Main Internal Factors Research Articles

A influência das redes de alianças estratégicas sobre a tecnologia de informação e comunicação

As empresas cada vez mais se relacionam estrategicamente com outras empresas, com vistas a terem maior competitividade. Um dos principais fatores organizacionais internos de apoio à estratégia de uma empresa é a tecnologia de informação e comunicação (TIC). Este artigo apresenta os resultados de uma investigação empírica das percepções de gestores de TIC com atuação no Brasil. Foram investigadas as influências que 13 características de uma rede de alianças estratégicas (RAE) têm sobre quatro propriedades da TIC de uma empresa: maturidade, complexidade, flexibilidade e alinhamento. Os resultados da pesquisa exploratória sugerem que essa influência existe e que se manifesta de várias formas e com distintos graus de força. Há evidências que a maturidade - grau de evolução ou competência - de TIC é a mais fortemente afetada pelas 13 características de RAE investigadas e que a equivalência estrutural é aquela que menos influencia a TIC de uma empresa. Inferimos que, uma vez compreendida as possíveis influências de uma RAE, os gestores de TIC podem antecipar-se a estas influências e planejar melhor a TIC das suas empresas para dar sustentação à sua competitividade.

Implantation d’une démarche qualité dans les services médicaux d’un hôpital universitaire : facteurs d’accélération et de frein

Background The aims of this study were to assess the level of implementation of continuous quality management program and to identify the factors associated with its failure in the medical departments of a teaching hospital. Methods Semi-directive interviews were conducted with 52 hospitalists, including 16 department heads and 36 staff members in charge of quality management, in 30 medical departments that implemented a continuous quality management program from 1998 to 2002. The interviews were analyzed using a manual thematic method and a computerized semantic method. Results At the study endpoint (i.e., 2003), the continuous quality management program was still working in six departments and was stopped in 24 departments. The professionals complied with the model of intervention based on the identification and the resolution of department problems by multiprofessional working groups. The main external factors associated with the failure of the continuous quality management program included shortage in staff and the lack of time to devote to this activity. In addition, professionals cited the defect of commitment by the top management, the lack of acknowledgment of their efforts, and the hospital accreditation as factors with negative impact on staff motivation. The main internal factors associated with the failure of the continuous quality management program were related to the leadership in quality management. The personal involvement of the department head played a key role in the continuation of the quality management program. Most of the staff regretted the lack of involvement of the physicians and stated that methodological support was needed. Conclusion The implementation of quality management in the medical departments remains difficult in the absence of institutional support. The leadership within the department plays a major role in the continuation of the process.

Estratégias competitivas para empresas de rochas ornamentais na região metropolitana do Rio de Janeiro

The strategy to accelerate the development of mining-beneficiationtechnology-competitivity management of dimension stone companies involves various analysis and alternative methodologies. In this project the Life-Cycle Matrix methodology was used with its main external (industry maturity) and internal (overall measure of the competitive position of a business) factors to analyze in detail the block cutting (sawing) sector of the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro and the competitive position of the main companies that are active in the sector. Special attention was given to the dimension stone plates production process, describing the main methods used to beneficiate blocks and to undertake secondary beneficiation. A Case Study was used as the data base for the adoption and selection of strategies for the block cutting companies located in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro. The following block sawing companies were described with special attention to their infra-structure, organization, installed production capacity, granite plates production lines, critical success factors, technology, inputs, vertical integration, sales, market share, and products quality: Thor, Brasilstone, Rio Segran, Gutimpex, Cavaliere, Belmonte, Real Brasil and Marcovaldi. The objective of identifying future possible main strategic thrusts-action programs-functional strategies and action plans to accelerate the development of the dimension stone companies in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro was achieved. A Strategy Diagnostic Study also was undertaken and will be of great value for the companies and entrepreneurs that are already active in the sector and for the new national and foreign companies and new investors that may have interest to invest in this sector in short and medium time periods.

Elastic viscoplastic consolidation modelling and interpretation of pore-water pressure responses in clay underneath Tarsiut Island

It has been reported that the excess pore-water pressure in clay underneath Tarsiut caisson retained island increased for many months following completion of construction (with vertical load unchanged). It was thought that this increase might be caused by the creep behaviour of the soft clay. However, the phenomenon of excess pore-water pressure increase under constant loading has not been simulated successfully at the Tarsiut Island site. In this paper, a newly developed elastic viscoplastic (EVP) model is implemented in a finite element (FE) program for consolidation analysis. This FE program is used to model the consolidation behaviour of the clay under Tarsiut Island loading. The phenomenon of pore-water pressure increase with time following completion of construction of the island has been successfully simulated using the FE program with the new EVP model. The mechanism of the pore-water pressure increase is explained. It is found that the creep compression nature of the clay is the main internal factor causing the increase. However, the volumetric strain (change) produced due to the dissipation of excess pore-water pressure is the external factor which combines with the internal factor to cause decreasing effective stress and increasing pore-water pressure.Key words: elastic, viscoplastic, finite element, pore-water pressure, consolidation, creep, clay.

THE ORGANIZING OF PEASANT SHOPS IN CENTRAL AMERICA

ABSTRACT: A case study is presented of the promotion by the Catholic Church of agricultural service cooperatives, called peasant shops, in a rural Honduran municipality. The purpose of this paper is then to identify factors which determine their success. Three external factors were identified: the justification for the organizations being provided by a local social agent; access to training and on‐going follow‐up; and access to commercial transactions with economies of scale. The following main internal factors were: the participation of local leaders in positions of trust within the organization of the social agent; high member contributions, with a view to securing high member responsibility; and high interest rates on member contributions to attract high member contributions.

Photosynthetic Control Factors in a Single Leaf os Sweet Potato, Ipomoea batatas Lam. 3. Estimation of in vivo rubisco activity from the CO2 exchange rate of a peeled leaf.

Rubisco (ribulose 1, 5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase) activity is the prime determinant for CO2 exchang rate (CER) at the beginning of the photosynthetic reaction, and hence the rubisco activity in a leaf can be deduced from the initial rise of CER. The activity of rubisco is also regulated by two main internal factors, the activation state of rubisco and the availability of RuBP (ribulose 1, 5-bisphosphate). A peeled leaf (Ipomoea batatas, cv. Koganesengan) without stomatal resistance was preilluminated in PAR of 900 μ mol m-2 s-1 at CO2 concentration ([CO2]) of 20, 60 or 350) μmol mollt;-1>. Directly after the dark interruption following preillumination, the response of CER of a peeled leaf (CERP1) to reillumination (PAR of 900 μmol m-2 s-1) was measured at [CO2] of 350 μmol mol-1. The dark time affected the response of CERP1. The light-activated state of rubisco, which was deduced from the response of the initial rise of CERP1 (IR-CERP1), could remain constant for at least 5 min in the dark. The leaves preillluminated at different [CO2] levels had no or little difference in IR-CERP1 which was determined after the dark interruption of 2.5 min. This is an evidence that rubisco in the intact mesophyll tissues was substantially light-activated even at such a low [CO2] level as 20 or 60 μmolmol-1] and the rubisco activity was primarily determined by the activation state of rubisco but was independent of the RuBP pool level. IR-CERP1 can be proposed as an indicator for the rubisco activation state in vivo or the rubisco activity unrestricted by RuBP availability.