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

Impactos sociais da atividade turística: um estudo de caso em Tibau do Sul/RN

This study has been presented for the Master in business of the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, the objectives are evaluate the social impacts of the tourism in the community of Tibau do Sul in the state of Rio Grande do Norte. The research is a study of case and the analysis is qualitative and quantitative. The tourism is considerate for many people as an important source of richness, job and an important economic activity. However, for being an activity that involves as main element people, It can cause impacts, could these are beneficial or malign. To evaluate the community's perception about these impacts, it was applied a questionnaire returned to the perceptions of them about the next social indicators: health, job, security, education and life quality. Considering the advent of the tourist activity in a period fifteen year. Through the research could conclude that, of general form the population realizes the changes occurred in the municipal district of positive way. Except for some indicators that receive negative evaluation

Democratização do acesso ao ensino superior: os cursos de graduação à distância na UFRN

This thesis pursuits to contextualize the theoretical debate between the implementation of public education policy of the Federal Government focused in a distance learning and legal foundations for its enforcement, in order to raise questions and comments on the topic in question. Its importance is back to provide scientific input and can offer to the academy, particularly in the UFRN, and elements of society to question and rethink the complex relationship between the socio-economic and geographic access to higher education. It consists of a descriptive study on the institutionalization of distance education in UFRN as a mechanism for expanding access to higher education, for both, the research seeks to understand if the distance undergraduate courses offered by the UAB system and implemented at UFRN, promote expanding access to higher education, as it is during implementation that the rules, routines and social processes are converted from intentions to action. The discussion of this study lasted between two opposing views of Implementation models: Top-down and Bottom-up. It is worth noting that the documents PNE, PDE and programs and UAB MEETING reflect positively in improving the educational level of the population of the country It is a qualitative study, using the means Bibliographic, Document and Field Study, where they were performed 04 (four) in 2010 interviews with the management framework SEDIS / UAB in UFRN. The data were analyzed and addressed through techniques: Document Analysis and Content Analysis. The results show that the process of implementation of distance education at UFRN is in progress. According to our results, the research objective is achieved, but there was a need to rethink the conditions of the infrastructure of poles, the structure of the academic calendar, the management of the SEDIS UFRN, regarding the expansion of existing vacancies and the supply of new courses by the need for a redesign as the Secretariat's ability to hold the offerings of undergraduate courses offered by the Federal Government to be implemented in the institution. It was also found that levels of evasion still presents a challenge to the teaching model. Given the context, we concluded that the greatest contribution of UAB and consequently UFRN by distance learning for undergraduate courses (Bachelor in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Geography and Biological Sciences, beyond the bachelor's degrees in Business and Public Administration ) is related to increasing the number of vacancies and accessibility of a population that was previously deprived of access to university

Avaliação da eficiência dos programas de pós-graduação acadêmicos em administração, contabilidade e turismo

The Triennial Evaluation of Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) is made according to several indicators, divided into several issues and items, and their weights. In these it is evident the importance of scientific periodicals. This study aims to evaluate the relative efficiency of post-graduate students in Business Administration, Accounting and tourism evaluated by CAPES in Brazil. The methodology used the data envelopment analysis - DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis). The data were obtained from the site and organized by the CAPES Qualis score. The analysis was performed by the DEA variable returns to scale, product-oriented (BCC-O), with data from the three-year periods 2004-2006 and 2007-2009. Among the main results are the average increase significantly the relative efficiency of the programs in the period 2007-2009 compared to 2004-2006 period, the highest average efficiency of programs linked to public institutions in relation to private, doctoral programs with the present average efficiency sharply higher than those only with masters, and senior programs in general were more efficient. There is also moderate and significant correlation between the efficiency scores and concepts CAPES. The Malmquist index analysis showed that more than 85% of programs had increased productivity. It is noteworthy that the main effect that influences the increase of the Malmquist index is the displacement of the border (Frontier-shift)

Práticas interdisciplinares no ensino superior: a experiência do curso de graduação em administração da UNAMA - Pará

This work addresses the study of interdisciplinarity in higher administration education, a topic of great relevance in the present context, due to guidelines issued by Ministry of Education through the National Curriculum Guidelines -NCGs for undergraduate courses in Management. The attention on the subject emerges from the gained experience of a researcher and teacher working as manager of an undergraduate course in Business Administration who set up interdisciplinarity through interdisciplinary projects in a management course pedagogical project at a private university in State of Pará/Brazil. The work rebuilds and reports experiences, and studies the practice of lecturers involved in those interdisciplinary actions. The study aimed to identify changes in pedagogical practices of teachers involved in the searched interdisciplinary experience. To address the questions that directed the work and achieve proposed objectives, from a qualitative approach, a significant bibliographical and documentary work was conducted on the topic. In the survey carried out on secondary sources such as publications of major authors and scientific papers reporting interdisciplinary experiences in higher administration education, it was found that interdisciplinarity for its ambiguous character is still poorly understood by teachers, and reports on its application in administration teaching are incipient. This study also used data collected from primary sources, from dialogues through interviews with educational fellows - teachers and officers of the institution that served as locus of the research, who had the opportunity to experience the studied interdisciplinary experience. Data were processed and analyzed using content analysis technique. Research results showed that teachers of the institution of research have a good understanding of meaning of interdisciplinarity as a link between disciplines; it was also found substantial evidence of changes in teaching practices and actions of such teachers based on their participation in interdisciplinary projects. Although the experience studied can be considered innovative and challenging, much needs to be done in the course management for achievement of interdisciplinary actions in the course, particularly regarding to the removal of institutional, methodological, psychosocial, epistemological obstacles in operationalizing interdisciplinary practices, with emphasis on the need of a process of continuous and specific training aiming at developing skills for interdisciplinary acting, to the extent that these education professionals do not perceive themselves able to act as interdisciplinary lecturers

Ação social da Rede Caritas de Empreendimentos de Economia Solidária - EES: um estudo sobre valores e dinheiro

This study seeks to analyze the relationship between values and economic practices in social actions developed by the Caritas Network northeastern in projects linked to the Solidarity Economy over the last decade. This link between economic values and practices is discussed in relation to both Weber (Economy and Society) and Simmel (The Philosophy of Money) with a treatment of the affinities between both the economic sphere and religious ethics and the forms of sociability that bring individuals into contact with the circulation of money. The research scope was comprised of businesses monitored by Caritas in four northeastern states (Pernambuco, Paraíba, Alagoas and Rio Grande do Norte where we sought investigate the influence of ethical values, religious networks, and the economic practices of associations, groups and cooperatives. The field research took place over nine months with visits to local groups in their production areas, participation in trade fairs, training, exchanges, forums and regional meetings. Through this research we saw that money, the symbol and instrument of utilitarian reason, shapes individual behavior and socialization conditions since in business practices it is permeated by religious and ethical values when confronted by their experiences, values and neoliberal practices. The data and conclusions and relates to the overall research of the regional Caritas Network, the place it occupies in the Solidarity Economy and its influence on the sociability of business

Modelo de classificação para pequenas empresas supermercadistas quanto ao uso de técnicas de prevenção de perdas: um estudo de caso

The objective of this work is to draw attention to the importance of use of techniques of loss prevention in small retail organization, analyzing and creating a classification model related to the use of these in companies. This work identifies the fragilities and virtues of companies and classifies them relating the use of techniques of loss prevention. The used methodology is based in a revision of the available literature on measurements and techniques of loss prevention, analyzing the processes that techniques needed to be adopted to reduce losses, approaching the "pillars" of loss prevention, the cycle life of products in retail and cycles of continues improvement in business. Based on the objectives of this work and on the light of researched techniques, was defined the case study, developed from a questionnaire application and the researcher's observation on a net of 16 small supermarkets. From those studies a model of classification of companies was created. The practical implications of this work are useful to point mistakes in retail administration that can become losses, reducing the profitability of companies or even making them impracticable. The academic contribution of this study is a proposal of an unpublished model of classification for small supermarkets based on the use of techniques of loss prevention. As a result of the research, 14 companies were classified as Companies with Minimum Use of Loss Prevention Techniques - CMULPT, and 02 companies were classified as Companies with Deficient Use of Loss Prevention Techniques - CDULPT. The result of the research concludes that on average the group was classified as being Companies with Minimum Use of Techniques of Prevention of Losses EUMTPP, and that the companies should adopt a program of loss prevention focusing in the identification and quantification of losses and in a implantation of a culture of loss prevention

Estudo de antenas patches de microfita miniaturizadas em banda larga para aplicação em dispositivos móveis e portáteis

This work presents techniques used to design and manufacture microstrip patch antennas for applications in portable and mobile devices. To do so, are evaluated several factors that can influence the performance of microstrip patch antennas. Miniaturization techniques are studied and employed in order to apply this type of antenna in mobile and / or mobile. The theories of microstrip patch antennas are addressed by analyzing characteristics such as constitution, kinds of patches, substrates, feeding methods, analysis methods, the main advantages and disadvantages and others. Techniques for obtaining broadband microstrip patch antennas were surveyed in literature and exemplified mainly by means of simulations and measurements. For simulations of the antennas was used the commercial software . In addition, antenna miniaturization techniques have been studied as a main concern the fundamental limits of antennas with special attention to electrically small antennas because they are directly linked to the microstrip patch antennas. Five design antennas are proposed to demonstrate the effectiveness of techniques used to obtain the microstrip patch antennas broadband and miniaturized for use in mobile devices and/or portable. For this, the proposed antennas were simulated, built and measured. The antennas are proposed to be used in modern systems of wireless communications such as DTV, GPS, IEEE 802.16, IEEE 802.11, etc. The simulations of the antennas were made in business and computer programs. The measured results were obtained with a parser Vector of networks of the Rhode and Schwarz model ZVB 14

Trajetória de carreira do profissional de recursos humanos

The idea that the career consists in a linear path throughout the individual s professional life structured by the company where he or she works has been changing to a new reality in which the career is seen as a journey, open to possibilities and uncertainties. Several models have come up as an attempt to comprehend and analyze this journey. Among them, there is the model of career narrative, which assumes that, while narrating, individuals give meaning to their own path, and at the same time they consider personal factors and the environment that act on their professional biography. This paper aimed to explore and articulate issues related to the environment and career paths of the human resource professionals working in the Greater Natal. For this purpose, the model of career narrative was used. From the methodological viewpoint, the project was divided in two stages. The first was characterized by conducting a survey with the intention of mapping professionals socio-occupational characteristics, through the application of a semi-structured questionnaire. The data was analyzed by descriptive statistical techniques and cluster analysis. The descriptive statistical analyses included 117 participants. The results indicated that HR professionals of Greater Natal have different functions, develop activities focused on different subsystems, have an increasing career path, and focus their professional formation in Business Administration and Psychology. The second stage of the study was characterized by the use of 17 narrative interviews, whose participants, in the process of nonprobabilistic sampling, were identified based on their belonging to the three clusters: Group 1, HR and public administration; Group 2, HR experts; and Group 3, HR beginners. Analyzing the results of the qualitative phase, it was found that the identification with the activity practiced is a deciding factor for choosing and remaining in the HR field. The lack of professional recognition appears as the main difficulty faced by professionals, as well as the lack of employment opportunity in the Greater Natal. The results analysis leads to a series of discussions on the career path in HR and reflections for this professional category, its representative bodies and educational institutions

Aplicação de ontologias para métodos de negociação de um sistema multiagente para o reconhecimento de padrões

The use of intelligent agents in multi-classifier systems appeared in order to making the centralized decision process of a multi-classifier system into a distributed, flexible and incremental one. Based on this, the NeurAge (Neural Agents) system (Abreu et al 2004) was proposed. This system has a superior performance to some combination-centered methods (Abreu, Canuto, and Santana 2005). The negotiation is important to the multiagent system performance, but most of negotiations are defined informaly. A way to formalize the negotiation process is using an ontology. In the context of classification tasks, the ontology provides an approach to formalize the concepts and rules that manage the relations between these concepts. This work aims at using ontologies to make a formal description of the negotiation methods of a multi-agent system for classification tasks, more specifically the NeurAge system. Through ontologies, we intend to make the NeurAge system more formal and open, allowing that new agents can be part of such system during the negotiation. In this sense, the NeurAge System will be studied on the basis of its functioning and reaching, mainly, the negotiation methods used by the same ones. After that, some negotiation ontologies found in literature will be studied, and then those that were chosen for this work will be adapted to the negotiation methods used in the NeurAge.

BTS:uma ferramenta de suporte ao desenvolvimento sistemático de sistemas confiáveis baseados em componentes

The component-based development of systems revolutionized the software development process, facilitating the maintenance, providing more confiability and reuse. Nevertheless, even with all the advantages of the development of components, their composition is an important concern. The verification through informal tests is not enough to achieve a safe composition, because they are not based on formal semantic models with which we are able to describe precisally a system s behaviour. In this context, formal methods provide ways to accurately specify systems through mathematical notations providing, among other benefits, more safety. The formal method CSP enables the specification of concurrent systems and verification of properties intrinsic to them, as well as the refinement among different models. Some approaches apply constraints using CSP, to check the behavior of composition between components, assisting in the verification of those components in advance. Hence, aiming to assist this process, considering that the software market increasingly requires more automation, reducing work and providing agility in business, this work presents a tool that automatizes the verification of composition among components, in which all complexity of formal language is kept hidden from users. Thus, through a simple interface, the tool BST (BRIC-Tool-Suport) helps to create and compose components, predicting, in advance, undesirable behaviors in the system, such as deadlocks

Definição de requisitos de software baseada numa arquitetura de modelagem de negócios

Não é uma tarefa fácil definir requisitos para os sistemas de software que darão suporte a um negócio, dada a dinâmica de mudanças nos processos. O levantamento de requisitos tem sido feito de forma empírica, sem o apoio de métodos sistematizados que garantam o desenvolvimento baseado nos reais objetivos do negócio. A engenharia de software carece de métodos que tornem mais ordenadas e metódicas as etapas de modelagem de negócios e de levantamento de requisitos de um sistema. Neste artigo é apresentada uma metodologia de desenvolvimento de software resultante da incorporação de atividades propostas para modelagem de negócios e levantamento de requisitos, baseadas em uma arquitetura de modelagem de negócios. Essas atividades tornam o desenvolvimento de software mais sistemático e alinhado aos objetivos da organização, e podem ser incorporadas em qualquer metodologia de desenvolvimento baseada no UP (Unified Process - Processo Unificado).

Unidades estratégicas de negócios: uma ferramenta para gestão competitiva de empresas

Este artigo tem por objetivo discutir e apresentar algumas considerações acerca das vantagens e implicações da utilização do conceito de UEN - Unidade Estratégica de Negócios, na gestão de empresas, de modo geral. O artigo discute algumas relações que devem ser esclarecidas antes da plena adoção do conceito. Baseado na literatura e na experiência do autor em consultoria em empresas, o artigo propõe uma abordagem metodológica para permitir que gerentes possam definir, analisar e compreender os efeitos da utilização do conceito de UEN - Unidade Estratégica de Negócios, considerando as dimensões competitivas ou Fatores Críticos de Sucesso típicos e intrínsecos da natureza de cada negócio.

A video-based biometric authentication for e-learning web applications

In the last years there was an exponential growth in the offering of Web-enabled distance courses and in the number of enrolments in corporate and higher education using this modality. However, the lack of efficient mechanisms that assures user authentication in this sort of environment, in the system login as well as throughout his session, has been pointed out as a serious deficiency. Some studies have been led about possible biometric applications for web authentication. However, password based authentication still prevails. With the popularization of biometric enabled devices and resultant fall of prices for the collection of biometric traits, biometrics is reconsidered as a secure remote authentication form for web applications. In this work, the face recognition accuracy, captured on-line by a webcam in Internet environment, is investigated, simulating the natural interaction of a person in the context of a distance course environment. Partial results show that this technique can be successfully applied to confirm the presence of users throughout the course attendance in an educational distance course. An efficient client/server architecture is also proposed. © 2009 Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

PAR-COM: A new methodology for post-processing association rules

The post-processing of association rules is a difficult task, since a huge number of rules that are generated are of no interest to the user. To overcome this problem many approaches have been developed, such as objective measures and clustering. However, objective measures don't reduce nor organize the collection of rules, therefore making the understanding of the domain difficult. On the other hand, clustering doesn't reduce the exploration space nor direct the user to find interesting knowledge, therefore making the search for relevant knowledge not so easy. In this context this paper presents the PAR-COM methodology that, by combining clustering and objective measures, reduces the association rule exploration space directing the user to what is potentially interesting. An experimental study demonstrates the potential of PAR-COM to minimize the user's effort during the post-processing process. © 2012 Springer-Verlag.