Supply chain management

Nos últimos anos, a economia mundial e a economia brasileira têm sofrido mudanças importantes. Fusões, aquisições e alianças estratégicas têm se multiplicado. Parte considerável destas mudanças relaciona-se com profundas alterações nos sistemas de valores de todos os segmentos industriais. A busca da competitividade relaciona-se cada vez mais com a busca do ótimo sistêmico além das fronteiras da empresa. Neste contexto, a administração logística ganha nova dimensão, envolvendo a integração de todas as atividades ao longo da cadeia de valores e do sistema de valores, das matérias-primas ao cliente final. O objetivo deste trabalho é (re)situar a administração logística no contexto de mudanças, enfatizando a metodologia da gestão da cadeia de demanda (supply chain management).

Is the International Business Environment the actual context for international business research?

The International Business Environment (IBE) has been argued to be the essential context for international business (IB) studies and the distinguishing factor from other management studies and studies of large enterprises. Two content analysis show that many papers published in top tier IB journals either lack reference to any dimension of the IBE or tend to be uni-or bi-dimensional when addressing the IBE; it is not a surprise that the cultural dimension is the most often used. We suggest that: (a) there is need to developed more uni-and multi-dimensional environmental constructs; (b) a more holistic view of the IBE provides richer insights on the actual complexity underlying IB research. Future studies that provide more comprehensive models of the IBE that overcome the usual broad classifications of the international environment as undefined and uncontrollable factors are warranted to advance conceptual and empirical research.

GREEN SUPPLY CHAIN: PROTAGONISTA OU COADJUVANTE NO BRASIL?

Questões ambientais passaram a ser introduzidas com maior frequência nos negócios empresariais. Quanto à cadeia de suprimentos, Green Supply Chain Management (GSCM) surge como novo enfoque à responsabilidade das empresas com o meio ambiente. Este artigo objetiva analisar a difusão do conceito e das práticas de GSCM no cenário brasileiro. Para tanto, foram realizadas entrevistas com especialistas do tema cadeia de suprimentos na área de Administração no Brasil. Os resultados indicam que as razões para o lento desenvolvimento do conceito podem relacionar-se com características do mercado nacional, foco empresarial em aspectos internos, falta de legislação rígida e baixa pressão dos consumidores. Especialistas percebem, entretanto, boas perspectivas para o futuro das discussões da temática no País, em virtude da Política Nacional dos Resíduos Sólidos, de pressões do mercado internacional e da busca por certificação ambiental. Este estudo procurou fomentar novas discussões sobre GSCM no Brasil.

SUPPLY CHAIN RESILIENCE ANALYSIS: A BRAZILIAN AUTOMOTIVE CASE

Supply chain (SC) resilience and flexibility are important research topics receiving growing attention. However, the academic literature needs empirical studies on SC resilience capable of investigating the inter-organizational components of flexibility along different tiers. Therefore, this paper analyzes the main lack of flexibilities in three Brazilian automotive SCs that limit their resilience and therefore their capacity to better support and meet the demand changes in the marketplace. A multi-tier case study approach is adopted. Research findings identify lack of flexibilities in different tiers that inhibit the SC resilience as well as manufacturing and SC flexibilities that build SC resilience. The findings also highlight that the same SC may have the flexibility to be resilient for one of its products but not for another product, what sheds new lights on the academic literature. Finally, flexible SCs should be designed to increase SC resilience to cope with mishaps as significant demand changes.

SOCIAL BUSINESS DILEMMAS IN BRAZIL: REDE ASTACASE

ABSTRACTSocial businesses seek financial, social and even environmental results. Academic knowledge on how such organizations operate, however, has emerged more recently. This article sought to investigate qualitatively the main tensions and dilemmas occurring throughout the history of Rede Asta, a pioneer social business in direct catalog sales of artisanal products in Brazil. Results indicate the Rede Asta managers have experienced tensions and dilemmas in three of the four categories identified by Smith, Gonin, and Besharov (2013): social and financial performance, organizational aspects and learning. One of the dilemmas involves organizational aspects and learning, since Asta achieves feasibility with two organizations: a nonprofit association and a for-profit corporation. On perceptions of belonging, stakeholders declared they felt they were a part of the organization’s social and environmental goals; some even as activists.

THE INTERNATIONAL GROWTH OF A SOCIAL BUSINESS: A CASE STUDY

ABSTRACTIn developing countries, initiatives have often been undertaken in order to fight social and environmental problems. Since the 1990s, an increase can be seen in corporate social responsibility actions, as well as increasingly strong activities by civil society organizations. Tweenty years ago, companies and civil society organizations stood wide apart from each other, with often conflicting agendas and resistance to mutual collaboration. This reality has changed significantly. Besides the phenomenon of cross-sector partnerships, we can also observe the expansion of a particular organization type, i.e., the social business, which combines two objectives that were previously seen as incompatible: financial sustainability and the generation of social value. This article aims to discuss the factors that influence the results of a social business operating in three countries: Botswana, Brazil and Jordan. The results allow understanding the challenges involved in constructing social businesses in developing countries as well as a better understanding of the very nature of those businesses, considering the social realities where they operate.

EVALUATING THE EFFICIENCY PROGRESS WITH TECHNOLOGY IN A SPANISH HOTEL CHAIN

ABSTRACTThis paper analyzes the changes in the total factor productivity index of a Spanish hotel chain in the period from 2007 to 2010 with the purpose of identifying efficiency patterns for the chain in a period of financial crisis. The data envelopment analysis (DEA) Malmquist productivity index was used to estimate productivity change in 38 hotels of the AC chain. Results reveal AC hotels' efficiency trends and, therefore, their competitiveness in the recession period; they also show the changes experienced in these hotels' total productivity and its components: technological and efficiency changes. Positive efficiency changes were due to positive technical efficiency rather than technological efficiency. The recession period certainly influenced the performance of AC Hotels, which focused on organizational changes rather than investing in technology.

A comunicação de informações nas instituições públicas e privadas: o caso XBRL - eXtensible Business Reporting Language no Brasil

O XBRL - eXtensible Business Report Language - é uma linguagem que está sendo implementada em vários países para divulgação das informações contábil-financeiras pela internet. Este artigo mostra o estado-da-arte do XBRL e como se deu sua evolução, bem como avalia o estágio atual do Brasil na divulgação de informações contábil-financeiras pela internet. Foi realizada uma pesquisa do tipo survey com empresas de capital aberto no Brasil. A pesquisa revelou uma forte aceitação do meio eletrônico para divulgação de informações financeiras e também que ainda é muito pequeno o conhecimento da linguagem XBRL no país e, conseqüentemente, menor ainda o número de entidades que já iniciaram formalmente os estudos para sua implementação. Mostrou ainda a inexistência de um padrão de divulgação de informações eletrônicas, tendo predominado os formatos PDF, HTML e DOC, o que dificulta a análise e comparação de informações entre órgãos reguladores e com o público em geral.

A incubação das micro, pequenas e médias empresas (MPMEs) em Portugal : uma discussão sobre custos de transacção, dimensão competitiva e a cadeia de valor

RESUMO: Este trabalho tem por objectivo discutir as formas como as incubadoras de empresas contribuem para a criação da cadeia de valores de Micros, Pequenas e Médias Empresas (MPMEs) permitindo a redução dos seus custos de transacção. Para melhor compreender a forma como se reduzem os custos de transacção é importante conhecer os pressupostos comportamentais que provocam a existência de tais custos: a racionalidade limitada, porque a nossa forma de pensar tem limitações; e o oportunismo, porque há pessoas com comportamentos desonestos envolvidas no negócio. O verdadeiro poder explicativo da teoria dos custos de transacção está, no entanto, na análise de três variáveis que determinam se esses custos serão mais baixos numa estrutura hierárquica ou num mercado. Estas três variáveis são: a especificidade de activos - se uma transacção envolve ou não activos específicos à actividade da empresa; a incerteza - qual o grau de incerteza em encontrar um produto ou serviço externo à empresa; e a frequência - e se um bem ou serviço é frequentemente utilizado ou não. As incubadoras de empresas são actualmente consideradas como uma iniciativa essencial ao desenvolvimento socioeconómico regional, e nacional. Estas instituições contribuem para corrigir ineficiências no mercado, conferindo às empresas uma capacidade de inovação tecnológica que garante empregos e a criação de riquezas, aumentando o bem-estar da sociedade. O sucesso da sua actuação resume-se à capacidade para gerar dimensões virtuais que contribuem para a cadeia de valores, permitindo as MPMEs, a redução dos seus custos de transacção. ABSTRACT: This work aims to discuss the relevant forms how incubators contribute to the value chain of a in micro, small and medium enterprises (MSME´s) reducing their transaction costs. To better understand how transaction costs can be reduced one must recognize the behavioral assumptions that are behind there existence; bounded rationality - because our way of thinking has limitations and opportunism - because there are dishonest people involved in the business. The true cost theory´s explanatory power comes from the analyses of the three variables that determine whether those costs will be lower in a hierarchical structure or a market structure. These three variables are: specificity of assets - if the transaction involves or not specific assets in for the firm´s activity; the uncertainty - what is the degree of uncertainty in finding a product or service external to the firm; and the frequency - what is the frequency of the good or service use. Business incubators are currently regarded as a key initiative for the national or regional economic development. The institutions contribute to correct market inefficiencies, improving the capacity of firms to produce technological innovations that guaranty jobs and wealth creation increasing welfare. The success of this all boils down to the capacity to create virtual dimensions that contributes to the MSME´s value chain reducing transaction costs.

Web 2.0 and its impact on knowledge and business organizations

Today, information overload and the lack of systems that enable locating employees with the right knowledge or skills are common challenges that large organisations face. This makes knowledge workers to re-invent the wheel and have problems to retrieve information from both internal and external resources. In addition, information is dynamically changing and ownership of data is moving from corporations to the individuals. However, there is a set of web based tools that may cause a major progress in the way people collaborate and share their knowledge. This article aims to analyse the impact of ‘Web 2.0’ on organisational knowledge strategies. A comprehensive literature review was done to present the academic background followed by a review of current ‘Web 2.0’ technologies and assessment of their strengths and weaknesses. As the framework of this study is oriented to business applications, the characteristics of the involved segments and tools were reviewed from an organisational point of view. Moreover, the ‘Enterprise 2.0’ paradigm does not only imply tools but also changes the way people collaborate, the way the work is done (processes) and finally impacts on other technologies. Finally, gaps in the literature in this area are outlined.