A snapshot of management practices and nutritional recommendations used by feedlot nutritionists in Brazil

Feedlot consulting nutritionists were invited to participate in a survey of feedlot nutritional and management practices in Brazil. Thirty-one nutritionists completed the survey on a Web site that was designed for collection of survey data. The survey consisted of 94 questions that included general information (n = 10); commodity information (n = 12); and questions about the use of coproducts (n = 5), roughage source and levels (n = 5), finishing diet adaptation methods (n = 7), supplements and micronutrients (n = 8), feed mixers (n = 6), feeding management (n = 3), cattle management and type of cattle fed (n = 16), formulation practices (n = 17), information resources used for nutritional recommendations (n = 2), and 2 additional questions. One final question addressed the primary challenges associated with applying nutritional recommendations in practice. The number of animals serviced yearly by each nutritionist averaged 121,682 (minimum = 2,000; maximum = 1,500,000; mode = 120,000; total = 3,163,750). Twenty-two respondents (71%) worked with feedlots that feed less than 5,000 animals/yr. Labor, along with availability and precision of equipment, seemed to be the main challenges for the nutritionists surveyed. Most of the nutritionists surveyed used TDN as the primary energy unit for formulation. More than 50% of the clients serviced by the 31 nutritionists did not manage feed bunks to control the quantity of feed offered per pen, and 36.6% fed cattle more than 4 times daily. The NRC (1996) and Journal of Animal Science were the most used sources of information by these nutritionists. Overall, general practices and nutritional recommendations provided by the 31 nutritionists surveyed were fairly consistent. Present data should aid in development of new research, future National Research Council models, and recommendations for Brazilian feeding systems in which Bos indicus cattle predominate.

Effect of management practices on screw-worm among sheep in São Paulo State, Brazil

The screw-worm Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), whose larvae develop in wild and domestic animals as well as in man, is one of the major causes of myiasis in Brazil. Sheep raising is expanding in the state of São Paulo, where information about the infestation of screw-worm is necessary for appropriate control measures. The present data were obtained from questionnaires sent to all sheep breeders belonging to 'Associação Paulista de Criadores de Ovinos' - ASPACO (São Paulo State Association of Sheep Breeders). Response reliability was tested by random visits paid to 10.6% of the respondents. The results show that screw-worm is the most frequent ectoparasite in the flocks and is responsible for the greatest economic losses. Its occurrence is strongly associated with flock size, reaching 100% in hocks consisting of more than 500 animals. Infestation is higher in spring and summer and lowest in the fall. The number of cases increases in the presence of some management practices such as tail amputation. Furthermore, several other associations between the indicators surveyed were also found to be significant. The data obtained will permit the elaboration of strategies for the control of this parasitosis.

Greenhouse gas balance due to the conversion of sugarcane areas from burned to green harvest, considering other conservationist management practices

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Corporate risk management and exchange rate volatility in Latin America

Includes bibliography

Measuring supply chain management practices

Purpose: This paper aims to perform an empirical investigation about the constructs and indicators of the supply chain management practices framework. Design/methodology/approach: The measuring framework proposed is based on a survey that was carried out on 107 Brazilian companies. Statistical techniques were employed to verify, validate, and test the reliability of the constructs and their indicators. To validate this framework principal component analysis and structural equation modeling techniques were used. Findings: In general, previous studies suggest six constructs for measuring the supply chain management practices framework. However, in this study a framework was achieved with four constructs of supply chain management practices, namely, supply chain (SC) integration for production planning and control (PPC) support, information sharing about products and targeting strategies, strategic relationship with customer and supplier, and support customer order. This framework has adequate levels of validity and reliability. Research limitations/implications: The main limitation of this study was that only a small sample of companies in a single sector and country were surveyed, and therefore there needs to be further research considering the special conditions in other countries. Originality/value: This study investigated statistically set indicators to discuss the topic supply chain management practices. The framework obtained has good quality of validity and reliability indicators. Thus, an alternative framework has been added to measure supply chain management practices, which is currently a popular topic in the supply chain mainstream literature. Both defined constructs and the validated indicators can be used in other studies on supply chain management. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.

Supply chain risk management: An exploratory research in Brazilian aerospace industry

This paper aimed to analyse supply chain risk factors in aerospace industry. It was conducted an exploratory research at an important Brazilian aerospace company. This company has a major role at the global aerospace industry. Senior managers assessed risk factors such as quality, productivity, supply chain, business strategy, organisation, environmental and natural political, indicators, product management, and information system. Analytic hierarchy process was applied to prioritise these factors. The most relevant were quality and productivity. Copyright © 2011 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Factors affecting the adoption of supply chain management practices: Evidence from the Brazilian electro-electronic sector

This study on the factors affecting the adoption of supply chain management (SCM) practices develops four hypotheses based on a literature review, and tests them using survey data of Brazilian electro-electronic firms. The results reveal the big picture of the SCM practices in the sector and suggest that contextual factors such as size, position and bargaining power affect the adoption of SCM practices, which are also more customer oriented. Sector characteristics are very important in analysing SCM practices. Contrary to the findings of literature, the relationship between competitive priorities and SCM practices was not supported statistically. © 2011.

Supply Chain Management practices in the electro-electronics sector in Brazil: Evolutionary approach, information technology adoption and management actions

This paper examines the current level of adoption of Supply Chain Management (SCM) practices in the electro-electronic sector in Brazil and aims to identify the management and Information Technology (IT) actions that have been implemented to support the adoption of those practices. An e-mail survey was conducted. Descriptive statistics techniques were employed for data analysis. This study makes contributions to the electro-electronics sector and to the topics related to SCM, such as identifi cation and level of adoption of SCM practices. Another contribution of this research is the investigation of whether approaches such as Enterprise Resources Planning (ERP), Workshop with Customers, Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), Workshop with Suppliers and electronic Kanban are commonly used to support SCM practices. So far, this is the fi rst research on SCM practices in the electro-electronics sector in Brazil. Copyright © 2012 Inderscience Enterprises Ltd.

Corporate risk management and exchange rate volatility in Latin America

Includes bibliography

Futures markets as a risk management tool for Latin American commodity exports: some pending issues

Includes bibliography

Factors affecting the adoption of green supply chain management practices in Brazil: Empirical evidence

The aim of this study is to identify and analyse the factors that affect the adoption of Green Supply Chain Management practices based on empirical evidence from the Brazilian electronics sector. Data are collected in a survey of 100 electronics companies and analysed using statistical analysis of variance and regression methods. The study finds that the size of the company, previous experience with Environmental Management Systems, and the use of hazardous inputs are positively correlated with GSCM practices adoption. Surprisingly, formal pressure from the stronger tier/player in the supply chain is not correlated with the adoption of GSCM practices. Finally, we present some explanations for these findings and suggestions for future research. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Knowledge-based risk management: Survey on Brazilian software development enterprises

A risks management, carried on in an effective way, leads the software development to success and may influence on the organization. The knowledge takes part of such a process as a way to help taking decisions. This research aimed to analyze the use of Knowledge Management techniques to the Risk Management in software projects development and the possible influence on the enterprise revenue. It had, as its main studying subject, Brazilian incubated and graduated software developing enterprises. The chosen research method was the Survey type. Multivariate statistical methods were used for the treatment and analysis of the obtained results, this way identifying the most significant factors, that is, enterprise's achievement constraining factors and those outcome achievement ones. Among the latter we highlight the knowledge methodology, the time of existence of the enterprise, the amount of employees and the knowledge externalization. The results encourage contributing actions to the increasing of financial revenue. © 2013 Springer-Verlag.

Analysing green supply chain management practices in Brazil's electrical/electronics industry using interpretive structural modelling

Industries need to adopt the environmental management concepts in the traditional supply chain management. The green supply chain management (GSCM) is an established concept to ensure environment-friendly activities in industry. This paper identifies the relationship of driving and dependence that exists between GSCM practices with regard to their adoption within Brazilian electrical/electronic industry with the help of interpretive structural modelling (ISM). From the results, we infer that cooperation with customers for eco-design practice is driving other practices, and this practice acts as a vital role among other practices. Commitment to GSCM from senior managers and cooperation with customers for cleaner production occupy the highest level. © 2013 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Formal quality assurance systems as a basis for environmentally-sound management practices in the public and private sectors

Includes bibliography

Information on disaster risk management: case study of five countries. Main technical report = Información para la gestión del riesgo de desastres: estudios de caso de cinco países. Informe técnico principal

Incluye Bibliografía