Microinsurance: income risk, social security and the demand for private onsurance by low-income families

Insurance provision against uncertainties is present in several dimensions of peoples´s lives, such as the provisions related to, inter alia, unemployment, diseases, accidents, robbery and death. Microinsurance improves the ability of low-income individuals to cope with these risks. Brazil has a fairly developed financial system but still not geared towards the poor, especially in what concerns the insurance industry. The evaluation of the microinsurance effects on well-being, and the demand for different types of microinsurance require an analysis of the dynamics of the individual income process and an assessment of substitutes and complementary institutions that condition their respective financial behavior. The evaluation of the microinsurance effects on well-being, and the demand for different types of microinsurance require an analysis of the dynamics of the individual income process and an assessment of substitutes and complementary institutions that condition their respective financial behavior. The Brazilian government provides a relatively developed social security system considering other countries of similar income level which crowds-out the demand for insurance and savings. On the other hand, this same public infrastructure may help to foster microfinance products supply. The objective of this paper is to analyze the demand for different types of private insurance by the low-income population using microdata from a National Expenditure Survey (POF/IBGE). The final objective is to help to understand the trade-offs faced for the development of an emerging industry of microinsurance in Brazil.

As distintas percepções sobre o empreendedorismo social

This dissertation is a literature review with exploratory and descriptive purposes, which aims to compile the different perceptions of the term Social Entrepreneurship, but not propon-being of an epistemological analysis on the topic. The main objectives of this research were: 1) to identify the convergences and divergences in the various perceptions of the Social Entrepre-neurship, from the perspectives: American, European and Brazilian; 2) identify whether Social Entrepreneurship can be considered as a new theoretical trend, or can be understood as a sub-category of an existing theory; 3) identify whether Social Entrepreneurship can be considered as practice of Social Management; 4) identify whether the "Social Business", proposed by Yunus (2010), can be considered as a completely new type of organization, as the author says. For this research were studied literary works available in the physical environment and elec-tronic database. The main concepts studied in this research were: Entrepreneurship; Social Management; Third Sector; Business Management and Social Entrepreneurship. The conclu-sions reached by this study were: 1-a) the main theoretical convergence is the Social Entrepre-neur ability to apply methods and process typically used in for-profit companies, in business that aimed social value creation; 1-b) the main difference is the different perceptions that the United States, Europe and Brazil have about what is Social Entrepreneurship. In the American perspective, these are private sector organizations operating according to market logic and that somehow generates social value. In the European perspective, closer to the social economy, emphasizes the activities of civil society organizations with public functions. In Brazil empha-sizes market initiatives aimed at reducing poverty and transform the social conditions of mar-ginalized or excluded individuals; 2) Social Entrepreneurship is an activity that incorporates much all the practices, methods and processes of commercial entrepreneurship and, as such, should not be considered as a new theoretical trend, but a subcategory of Entrepreneurship theory. 3) Social Entrepreneurship cannot be considered as a practice of Social Management, being much closer to the commercial entrepreneurship practices; 4) the "Social Business" pro-posed by Yunus (2010), closely resembled in its modus operandi with the Social Enterprises in Western Europe, thus, not supporting the author's claim.

A representação social do conceito de governança de TI segundo os profissionais de TI de uma empresa de petróleo brasileira

O presente trabalho visou identificar as percepções dos profissionais de TI, em uma empresa de petróleo brasileira, sobre o tema Governança de TI. Para isso, foi utilizada a Teoria da Representação Social (TRS), mais especificamente a Teoria do Núcleo Central inaugurada por Jean-Claude Abric. Para proceder às investigações foi utilizado um questionário online, que incluiu um teste de evocação de palavras, visando à interpretação do núcleo central da representação social. Ao todo, foram consideradas as respostas de 140 profissionais da área de TI da empresa pesquisada que responderam ao questionário. A partir do teste de evocação de palavras, foi identificada a representação social de Governança de TI, por meio da construção do quadrante de Vergés, sendo os cálculos realizados em planilhas eletrônicas com posterior confirmação pelo software EVOC. Os elementos identificados no núcleo central, responsáveis por consolidar a visão consensual do grupo, foram Controle, Estratégia, Alinhamento, Gestão, e Planejamento. Os três primeiros elementos encontram sólido respaldo na literatura sobre Governança de TI, já que os profissionais de TI tem a visão de que a Governança de TI é responsável pelo controle da área de TI, garantindo seu contínuo alinhamento à estratégia da organização. Já os elementos Gestão e Planejamento parecem estar ligados às especificidades e características mais operacionais do modelo de Governança de TI implantado na empresa pesquisada, sugerindo uma falta de clareza na distinção entre os conceitos Gestão e Governança de TI. Em relação aos elementos periféricos, foram encontradas as expressões Decisão, Diretrizes e Padronização. Alguns elementos como Decisão, Direção e Responsabilidades, de acordo com a literatura, apresentam relevância para o conceito de Governança de TI, mas não foram identificados no núcleo central. Adicionalmente, não foi indicada qualquer expressão relacionada a mecanismos de relacionamento, os quais, de acordo com a Academia, são elementos fundamentais e necessários a uma efetiva Governança de TI. Também não foram identificados outros elementos destacados pela literatura, como a noção de que a Governança de TI é responsável por garantir que os investimento em TI gerem valor, gerenciar o desempenho da TI e gerir os riscos existentes pelo uso de TI na organização. Compreender a representação social de Governança de TI pode ajudar a explicar o comportamento da organização analisada em relação a diversos aspectos da Governança de TI, permitindo a identificação de oportunidades de melhoria do modelo atualmente adotado.

Coffee house consumer behavior in Changsha, China

Women in Changsha are patronizing coffee-houses, ordering beverages and sweets, and disliking the taste of the expensive product purchased. This thesis is an exploratory research study conducted in Changsha, China with a consumer behavior focus. It uses primary surveys and interviews in addition to secondary sources from books, articles, and academic journals. It seeks to identify underlying motives for purchasing behavior from working women in the developing third-tier city Changsha, Hunan, China. It delves into the psychology of the working women who spend their hard-earned discretionary incomes at costly western chain coffee-houses. The inland mass-market consumer class feels the desire to project their newly established status while needing to save money for their personal future, their children’s schooling, and their parent’s retirement. They must wisely spend discretionary income while satisfying social societal norms. An individual’s self-concept plays and important role in determining which coffee shop she will frequent and what she will order. Daylight Donuts, Starbucks, Costa Coffee and local café’s all serve brewed coffee but they have different associations. This study aims at understanding the influencing factors associated with coffee-house brand equity and how the consumer’s perception of the brand forms her purchasing behavior. All coffee-house brands are relatively new in Changsha, none existing more than seven years. They do not have lasting ties with the community and need to create consumer relationships to ensure sustainability. Changsha women are bold and strong willed. If a corporation is to succeed in the future of Hunan, it will need to create an environment of hospitality excellence, place socially responsible roots in the society, and ask its customers what they want.