A IMPORTÂNCIA DO ALINHAMENTO ENTRE A CULTURA ORGANIZACIONAL E AS POLÍTICAS DE ADMINISTRAÇÃO DE RECURSOS HUMANOS NO ALCANCE DAS METAS ORGANIZACIONAIS ESTUDO DE CASO FUNDAÇÃO FLORESTAN FERNANDES

Este trabalho investiga o alinhamento das práticas de gestão de recursos humanos em relação à cultura organizacional, assim como a importância desse alinhamento no alcance das metas e objetivos da organização representada neste estudo pela Fundação Centro de Educação do Trabalhador Florestan Fernandes , localizada no Município de Diadema, no Grande ABCD paulista. Do mesmo modo, compreende estas práticas e pressupostos em um contexto mais amplo e em permanente interação com as demandas apresentadas pelo ambiente externo à organização. A metodologia utilizada no trabalho é de caráter qualitativo devido à possibilidade que apresenta em dar tratamento a um forte conteúdo comportamental e subjetivo, no qual interferem fatores diversificados e pouco controláveis que permitem através da descrição, decodificação e tradução chegar a uma conclusão, não quanto à freqüência, mas quanto ao significado de certos fenômenos do mundo social.(AU)

PERCEPÇÕES DE GANHOS PARA OS EMPREGADOS NA GESTÃO POR COMPETÊNCIAS: UM ESTUDO DE CASO

Tendo como pressuposto de que a Gestão de Pessoas por Competências deve agregar valor econômico para a organização e valor social para os indivíduos, a presente pesquisa investiga com os empregados de uma empresa quais os ganhos trazidos na sua vida, profissional e pessoal, pelo modelo implementado na organização em que trabalham. Para alcançar esse objetivo foi realizado um estudo de caso, de caráter qualitativo numa empresa do setor público, que possui há mais de cinco anos um sistema de gestão por competências, contemplando todos os subsistemas (seleção, treinamento, remuneração, avaliação de desempenho e carreira) para 100,0% dos empregados. Num processo de antes e depois do sistema de gestão por competências, a pesquisa foi realizada por meio de questionário e entrevista. Para medir o ganho dos empregados, foram utilizadas as categorias e subcategorias de ganho social definidas na tese de doutoramento de Amyra Sarsur, 2007. Os resultados dessa pesquisa indicaram que, na percepção do empregado, três subcategorias destacaram-se como ganho social: desenvolvimento, compreensão conceptual da organização e autodesenvolvimento. A importância da pesquisa se faz devido à crescente adoção desse modelo de gestão de pessoas pelas empresas brasileiras e a ausência de pesquisas que investigam os ganhos dos empregados com a Gestão por Competências.(AU)

Regulatory foci and organisational commitment

We use regulatory focus theory to derive specific predictions regarding the differential relationships between regulatory focus and commitment. We estimated a structural equation model using a sample of 520 private and public sector employees and found in line with our hypotheses that (a) promotion focus related more strongly to affective commitment than prevention focus, (b) prevention focus related more strongly to continuance commitment than promotion focus, (c) promotion and prevention focus had equally strong effects on normative commitment. Implications of these findings for the three-component model of commitment, especially the ‘dual nature’ of normative commitment, as well as implications for human resources management and leadership are discussed.

The post-adoption phase of the broadband in small businesses

In spite of the increasing significance of broadband, many small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are unaware of or unappreciative of its benefits. This is potentially a problem for governments, Internet Service Providers and other supply side institutions. The current study empirically verifies applicability of an extended IS continuance model controlling for organizational variables based on the Technology-Organization-Environment framework to examine factors influencing broadband post-adoption behavior of SMEs in Singapore. Strong support for the model has been manifested by the results, providing insight into influential factors. Results of the study suggest that perceived usefulness is a strong predictor of users’ continuance intention, followed by satisfaction with broadband usage as a significant but weaker predictor. SMEs in a more competitive business environment and whose key executive possesses greater IT knowledge are more likely to use broadband.

Expatriate managers adjustment and its impact on subordinates reactions: a cross cultural leadership study of Kenya and Ethiopia

Research on culture, leadership and adjustment shows that societal culture influences leadership in such a way that it can impact on expatriate managers' effectiveness and adjustment in a new culture. In previous research, cultural background, personality, motives or behaviour of expatriate managers and their followers' reactions to them have been investigated in Europe, America and Asia. However, little attention has been paid on research on expatriate managers in African cultures especially in Eastern Africa. The present study represents an attempt to address the gap by examining how societal culture, leadership and adjustment success are interrelated for expatriate managers in Kenya and Ethiopia. Questionnaire data were obtained from a) local middle managers (N=160) for studying societal culture and leadership in Kenya and Ethiopia, b) expatriate managers in non-governmental organizations - NGOs (N=28) for studying expatriate managers' personality, motives and adjustment success and c) their immediate subordinates (N=125) for studying the expatriate managers' behaviours and their subordinates' reactions to them. Additionally, expatriate managers were interviewed and responses were coded for implicit motives, experiences and adjustment. SPSS was used to analyse data from questionnaires to obtain cultural and leadership dimensions, leader behaviour and subordinate reactions. The NVIVO computer based disclosure analysis package was used to analyse interview data. Findings indicate that societal culture influences leadership behaviours and leadership perceptions while the expatriate managers' motives, behaviours, personality and the cross cultural training they received prior to their assignment impact on the expatriates' adjustment success and on subordinates' reactions to them. The cultural fit between expatriate managers' home country (19 countries) and the target country (Kenya or Ethiopia) had no significant association with adjustment success but was positively related to expatriate behaviour and negatively associated with subordinates reactions. However, some particular societal practices - obviously adopted by expatriates and transferred to their target country - did predict subordinates' commitment, motivation and job satisfaction. Furthermore, expatriates' responsibility motivation was positively related to their adjustment success. Regarding leadership behaviours and effectiveness, expatriate' supportive behaviours predicted subordinates' job satisfaction most strongly. Expatriate managers expressing their management philosophies and experience shed light on the various aspects of adjustment and management of NGOs. In addition, review of Kenyan and Ethiopian cultures and the NGO context in these countries offers valuable information for expatriate managers. This study's general imphcation for Cross Cultural Management and lnternational Human Resources Management is that the combination of culture general and culture specific knowledge and reflections on Eastern Africa countries can inform senior management and international HR staff about the critical issue of what to include in training, coaching, and actual experience in a particular host country in order to ensure effective leadership. Furthennore, this knowledge is expected to influence expatriate managers' behaviour modification to enhance positive subordinate reactions. Questions about how to prepare expatriate managers and subordinates to work more competently and sensitively across cultures are addressed. Further theoretical implications, limitations of the study and directions for future research are also addressed.

Purchasing green transport and logistics services:implications from the environmental sustainability attitude of 3PLs

Environmental sustainability is an area of increasing importance for third party logistics (3PL) companies. As the design and implementation of services requires interaction between buyer and 3PL, the 3PLs are in a critical position to support the efforts towards greening operations of different supply chain participants. However the literature in this field reflects a gap between the perspectives of buyers and 3PLs. This chapter attempts to fill this void through an explorative case study analysis on the environmental attitude of 3PLs in order to derive implications for buyers’ behavior. The results indicate that the buyer’s role is critical in different ways in the development of green initiatives among 3PLs. An increased orientation towards longer-term contracts and joint development would likely enhance the level of green initiatives. Indirectly, the buyer has the opportunity to influence its 3PLs through interaction with employees on different levels in the company, including top management.

Study of the Application of Neural Networks in Internet Traffic Engineering

In this study, we showed various approachs implemented in Artificial Neural Networks for network resources management and Internet congestion control. Through a training process, Neural Networks can determine nonlinear relationships in a data set by associating the corresponding outputs to input patterns. Therefore, the application of these networks to Traffic Engineering can help achieve its general objective: “intelligent” agents or systems capable of adapting dataflow according to available resources. In this article, we analyze the opportunity and feasibility to apply Artificial Neural Networks to a number of tasks related to Traffic Engineering. In previous sections, we present the basics of each one of these disciplines, which are associated to Artificial Intelligence and Computer Networks respectively.

A new dynamic framework for managing ERP development and enterprise strategy

The enterprise management (EM) approach provides a holistic view of organizations and their related information systems. In order to align information technology (IT) innovation with global markets and volatile virtualization, traditional firms are seeking to reconstruct their enterprise structures alongside repositioning strategy and establish new information system (IS) architectures to transform from single autonomous entities into more open enterprises supported by new Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. This chapter shows how ERP engage-abilities cater to three distinctive EM patterns and resultant strategies. The purpose is to examine the presumptions and importance of combing ERP and inter-firm relations relying on the virtual value chain concept. From a review of the literature on ERP development and enterprise strategy, exploratory inductive research studies in Zoomlion and Lanye have been conducted. In addition, the authors propose a dynamic conceptual framework to demonstrate the adoption and governance of ERP in the three enterprise management forms and points to a new architectural type (ERPIII) for operating in the virtual enterprise paradigm.

A framework for enabling dynamic e-business strategies via new enterprise paradigms and ERP solutions

In the global Internet economy, e-business as a driving force to redefine business models and operational processes is posing new challenges for traditional organizational structures and information system (IS) architectures. These are showing promises of a renewed period of innovative thinking in e-business strategies with new enterprise paradigms and different Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems. In this chapter, the authors consider and investigate how dynamic e-business strategies, as the next evolutionary generation of e-business, can be realized through newly diverse enterprise structures supported by ERP, ERPII and so-called "ERPIII" solutions relying on the virtual value chain concept. Exploratory inductive multi-case studies in manufacturing and printing industries have been conducted. Additionally, it proposes a conceptual framework to discuss the adoption and governance of ERP systems within the context of three enterprise forms for enabling dynamic and collaborative e-business strategies, and particularly demonstrate how an enterprise can dynamically migrate from its current position to the patterns it desires to occupy in the future - a migration that must and will include dynamic e-business as a core competency, but that also relies heavily on ERP-based backbone and other robust technological platform and applications.

An investigation into the adoption and implementation of electronic commerce in Saudi Arabian small and medium enterprises

Saudi Arabian Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) will face fierce competition from new entrants to local markets as a result of their accession to the Word Trade Organisation (WTO), and electronic commerce (e-commerce) technologies can reinforce SME's competitive edge. This study investigates the state of e-commerce adoption and analyses the factors that determine the extent to which SMEs in Saudi Arabia are inclined towards deploying e-commerce technologies. This could assist future firms in designing effective implementation projects. Seven SMEs' e-commerce adoption levels are studied as a case. The Technology-Organization-Environment (TOE) framework was used as the major source of inspiration in our analysis of e-commerce adoption amongst Saudi SMEs. In addition to advancing research on e-commerce in Saudi Arabia, this chapter also highlights several directions for future inquiry and implications for managers and policymakers.

Impact of Substance Abuse: Human Resource Strategies for the Hospitality Industry

No hospitality organizations are immune from the negative effects of substance abuse in the workplace. Ownters and managers must confront the problem head on and, in order to accomplish this, they must be in possession of the facts regarding the problem, and regarding options for dealing with the problem in the most appropriate manner for their individual organizations. The authors include an assessment of this problem as well as a summary review of procedures for positive management of a potentially negative situation.