water resources and livelihoods in the Congo Basin. It mainly aimed to assess forest degradation in the Yoko reserve from 1976 to 2015 and investigate the compatibility of Landsat imagery for forest monitoring. Digital Image processing for unsupervised classification was done using ENVI software while supervised classification was done by means of ArcGIS 10. Results show that forest landscape faced large scale human induced fragmentation over the last 40 years. If these trends continue, they will affect the sustainability of water resources and livelihoods in the Congo Basin of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Hence, policy makers need to look at key drivers and address impacts that may threaten the future of Hydrological Ecosystems Services, including water and land resources in the Congo Basin. Authorities have to apply an Integrated Management of Water, Land and Ecosystems.
Kenya Success Story in Water Resources Management
Authors: Obando Joy Apiyo , Luwesi Cush Ngonzo , Förch Nele , Opiyo Anthony Ogutu , Shisanya Chris , Förch Gerd
Published: July 2017

Management of water resources is at the heart of political discourse to raise awareness among local stakeholders for support in policy formulation and implementation of water sector development plans. The concept of integrated water resources management (IWRM) has been largely disseminated by the Global Water Partnership. Though theoretically appealing and sound, the process of implementation of participatory water resources management still has potential to yield results at local level. One reason is that the top-down approach used is too broad to be implemented and neither does it facilitate better understanding of the needs of each sector involved in the inter-sectoral collaboration to foster planning and benefit sharing of water resources. It is in favour of such practical action for water sector planning and development at small scale catchment level that the concept of “light” IWRM or “Integrated Watershed Management” (IWM) was developed to reduce various threats and severe water constraints affecting local stakeholders.
The Role of Autonomous Computing, Cloud Computing, and Multimedia in IoT
Authors: Mostafa Ahmed Mahmoud
Published: July 2017

Connecting a large number of physical objects equipped with sensors to the Internet generates what is called “big data.” Big data needs smart and efficient storage. The emerging and developing technology of cloud computing is defined by the US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) as an access model to an on-demand network of shared configurable computing sources such as networks, servers, warehouses, applications, and services. The manual installation and management of IoT devices becomes impractical due to the large numbers involved. Specifically, there exists an inefficiency that can be resolved by minimizing user intervention. The manual maintenance of a large number of devices becomes inefficient, and demands the presence of intelligent and dynamic management schemes. In addition, Internet of Things systems cannot successfully realize the notion of ubiquitous connectivity of everything if they are not capable to truly include ‘multimedia things'.
A Brief Study of Approaches to Text Feature Selection
Authors: Tallamaraju Ravindra Babu , Kirti Manas
Published: July 2017

With reducing cost of storage devices, increasing amounts of data is being stored and processed for extracting intelligence. Classification and clustering have been two major approaches in generating data abstraction. Over the last few years, text data is dominating the types of data shared and stored. Some of the sources of such datasets are mobile data, e-commerce, and wide-range of continuously expanding social-networking services. Within each of these sources, the nature of data differs drastically from formal language text to Twitter or SMS slangs thereby leading to the need for different ways of processing the data for making meaningful summarization. Such summaries could effectively be used for business advantage. Processing of such data requires identifying appropriate set of features both for efficiency and effectiveness. In the current Chapter, we propose to discuss approaches to text feature selection and make a comparative study.
Transformative Organizational Communication Practices
Authors: Salem Philip J.
Published: July 2017

Most efforts at transformational organizational change fail. In order to explain that failure and the potential for success, this chapter introduces the construct of organizational communication practices and develops a theory to explain how these processes constitute organizations as complex adaptive social systems. Five axioms anchor the theory, and the author derives theorems explaining the important features of attempting to change transformative organizational communication practices.
Reworking Resistance
Authors: Hanchey Jenna N.
Published: July 2017

Scholars recognize that both nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and non-Western organizational logics harbor the potential to reconfigure fundamental assumptions of organizational research. Drawing from such work, I argue that we must reconceptualize ‘resistance' in organizational communication scholarship by destabilizing its Western-centric assumptions and logics. I do so by engaging in a postcolonial analysis of scholarship on international NGOs, and drawing out typical assumptions of organizational communication work that do not hold under all cultural conditions, or that are imperialistic in nature. Answering calls to center alternative forms of organizing and to draw deeper relations between critical intercultural and organizational communication research, this study asks scholars to resist typical theorizations of ‘resistance,' and decolonize organizational theory.
Social Media Influencers and Consumer Online Engagement Management
Authors: Lu Qiang (Steven) , Seah Zhen Yi
Published: July 2017

With the popularity of social media, social media influencers have been playing an increasing role in modern marketing. However, there is little research on the impact of social media influencers on consumer brand engagement. To fill this gap, this chapter develops a conceptual framework to examine the impact of the endorsement by social media influencers on online brand engagement. The authors use social distance theories to construct several propositions to provide a deep understanding. They suggest that traditional celebrities and social media influencers have different social distance, therefore generate different types and degrees of consumer online engagement. And the product characteristics moderate the effectiveness of the different types of celebrity endorsement.
Freelancing in the Economy 4.0
Authors: Scalabrino Simone , Geremia Salvatore , Pareschi Remo , Bogetti Marcello , Oliveto Rocco
Published: July 2017

In the last years social media are increasing their importance in the context of digital freelancing by letting companies offer projects to external professionals through the Web. However, the available platforms for digital freelancing are still far from supporting the ecosystem of companies and professionals during the implementation of complex projects through an accurate definition of the required skills, roles, interdependencies and responsibilities. This chapter presents a roundup of the available systems of support to freelancers. The goal is to identify the essential features and structure of a comprehensive social media able to effectively manage and support the potential of an “economy 4.0” characterized by a free and flexible circulation of highly skilled professionals, that can be aggregated to support the needs of organizations.
Niger
Authors: Eroğlu Büşra , Gedikli Zafer
Published: July 2017

Niger is a Sub-Saharan African country, classified under the list of low-income countries. Niger gained its independence from France in 1960 and thus far, four military coups have been occurred in the country. Political instability, high population growth rate and severe weather conditions are the major factors directly affecting Niger's economy. In this chapter, socioeconomic, sociocultural and sociopolitical structures of the country are presented by relevant information and data. In conclusion, the appropriate and applicable policy recommendations are explained in consideration of previous sections.
United Arab Emirates
Authors: Durgun Özlem
Published: July 2017

UAE has been founded by uniting of seven emirates that declare independence at 1971. The country has made significant progress in last 45 years related to World Bank. While the poverty has been seen in the emirates during its establishment, they have achieved to the level of developed countries today. The economy of the country depends on production of oil and natural gas resources. The globalization process has affected to commercial and economic policies of the country. Thus, the country is experiencing a rapid transformation. An excessive labor demand has arisen after the increase on the studies about infrastructure-superstructure and foreign capital inflow had been combined. The need for professional labor force will also increase as the goals of the government about creating a knowledge-based and creative economy proceed. UAE has worked to become one of the leader countries in the region related to economic and social issues. Discovery of the petroleum 30 years ago has transformed the poor region to a country which has numerous modern structures.
How to Become a Cybercriminal?
Authors: Richet Jean-Loup
Published: July 2017

The main purpose of this chapter is to illustrate a landscape of current literature in cybercrime taking into consideration diffusion of innovation theories and economic theory of competition. In this chapter, a narrative review of the literature was carried out, facilitators leading to cybercrime were explored and explained the diffusion of Cybercriminals' best practices. Cybercrime is compatible with young adults lifestyle (familiarity) and requires little knowledge. Moreover, barriers to entry related to costs (psychological, financial), risks and investments are low. This review provides a snapshot and reference base for academics and practitioners with an interest in cybercrime while contributing to a cumulative culture which is desired in the field. This chapter provides insights into barriers to entry into cybercrime and the facilitators of cybercrime.
Optimal Query Generation for Hidden Web Extraction Through Response Analysis
Authors: Gupta Sonali , Bhatia Komal Kumar
Published: July 2017

A huge number of Hidden Web databases exists over the WWW forming a massive source of high quality information. Retrieval of this information for enriching the repository of the search engine is the prime target of a Hidden web crawler. Besides this, the crawler should perform this task at an affordable cost and resource utilization. This paper proposes a Random ranking mechanism whereby the queries to be raised by the hidden web crawler have been ranked. By ranking the queries according to the proposed mechanism, the Hidden Web crawler is able to make an optimal choice among the candidate queries and efficiently retrieve the Hidden web databases. The Hidden Web crawler proposed here also possesses an extensible and scalable framework to improve the efficiency of crawling. The proposed approach has also been compared with other methods of Hidden Web crawling existing in the literature.
The Impact of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme on Township Hospitals' Utilization and Income Structure in Weifang Prefecture, China
Authors: Audibert Martine , Mathonnat Jacky , Pélissier Aurore , Huang Xiao Xian
Published: July 2017

The New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme was gradually introduced from 2003 in China. This paper is based on a representative survey of 24 randomly selected township hospitals in Weifang prefecture over the period 2000-2008. Using a generalized form of differences-in-differences model, it aims to assess the effect of the reform on the utilization and income structure of the township hospitals. The estimations provide three main results linked to the effects of the New Rural Cooperative Medical Scheme on the behavior of the key stakeholders (households, health care providers and Health Bureau). Firstly, the reform had positive impacts on the utilization of township hospitals, particularly on the inpatient activity, but no significant impact on their income structure. Secondly, a decrease in the burden of hospitalization costs for households is suggested by the higher positive impact of the reform on the volume of inpatients in poor areas than in the other ones. Lastly, the marginal impact of the reform decreases over time.
Bridging the Gaps With Nonprofits
Authors: Caccioppoli Laura
Published: July 2017

This chapter will examine how nonprofits are both bridging the gaps left behind from health policy, and are at the intersection of institutions, interests, and the policy process. Using cultural competency as a theoretical lens, the chapter will make use of the current literature, demographic trends, and other qualitative and quantitative data to situate three case studies. As the Affordable Care Act, and other health policies tout themselves as solutions to gaps in health care services for minorities, this chapter offers an overview and evaluation of these policies as well as an explanation of the role nonprofits have in filling necessary service delivery and advocacy.
Experimental Study of Welded Joints of Aluminium Alloy AW6082
Authors: Baskutis Saulius , Baskutiene Jolanta , Bernotaitis Edvinas
Published: July 2017

This paper considers mechanical properties of the welded joints of aluminium alloy AW6082 under varying metal inert gas welding conditions, determined by tensile and microhardness tests. The test joints were produced at different welding current and welding speed. Cross sections of the welding zones have been analysed. The influence of heat input on the tensile strength properties and hardness of the base metal, heat affected and fusion zones were studied. The behaviour of double-V butt weld joints was investigated by tensile tests. Static tensile test and metallographic examination results showed minimum strength in the heat affected zone (HAZ). It was found that the lowest hardness values were obtained in the fusion zone and near the fusion line where rupture occurred.
Affect in Robots for Interaction and Control - Challenges for the Engineer
Authors: Witkowski Mark
Published: July 2017

This address will briefly consider the challenges and opportunities that arise from the integration of affect into robotic systems. Six challenge areas are identified as of particular relevance to robotics engineers. The first challenge is to sufficiently refine the display of affect by mechanical devices to give the impression or appearance of emotional engagement. The second challenge is to recognise affect as displayed by others, most particularly by human users. These two challenges relate primarily to the presentation of affect, there are related questions about how to best use it. It is widely assumed, though unproven, that these will improve the acceptability of robotic devices employed in the social and service sectors. The third challenge is to understand what about affect that can and cannot be understood in scientific and engineering terms. Much is open to measurement and modelling, but some - such as the notion of feelings - remain highly problematic. The fourth challenge is to take that analysis and build affect fully into the social control system of the robot, leading to essential progress in robot autonomy and working towards our understanding of the role and mechanism of natural affect. The fifth challenge is to find profitable application for affective robotics. One potential outcome is to build an enhanced level of behavioural compatibility between human user and robotic device. The sixth challenge as engineers is to ever take care - to ensure that reality does not, and is seen not to, match the popular apocalyptic expectation engendered at every opportunity by dramatist and film maker for robots imbued with "emotions".
Nutritional and antioxidant properties of selected traditional rice (Oryza sativa L.) varieties of Sri Lanka
Authors: Samaranayake M. D. W. , Yathursan S. , Abeysekera W. K. S. M. , Herath H. M. T.
Published: July 2017

Five traditional red and white rice varieties of Sri Lanka namely Kurulu Thuda, Nilkanda, Heeneti, MaaWee and Suwadal were studied for a range of nutritional and antioxidant properties (AP). Whole grain flour of the selected varieties were studied for moisture, crude fat, crude protein, crude ash, available carbohydrates, total dietary fiber (TDF) and sugar contents using standard analytical techniques (n=3), while oil extracted from rice bran was studied for the fatty acid profile using gas chromatographic technique (n=3). Antioxidant properties were studied using ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and 2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic) acid (ABTS) radical scavenging activity for the 70% ethanolic extracts of the rice bran (n=3 each). Results showed significant (P < 0.05) differences for both nutritional and AP among the varieties tested. However, between red and white rice varieties variation was significant (P < 0.05) only for the AP. Among the selected varieties, Suwadal had the highest TDF, Heeneti had the highest crude ash content while Maa Wee had the highest protein and sugar contents. Both Suwadal and Kurulu Thuda showed the highest fat content. Oleic acid was the most predominant fatty acid in all rice bran oil types. The highest oleic and palmitic acids were observed in Kurulu Thuda while MaaWee had the highest linoleic acid content. For AP, the highest activities for both FRAP and ABTS radical scavenging activity was observed for the red rice variety Kurulu Thuda while white rice variety Suwadal had the lowest. In conclusion, nutritional and AP vary significantly among the varieties and only AP varies significantly between the red and white rice types.
A Normalidade do Business no Ensino da Administração e a Marginalização do Público e do Social
Authors: De Almeida Nascimento Marcos Adller , Duarte de Araújo Maria Arlete
Published: July 2017

A hipótese norteadora  deste percurso investigativo é a de que Cursos de Administração em universidades públicas brasileiras apresentam matrizes curriculares que privilegiam o espaço privado e a economia de mercado em detrimento dos temas da Administração Pública (AP) e do ambiente de sua congênere, a Gestão Social (GS). O objetivo do artigo é, então, compreender o espaço que o ensino de conteúdos da administração pública ocupa em cursos de administração “generalistas”. Em linhas gerais, os resultados alcançados corroboram com a hipótese de que a disciplina da Administração Pública é pouco explorada em processos generalistas de ensino-aprendizagem em graduação de administração.
Entre o Mercado Primário e o Secundário: uma análise exploratória da criação de valor e vantagem competitiva nas relações China-Brasil
Authors: Ladeira Wagner Junior , Rosa Fernanda Teixeira , Du Feng , Santini Fernando Oliveira
Published: July 2017

A criação de valor e a vantagem competitiva são temas essenciais para o sucesso das empresas que atuam em mercados primários e secundários. O presente artigo teve como objetivo analisar as diferenças na criação de valor e geração de vantagem competitiva em mercados primários e secundários China-Brasil. Para isto, realizou-se um conjunto de entrevistas com gestores de empresas chinesas e brasileiras. Após a coleta de dados, realizou-se análise de que derivaram em vinte categorias finais: (a) criação de valor no mercado primário sem a presença de intermediário, (b) criação de valor no mercado secundário com a presença de intermediário, (c) vantagem competitiva no mercado primário sem a presença intermediário e (d) vantagem competitiva no mercado secundário com a presença de intermediário. As analises das categorias permitiram estabelecer algumas relações teóricas/empíricas importantes no entendimento da relação da criação de valor e vantagem competitiva em empresas que atuam em mercados primários e secundários.
Sustentabilidade em Contexto Organizacional: uma análise comparativa de modelos que propõem trajetórias para sua gestão
Authors: Munck Luciano , Bansi Ana Claudia , Galleli Bárbara
Published: July 2017

Este artigo, considerando a inexistência de fontes que sintetizam proposições de modelos para a gestão da sustentabilidade em contexto organizacional, depois de identificar cinco modelos, se propõe a compará-los fazendo uso de um quadro referência criado para representar condições ideais de gestão da sustentabilidade nas organizações. Pela análise comparativa foram identificados avanços conceituais, convergências, e fragilidades. Uma das principais constatações denuncia a incompletude dos modelos. À medida que são comparados entre si e com o quadro referência todos demonstraram falhar em algum aspecto basilar para o alcance da sustentabilidade organizacional. Percebeu-se a necessidade de maiores aprofundamentos quando se trata da implantação e operacionalização de modelos de gestão da sustentabilidade nas organizações. Em suma, este estudo permitiu criar informações para a eliminação de fragilidades e para a sugestão de avanços. Isso pode orientar aprimoramentos cabíveis ao desenvolvimento de um framework global unificador das boas experiências para a gestão sistêmica e estrutural da sustentabilidade organizacional.
Razão tradicional e razão crítica: os percursos da razão no ensino e a pesquisa em administração na concepção da teoria crítica
Authors: Meneghetti Francis Kanashiro , De Faria José Henrique , De Stefani Dorival
Published: July 2017

Questionar a razão que constrói as razões é condição essencial para compreender como se constitui, na atualidade, o ensino e a pesquisa em Administração. Para tanto, o objetivo central deste trabalho é refletir sobre a prática científica caracterizada pela Razão Tradicional (Ciência Moderna) e pela Razão Crítica. Não se trata de avaliar o status dessas razões, mas de propor uma reflexão sobre a prática científica. Assim, faz-se mister verificar o que é razão, sua relação com o Iluminismo e o que se entende por Eclipse da Razão; o entendimento e as características da Razão Tradicional e sua relação com o capitalismo e o progresso; o entendimento e as características da Razão Crítica e sua relação com o materialismo histórico; a relação entre Razão Tradicional e Razão Crítica. A Razão Crítica supera a Razão Tradicional não por negação, mas por incorporação. A Razão Crítica que questiona os porquês, as utilizações, os interesses, as consequências históricas e os resultados obtidos pela ciência.
Lógicas de ação de professores em administração: uma análise baseada na sociologia da ciência
Authors: Serva Maurício , Pinheiro Daniel Moraes , Melo Danilo , Matarazzo Gustavo
Published: July 2017

O objetivo deste artigo é iniciar um processo de explicitação, em base científica e numa perspectiva socioprofissional, das lógicas de ação e das estratégias utilizadas por professores de escolas de administração no Brasil. Com uma abordagem teórico-epistemológica, baseada na concepção de campo de Bourdieu e na sociologia pragmática francesa com Boltanski e Thévenot, foram realizadas entrevistas em profundidade e semiestruturadas com 20 docentes que atuam em escolas de administração, complementadas com a análise de documentos. Ao discutir as configurações e as categorias profissionais, a legitimação e o reconhecimento, as lógicas de ação por meio das habilidades sociais e estratégias no prisma das relações estabelecidas no cotidiano tornou-se possível iniciar uma reflexão crítica a respeito da posição do professor no campo. Foram identificadas duas configurações distintas – professor e professor-pesquisador – as quais apresentam estratégias competitivas e cooperativas diferentes. Legitimidade e reconhecimento, por exemplo, passam por estágios, títulos, espaços e “resultados” diferentes. Verificou-se, ainda, a presença de habilidades de natureza política e administrativa permeando o cotidiano.
Intenções de recompra e confiança do consumidor on-line
Authors: Rohden Simoni Fernanda , Matos Celso Augusto , Curth Marcelo Curth
Published: July 2017

O crescimento do uso da internet no Brasil tem levado também ao aumento do e-commerce. Pesquisas na área de marketing demonstram que confiança e intenções de recompra são variáveis-chave nesse contexto. Entretanto, pouco se sabe sobre as principais variáveis que influenciam a recompra on-line, em especial os aspectos influenciadores da confiança. Por esse motivo, neste trabalho serão identificados fatores influenciadores da recompra e da confiança. O artigo apresenta duas surveys realizadas com consumidores on-line. No primeiro estudo, o custo-benefício e a confiança se destacaram como antecedentes da recompra. No segundo estudo, que teve como intuito aprofundar a compreensão sobre o tema confiança no ambiente virtual, a privacidade foi o fator-chave para confiar em um site, a segurança e a extensão de canal foram críticos para confiar na internet e o principal influenciador da confiança em terceiros foi a confiança na própria internet.
Fatores críticos de sucesso no processo de implementação do balanced scorecard: um estudo de caso nas instituições federais de ensino superior
Authors: Cunha Marcos Ribeiro , Kratz Lúcia
Published: July 2017

Este artigo tem como objetivo apreender as práticas de gestão adotadas a partir do planejamento estratégico, estabelecendo as prioridades de atuação em cada área. Na metodologia, utilizou-se como método de pesquisa o estudo de caso, além da realização de pesquisa quantitativa e qualitativa. Como resultados, considerou-se que o BSC, ao ser adaptado no setor público, necessita de algumas particularidades, dentre as quais se destacam: a (re)adequação de suas perspectivas, especialmente a de clientes; o caráter legal, levando em consideração as leis e as normas instituídas; e o conhecimento sobre os fatores que podem restringir e impulsionar as estratégias estabelecidas. O estudo concluiu que a principal prioridade a ser alvo de esforços dos envolvidos na implementação do BSC recai sobre o ser humano, sinalizando para a necessidade de se iniciar as mudanças necessárias a partir do conhecimento sobre as pessoas, com sensíveis reflexos em seus desempenhos.
Integração do Planejamento Estratégico ao Pensamento Estratégico
Authors: Sousa Jonilto Costa , Dias Pedro Henrique Rodrigues de Camargo
Published: July 2017

O planejamento estratégico é um termo amplamente utilizado por organizações de modo a pontuar a implementação por meio de análise de ambientes, monitoramento e avaliação de desempenho institucional, orçamentação e tomada de decisão, que tem se mostrado eficaz, embora apresente controvérsias, principalmente no meio científico. Nessa perspectiva, o propósito deste ensaio é refletir sobre o modo de pensar o planejamento na estratégia organizacional de forma a maximizar os resultados. Com base em revisão da literatura, são apresentadas e discutidas diversas concepções teóricas acerca do tema planejamento estratégico e pensamento estratégico, de modo a descrever e caracterizar diferentes pensamentos. Para tanto, foi realizada uma pesquisa por meio de livros, dissertação, teses e artigos científicos de forma a aprofundar-se sobre o tema e reunir um arcabouço teórico. Desse modo, o pensamento estratégico pode ser entendido como parte do planejamento estratégico que incorpora intuição, criatividade e inovação à rotina, aos processos e à tomada de decisão.
Modelo Multicritério para Avaliação de Desempenho: um estudo de caso para gestão de compras no setor público
Authors: Nishiyama Mario Augusto , Lima Marcus Vinicíus Andrade de , Ensslin Leonardo , Chaves Leonardo Corrêa
Published: July 2017

O presente trabalho tem como objetivo construir um modelo para apoiar a gestão do processo de compras e de suprimentos de uma organização pública de ensino. O instrumento de intervenção utilizado foi a metodologia Multicritério de Apoio à Decisão Construtivista (MCDA-C), que é dividida em três etapas: (i) Estruturação; (ii) Avaliação; e (iii) Recomendações. A aplicação desta metodologia permitiu identificar os principais aspectos que afetam a gestão do processo de compras e suprimentos, segundo a percepção do gestor. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de caráter exploratório, baseada em um estudo de caso realizado em uma organização pública brasileira. Foram identificados, organizados, mensurados e integrados os fatores necessários e suficientes para a gestão do processo de compras e suprimentos. A construção do modelo permitiu desenvolvimento de um instrumento de gestão que incorpora elementos gráficos e numéricos que ressaltam os pontos fracos e os mais competitivos do processo estudado.
Inovação de Produtos e Processos sob a Perspectiva da Gestão Ambiental
Authors: Theis Vanessa , Schreiber Dusan
Published: July 2017

Considerando o atual cenário de globalização da economia, no qual a dinâmica do mercado determina a velocidade da mudança nos modelos de negócios, os aspectos ambientais podem contribuir para a concepção de inovações tecnológicas. Diante dessa percepção, o objetivo geral desta pesquisa é investigar como as organizações industriais do setor metalmecânico, localizadas na região do Vale do Rio dos Sinos, conciliam as atividades de inovação de produtos e processos, com os princípios estruturantes (dimensões social, ambiental e econômica) da gestão ambiental. Os dados foram coletados por meio de uma pesquisa survey, realizada com gestores de 159 empresas. As evidências facultaram a constatação de que as inovações obtidas tendem a ser adequações aos dispositivos legais que exigem a mitigação dos impactos ambientais no processo de produção, em especial na redução da poluição e na utilização de recursos menos tóxicos, o que não gera estímulo suficiente para o desenvolvimento de novos produtos.
Government Ideology, Economic Pressure, and Risk Privatization
Authors: Horn Alexander
Published: July 2017

From the 1980s on, a privatization of labor market-related risks has occurred in the OECD. Governments have cut the generosity of social programs and tightened eligibility rules, particularly for the unemployed. Government Ideology, Economic Pressure, and Risk Privatization: How Economic Worldviews Shape Social Policy Choices in Times of Crisis analyses these curtailments for eighteen countries over the course of four decades and provides an encompassing comparative assessment of the interactive impact of government ideology and economic pressure. It demonstrates that the economic worldviews of governments are the most important factor in explaining why cuts are implemented or not. While ideas of non-intervention in the market underlie cuts in generosity, ideas of equality and fairness are at the heart of stricter eligibility criteria. This book also shows that the impact of the economic pressures often held responsible for the marginalization of politics and government ideology is in fact conditional on the specific ideological configuration.
Effect of breed and aging time on physicochemical and organoleptic quality of beef and its oxidative stability
Authors: Sosin-Bzducha Ewa , Puchała Michał
Published: July 2017

Abstract. In this experiment we used the meat of 16 Polish Red-and-White and Simmental bulls slaughtered at the age of 24 months. Physicochemical and organoleptic analyses were carried out on meat aged for 2, 7, 14 and 21 days and subjected to heat treatment. In addition, the effect of aging on oxidative stability and fatty acid profile of meat lipids was examined after 21 days of aging. The meat aging process determined all the physicochemical characteristics except for heating loss, as well as most of the sensory properties of meat. During aging, lightening of muscle colour, increased redness and chroma, and improved tenderness were observed. High scores were given for aroma intensity and taste desirability. The highest scores were awarded to meat aged for 7 and 14 days. The evaluation showed that meat tenderness and delicate texture steadily improved until day 14, after which they remained at a similar level or slightly deteriorated after 21 days of aging. Meat from the conserved breed generally had better scores, which could be influenced by better component scores for delicate texture and juiciness, as well as taste intensity. This study revealed no significant effect of breed on the degree of lipid peroxidation expressed as thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS). The amount of malondidehyde was higher in meat aged for 21 days than in fresh meat. Aging did have an effect on the fatty acid profile of longissimus dorsi muscle (MLD) intramuscular fat. Wet aging of meat for 21 days was found to alter the content of capric (C10 : 0), palmitoleic (C16 : 1) and stearic acids (C18 : 0).
Residual Mean Circulation and Temperature Changes during the Evolution of Stratospheric Sudden Warming Revealed in MERRA
Authors: Song Byeong-Gwon , Chun Hye-Yeong
Published: July 2017

Abstract. Residual mean circulation and temperature changes during the evolution of major stratospheric sudden warming (SSW) are investigated by composite analyses of 22 SSW events from 1979 to 2012 during the Northern Hemisphere winter (November–March) using four reanalysis data sets (MERRA, ERA-Interim, NCEP-NCAR, and JRA-55). The SSW events are classified as Type-1 or Type-2 based on the relative amplitude of planetary waves with zonal wavenumbers 1 and 2. The residual mean circulation induced by each forcing term in the Transformed Eulerian mean (TEM) momentum equation and the temperature advection associated with the circulation are calculated for both types of SSW, based on the generalized downward control principle using the MERRA data set. When ‘Lag = 0’ is defined as the day on which the wind reversal occurred at 60° N and 10 hPa, strong poleward and downward motion exists at Lag = −8 and Lag = −1 for Type-1 and at Lag = −3 for Type-2, which is induced primarily by the Eliassen–Palm flux divergence forcing (EPD). The poleward and downward motion is stronger for Type-2 than for Type-1. Gravity wave drag (GWD) produces a smaller contribution to the residual circulation than EPD. During the warming phase (at Lag = −2), strong temperature advection by the EPD induces primarily polar stratospheric warming. On the other hand, during the temperature recovery phase (at Lag = +2), anomalous negative temperature advection and diabatic cooling produce negative temperature tendency anomalies. Structures in the temperature tendency and temperature advection calculated using the MERRA data set are similar to those calculated using the ERA-Interim data set.
Tropospheric ozone and its precursors at Summit, Greenland: comparison between observations and model simulations
Authors: Huang Yaoxian , Wu Shiliang , Kramer Louisa J. , Helmig Detlev , Honrath Richard E.
Published: July 2017

Abstract. Recent studies have shown some significant challenges for atmospheric models to simulate tropospheric ozone (O3) and some of its precursors in the Arctic. In this study, ground based data are combined with a global 3-D chemical transport model (GEOS-Chem) to examine the abundance and seasonal variations of O3 and its precursors at Summit, Greenland (72.34˚ N, 38.29˚ W, 3212 m a.s.l). Model simulations for atmospheric nitrogen oxides (NOx), peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN), ethane (C2H6), propane (C3H8), carbon monoxide (CO), and O3 for the period of 07/2008–06/2010 are compared with observations. The model performs well in simulating certain species (such as CO and C3H8), but some significant discrepancies are identified for other species and further investigated. The model generally underestimates NOx and PAN (by around 50 % and 30 %, respectively) for March–June. Likely contributing factors to the low bias include missing NOx and PAN emissions from snowpack chemistry in the model. At the same time, the model overestimates NOx mixing ratios by more than a factor of 2 in wintertime, with episodic NOx mixing ratios up to 15 times higher than the typical NOx levels at Summit. Further investigation shows that these simulated episodic NOx spikes are always associated with transport events from Europe, but the exact cause remains unclear. The model systematically overestimates C2H6 mixing ratios by approximately 20 % relative to observations. This discrepancy can be resolved by decreasing anthropogenic C2H6 emissions over Asia and the US by 20 %, from 5.4 to 4.4 Tg/yr. GEOS-Chem is able to reproduce the seasonal variability of O3 and its spring maximum. However, compared with observations, it underestimates surface O3 by approximately 13 % (6.5 ppbv) from April to July. This low bias appears to be driven by several factors including missing snowpack emissions for NOx and nitrous acid, the coarse model resolution, model overestimated O3 dry deposition velocity during springtime, as well as the uncertainties in the stratosphere-to-troposphere exchange scheme for O3.
Model simulations with COSMO-SPECS: Impact of heterogeneous
freezing modes and ice nucleating particle types on ice formation and
precipitation in a deep convective cloud
Authors: Diehl Karoline , Grützun Verena
Published: July 2017

Abstract. In deep convective clouds, heavy rain is often formed involving the ice phase as essential process. Simulations were performed using the 3D cloud resolving model COSMO-SPECS with detailed spectral microphysics including parametrizations of homogeneous and three heterogeneous freezing modes. The initial conditions were selected to result in a deep convective cloud reaching 14 km altitude with strong updrafts up to 40 m/s. In such altitudes with corresponding temperatures below −40 °C the major fraction of liquid drops freezes homogeneously. The goal of the present model simulations was to investigate how additional heterogeneous freezing will affect ice formation and precipitation although its contribution to total ice formation may be rather low. In such a situation small perturbations which do not show significant effects at first sight may trigger cloud microphysical responses. Effects of the following small perturbations were studied: (1) additional ice formation via immersion, contact, and deposition modes in comparison to sole homogeneous freezing, (2) contact and deposition freezing in comparison to immersion freezing, (3) small fractions of biological ice nucleating particles (INP) in comparison to higher fractions of mineral dust INP. The results indicate that the modification of precipitation proceeds via the formation of larger ice particles which may be supported by direct freezing of larger drops, the growth of pristine ice particles by riming, and by nucleation of larger drops by collisions with pristine ice particles. In comparison to the reference case homogeneous freezing such small perturbations may affect an enhancement of total precipitation but mostly the effects are limited to modifications of the temporal development of precipitation, i.e. a gradual increase already at early cloud stages instead a strong increase at later cloud stages. These effects are coupled with changes in the local distribution of precipitation, i.e. approximately 50 % more precipitation in the cloud center. The modifications depend on the active freezing modes, the fractions of active INP, and the composition of the internal mixtures in the drops.
Spherical-multipole analysis of an arbitrarily directed complex-source beam diffracted by an acoustically soft or hard circular cone
Authors: Reinhardt A. , Bruens H. , Klinkenbusch L. , Katsav M. , Heyman E.
Published: July 2017

Abstract. An analytical approach to analyze the diffraction of an arbitrarily directed complex-source beam (CSB) by an acoustically soft or hard semi-infinite circular cone is presented. The beam is generated by assigning a complex-valued location to a point source; its waist and direction are defined by the real and imaginary parts of the source coordinate, respectively. The corresponding scalar boundary-value problem is solved by a spherical-multipole analysis. The solution requires the calculation of associated Legendre functions of the first kind for complex-valued arguments which turns out to be a non-trivial task. Beside a numerical analysis of the corresponding algorithms we present numerical results for the total near- and scattered far-fields.