Linking customer satisfaction, quality, and strategic planning

By acknowledging and dissecting the interconnected roles of customer satisfaction, quality, and strategic planning, this paper provides an analytical framework for creating a customer-driven organization and culture. It shows how quality starts and ends with the customer. Companies that are achieving long-term continuous improvement in quality tailored to customer satisfaction possess lasting characteristics such as customer orientation, customer consciousness, and customer responsiveness. In doing so, they liberate the quality concept from the narrow product or service focus to encompass total conformance to customer requirements in spite of the existing functionalization and departmentalization of modern complex structures. In addition to these key components, a customer-driven organization demands building and nurturing a customer satisfaction culture and value system that makes quality improvement and heightened concern for customer satisfaction a permanent aspect of organizational life.

Teaching and learning production and operations management: the journey from identity crisis to a cross, disciplinary approach

Este artigo tem suas raízes em algumas questões relacionadas à "forma" e ao "conteúdo" do que nós, professores, ensinamos na área de Administração da Produção e Operações. Inicialmente, descrevo a evolução histórica desse campo no Brasil. Em seguida, discuto a crise de identidade que o campo está sofrendo. Com o objetivo de apresentar respostas para essa situação, apresento seis propostas para o desenvolvimento e consolidação do campo. Finalmente, descrevo uma iniciativa prática, envolvendo uma disciplina específica da área, ensinada para alunos de pós-graduação. Essa iniciativa enfatiza a "dimensão do conteúdo" (de uma abordagem técnico-operacional para uma abordagem estratégico-gerencial) como também a "dimensão da forma" (do foco no ensino para o foco no aprendizado). O sucesso dessa experiência em curso confirma a coerência da agenda proposta e induz futuros aperfeiçoamentos.

Dependence relationship between the critical quality factors and social impact

This paper shows the results of the empirical study conducted in 186 tourist accommodation businesses in Spain certified under the "Q for Tourist Quality", own System Quality Management. It was raised with the purpose of analyzing the structure of the relationship between critical quality factors and results-social impact, how they operate and the level of their influence on obtaining these results within the company. Starting from a deep theoretical revision we propose a theoretical model together with the hypotheses to be tested, and we proceed to validation using the technique of Structural Equation Models. The results obtained show that companies wishing to improve their social impact should take into account that leadership is the most important factor to achieve it. Leadership indirectly affects the social impact through its influence on alliances and resources, quality policy/planning, personnel management and learning.

Appraisal of planning regulations regarding large urban distressed areas in European countries

LUDA is a research project of Key Action 4 "City of Tomorrow & Cultural Heritage" of the programme "Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development" within the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Commission

The undergraduate level (1st study cycle) as a fundamental platform/standard for the development of Urban and Regional Planning in higher education programs

LUDA is a research project of Key Action 4 "City of Tomorrow & Cultural Heritage" of the programme "Energy, Environment and Sustainable Development" within the Fifth Framework Programme of the European Commission

Concurrent Planning in the U.K.

O Planeamento Concomitante teve a sua origem no Reino Unido. É um método radical de intervenção social, baseado na Teoria de Afecto (Attachment Theory). O Planeamento Concomitante procura garantir que as crianças vulneráveis nas casas de acolhimento do Estado sejam adoptadas mais rapidamente possível. As crianças são acolhidas no âmbito deste Planeamento durante o período em que está em curso a avaliação da capacidade acolhedora dos pais adoptivos. As crianças sem condições de retorno para as suas famílias são desta forma legalmente adoptadas pelos pais adoptivos com quem as crianças já conseguiram desenvolver laços afectivos.

Competency Management Articulation for Human Resources

In recent years the approach to competences has gained great popularity due to process and organizational reengineering need. Taking opportunity on some recent work in this area dealing challenges that human resources face to develop planning training, I intend to identify several guidelines to develop a future architecture in a practical implementation. At this article is presented the concept development of competency management.

Systems thinking: learning or driving?

The ability to foresee how behaviour of a system arises from the interaction of its components over time - i.e. its dynamic complexity – is seen an important ability to take effective decisions in our turbulent world. Dynamic complexity emerges frequently from interrelated simple structures, such as stocks and flows, feedbacks and delays (Forrester, 1961). Common sense assumes an intuitive understanding of their dynamic behaviour. However, recent researches have pointed to a persistent and systematic error in people understanding of those building blocks of complex systems. This paper describes an empirical study concerning the native ability to understand systems thinking concepts. Two different groups - one, academic, the other, professional – submitted to four tasks, proposed by Sweeney and Sterman (2000) and Sterman (2002). The results confirm a poor intuitive understanding of the basic systems concepts, even when subjects have background in mathematics and sciences.

A Feedback Learning and Mental Models Perspective on Strategic Decision Making

This study aims to be a contribution to a theoretical model that explains the effectiveness of the learning and decision-making processes by means of a feedback and mental models perspective. With appropriate mental models, managers should be able to improve their capacity to deal with dynamically complex contexts, in order to achieve long-term success. We present a set of hypotheses about the influence of feedback information and systems thinking facilitation on mental models and management performance. We explore, under controlled conditions, the role of mental models in terms of structure and behaviour. A test based on a simulation experiment with a system dynamics model was performed. Three out of the four hypotheses were confirmed. Causal diagramming positively influences mental model structure similarity, mental model structure similarity positively influences mental model behaviour similarity, and mental model behaviour similarity positively influences the quality of the decision.

Scenario Planning and Evaluation of Pricing Strategies in the Portuguese Bulk LPG Market

Portugal has the largest LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) share of primary energy demand in the EU (about 5%). Due to the increasing international cost of LPG in the last years and the high price sensitivity of the consumers the preference for substitute energy sources in new and existing consumers has been increasing. To select the kind of energy, some consumer estimate and compare the total costs while others follow agents (equipment sellers) recommendations. It takes time to build agents perception about the most advantageous source of energy, which is seen as an important resource that drives client resource accumulation and retention. Marketing strategies have to take into consideration some market dynamic effects derived from the accumulation and depletion of these resources. A simple system dynamics model was built, combined with Economic Value Added framework, to evaluate some pricing strategies under different scenarios of LPG international cost.

Systems thinking: learning or driving?

The ability to foresee how behaviour of a system arises from the interaction of its components over time - i.e. its dynamic complexity – is seen an important ability to take effective decisions in our turbulent world. Dynamic complexity emerges frequently from interrelated simple structures, such as stocks and flows, feedbacks and delays (Forrester, 1961). Common sense assumes an intuitive understanding of their dynamic behaviour. However, recent researches have pointed to a persistent and systematic error in people understanding of those building blocks of complex systems. This paper describes an empirical study concerning the native ability to understand systems thinking concepts. Two different groups - one, academic, the other, professional – submitted to four tasks, proposed by Sweeney and Sterman (2000) and Sterman (2002). The results confirm a poor intuitive understanding of the basic systems concepts, even when subjects have background in mathematics and sciences.

A Feedback Learning and Mental Models Perspective on Strategic Decision Making

This study aims to be a contribution to a theoretical model that explains the effectiveness of the learning and decision-making processes by means of a feedback and mental models perspective. With appropriate mental models, managers should be able to improve their capacity to deal with dynamically complex contexts, in order to achieve long-term success. We present a set of hypotheses about the influence of feedback information and systems thinking facilitation on mental models and management performance. We explore, under controlled conditions, the role of mental models in terms of structure and behaviour. A test based on a simulation experiment with a system dynamics model was performed. Three out of the four hypotheses were confirmed. Causal diagramming positively influences mental model structure similarity, mental model structure similarity positively influences mental model behaviour similarity, and mental model behaviour similarity positively influences the quality of the decision

Scenario Planning and Evaluation of Pricing Strategies in the Portuguese Bulk LPG Market

Portugal has the largest LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) share of primary energy demand in the EU (about 5%). Due to the increasing international cost of LPG in the last years and the high price sensitivity of the consumers the preference for substitute energy sources in new and existing consumers has been increasing. To select the kind of energy, some consumer estimate and compare the total costs while others follow agents (equipment sellers) recommendations. It takes time to build agents perception about the most advantageous source of energy, which is seen as an important resource that drives client resource accumulation and retention. Marketing strategies have to take into consideration some market dynamic effects derived from the accumulation and depletion of these resources. A simple system dynamics model was built, combined with Economic Value Added framework, to evaluate some pricing strategies under different scenarios of LPG international cost.

Ultrapassando as dificuldades da dislexia através da arte

Resumo: A intervenção em crianças disléxicas nem sempre é fácil uma vez que, à partida, serão crianças desmotivadas por insucessos repetidos, complexos de inferioridade, timidez, baixa autoconfiança e auto-estima, com pouca capacidade de atenção e concentração. A família, a escola e a sociedade em geral têm um papel decisivo, não deverão exigir nem impor metas complicadas, adaptando sempre uma postura de compreensão da criança. A criança disléxica aprende num ritmo diferente, como tal, precisa que a escola adeqúe as suas práticas educativas tendo em conta as suas características e especificidades. Pretende-se com este trabalho aprofundar conhecimentos sobre a temática da dislexia e sua aplicação, dentro da sala de aula, na disciplina Educação Visual e Tecnológica, numa turma do 2º Ciclo do Ensino Básico que inclui uma aluna considerada disléxica. Começámos por caracterizar a turma, a aluna e os contextos envolventes em que as mesmas se inserem, seguidamente fez-se uma intervenção estruturada, a longo e curto prazo, numa dinâmica de planificação, acção e reflexão, numa perspectiva de educação inclusiva, com práticas educativas cooperativas e diferenciadas. Ao longo das sessões de trabalho, a turma teve a oportunidade de se manifestar nas assembleias de turma, na negociação das actividades, de trabalhar em pares, em grande e pequeno grupo, criando desta forma um clima de inter-ajuda e de cooperação na sala de aula, funcionando com as duas professoras da disciplina, partilhando momentos de aprendizagem e socialização de saberes. A aluna considerada disléxica passou a interagir na turma com os colegas, de forma positiva, e estes com ela. As suas dificuldades foram superadas com a ajuda dos colegas, partilhando os seus saberes, dúvidas e experiências. Foi uma experiência positiva para o grupo, para a aluna e para as professoras da turma. Abstract: The intervention in dyslexic children is not always easy from the start, a priori, children will be discouraged by repeated failures, inferiority complexes, shyness, low selfconfidence and self- esteem, with little attention span and concentration. The family, school and society in general have a decisive role, should not require or impose complicated goals, always adapting an attitude of understanding of the child. The dyslexic children learn at a different pace, as such, requires the school to adjust its educational practices in view of their characteristics and specificities. The aim of this work to deepen knowledge on the subject of dyslexia and its application in the classroom, Visual and Technological Education as the subject, in a class of the 2nd Cycle of Basic Education that includes a student considered dyslexic. We have began by characterizing the class, the student and the surrounding contexts in which they are involved, then became a structured intervention in the long and short term, in order of creating a dynamic planning, action and reflection, with a inclusive education perspective, with cooperative practical education and differentiated. During the work seasons, the class had the opportunity to express themselves in class meetings, the negotiation activities, working in pairs, in large and small groups, thus creating a climate of mutual help and cooperation in the classroom, working with two teachers of the subject, sharing moments of learning and socialization of knowledge. The student consider as dyslexic has started to interact in the class with the colleagues in a positive way, and they with her. Their difficulties were overcome with the help of colleagues, sharing their knowledge, doubts and experiences. It was a positive experience for the group, to the student and the teachers of the class.