DRIVING AND RESTRICTIVE FACTORS IN THE PROCESS OF KNOWLEDGE CREATION: A COMPARATIVE CASE STUDY IN BRAZILIAN TECHNOLOGY-BASED ENTERPRISES

The article aims to analyze the process of knowledge creation in Brazilian technology-based companies, using as a background the driving and restrictive factors found in this process. As the pillars of discussion, four main modes of knowledge conversion were used, according to the Japanese model: socialization, externalization, combination and internalization. The comparative case method through qualitative research was carried out in nine technology-based enterprises that had been incubated or have recently passed through the stage of incubation (so-called graduated companies) in the Technology Park of Sao Carlos, state of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Among the main results, the combination of knowledge was identified as more conscious and structured in graduated companies, in relation to incubated companies. In contrast, it was noted that incubated companies have an environment with greater opportunities for socialization, internalization and externalization of knowledge.

Information-dependent processes in incubated and graduated technology-based companies: a comparative case study

Nowadays, competitiveness introduces new behaviors and leads companies to a discomforting situation and often to non adaptation to environmental requirements. A growing number of challenges associated with control of information in organizations with engineering activities can be seen, particularly, the growing amount of information subject to continuous changes. The innovative performance of an organization is directly proportional to its ability to manage information. Thus, the importance of information management is recognized by the search for more competent ways to face current demands. The purpose of this article was to analyze informationdependent processes in technology-based companies, through the four major stages of information management. The comparative method of cases and qualitative research were used. The research was conducted in nine technology-based companies which were incubated or recently went through the incubating process at the Technological Park of Sao Carlos, in the state of Sao Paulo. Among the main results, it was found that in graduated companies information management and its procedures were identified as more conscious and structured in contrast to those of the incubated companies.

Low liquid-solid ratio (LSR) hot water pretreatment of sugarcane bagasse

Low liquid-solid ratio (LSR) can be used to obtain high-content xylo-oligosaccharide (XOS) spend liquor by hot water pretreatment. Developing a technology based on low LSR results in more efficient water usage in the system and thus in lower capital and operating costs. Xylans from xylan rich agro-industrial waste are abundant hemicellulosic polymers with enormous potential for industrial applications. Currently, freeze-dried xylo-oligosaccharides are used as bio-based polymers and hydrolysates containing high xylose contents are converted to several chemical products. In this study, sugarcane bagasse was treated with water at low LSRs and mild temperatures in order to assess the effects of varying the pretreatment conditions on the xylo-oligosaccharide and xylose concentrations, and use a central composite experimental design to optimize the process parameters. The pretreatments were performed in the ranges temperature: 143.3-176.7 degrees C, time: 20-70 min and LSR: 1 : 1 to 11 : 1 (g g(-1)). The maximum concentrations of xylose and xylan were 13.76 and 36.18 g L-1 (equivalent to 48.29 g L-1 of xylan), respectively, which were achieved by treating bagasse at 170 degrees C for 60 min, with LSR of 3 g g(-1). The amount of xylan removed under these conditions was almost 57%. The soluble xylan consisted mainly of xylo-oligosaccharides (74 wt% of the identified compound in the spent liquor).

Processo de criação de estratégia em pequenas empresas de base tecnológica: um modelo de fases evolutivas para o setor médico-odontológico

O objetivo do trabalho foi o de estudar o processo estratégico, testar algumas hipóteses acerca desse processo e propor modelos explicativos para a criação de estratégia em pequenas empresas de base tecnológica. A estratégia empresarial é uma área de significativa importância para os estudos administrativos, tendo em vista o impacto das decisões e ações estratégicas para o sucesso das empresas. Além disso, a teoria sobre estratégia está fortemente fundamentada em estudos realizados em empresas de grande porte, maduras, podendo, portanto, apresentar viés quando considerada a sua aplicação em empresas de pequeno porte e empresas em fase de desenvolvimento. Este estudo analisou os processos de criação de estratégias e propôs um conjunto de modelos representativos desses processos para pequenas empresas de base tecnológica criadas sem a formalização de planos de negócios, o que foi muito comum no início dos polos tecnológicos brasileiros na década de 80. Foi realizado um trabalho de campo cuja natureza foi a de pesquisa aplicada. O procedimento técnico utilizado foi o estudo multicasos, sendo investigadas cinco empresas de pequeno e uma de médio porte, conforme classificação pelo número de empregados, todas de base tecnológica e localizadas no Polo Tecnológico de São Carlos, em São Carlos, SP. O resultado da pesquisa evidenciou que as estratégias são criadas por etapas distintas, o que permitiu a construção de um conjunto de modelos representativos do processo de criação de estratégias, além de confirmar algumas hipóteses formuladas, podendo destacar que a ausência de formalização de planos de negócios não impediu o sucesso das empresas estudadas.

Cooperação com empresas de base tecnológica: pesquisa-ação no setor elétrico

A pressão por inovação em empresas de base tecnológica, em ciclos cada vez mais curtos e demandando competências complexas, tem levado as empresas à busca de uma estruturação sob a forma de redes de cooperação empresarial, a fim de mitigar riscos e reduzir custos enquanto acelera o time to market. Entretanto, apesar de todas as vantagens e oportunidades reais, há grandes barreiras a serem transpostas. O objetivo dessa pesquisa é compreender o processo de estruturação de uma rede de cooperação no contexto de empresas de base tecnológica. A abordagem metodológica utilizada foi a pesquisa-ação desenvolvida em 30 empresas do setor eletroeletrônico. Os resultados apontam o temor ao comportamento oportunista como o item mais crítico à formação da rede de cooperação empresarial.

Processos dependentes de informação em empresas incubadas e graduadas de base tecnológica: um estudo comparativo de casos

A competitividade, atualmente, introduz novos comportamentos e leva empresas a uma situação de desconforto e, muitas vezes, a não adaptação às exigências ambientais. Percebe-se um crescente número de desafios associados com o controle de informação em organizações com atividades de engenharia, em particular os volumes crescentes de informação de natureza continuamente mutável. Pode-se afirmar que o desempenho inovador de uma organização é diretamente proporcional a sua capacidade de gerenciar informações. Desta forma, a importância da gestão da informação é reconhecida em detrimento da procura de meios mais competentes para atender demandas atuais. O artigo teve como propósito analisar doze processos dependentes de informação em empresas de base tecnológica, através das principais fases do processo de gerenciamento da informação. Optou-se pelo emprego do método comparativo de casos e pela pesquisa qualitativa, realizada em nove empresas de base tecnológica, as quais se encontravam incubadas ou que passaram recentemente pela fase de incubação no Parque Tecnológico da cidade de São Carlos, do estado de São Paulo. Entre os principais resultados, constatou-se que, nas empresas graduadas, a gestão da informação e seus procedimentos foram identificados de forma mais consciente e estruturados em relação às empresas incubadas.

Guidelines for the Brazilian ceramic sector strategic development, based on a comparison with the Italian market

Based on a structured literature review, the ceramic tiles sector of Italy (benchmark) and Brazil (2nd world producer and consumer) are compared, under four strategic factors: normative, market, technology and strategic management, in order to identify critical risks for a national strategic sector. The document aims to propose guidelines for a strategic re-planning of the Brazilian ceramic tiles sector, making the Brazilian producers aware of the national market fragility (in spite of its recent remarkable evolution) and helping the policy makers to reflect on the need of reviewing the strategic planning methods and practice, of designing new targeted programs (based on coherence between operation and business strategies), of providing improved management to strengthen the sector against unfair competition by low-cost producers, enhancing the necessary infrastructure in technology, work, marketing and quality management. The analysis is limited to the single-firing production technology. The wide-coverage strategic analysis of the Brazilian ceramic tiles sector, very little studied until now in a scientific way, emphasizes the importance of applying research methodology and may be valuable to both scholars and practitioners. Additionally, it highlights the need of investments in innovation (product design and production technology) and the fundamental role of the sector organization, identifying different dimensions. It is possible to conclude that the recent Brazilian production growth is not due to a natural strengthening because of the hit of the sector and of correct enterprises strategy, but it seems the result of a temporary and favorable economic contingency.

A novel XML document structure comparison framework based-on sub-tree commonalities and label semantics

XML similarity evaluation has become a central issue in the database and information communities, its applications ranging over document clustering, version control, data integration and ranked retrieval. Various algorithms for comparing hierarchically structured data, XML documents in particular, have been proposed in the literature. Most of them make use of techniques for finding the edit distance between tree structures, XML documents being commonly modeled as Ordered Labeled Trees. Yet, a thorough investigation of current approaches led us to identify several similarity aspects, i.e., sub-tree related structural and semantic similarities, which are not sufficiently addressed while comparing XML documents. In this paper, we provide an integrated and fine-grained comparison framework to deal with both structural and semantic similarities in XML documents (detecting the occurrences and repetitions of structurally and semantically similar sub-trees), and to allow the end-user to adjust the comparison process according to her requirements. Our framework consists of four main modules for (i) discovering the structural commonalities between sub-trees, (ii) identifying sub-tree semantic resemblances, (iii) computing tree-based edit operations costs, and (iv) computing tree edit distance. Experimental results demonstrate higher comparison accuracy with respect to alternative methods, while timing experiments reflect the impact of semantic similarity on overall system performance.

Fidelity and game-based technology in management education

This study explores educational technology and management education by analyzing fidelity in game-based management education interventions. A sample of 31 MBA students was selected to help answer the research question: To what extent do MBA students tend to recognize specific game-based academic experiences, in terms of fidelity, as relevant to their managerial performance? Two distinct game-based interventions (BG1 and BG2) with key differences in fidelity levels were explored: BG1 presented higher physical and functional fidelity levels and lower psychological fidelity levels. Hypotheses were tested with data from the participants, collected shortly after their experiences, related to the overall perceived quality of game-based interventions. The findings reveal a higher overall perception of quality towards BG1: (a) better for testing strategies, (b) offering better business and market models, (c) based on a pace that better stimulates learning, and (d) presenting a fidelity level that better supports real world performance. This study fosters the conclusion that MBA students tend to recognize, to a large extent, that specific game-based academic experiences are relevant and meaningful to their managerial development, mostly with heightened fidelity levels of adopted artifacts. Agents must be ready and motivated to explore the new, to try and err, and to learn collaboratively in order to perform.