Os impactos da reestruturação organizacional de uma empresa multinacional de alta tecnologia na área de treinamento e desenvolvimento de call center:aplicação da teoria das configurações de Mintzberg

Neste estudo realizamos uma pesquisa no setor de serviços de uma empresa multinacional de alta tecnologia, na qual ocorreram mudanças organizacionais envolvendo a área de treinamento e desenvolvimento, que atendia vários clientes de call centers, com sua equipe deixando de se reportar à Gerência Operacional local e passando a se reportar à área de Treinamento & Desenvolvimento Global. O objetivo foi contribuir para o papel do desenho organizacional da área de treinamento neste setor. O estudo teve como embasamento a Teoria das Cinco Configurações, de Henry Mintzberg, e as questões respondidas foram: que reestruturação a empresa estudada está implementando, de acordo com a teoria de Mintzberg, e quais são os impactos desta reestruturação para o departamento estudado, na visão dos entrevistados? O método utilizado foi o de estudo de caso e a nossa pesquisa foi realizada na organização desta área no Brasil, na qual coletamos dados através de fontes primárias, e empregamos observação direta e pesquisa de campo com entrevistas semiestruturadas com funcionários e clientes da área. Demostramos que a organização de treinamento estava se estruturando como uma Adhocracia Operacional e que a mudança foi positiva na visão tanto dos funcionários da área, quanto de seus clientes. Para avaliarmos o comportamento dos indivíduos do grupo, criamos duas tipologias a partir da categorização dos dados coletados. Concluímos que as pessoas do grupo tinham ação estratégica e foco em seu desenvolvimento profissional, o que é coerente com a estrutura Adhocrática de Mintzberg. As características de uma Adhocracia se mostraram positivas para uma área de treinamento de call center que atende a múltiplos clientes, conduzindo a equipe a ter foco mais estratégico, aumentando a autonomia e o engajamento, elevando o conhecimento, melhorando a comunicação, trazendo processos flexíveis e, como consequência, um resultado positivo para as operações atendidas.

Responsabilidade social: visões e perspectivas de empresários do segmento industrial do Rio Grande do Norte

The theme Corporate Social Responsibility is relatively recent both in the academic field and in the business practice. Because of the lack of socialization of experiences and precision of concepts, there are gaps regarding the understanding of the subject and, also, how to conduct operations. This study just seeks to investigate such matter, focusing applications of social responsibility in business. It takes, as empirical field, winners of the PSQT - SESI Prize of Quality at Work in Rio Grande do Norte (2002-2007) in order to systematize the various approaches on the issue, aiming to reveal subjective visions and perspectives of the theme. It is characterized as a qualitative study, carried out by structured interview. The universe was composed by 15 companies. It was used analysis of content categorical as an axis for the interpretation of the information. Three approaches guided the analysis: Business Ethics, (normative); Business & Society (contractual); Social Issues Management (strategic). The findings are related in three ways: 1) reasons for the CSR practice; 2) the results obtained; 3) the means of CSR. It was found that the award participation occurs, mostly, linked to SESI invitations, so, as an articulated movement of industrial corporations in Brazil it occurs, also, because of the organizational commitment with the society and the possibility of internal and social growths and because of the importance attributed to the report as an instrument of consultancy. There are no indicators to check impacts of organizational interventions, in spite of the existence of planning for the actions. Social responsibility appears as a tool to reinforce the organizational image and to increase satisfaction of the employees. There is a tendency of large and medium firms to a contractual commitment while the small and the micros firms are on strategic or normative level. The analysis of the perspectives of social responsibility future revealed trends towards for strategic approach

Maturidade de escritório de gerenciamento de projetos: o caso do Ministério Público do Rio Grande do Norte

The research aimed to evaluate the level of maturity of the project management office of the Public Ministry of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, on the model PMO Maturity Cube. It was based on a theoretical framework that includes project management, project management office and maturity of the project management office. The research was classified as to the purpose as exploratory and descriptive. According to the methods used was a case study, and how to approach is qualitative and quantitative. The research unit was the prosecutor of the State of Rio Grande do Norte, by two guys who represent all of the participants in the project management office of the institution. These subjects were chosen because they act with the office since the foundation of the same, having the knowledge necessary to deepen the research required, and experience with projects and work experience in the area. Data were collected through an adaptation of the evaluation form for the amplitude corporate developed and presented to the scientific environment for Pinto, Cota and Levin (2010). The results revealed that the level of maturity in the current strategic approach is 77%, and 97% desired; tactical approach in current is 66% and 97% desired, and the current operational approach is 78%, and 100% desired. He pointed out that several factors influence the level of maturity of the project management office of the Public Prosecutor and the recurrent related to information technology, regarding the storage and sharing of information. Concluded that the level of maturity of the project management office of the Public Ministry of the State of Rio Grande do Norte is advanced

Anti-poverty policies in Brazil: Reviewing the past ten years

This article reviews the main anti-poverty policies implemented in Brazil from the early 1990s to the early 2000s. These include focused and universal policies - such as education and health care - as well as the rural development, a 'middle ground' policy. Though the inter-municipal consortium, a new institutional arrangement gathering municipalities together, has emerged as a promising policy implementation tool, anti-poverty policies have faced implementation difficulties. Lack of coordination between different programs, even within the same policy area, has impaired their effectiveness. As a consequence, compensatory programs, based on monetary transfers to poor families, which face fewer implementation problems, have become the dominant type of anti-poverty policies in Brazil. Despite these shortcomings, a small Brazilian state, Santa Catarina, was able to reduce by 46 percent the number of individuals living in poverty in just ten years. This is a sign that fighting poverty can, after all, be a feasible endeavor. © 2004 IIAS, SAGE Publications (London, Thousand Oaks, CA and New Delhi).

Avaliação de política ambiental e sustentabilidade: Estudo de caso do município de Santo André - SP

The management of the São Paulo Metropolitan Area has as one of the challenges to bring a sustainable solution for land use in watershed protection areas, aiming at regional water resources protection. This paper has the objective to contribute to the discussion about Sustainable Development Strategy Assessment, from an analisys with focus at the environmental policies of the Santo André City - SP Brazil, in the context of water resources protection. For this, the proposal is to verify, based on the Bellagio Principles, the use of systemic approach, transparency, participatory process and social engagement in its policy formulation and implementation process. It was observed coherence within the policies, programmes and actions analysed, nevertheless, gaps were identified, which, within a strategic approach, means weakness for the construction of the local sustainability, as the lack of a consolidated sustainability indicators system.

Análise da política estratégica dos Estados Unidos para a América do Sul: de Clinton a George W. Bush

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

An assessment of mechanisms to improve energy efficiency in the transport sector in Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

Like many other Caribbean countries, Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines are almost entirely dependent on imported petroleum as their primary source of energy. In this regard, many countries in the subregion have taken a strategic approach to long-term planning in the energy sector towards creating higher levels of efficiency on both the demand and supply sides as well as promoting diversification in the energy mix. Within this context, this study was conducted to present mechanisms to improve energy efficiency (EE) in the transport sector in Grenada, Saint Lucia and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. For each country, the report presents a brief description of current trends in energy consumption generally as well as energy issues in the transport sector and programmes, initiatives and regulatory mechanisms currently in place that are contributing to energy efficiency in the sector.

Educação, relações capitalistas, estratégias e táticas: um ensaio a partir de algumas escolas de ensino superior de Maringa (PR)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Avaliação de projetos logísticos de RFID aplicados na indústria aeronáutica brasileira

Pós-graduação em Engenharia Mecânica - FEG

Strategie per la pianificazione metropolitana

La finalità della ricerca è l'individuazione di uno strumento urbanistico per governare il territorio metropolitano che garantisca la successione efficace ed efficiente delle azioni nelle quali si articola il processo di pianificazione strategica. All'interno della ricerca, da un lato si indaga lo sviluppo storico-culturale che ha caratterizzato in Italia il concetto di area metropolitana, individuandone i contenuti e le operazioni che portano alla perimetrazione del suo territorio. Dall'altro lato si approfondisce il tema della pianificazione strategica come strumento fondamentale per il governo delle città metropolitane intermedie. Si è proceduto all'approfondimento del dibattito culturale e scientifico sul tema delle aree metropolitane, nell'esperienza di pianificazione strategica sviluppata in ambito internazionale e successivamente il dibattito politico che si è sviluppato nella realtà italiana sul concetto di area metropolitana, evidenziandone gli aspetti condivisi e le diverse tipologie di approccio per ottenere una perimetrazione utile al piano di governo del territorio. Ovviamente, nel processo di analisi, un ruolo dominante è stato assunto dal quadro istituzionale e normativo che si è sviluppato ed è tuttora in corso sul tema delle aree metropolitane. Alla tematica relativa alla definizione delle aree, si è sviluppato un consistente approfondimento sui requisiti che devono essere posseduti da un piano strategico costruito sulle esigenze di un'area metropolitana. E' stata individuata l'area metropolitana di Bologna quale area oggetto di studio approfondito, ripercorrendo le vicende che hanno animato il dibattito sulla nascita della Città metropolitana delimitata dalla Provincia. A tal proposito, si è sviluppata una riflessione sui contenuti innovativi e promozionali del piano strategico, valutando gli effetti che il Piano Strategico Metropolitano in corso di elaborazione sarà in grado di produrre sulle dinamiche territoriali e socio-economiche dell'area bolognese.

Clinical trials in head injury

Secondary brain damage, following severe head injury is considered to be a major cause for bad outcome. Impressive reductions of the extent of brain damage in experimental studies have raised high expectations for cerebral neuroprotective treatment, in the clinic. Therefore multiple compounds were and are being evaluated in trials. In this review we discuss the pathomechanisms of traumatic brain damage, based upon their clinical importance. The role of hypothermia, mannitol, barbiturates, steroids, free radical scavengers, arachidonic acid inhibitors, calcium channel blockers, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonists, and potassium channel blockers, will be discussed. The importance of a uniform strategic approach for evaluation of potentially interesting new compounds in clinical trials, to ameliorate outcome in patients with severe head injury, is proposed. To achieve this goal, two nonprofit organizations were founded: the European Brain Injury Consortium (EBIC) and the American Brain Injury Consortium (ABIC). Their aim lies in conducting better clinical trials, which incorporate lessons learned from previous trials, such that the succession of negative, or incomplete studies, as performed in previous years, will cease.

The Regulatory Framework for Nanomaterials at a Global Level: SAICM and WTO Insights

The regulation of nanomaterials is being discussed at various levels. This article offers a historical description of governmental activities concerning the safety of nanomaterials at the United Nations (UN) level since 2006, with a focus on the UN Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). The outcomes of the SAICM process were a nanospecific resolution and the addition of new activities on nanotechnologies and manufactured nanomaterials to the SAICM’s Global Plan of Action. The article discusses the implications of these decisions for multilateral environmental agreements. In addition, it studies the consequences of the regulation of nanotechnologies activities on trade governance, in particular the relationship between the SAICM to the legally binding World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements (notably the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade). The article concludes that the SAICM decisions on manufactured nanomaterials are compatible with WTO law.

The Regulatory Framework for Nanomaterials at a Global Level: SAICM and WTO Insights

The regulation of nanomaterials is being discussed at various levels. This article offers a historical description of governmental activities concerning the safety of nanomaterials at the United Nations (UN) level since 2006, with a focus on the UN Strategic Approach to International Chemicals Management (SAICM). The outcomes of the SAICM process were a nanospecific resolution and the addition of new activities on nanotechnologies and manufactured nanomaterials to the SAICM’s Global Plan of Action. The article discusses the implications of these decisions for multilateral environmental agreements. In addition, it studies the consequences of the regulation of nanotechnologies activities on trade governance, in particular the relationship between the SAICM to the legally binding World Trade Organization (WTO) agreements (notably the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade and the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade). The article concludes that the SAICM decisions on manufactured nanomaterials are compatible with WTO law.

A Research Roadmap for Complementary and Alternative Medicine – What We Need to Know by 2020

Background: The CAMbrella coordination action was funded within the Framework Programme 7. Its aim is to provide a research roadmap for clinical and epidemiological research for complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) that is appropriate for the health needs of European citizens and acceptable to their national research institutes and healthcare providers in both public and private sectors. One major issue in the European research agenda is the demographic change and its impact on health care. Our vision for 2020 is that there is an evidence base that enables European citizens to make informed decisions about CAM, both positive and negative. This roadmap proposes a strategic research agenda for the field of CAM designed to address future European health care challenges. This roadmap is based on the results of CAMbrella’s several work packages, literature reviews and expert discussions including a consensus meeting. Methods: We first conducted a systematic literature review on key issues in clinical and epidemiological research in CAM to identify the general concepts, methods and the strengths and weaknesses of current CAM research. These findings were discussed in a workshop (Castellaro, Italy, September 7–9th 2011) with international CAM experts and strategic and methodological recommendations were defined in order to improve the rigor and relevance of CAM research. These recommendations provide the basis for the research roadmap, which was subsequently discussed in a consensus conference (Järna, Sweden, May 9–11th 2012) with all CAMbrella members and the CAMbrella advisory board. The roadmap was revised after this discussion in CAMbrella Work Package (WP) 7 and finally approved by CAMbrella’s scientific steering committee on September 26th 2012. Results: Our main findings show that CAM is very heterogenous in terms of definitions and legal regulations between the European countries. In addition, citizens’ needs and attitudes towards CAM as well as the use and provision of CAM differ significantly between countries. In terms of research methodology, there was consensus that CAM researchers should make use of all the commonly accepted scientific research methods and employ those with utmost diligence combined in a mixed methods framework. Conclusions: We propose 6 core areas of research that should be investigated to achieve a robust knowledge base and to allow stakeholders to make informed decisions. These are: Research into the prevalence of CAM in Europe: Reviews show that we do not know enough about the circumstances in which CAM is used by Europeans. To enable a common European strategic approach, a clear picture of current use is of the utmost importance. Research into differences regarding citizens’ attitudes and needs towards CAM: Citizens are the driver for CAM utilization. Their needs and views on CAM are a key priority, and their interests must be investigated and addressed in future CAM research. Research into safety of CAM: Safety is a key issue for European citizens. CAM is considered safe, but reliable data is scarce although urgently needed in order to assess the risk and cost-benefit ratio of CAM. Research into the comparative effectiveness of CAM: Everybody needs to know in what situation CAM is a reasonable choice. Therefore, we recommend a clear emphasis on concurrent evaluation of the overall effectiveness of CAM as an additional or alternative treatment strategy in real-world settings. Research into effects of context and meaning: The impact of effects of context and meaning on the outcome of CAM treatments must be investigated; it is likely that they are significant. Research into different models of CAM health care integration: There are different models of CAM being integrated into conventional medicine throughout Europe, each with their respective strengths and limitations. These models should be described and concurrently evaluated; innovative models of CAM provision in health care systems should be one focus for CAM research. We also propose a methodological framework for CAM research. We consider that a framework of mixed methodological approaches is likely to yield the most useful information. In this model, all available research strategies including comparative effectiveness research utilising quantitative and qualitative methods should be considered to enable us to secure the greatest density of knowledge possible. Stakeholders, such as citizens, patients and providers, should be involved in every stage of developing the specific and relevant research questions, study design and the assurance of real-world relevance for the research. Furthermore, structural and sufficient financial support for research into CAM is needed to strengthen CAM research capacity if we wish to understand why it remains so popular within the EU. In order to consider employing CAM as part of the solution to the health care, health creation and self-care challenges we face by 2020, it is vital to obtain a robust picture of CAM use and reliable information about its cost, safety and effectiveness in real-world settings. We need to consider the availability, accessibility and affordability of CAM. We need to engage in research excellence and utilise comparative effectiveness approaches and mixed methods to obtain this data. Our recommendations are both strategic and methodological. They are presented for the consideration of researchers and funders while being designed to answer the important and implicit questions posed by EU citizens currently using CAM in apparently increasing numbers. We propose that the EU actively supports an EUwide strategic approach that facilitates the development of CAM research. This could be achieved in the first instance through funding a European CAM coordinating research office dedicated to foster systematic communication between EU governments, public, charitable and industry funders as well as researchers, citizens and other stakeholders. The aim of this office would be to coordinate research strategy developments and research funding opportunities, as well as to document and disseminate international research activities in this field. With the aim to develop sustainability as second step, a European Centre for CAM should be established that takes over the monitoring and further development of a coordinated research strategy for CAM, as well as it should have funds that can be awarded to foster high quality and robust independent research with a focus on citizens health needs and pan-European collaboration. We wish to establish a solid funding for CAM research to adequately inform health care and health creation decision-making throughout the EU. This centre would ensure that our vision of a common, strategic and scientifically rigorous approach to CAM research becomes our legacy and Europe’s reality. We are confident that our recommendations will serve these essential goals for EU citizens.

High prevalence but limited evidence in complementary and alternative medicine: guidelines for future research

The use of complementary and alternative Medicine (CAM) has increased over the past two decades in Europe. Nonetheless, research investigating the evidence to support its use remains limited. The CAMbrella project funded by the European Commission aimed to develop a strategic research agenda starting by systematically evaluating the state of CAM in the EU. CAMbrella involved 9 work packages covering issues such as the definition of CAM; its legal status, provision and use in the EU; and a synthesis of international research perspectives. Based on the work package reports, we developed a strategic and methodologically robust research roadmap based on expert workshops, a systematic Delphi-based process and a final consensus conference. The CAMbrella project suggests six core areas for research to examine the potential contribution of CAM to the health care challenges faced by the EU. These areas include evaluating the prevalence of CAM use in Europe; the EU cititzens’ needs and attitudes regarding CAM; the safety of CAM; the comparative effectiveness of CAM; the effects of meaning and context on CAM outcomes; and different models for integrating CAM into existing health care systems. CAM research should use methods generally accepted in the evaluation of health services, including comparative effectiveness studies and mixed-methods designs. A research strategy is urgently needed, ideally led by a European CAM coordinating research office dedicated to fostering systematic communication between EU governments, the public, charitable and industry funders, researchers and other stakeholders. A European Centre for CAM should also be established to monitor and further a coordinated research strategy with sufficient funds to commission and promote high quality, independent research focusing on the public’s health needs and pan-European collaboration. There is a disparity between highly prevalent use of CAM in Europe and solid knowledge about it. A strategic approach on CAM research should be established to investigate the identified gaps of knowledge and to address upcoming health care challenges.