Relações internacionais: o comércio exterior do Brasil e Rio Grande do Norte no período de 1999 a 2008

The period post-war promoted several changes in relations economic, political and social world. Since then, a new division international of labor has delineated, with the great growth of Asian countries. In the field of international relations, the world still appears to transition is not completed because the old institutions were not replaced by new ones and the power of the United States as a major capitalist country remains unshaken, even with the emergence and strengthening of new economic global blocs. With globalization, Brazil emerges with more intensity in the face of new issues global, although its share in transactions trade global hasn‟t changed accordingly. In this sense, the objective of this dissertation is to examine, in a descriptive and critical the development of international relations and trade of Brazil and Rio Grande do Norte with the main blocs in the world from 1999 to 2008. As a secondary objective: to identify the assumptions theoretical that underpinned the decisions governments of the FHC and Lula, in particular, the interference of these terms in international relations and foreign trade. Adopted as the procedure methodological the literature review of the subject, as well as collection and processing of the data of foreign trade. During the Cardoso government has undergone the substantial growth in imports, as part of the economic policy of anti-inflationary, generating large deficits trade. From the first to the second term, with the inflection of exchange rate policy the country has resumed surpluses trade. The choice of government of the autonomy participation increased the relative share of the traditional blocks in total foreign trade and reduced the share of MERCOSUL. In the Lula government, there is the maintenance of some elements of the economic policy of the previous government and the partial shift in the conduct of foreign policy, with the option of autonomy through diversification, raising its stake on the blocks and other emerging countries in total foreign trade Brazilian and reducing the contribution of the traditional blocks such as NAFTA and the European Union. A trend observed in the previous government and deepened in the Lula government was the growth in commodity exports and the decline of manufactured products, confirming the model of conservative insertion of Brazilian exports. The Rio Grande do Norte followed the trend Brazilian in the growth of foreign trade, including in participating conservative, given that the products exported by the state are basically coming from horticulture irrigated and agribusiness. However, in the aspect of destination export, the state followed trajectory distinct from that in the Lula government, with the deepening of trade relations with traditional blocks, especially with the European Union and NAFTA

Crescimento econômico e restrição externa da economia brasileira: uma análise do padrão das exportações em relação ao BRIC e do Sistema de Inovação do Brasil (1980-2012)

This Master s Thesis aims to use the theoretical models of growth with restricted balance of payments, specifically Kaldor (1970) and Thirlwall (1979) models, to analyze the behavior and the pattern of specialization of Brazilian exports and imports in the last years. It is observed that, in some periods, the pattern of specialization has contributed in restricting long-term growth of the Brazilian economy. It has been hypothesized that overall this is due to lack of structural transformation policies. To achieve this goal, it analyzed the performance of Brazilian exports and imports disaggregating them according to their technological content. The basis for comparison was a group of countries to which Brazil is inserted in, the BRIC. In this regard, the work is a comparative analysis by using descriptive statistics. It is concluded that the low rate of GDP growth experienced by Brazil since the 1980s can be explained in part by the decoupling of the Brazilian National Innovation System (NIS) and the Brazilian productive structure. This would be reducing the income elasticity of exports and raising imports, causing a pattern of specialization intensive primary commodities and labor and low-skill labor

Diferenciais de rendimentos por gênero: uma análise dos efeitos composição e estrutura salarial no Brasil (1976, 1987, 1996 e 2009)

This study aims to analyze the income differentials by gender in Brazil, in the years 1976, 1987, 1996 and 2009. Specifically, there are two objectives. First, attempt to analyze the importance of the effects of composition and wage structure in the job market. In the second, to verify which socioeconomic variables explain the effects of composition and wage structure in the job market. The information in this study was obtained from the microdata of Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicílios (PNAD) regarding the respective years. In the first stage of the methodology we used: the index of income distribution Theil-T; the income gap decompositions proposed by Oaxaca (1973) and Blinder (1973); and Firpo et al. (2007). In the second stage we applied the RIF regression method (Recentered Influence Function) of Firpo et al. (2007). The results show that income inequality is higher among men than among women in the country. It was observed that the component of inequality between people of the same gender represented the largest share in the decomposition of income inequality between genders. It was found, in the decomposition of the average income, a downward trend of income gap, but the differential remains favorable to the men. We noticed that the impact of the composition effect in reducing the gap was offset by the positive effect of wage structure. Regarding the distribution quantis, income differential between genres appeared greater at the bottom, in the years 1976, 1987 and 2009; and at the top of the distribution, in 1996 featuring, respectively, the sticky floor and glass ceiling effects in Brazil. As for the decomposition of the RIF, it turns out that the composition effect assisted in the downfall of the income gap between 1976 and 2009, but was offset by the positive effect of the wage structure in quantis 10th, 50th, and 90th. The main socioeconomic variables influenced the drop in income gap were: the composition effect, the manual labor occupations, service sector and low-grade and high school, and the wage structure effect, schooling low and high experience professional and technical occupations and urban centers

Educação ambiental: mediações sociais e políticas e a indolência do Poder Público à sua inclusão no ensino formal

As a result of the prediction of irreversible changes on necessary conditions to maintain life, including human, on the planet, environmental education got the spotlight in the political scenario, due to social pressure for the development of individual and collective values, knowledge, skills, attitudes and competences towards environmental preservation. In Brazil, only in 1999 the right for environmental education was officially granted to people, having the status of essential and permanent component in the country s education. Since then, it has been Government s duty, in each federal branch, to plan actions to make it happen, in an articulate way in all levels and modalities of the education process, both formally and informally. This work of research has environmental education in the school as subject matter, and aims on analyzing social and political mediations established between this National Environmental Education policy and the contexts associated to the legislative production process, the political nature of the conceptions about environmental education that underlie Law 9.795/99 (Brazil, 2009c) and also Rio Grande do Norte Government s actions and omissions related to the imperative nature of the insertion of environmental education in the schools ran by the state, during the ten years this law has been in force. The investigation of the subject matter was led by a social and historical understanding of the social and environmental phenomena, as well as of the education system as a whole, considering that only through a dialectical view we can see the real world, by destroying the pseudo-concreteness that surrounds the topic. While analyzing, we assumed that in face of the dominance of a social organization in which market regulations rule on environmental ones, by developing individual and collective critical conscience, environmental education can become a threat to dominant economical interests in exploiting natural resources. The results of this research suggest that as an educational practice to be developed in an integrated, continuous and permanent fashion in all levels and modalities of formal education, environmental education has not yet come to pass in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, due to the neglect and disrespect of the government when facing the need of promoting the necessary and legally appointed measures to make it present in the basic education provided by the state. The legislators silence when it comes to approving a regulation on environmental education essential to define policies, rules and criteria to teaching the subject in the state and the omission from the public administration regarding critical actions in order to integrate in public schools the activities related to the National Environmental Education Policy, represent a political decision for not doing anything, despite the legal demand for an active position. This neglecting attitude for the actualizing of strategically concrete actions, urgent and properly planned for the implementation of environmental education in schools in a multidisciplinary way, exposes the lack of interest the predominant classes have in such kind of education being made available, as it could be developed based on a critic political view, becoming a political and educational action against dominance. When analyzing the basic principles and fundamental goals in Law 9.795/99 (Brazil, 2009c) the development of a critic environmental education is really possible and concurs with the National Environmental Education Policy, reflecting the social and political mediations established between this public policy and the contexts associated to its legislative production process, which are responsible for approving a regulation which also represents the mind of the people about environmental protection above anything else

Os conselhos como mecanismos de democratização da política educacional :participação e poder de decisão nas ações do Conselho de Controle Social do FUNDEF no município de Parnamirim/RN

This study board the FUNDEF social control council implementation in Parnamirim/RN city, concerning their representatives participation in the accompaniment (decision power) in resort, in front of governmental politics of decentralization, unleashed in 90´s, seen in decentralization process needs the society participation in decisions of educative institutions and represent an efficient way of solve the problems difficult the educational management actions. For this, the council creation of Brazil manager configure, since the 80´s, detaching, and the single characterizing, in actual context. The objective is raise pertinent questions of thematic of representatives members participation of collegiate organs, evidencing the decision power of these, in public resource control. The theory-methodological referential the literature treat the participation and power decision of FUNDEF social control decision, such as politics directrix that rules this council. It utilizes as proceeding of collecting data the semi-structured interview and analyze of meeting register to understand the empirics of council implantation in this city, in view of that the electoral process configured in 2003, showed as a innovation, because the counselor is indicated by the local public power representatives (in this case the education municipal secretary). The research result show the representatives have difficult, to accompany the FUNDEF resources amount, particularly in concern in the financial resources (ratio) over plus. Finally, emphasize the importance of democratization in the relations between the state and civil society, elucidating and exciting reflections a: democratic participation in control of public recourses for education, educational management and civil society mobilization in access of public and cultural cash which the citizen has rights

Análise quali-quantitativa da arborização na praça XV de novembro em Ribeirão Preto - SP, Brasil

A Praça XV de Novembro, implantada em meados do século XIX, tem grande valor histórico-cultural, além de se constituir em uma das principais áreas verdes do centro da cidade de Ribeirão Preto. Visando ao conhecimento detalhado da vegetação para fins de orientação do manejo e conservação dessa área, foi feito um levantamento quali-quantitativo e fitossociológico das árvores e palmeiras da praça. Foram medidas altura e Diâmetro à Altura do Peito (DAP) e identificados todos os indivíduos de porte arbóreo (árvores e palmeiras) presentes na Praça, em nível de espécie. A praça ocupa uma área de 15.456,00 m², onde foram amostradas 42 espécies distribuídas por 19 famílias, num total de 161 indivíduos. Apesar de o local apresentar arborização com alto índice de diversidade de espécies (Shannon-Weaver de 3,14), os exemplares necessitam de maior atenção quanto a problemas ligados à fitossanidade e podas adequadas, fazendo que resulte em espaço seguro para os frequentadores e em boa qualidade paisagística.

Avaliação de economias de escala e escopo no desempenho de equipes de serviços aplicando Análise de Envoltória de Dados DEA: um estudo em Empresa de Telecomunicações no Brasil

This Master s Thesis proposes the application of Data Envelopment Analysis DEA to evaluate economies of scale and economies of scope in the performance of service teams involved with installation of data communication circuits, based on the study of a major telecommunication company in Brazil. Data was collected from the company s Operational Performance Division. Initial analysis of a data set, including nineteen installation teams, was performed considering input oriented methods. Subsequently, the need for restrictions on weights is analyzed using the Assurance Region method, checking for the existence of zero-valued weights. The resulting returns to scale are then verified. Further analyses using the Assurance Region Constant (AR-I-C) and Variable (AR-I-V) models verify the existence of variable, rather than constant, returns to scale. Therefore, all of the final comparisons use scores obtained through the AR-I-V model. In sequence, we verify if the system has economies of scope by analyzing the behavior of the scores in terms of individual or multiple outputs. Finally, conventional results, used by the company in study to evaluate team performance, are compared to those generated using the DEA methodology. The results presented here show that DEA is a useful methodology for assessing team performance and that it may contribute to improvements on the quality of the goal setting procedure.

Análise de retorno de escala e tamanho do mercado no desempenho de equipes de vendas aplicando análise de envoltória de dados DEA: um estudo em empresa de Telecomunicações no Brasil

This Master s Thesis proposes the application of Data Envelopment Analysis DEA to evaluate the performance of sales teams, based on a study of their coverage areas. Data was collected from the company contracted to distribute the products in the state of Ceará. Analyses of thirteen sales coverage areas were performed considering first the output-oriented constant return to scale method (CCR-O), then this method with assurance region (AR-O-C) and finally the method of variable returns to scale with assurance region (AR-O-V). The method used in the first approach is shown to be inappropriate for this study, since it inconveniently generates zero-valued weights, allowing that an area under evaluation obtain the maximal score by not producing. Using weight restrictions, through the assurance region methods AR-O-C and AR-O-V, decreasing returns to scale are identified, meaning that the improvement in performance is not proportional to the size of the areas being analyzed. Observing data generated by the analysis, a study is carried out, aiming to design improvement goals for the inefficient areas. Complementing this study, GDP data for each area was compared with scores obtained using AR-O-V analysis. The results presented in this work show that DEA is a useful methodology for assessing sales team performance and that it may contribute to improvements on the quality of the management process.

Análise da atividade de trabalho profissional de gerentes de hotel à luz da abordagem da ergonomia

This Masters degree dissertation presents a research that aims at analyzing the activities regarding within a hotel managers work in Natal/RN - Brazil, This Masters degree dissertation presents the research that aims at analyzing the activities regarding the hotel managers work in Natal / RN - Brazil, performing diagnosis of their activities and relating the aspects that impact the quality and productivity of hotel services and managers occupational health. This research is characterized as a case study with a qualitative approach, taking the method of Ergonomic Work Analysis which is the analysis of the managers work activity as a reference to the focus; and combining the use of observational and interactional methods. Ergonomics and macroergonomics are used in this study not only to understand the physical, cognitive and organizational constraints of the manager s duties, but also to characterize the work organizational architecture and design of that hotel. High workload, accumulation of tasks and diversion of functions performed by managers were noticed, increasing thereby the physical and psychological suffering for them. It was found that the activity of managers is characterized by the ambivalence of power, limited autonomy, cooperation, interdependence between managers and the fear of incompetence. It was also noticed that managers devote more time to the day job (37%), another time to sleep (30%), while only 33% of the rest of the day are meant for activities like taking care of health, family, social life and study. Although there are few studies addressing the health and safety of hotel managers, this research revealed that 84% of the surveyed hotel managers complain of musculoskeletal pain which 50% are obese and are 100% sedentary. It was also observed that managers adopt unsuitable postures for carrying out the work activities that contribute to becoming injured or work-related musculoskeletal disorders in the near future. Ergonomic measures were recommended as an investment in the skills and the training of managers, encouraging cooperative work, appropriateness of workload, limiting overtime, preserving the enjoyment of breaks during work and weekly holidays, changing the layout of the work sector , usage of communication technology to prevent displacement, compensatory physical activities, furniture adaptation, among others

Aplicando análise de envoltória de dados -DEA à avaliação de desempenho acadêmico: um estudo em programas de pós-graduação em engenharia mecânica e produção no Brasil

This Master of Science Thesis deals with applying DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis) to the academic performance evaluation of graduate programs in Brazil, exploring it on a Mechanical and Production Engineering Program 2001-2003 data. The data used is that of the national assessment carried by CAPES, the governmental body in charge for graduate program assessment and certification. It is used the CCR output oriented DEA model, the CCR-Output with Assurance Region, and Window Analysis. The main findings are first that the CCR has the concerning problem of zero values of weights of outputs that is not appropriate in a sense that a graduate program has the higher efficiency score zeroing some output (e.g., number of academic papers published). Secondly, the Assurance Region method proved useful. Third, the Window Analysis also gave some light to the consistency of the performance in the time frame analysed. Also, the analysis results in the understanding that the Mechanics and Production Engineering should not be assessed jointly like currently applied by CAPES and rather should be assessed in its own field separately. Finally, the result of the DEA analysis showed some serious inconsistencies with the CAPES method. Graduate programs considered excellent has got low performance score and vice versa. This Thesis provides a strong argument in order to use DEA at least as a complimentary methodology for graduate program performance evaluation in Brazil

Terceirização em tecnologia da informação sob os aspectos de estratégia, tomada de decisão e análise de investimentos :estudo de múltiplos casos em três organizações franqueadas da Coca-Cola do Brasil

Desde a criação da tecnologia e do seu uso pelas empresas, a relação custo e benefício nem sempre foi bem elucidada tanto para os responsáveis pela área de tecnologia quanto para a alta direção. Mas, apesar disto, cada vez mais as organizações investem maciçamente em tecnologia, esperando que esta seja a solução para diversos problemas. Por isto, esta questão tem se tornado crucial para o processo de tomada de decisões, visto que investimentos nesta área costumam ser dispendiosos e, na atual conjuntura, estas análises precisam ser extremamente criteriosas para que se miniminizem as possibilidades de insucesso dos projetos, principalmente numa economia estabilizada e de concorrência acirrada. Uma das alternativas que as empresas têm buscado para atingir o sucesso e correr menos riscos é a terceirização da área de TI. Partindo desta visão, a presente dissertação tem por objetivo realizar uma investigação sobre a terceirização dos serviços de TI em todos os seus aspectos, isto é, desde a sua motivação, serviços efetivamente terceirizados, vantagens, desvantagens e possíveis obstáculos, a visão do alinhamento estratégico da TI, os processos de gestão de contratos e formas de controle e, por fim, tendências futuras. Trata-se de uma pesquisa de múltiplos casos, envolvendo franquias do Sistema Coca-Cola no Brasil. O estudo apresenta uma pesquisa bibliográfica sobre o processo de tomada de decisão empresarial, a análise de investimentos, a gestão e a terceirização da TI, o que permitem definir as dimensões de análise da pesquisa. Na pesquisa de campo foram entrevistados os gerentes da área de TI, nas cidades de Brasília-DF, Goiânia-GO e Ribeirão Preto-SP. A pesquisa de campo permitiu identificar como as mesmas avaliam seus investimentos em TI, como esta área é gerenciada, o que as levou a optar pela terceirização e como os processos terceirizados afetam a organização. Por se tratar de uma pesquisa qualitativa, optou-se por analisar comparativamente as três organizações. Com a realização deste estudo, obtiveram-se, como principais resultados, que as organizações estão utilizando a terceirização em TI para focar no negócio principal e, mesmo encontrando diversas desvantagens, inclusive com relação a custos, acreditam que os benefícios justificam. Ainda identificaram-se alguns obstáculos internos para a terceirização, principalmente quanto ao receio de se perder a inteligência do negócio. O acompanhamento dessas atividades terceirizadas é realizado pela equipe interna e por critérios estruturados, onde se verificam os níveis de serviço

Análise dos custos assistenciais de uma operadora de plano de saúde no Brasil

The relevance of rising healthcare costs is a main topic in complementary health companies in Brazil. In 2011, these expenses consumed more than 80% of the monthly health insurance in Brazil. Considering the administrative costs, it is observed that the companies operating in this market work, on average, at the threshold between profit and loss. This paper presents results after an investigation of the welfare costs of a health plan company in Brazil. It was based on the KDD process and explorative Data Mining. A diversity of results is presented, such as data summarization, providing compact descriptions of the data, revealing common features and intrinsic observations. Among the key findings was observed that a small portion of the population is responsible for the most demanding of resources devoted to health care

Gestão de resíduos sólidos: um estudo da conscientização ambiental em uma cidade do Brasil

The present study inserts on the international environmental thematic, approaching the integrated management of solid waste and the participation of the social actors in the search of the sustainable development. The awareness in combining it still describes a Selective Collection Program SCP of solid waste, in partnership with the municipal public power, in the development of joint actions that result in better alternatives of waste management in the urban centers, providing better life quality for the population and conservation of the environment. The aim of this research is to study problematic of the management of solid waste under the point of view of the environmental awareness and the participation of the population in a city of Brazil. In this matter, the target of the work is focusing on the strategy of solid waste management, through the attitudes and the respondents behaviors to aid in the making decision of the public manager related to the implantation of a selective collection program in Natal/RN. The methodology used in this work constitutes in the application of a questionnaire with scales of the type Likert being constituted of variables that compose the aspects of attitudes and of behaviors, besides a social-demographic scale. For analysis statistics is used the Pearson s Chi-Square Method in order to verify the dependence of the associations between the social-demographic variables and the attitude and the behavior ones. The results appear for a larger participation in a SCP, since this provides a better quality of life of the population (28,3 %), followed for offering a financial advantage (27,3%). Other results indicate the existence of the variables that exercise influence on the environmental awareness of the population to its demographic aspects

Análise do desempenho térmico de sistema constutivo de concreto com EPS como agregado graúdo

In the last decades there was a concentrate effort of researchers in the search for options to the problem of the continuity of city development and environmental preservation. The recycling and reuse of materials in industry have been considerate as the best option to sustainable development. One of the relevant aspects in this case refers to the rational use of electrical energy. At this point, the role of engineering is to conceive new processes and materials, with the objective of reducing energy consumption and maintaining, at the same time the benefits of the technology. In this context, the objective of the present research is to analyze quantitatively the thermal behavior of walls constructed with concrete blocks which composition aggregates the expanded polystyrene (EPS) reused in the shape of flakes and in the shape of a board, resulting in a “light concrete”. Experiments were conducted, systematically, with a wall (considerate as a standard) constructed with blocks of ordinary concrete; two walls constructed with blocks of light concrete, distinct by the proportion of EPS/sand; a wall of ceramic bricks (“eight holes” type) and a wall with ordinary blocks of cement, in a way to obtain a comparative analysis of the thermal behavior of the systems. Others tests conducted with the blocks were: stress analysis and thermal properties analysis (ρ, cp e k). Based on the results, it was possible to establish quantitative relationship between the concentration (density) of EPS in the constructive elements and the decreasing of the heat transfer rate, that also changes the others thermal properties of the material, as was proved. It was observed that the walls of light concrete presents better thermal behavior compared with the other two constructive systems world wide used. Based in the results of the investigation, there was shown the viability of the use of EPS as aggregate (raw material) in the composition of the concrete, with the objective of the fabrication of blocks to non-structural masonry that works as a thermal insulation in buildings. A direct consequence of this result is the possibility of reduction of the consume of the electrical energy used to climatization of buildings. Other aspect of the investigation that must be pointed was the reuse of the EPS as a raw material to civil construction, with a clear benefit to reducing of environmental problems

Desenvolvimento e análise de material compósito a base de penas de frango (fibras de queratina-KF) e matriz de poliéster insaturado

Use of natural fibres as a reinforcement material in the manufacture of composites show a series of advantages: availability, biodegradability, low weight and regeneration in relation to synthetic fibres, thus justifying its utilization. In the present research work, composites were developed with chicken feathers (KF), using unsaturated polyester resin as matrix, for diversified applications, mainly in the furniture/timber industry.At present, in Brazil the chicken feathers are used as part of the animal feed, even though this material possesses low aggregated value. The chicken feathers are hollow, light and resistant. After washing with water at room temperature, a part of the chicken feathers were treated with 2% NaOH. Composites were manufactured using treated and untreated chicken feathers with unsaturated orthothalic polyester resin and 1% peroxide as catalyser, obtained in the commerce. Samples with size 150x25x3 mm for mechanical tests were cut by laser in the composite plate. Mechanical analyses were carried out in the Laboratório de Metais e Ensaios Mecânicos UFRN. All the analyses were in accordance with ASTM standards. SEM analyses were also carried out on the samples.In the analyses of the results obtained, it was observed that the composites made with untreated chicken feathers showed better results (Traction 11.406 MPa and 9.107 MPa Bending 34.947 and 20.918 MPa for samples with and without treatment respectively) compared to the composite with treated feathers. Very low values of the water absorption results, evidenced the impermeability characteristic of the feathers. From the SEM images, the structure, fracture and the fibre/matrix adsorption can be evidenced. In the flammability test, it was observed that despite the feathers having sulfur as a constituent, natural inhibitor of flame, no burning support of the composites, because the manufacturing process of the composite