Modelo de gestión del conocimiento para una empresa del sector de insumos químicos para la industria farmacéutica, cosmética y de alimentos: caso Disaromas S.A.

La creación de conocimiento al interior de las organizaciones es visible mediante la dirección adecuada del conocimiento de los individuos, sin embargo, cada individuo debe interactuar de tal manera que forme una red o sistema de conocimiento organizacional que consolide a largo plazo las empresas en el entorno en el que se desenvuelven. Este documento revisa elementos centrales acerca de la gestión de conocimiento visto desde varios autores y perspectivas e identifica puntos clave para diseñar un modelo de gestión de conocimiento para una empresa del sector de insumos químicos para la industria farmacéutica, cosmética y de alimentos de la ciudad de Bogotá.

Cultura e innovación en empresas con relaciones de cooperación inter organizacional

Un gran número de empresas están inmersas actualmente en espacios de mercado conocidos y saturados de competidores. La innovación constituye una de las principales alternativas de las empresas para encontrar su posicionamiento estratégico y adaptarse a los cambios del entorno (Kim & Mauborgne, 2005). Igualmente, Demirci (2013) asegura que la cultura es un factor clave en la innovación, dado que está fuertemente asociada con los valores, actitudes, comportamientos y prácticas organizacionales. Esta investigación abarca el estudio de la cultura organizacional y la innovación en el marco de estrategias de cooperación inter-organizacional donde se plantea que el grado de cooperación que existe entre las empresas tiene un efecto sobre los valores culturales y la incorporación de innovaciones en cada organización. Para esto se llevó a cabo una investigación cuantitativa con un alcance de tipo descriptivo y de carácter no experimental y trans seccional, cuya unidad de análisis fueron 20 empresas de la red ParqueSoft Manizales. Para la medición de las variables de innovación se aplicó un instrumento basado en el Manual de Oslo de la OECD y Eurostat (2005) el cual contempla la innovación de producto, proceso, mercadotecnia y organización. A nivel de los valores culturales, la medición se realizó a través de un cuestionario inspirado en el modelo de Hofstede (1980). Los resultados obtenidos permiten demostrar que existe un grado de relación entre la cooperación y los valores culturales ‘distancia al poder’ y ‘tolerancia a la incertidumbre´, sin poder determinar la relación con la generación de innovación de producto, proceso, mercadotecnia y organización, así como con las otras dimensiones del modelo de valores de Hofstede.

La Sociedad Europea de Educación Comparada (CESE) en una época de cambios.

Resumen tomado del autor. Resumen del autor también en inglés. Monográfico titulado: La REEC cumple 10 años. La Educación Comparada entre los siglos (1995-2005)

Espinha Bífida no Ensino Regular : perceção Docente face à Inclusão

O ensino do século XXI, associa-se à educação inclusiva, e representa o grande desafio das escolas portuguesas ao pretender dar resposta educativa a todos os alunos. A legislação consigna às escolas portuguesas o ensino obrigatório, universal, gratuito e, ainda, aspira ao sucesso educativo de todos os alunos, independentemente das suas limitações físicas e intelectuais, ou valores culturais, para formar indivíduos ativos e participativos, enquanto cidadãos responsáveis numa sociedade competitiva. Nesta perspetiva, os professores, pela diversificação de práticas pedagógicas e metodológicas devem promover a progressão e a aprendizagem de todos os jovens sem exceção, em sala de aula. Este estudo visa compreender o contributo dos professores do 3º ciclo e secundário, no desenvolvimento e inclusão de jovens com Espinha Bífida (EB), e como realizam o trabalho para dar resposta eficaz às necessidades educativas especiais (NEE) destes alunos. Foi nossa intenção, realizar um estudo exploratório descritivo de natureza quantitativa através de questionário, elaborado totalmente por nós, para identificar os obstáculos à aplicação dos princípios da escola inclusiva. Com falta dos recursos físicos e humanos, os professores realizam a inclusão satisfatoriamente, embora não tendo essa perceção. Também, erradamente consideram, a presença dos homólogos de Educação Especial, fundamental à total inclusão dos alunos.

Confiança nas Instituições e Valores Culturais : Estudo Internacional Comparado entre Angola, Cabo Verde, Moçambique e Portugal

The present study shows the results of an international comparative research carried out in four Portuguese-speaking countries: Angola, Cape Verde, Mozambique and Portugal. The purpose is, firstly, to find these countries cultural profile according to Hofstede/ Minkov dimensions as well as to measure the citizens` level of trust in institutions and, secondly, to analyze the relation between cultural values and level of trust. A bibliographic and theoretical review has been made on the main theoretical references about trust as far as its multiple forms and dimensions are concerned. Then, a scale of confidence in institutions has been drawn. An extensive analysis has been carried out, using qualitative and quantitative methods, including factorial analysis and simple linear regression. The results provide relevant information on what makes the four target countries very alike and on what differentiates them the most. In Portugal, a tendency towards a growing trust in institutions of public offering has been registered, whereas in the African countries, citizens tend to trust institutions of private offering more. All the institutions connected with the judicial and political sphere of society have been negatively qualified by the respondents in all countries, in a relatively similar way.

Globalización, ecología y literatura. Aproximación ecocrítica a textos literarios latinoamericanos (Crítica)

Se examinan algunas prácticas textuales literarias latinoamericanas, caracterizadas por presentar visiones profundas de los sujetos humanos y la naturaleza. Se indaga en ellas tanto las relaciones de los sujetos con su medio y la presencia de una conciencia ecológica activa, como la plasmación discursiva de un imaginario vinculado a esa conciencia relacional: la plasmación de vivencias de profunda integración del ser humano con el cosmos. Se indaga tanto los referentes ambientales como la articulación de elementos de la naturaleza en tanto expresión de los sujetos textuales.Todo en el marco de los procesos de globalización y la defensa de los valores culturales regionales.

New wine into old skins: the enactment of literacy policy in Singapore

To better comprehend how educational reforms and classroom practice interconnect, we need to understand the epistemic environments created for learning, as well as the pedagogical activities and the modes of classroom discourse related to these activities. This article examines how a particular innovation in English literacy, Strategies for English Language Learning and Reading (STELLAR), has been implemented in Singapore. Outlining the broader curriculum initiatives, current literacy policy landscape and pedagogical effect of classroom discourse, we look at how English language teachers in grades 1 and 2 interpret the STELLAR curriculum. Situated within the larger international zeal of educational reform, Singapore presents a rich case for the study of policy–pedagogy initiatives, literacy instruction and cultural values. Adding to the existing policy enactment research, this investigation provides an opportunity to probe both the prospects and limitations of policy implementation associated with centralised educational structures, examination-oriented systems and societal cultural frameworks.

The EU societal awareness of landscape indicator: a review of its meaning, utility and performance across different scales

There is increasing recognition that agricultural landscapes meet multiple societal needs and demands beyond provision of economic and environmental goods and services. Accordingly, there have been significant calls for the inclusion of societal, amenity and cultural values in agri-environmental landscape indicators to assist policy makers in monitoring the wider impacts of land-based policies. However, capturing the amenity and cultural values that rural agrarian areas provide, by use of such indicators, presents significant challenges. The EU social awareness of landscape indicator represents a new class of generalized social indicator using a top-down methodology to capture the social dimensions of landscape without reference to the specific structural and cultural characteristics of individual landscapes. This paper reviews this indicator in the context of existing agri-environmental indicators and their differing design concepts. Using a stakeholder consultation approach in five case study regions, the potential and limitations of the indicator are evaluated, with a particular focus on its perceived meaning, utility and performance in the context of different user groups and at different geographical scales. This analysis supplements previous EU-wide assessments, through regional scale assessment of the limitations and potentialities of the indicator and the need for further data collection. The evaluation finds that the perceived meaning of the indicator does not vary with scale, but in common with all mapped indicators, the usefulness of the indicator, to different user groups, does change with scale of presentation. This indicator is viewed as most useful when presented at the scale of governance at which end users operate. The relevance of the different sub-components of the indicator are also found to vary across regions.

Declining resilience of ecosystem functions under biodiversity loss

The composition of species communities is changing rapidly through drivers such as habitat loss and climate change, with potentially serious consequences for the resilience of ecosystem functions on which humans depend. To assess such changes in resilience, we analyse trends in the frequency of species in Great Britain that provide key ecosystem functions-specifically decomposition, carbon sequestration, pollination, pest control and cultural values. For 4,424 species over four decades, there have been significant net declines among animal species that provide pollination, pest control and cultural values. Groups providing decomposition and carbon sequestration remain relatively stable, as fewer species are in decline and these are offset by large numbers of new arrivals into Great Britain. While there is general concern about degradation of a wide range of ecosystem functions, our results suggest actions should focus on particular functions for which there is evidence of substantial erosion of their resilience.

The changing influence of societal culture on job satisfaction across Europe

This paper contributes to the growing multidisciplinary body of literature on subjective well-being by investigating the longitudinal stability and impact of societal cultural values (SCVs) – as opposed to the more common organizational values – on job satisfaction. It is assumed that SCVs evolve slowly; hence, their impact on job satisfaction is likely to remain stable over time. False adherence to this assumption could cause misalignment between organizational policies/practices and expectations formed by societal culture, decreasing job satisfaction and adversely affecting productivity, competiveness and prosperity. Four waves of the European Values Study are used to examine whether SCVs have evolved and their impacts on job satisfaction over a relatively short time: 1981–2008. SCVs are parameterized through reference to traditional vs secular-rational, and survival vs self-expression value continuums. Results indicate that the strength of many SCVs has declined, the impacts of traditional societal values on job satisfaction have remained fairly constant, and the impacts of survival societal values on job satisfaction have declined substantially over this sample period. These reductions in SCVs amplify the importance of accounting for such changes when designing new or adjusting existing policies/practices to enhance job satisfaction and stimulate improvements in productivity, competitiveness and prosperity.

Internally Displaced Persons Rights in Human Rights Perspective(Specifically Focused on Pakistani IDPs Example) : “Basic Human Rights of IDPs to Attain Equality in Dignity and Rights”

After the WWII, there was much concern to protect human rights situation all over the world. During the cold wars, huge displacement took place within different countries due to internal arms/ethnic conflicts. Millions of IDPs, who were uprooted by armed conflict or ethnic strife faced human rights violence. In 2002, there were estimated between 20-25 millions IDPs in the world (Phuong, p.1). Internally displacement is a worldwide problem and millions of the people displaced in Africa and Asia. These all Internal displacements of the people are only the result of the conflicts or the violations of the Human Rights but also sometimes it happened because of the natural disasters. “All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights..."(Streich, Article 1) This article works as the foundation of human rights which gives every human being an equal rights and opportunity to maintain his/her dignity. Human Rights issues related to human dignity must be taken very seriously and should not be ignored at any level; Many human rights issues are not always visible, issues such as: privacy, security, equality, protection of social and cultural values etc. In this paper I am going to apply theoretical approach of “all human being are equal in dignity and rights” to defend IDPs rights.

Energieffektivisering av klimatskal med hänsyn till kulturhistorisk värdering : Fallstudier av tre befintliga småhus från 1900-talet ur bevarandesynpunkt

Allt hårdare lagkrav gör att det är svårt att energieffektivisera befintliga byggnader utan att förändra deras utseende. Syftet med examensarbetet är att utreda hur stor energieffektivisering, för tre befintliga småhus uppförda under 1900-talet, som är möjlig att uppnå genom förbättring av byggnadernas klimatskal, det vill säga tak, väggar, golv, fönster och dörrar, utan att förvanska byggnadernas utseende och samtidigt bevara deras kulturhistoriska värden. Arbetet bestod av en förstudie där tre byggnader identifierades, ett undersökningsskede där information om byggnaderna togs fram och ett slutsatsskede där energibesparande åtgärdsförslag togs fram och utvärderades. Byggnader som var goda representanter för sin tid och stil söktes. Byggnader från 1910-talet, 1930-talet och 1970-talet, lokaliserades. Sedan gjordes det fallstudier med intervjuer och inventeringar. För att utreda byggnadens klimatskal utfördes u-värdesberäkningar och energiberäkningar av befintliga byggander och byggnader baserade på föreslagna åtgärdsförslag. Ingen av byggnaderna nådde efter föreslagna åtgärder ner till passivhuskravet 59 kWh/år/m2 Atemp eller BBR-kravet 110 kWh/år/m2 Atemp för en byggnads specifika energianvändning. Den största möjliga energieffektivisering för de tre byggnaderna uppförda under 1900-talet, som är möjlig att uppnå utan att förvanska byggnadernas utseende och samtidigt bevara deras kulturhistoriska värden är 13,0 kWh/år/m2 Atemp, 49,7 kWh/år/m2 Atemp respektive 64,8 kWh/år/m2 Atemp. Slutsatser från arbetet är att byggnader från 1910-tal kan åtgärdas genom att isolera fönstren, sätta dit en extra dörr på insidan av ytterdörren samt tilläggsisolera snedtaket. Byggnader från 1930-tal kan åtgärdas genom att isolera fönstren med en isolerruta på insidan av fönstret och dörrarna med en extra dörr på insidan av ytterdörren. Byggnader från 1970-tal kan åtgärda fönstren genom att byta ut dem till energifönster, ingen åtgärd för golvet men fasaden isoleras utvändigt med vakuumisolering. Byggnaden från 1970-talet klarade sig bäst i jämförelsen eftersom den var i autentiskt skick från början vilket gjorde att förbättringen blev större än för till exempel byggnaden från 1910-talet som redan var ombyggd innan åtgärder föreslogs.

Globalization, culture and e-business

This chapter argues that globalisation, culture and e-business exist in interesting ways that challenge accepted norms of interpretation about business practice in the new century. There appears to be a paradox of parallel business practice of defacto standards versus a culture of micro management. Discourse has been constructed that accepts the parallel existence and the co-existence of two layers operating within the business world. The international layer of standards, albeit defacto, co-existing with a layer of cultural difference supported by Guanxi and cultural values and cultural practice. This chapter argues that the one doesn't challenge the other. Rather, the one compliments the other. They co-exist and create economies of scale, deliver efficiency, deliver cost effectiveness, deliver productivity savings, solve currency trade problems, solve logistics problems, solve tracking problems, and deal with the imperfections in the marketplace. The two levels, it is argued, encourage collaboration and foster necessary cooperation along the supply chain. The end result is a world of e-business that benefits international business.

The perception of racism in ambiguous scenarios

Recent theorising on the nature of racism suggests that over the last few decades it has come to be expressed in more subtle and ambiguous ways because while many Whites proclaim egalitarian values, their cognitions and behaviour are influenced by prejudices that are buried deep in their psyche. This leads to the possibility that those who perpetrate and those who experience racism may have different interpretations of events that involve racism. Essed (1991) has suggested that because they are exposed to racism systematically, those who experience racism are in a good position to detect it if they have both knowledge of normal behaviour for particular situations, and a general knowledge of racism. Using Essed's model of the assessment of racist events, the descriptions of six videotaped ambiguously racist scenarios given by 40 Caucasian students and 40 Asian students were analysed to determine whether situational or general knowledge of racism was evident. Contrary to expectations, the Asian students, who belong to a group targeted with racism in Australia, were less likely to see racism in the scenarios. Finding the scenarios to be acceptable indicated a lack of situational knowledge and, hence, an inability to use general knowledge of racism if it exists. The role of cultural values in the application of situational knowledge is discussed, and further empirical investigations of Essed's model are proposed.