Labor legislation and the size of informal sector in Brazil

This paper studies the increase in the rate of informal workers in the Brazilian economy that occurred between 1985 and 1999. We develop an overlapping generations model with incomplete markets in which agents are ex-post heterogeneous. We calibrate it to match some features of the Brazilian economy for 1985. We conduct a policy experiment which reproduces the 1988 constitution reforms that increased the retirement benefits and labor costs in the formal sector. We show that these reforms can explain the increase in informal labor. Then, we conduct a policy experiment and analyze its impact on the Brazilian economy.

Aspecto cultural do pragmatismo chinês no empreendimento

Existem evidências de que os elementos do pragmatismo chinês refletem diretamente no sucesso dos empreendimentos de Pequenas e Médias Empresas (PMEs) da China. O pragmatismo chinês envolve quatro principais elementos: Adaptabilidade, Senso de realidade, Meta e Inovação. O objetivo do artigo é discutir a influência dos elementos do pragmatismo chinês sobre o sucesso dos empreendimentos chineses no Brasil, analisando empiricamente seu conceito e aplicações, comparada aos elementos do pragmatismo ocidental. Para isso, utiliza-se o método exploratório. A partir de entrevistas realizadas com uma amostra de empreendedores chineses que possuem PMEs em São Paulo, Brasil, conclui-se que, independente do tamanho da loja, do tipo de negócio e da experiência no ramo, todos os empreendedores chineses de PMEs estabelecidos no Brasilutilizam características do pragmatismo chinês como algo essencial para conduzir e obter sucesso em seus negócios.

Fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in Brazil through private equity and venture capital public policies

It is well documented the positive impact of the Private Equity and Venture Capital (PE/VC) industry on the creation and development of highly successful innovative companies in a few countries, mainly in the United States. PE/VC firms provide not only capital to startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) that usually have financing gap, especially in emerging markets, but also strategic resources that enable these enterprises to commercialize innovation. As consequence, government incentive and nurture of local PE/VC industries would be expected in emerging economies due to innovation‟s importance to economic growth. This paper aims to identify if the Brazilian government has supported local PE/VC industry throughout the years in order to foster favorable conditions to creating and developing successful innovative businesses. It also analyzes Brazil‟s main public policies towards PE/VC and if they encompass all the three stages of its cycle – fundraising, investing and exiting. I conducted an empirical research which collected primary data from a sample of 127 PE/VC firms (90% of the population) operating in Brazil as of June, 2008. All firms answered a webbased questionnaire that collected quantitative data regarding their investment vehicles, portfolio companies, investments and exits. I compared the data obtained from the survey with the main local governmental PE/VC support programs. First, I confirmed the hypothesis that the Brazilian government has been using the PE/VC industry as a public policy towards entrepreneurship and innovation. Second, I identified that although PE/VC public policies in Brazil are mostly concentrated in fundraising phase, they have been able to positively impact the whole cycle. Third, it became clear that the Brazilian government became more concerned about Seed and Venture Capital (VC) Early stages due to their importance to the entire PE/VC value chain. As consequence, I conclude that those public policies have been very important to build a dynamic and strong local PE/VC industry, whose committed capital grew 50% per year between 2005 and 2008 to achieve US$27 billion, which invested US$ 11 billion, which employs 1,400 professionals (75% with postgraduate degrees) and maintains 482 portfolio companies, mostly SMEs. In addition, PE/VCbacked companies represented one third of the Initial Public Offerings (IPOs) that occurred in Brazil between 2004 and 2008 (approximately US$15 billion).

The role of venture capitalists in the identification and measurement of intangible assets

The increase in the importance of intangibles in business competitiveness has made investment selection more challenging to investors that, under high information asymmetry, tend to charge higher premiums to provide capital or simply deny it. Private Equity and Venture Capital (PE/VC) organizations developed contemporarily with the increase in the relevance of intangible assets in the economy. They form a specialized breed of financial intermediaries that are better prepared to deal with information asymmetry. This paper is the result of ten interviews with PE/VC organizations in Brazil. Its objective is to describe the selection process, criteria and indicators used by these organizations to identify and measure intangible assets, as well as the methods used to valuate prospective investments. Results show that PE/VC organizations rely on sophisticated methods to assess investment proposals, with specific criteria and indicators to assess the main classes of intangible assets. However, no value is given to these assets individually. The information gathered is used to understand the sources of cash flows and risks, which are then combined by discounted cash flow methods to estimate firm's value. Due to PE/VC organizations extensive experience with innovative Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), we believe that shedding light on how PE/VC organizations deal with intangible assets brings important insights to the intangible assets debate.

Main obstacles in the business environment affecting firm growth: a comparative analysis between Chinese and Brazilian SMEs

Usando dados do Banco Mundial, esta dissertação analisa as semelhanças e diferenças entre os obstáculos enfrentados pelas micro, pequenas e médias empresas (MSME) no Brasil e na China. Realizamos tanto uma análise comparativa entre os dos países como uma análise de clusters para confrontar os dados subjetivos e objetivos recolhidos, de modo a identificar o desempenho das empresas, levando em consideração as características dos países e o ambiente de negócios.

História em catálogos: um estudo da política editorial Zahar de 2001 a 2014

O presente trabalho versa sobre as políticas editoriais da Jorge Zahar Editor, em especial de 2001 a 2014, discutindo os desafios enfrentados por uma editora que construiu sua marca através do ideal de publicar livros que se mantivessem no mercado editorial ao longo do tempo. Foi apresentado um histórico da editora, desde sua fundação, como Zahar Editores, nos anos 1950, descrevendo as propostas editoriais situadas em conjunturas sociais e mercadológicas específicas. Detectaram-se alguns momentos críticos, em que tanto as políticas editoriais quanto a estrutura de gestão da empresa foram reavaliados, redimensionados e sofreram mudanças importantes. Analisaram-se diferentes catálogos da Zahar: o de 1985, período em que a editora passou a ser gerida por Jorge Zahar e filhos, e os de 2001 a 2014, observando o que neles permaneceu dos anos 1980 e também as transformações e permanências do fundo editorial entre os anos 2001 e 2014. As categorias “independência” e “livros clássicos” foram identificadas como elementos discursivos estratégicos na auto-concepção e identificação pública da editora, apontando sua percepção dos livros como bens culturais, bem como da função do editor como agente cultural. A performance da Zahar tem desafiado dois tipos de diagnósticos difundidos no senso comum e mesmo na literatura acadêmica. O primeiro é que as editoras precisam publicar livros que alcançam alta vendagem rapidamente, mesmo que eles tenham uma sobrevivência efêmera, como forma de garantir sua lucratividade e sobrevivência no mercado. O segundo é que as editoras, em geral, pequenas e médias, ainda autônomas, tendem a precisar vender seus direitos para empresas maiores e mais capitalizadas, pois não terão como enfrentar as políticas mercadológicas agressivas dessas organizações. As conclusões da pesquisa sugerem que a Zahar tem insistido na manutenção de sua auto-identificação como editora de clássicos, direcionando suas políticas editoriais para a publicação de livros que tenham longa duração, demonstrando que é possível seguir um caminho próprio, em termos de exercício da função própria do editor, marcada pela independência na escolha do que, como, quando e quanto publicar – e conservar seu espaço no mercado.

Papel da informatização na pequena e média empresa brasileira: investimentos em TI, percepção da gestão e impacto nos resultados

No ambiente de competição globalizada que vemos nos dias atuais, há um crescente reconhecimento do papel central da Tecnologia de Informação (TI) para determinar o sucesso da empresa, levando-a a resultados melhores. As pequenas e médias empresas também adotam a TI com o mesmo objetivo de obter benefícios desse uso, porém sua realidade é, na maioria dos casos, bastante diferente da das grandes empresas, especialmente por não possuírem os mesmos recursos e competências na área de TI. Além da competição algumas vezes outros fatores, tais como exigências legais, no caso brasileiro, obrigam as empresas a buscar maior informatização. Como as empresas se encontram em momentos diferentes no que diz respeito ao estágio de informatização, sobretudo ao papel que a área de TI desempenha para cada uma, esta tese tem por objetivo verificar se existe associação entre os gastos e investimentos em TI e o desempenho da pequena e média empresa brasileira. O trabalho busca captar as diferenças no resultado da empresa advindas do uso de TI. Para tanto, observa dados financeiros levando em consideração também a percepção dos executivos sobre os estágios de informatização e o papel que a TI desempenha na empresa. A metodologia adotada envolveu a aplicação de questionários para obtenção de dados quantitativos sobre o perfil do uso de TI e informações financeiras; bem como dados qualitativos sobre a percepção do papel que TI desempenha nas empresas. Posteriormente foi aplicada a técnica de análise de cluster, que apresentou quatro agrupamentos com comportamentos distintos em relação às variáveis, denominados “Digitais”; “Prudentes”; “Conservadores” e “Analógicos”. Os resultados encontrados apontam evidências da relação existente entre os gastos e investimentos em TI e o aumento da lucratividade da empresa, especialmente diante da presença de percepções específicas dos gestores acerca do papel que TI desempenha na empresa. Empresas que apresentam um nível de gastos e investimentos em TI mais elevado, associados com uma forte percepção dos gestores de que a TI pode contribuir positivamente com os objetivos da empresa, resultam em um nível de lucratividade superior; enquanto empresas cujos gestores percebem, de maneira intensa, que a TI não pode contribuir positivamente com os objetivos da empresa, mesmo que façam níveis considerados acima da média de gastos e investimentos em TI, apresentam um nível de lucratividade inferior. Foram estudadas 355 pequenas e médias empresas brasileiras, e a principal conclusão foi que quanto maior a percepção dos gestores do impacto positivo da TI nos processos de negócio da empresa como um todo, tanto maior é o impacto dos gastos e investimentos em TI na lucratividade da empresa.

Fatores de sucesso na implementação de sistemas integrados de gestão empresarial (ERP): estudo de caso em uma média empresa

RAMOS, A. S. M.; OLIVEIRA, M. A. Fatores de sucesso na implementação de sistemas integrados de gestão empresarial (ERP): estudo de caso em uma média empresa. In: ENCONTRO NACIONAL DE ENGENHARIA DE PRODUÇÂO, 22., 2002, Curitiba-PR. Anais... Porto Alegre-RS: ABEPRO, 2002. v. 1.

Palinotaxonomia de Besleria L. e Napeanthus Gardn. (Beslerieae/Napeantheae - Gesneriaceae) com ênfase nas espécies ocorrentes no Estado de São Paulo

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Inserção do Design em Micro e Pequenas Empresas: o caso de duas indústrias moveleiras no Estado do Rio Grande do Norte /

This work aims to promote design aspects into furniture Small and Medium Enterprises (SME s) at Rio Grande do Norte State. The final outcome will be an increasing on their competitiveness as well as consider design as key strategic aspect for their business. As a consequence, the results are based on two SME companies from the furniture sector located at Natal/RN. The study is based on a literature research followed by a management diagnosis for each company. The diagnosis was base don interviews with the entrepreneurs and their employees as well as meetings, participant observations and document analysis. Based on this analysis, specific aspects were implement in order to boost the production line as well as the product development process (PDP) and the development of a prototype. The results have indicated some limitation of these companies regarding their low technological on their production line, poor management and work skills as well as low perception of design as a competitive tool. Regardless these results, it was observed that design has brought an important contribution for cultural changes within companies as well as for the development of better quality and competitive products

Uma proposta para preparação de pequenas e médias empresas brasileiras prestadoras de serviços ao setor de telecomunicações para implantação da metodologia Seis Sigma

The objective of this work consists of considering a script so that operating companies in the telecommunications sector, mainly small and medium-sized enterprises, can reach excellency in its operations and get, thus, conditions to compete with companies consolidated in its niche of market. The proposal intends to lead the enterprises to a level of qualification of processes that to become them apt to adopt the Six Sigma method as part of its culture. From the analysis of the essential processes of the sector, methods and tools will be suggested for guarantee the continuous improvement of these processes, without forgetting the internal peculiarities of each company

Estratégia de produçãp agroindustrial :um estudo dos fatores que afetam a exportação do mel

This thesis approaches the situation of small and medium Brazilian companies facing the exportation process, focusing honey (Apis Mellifera). The world economy has had growing market internationalization, known as globalization. In this context, the exportation has to be faced as a way to minimize the inner market difficulties and increase the levels of quality and productivity to attend the external markets in a competitive way. A company exportation process is not linked to its dimensions, but connected to the commitment with quality, creativity and professionalism. The search for new productive frontiers has benefited Brazilian beekeeper, mainly the northeast ones. Besides, the claim for products that are free of chemical remains, with a bigger aggregate value has increased every day, and the Apismel Company is benefited for having potential to produce organic honey. This paper approaches a case study realized with Sixty-nine beekeeper from Serra do Mel, RN, that make the Apismel Company and it aims to investigate the competitive factors that affects honey exportation. In order to obtain subsidies to execute the objective of this work, it was chosen a questionnaire as instrument of research. The questionnaire was structured from variables that were considered as directions of competition in honey exportation. The results were tabled in Software (Statistics version 11.0). The descriptive, exploiter and Kolmogorov-Smirnov analyses were used to analyze the obtained results. At the end, this work recommends that the Apismel Company promote capacitating courses and technical consultations at the many villages that make the county, to ripen and add efficiency in handling implementation in order to equilibrate production factors and to attract inner and external markets

Effect of pelleting and pellet size of a concentrate for intensively reared beef cattle on in vitro fermentation by two different approaches

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)

Desenvolvimento de um modelo de gestão do conhecimento para a melhoria do processo de desenvolvimento de produtos

The knowledge management has received major attention from product designers because many of the activities within this process have to be creative and, therefore, they depend basically on the knowledge of the people who are involved in the process. Moreover, Product Development Process (PDP) is one of the activities in which knowledge management manifests in the most critical form once it had the intense application of the knowledge. As a consequence, this thesis analyzes the knowledge management aiming to improve the PDP and it also proposes a theoretical model of knowledge management. This model uses five steps (creation, maintenance, dissemination, utilization and discard) through the verification of the occurrence of four types of knowledge conversion (socialization, externalization, combination and internalization) that it will improve the knowledge management in this process. The intellectual capital in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) managed efficiently and with the participation of all employees has become the mechanism of the creation and transference processes of knowledge, supporting and, consequently, improving the PDP. The expected results are an effective and efficient application of the proposed model for the creation of the knowledge base within an organization (organizational memory) aiming a better performance of the PDP. In this way, it was carried out an extensive analysis of the knowledge management (instrument of qualitative and subjective evaluation) within the Design department of a Brazilian company (SEBRAE/RN). This analysis aimed to know the state-of-the-art of the Design department regarding the use of knowledge management. This step was important in order to evaluate in the level of the evolution of the department related to the practical use of knowledge management before implementing the proposed theoretical model and its methodology. At the end of this work, based on the results of the diagnosis, a knowledge management system is suggested to facilitate the knowledge sharing within the organization, in order words, the Design department

Qualidade em serviços de saúde: uma contribuição à definição de um modelo paramétrico e padrão de qualidade do tempo agendado para consulta ambulatorial

The knowledge management has received major attention from product designers because many of the activities within this process have to be creative and, therefore, they depend basically on the knowledge of the people who are involved in the process. Moreover, Product Development Process (PDP) is one of the activities in which knowledge management manifests in the most critical form once it had the intense application of the knowledge. As a consequence, this thesis analyzes the knowledge management aiming to improve the PDP and it also proposes a theoretical model of knowledge management. This model uses five steps (creation, maintenance, dissemination, utilization and discard) through the verification of the occurrence of four types of knowledge conversion (socialization, externalization, combination and internalization) that it will improve the knowledge management in this process. The intellectual capital in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) managed efficiently and with the participation of all employees has become the mechanism of the creation and transference processes of knowledge, supporting and, consequently, improving the PDP. The expected results are an effective and efficient application of the proposed model for the creation of the knowledge base within an organization (organizational memory) aiming a better performance of the PDP. In this way, it was carried out an extensive analysis of the knowledge management (instrument of qualitative and subjective evaluation) within the Design department of a Brazilian company (SEBRAE/RN). This analysis aimed to know the state-of-the-art of the Design department regarding the use of knowledge management. This step was important in order to evaluate in the level of the evolution of the department related to the practical use of knowledge management before implementing the proposed theoretical model and its methodology. At the end of this work, based on the results of the diagnosis, a knowledge management system is suggested to facilitate the knowledge sharing within the organization, in order words, the Design department