Social Media Strategies in the Retail Sector: Analysis and Recommendations for Three Multi-National Retailers

During the last twenty years (1995-2015), the world of commerce has expanded beyond the traditional brick-and-mortar high street to a global shop front accessible to billions of users via the Worldwide Web (WWW). Consumers are now using the web to immerse themselves in virtual shop fronts, using Social Media (SM) to communicate and share product ideas with friends and family. Retail organisations recognise the need to develop and adapt their strategies to respond to the increasing use of SM. New goals must be set in order to identify how companies will integrate social media into current practices. This research aims to suggest an advisable and comprehensive SM strategy for companies operating in the global retail sector, based on an exploratory analysis of three multi-national retail organisations' existing SM strategies. This will be assessed in conjunction with a broader investigation into social media in the retail industry. From this, a strategy will be devised to improve internal and external communication as well as knowledge management through the use of social media. Findings suggest that the use of SM within the retail industry has dramatically improved collaboration and communication processes for organisations as they are now able to converse better with stakeholders and the tools are relatively simple to integrate and implement as they benefit one another.

Estudo sobre a Transferência da Formação na EFAPEL, S.A.

O presente trabalho de investigação pretendeu estudar e avaliar a transferência da formação para o local de trabalho e os seus impactos ao nível das alterações no desempenho dos colaboradores da EFAPEL, S.A. De forma a tornar possível esse objetivo, o estudo procurou apoiar-se nos pressupostos teóricos que sustêm um projeto desta natureza. Abordando a transferência da formação no contexto organizacional, procurou-se determinar quais os fatores que afetam a mesma para o local de trabalho e para a função desempenhada. Neste sentido, e considerando as três dimensões que influenciam a transferência da formação, o presente estudo pretende, de alguma forma, ser um contributo para um melhor conhecimento da transferência da formação através, da análise empírica de como determinadas variáveis relacionadas com as características individuais, as características da conceção da formação e com as características organizacionais, influenciam a transferência da formação. Os resultados obtidos indicam-nos que os fatores identificados como os que mais influenciam a transferência da formação são, sem dúvida, os fatores organizacionais, o que indica que a cultura e as práticas da organização são decisivas na transferência e eficácia da formação. Deseja-se que os resultados obtidos na investigação contribuam para a melhoria e ajustamentos no processo de gestão e implementação da formação na EFAPEL, S.A., com ganhos de eficiência e eficácia. / This research work was to study and evaluate the transfer of training to the workplace and their impacts in terms of changes in the performance of employees EFAPEL, SA. In order to make this goal possible, the study sought to build on the theoretical assumptions that sustain a project of this nature. Addressing the transfer of training in the organizational context, we sought to determine which factors affect the same for the workplace and for the function performed. In this sense, and considering the three dimensions that influence the transfer of training, the present study intends to somehow be a contribution to a better knowledge transfer through training, the empirical analysis of how certain variables related to individual characteristics, the characteristics of the design of training and organizational characteristics influence the transfer of training. The results show us that the factors identified as those that most influence the transfer of training are undoubtedly organizational factors, indicating that the culture and practices of the organization are crucial in the transfer and training effectiveness. It is hoped that the results obtained in the research will contribute to the improvement and adjustments in management process and implementation of training in EFAPEL, SA, with gains in efficiency and effectiveness.

Exploring Perceptual Matters: A Textile-Based Approach

This research takes a practice-based approach to exploring perceptual matters that often go unnoticed in the context of everyday lived experience. My approach focuses on the experiential possibilities of knowledge emerging through artistic enquiry, and uses a variety of modes (like textiles, sound, physical computing, programming, video and text) to be conducted and communicated. It examines scholarship in line with the ecological theory of perception, and is particularly informed by neurobiological research on sensory integration as well as by cultural theories that examine the role of sensory appreciation in perception. Different processes contributing to our perceptual experience are examined through the development of a touch-sensitive, sound-generating rug and its application in an experimental context. Participants’ interaction with the rug and its sonic output allows an insight into how they make sense of multisensory information via observation of how they physically respond to it. In creating possibilities for observing the two ends of the perceptual process (sensory input and behavioural output), the rug provides a platform for the study of what is intangible to the observer (perceptual activity) through what can actually be observed (physical activity). My analysis focuses on video recordings of the experimental process and data reports obtained from the software used for the sound generating performance of the rug. Its findings suggest that attentional focus, active exploration, and past experience actively affect the ability to integrate multisensory information and are crucial parameters for the formation of a meaningful percept upon which to act. Although relational to the set experimental conditions and the specificities of the experimental group, these findings are in resonance with current cross-disciplinary discourse on perception, and indicate that art research can be incorporated into the wider arena of neurophysiological and behavioural research to expand its span of resources and methods.

Organisaation sisäisessä sosiaalisessa mediassa tapahtuvaan tiedon jakamiseen vaikuttavat tekijät

Aineettoman pääoman, erityisesti tiedon, merkitykseen kiinnitetään organisaatioissa entistä enemmän huomiota. Tiedon jakamisen hyödyt ymmärretään ja siinä hyödynnetään yhä enemmän teknologiaa. Tämän tutkielman tavoitteena on selvittää, mitkä tekijät vaikuttavat asiantuntijoiden tiedon jakamiseen organisaation sisäisessä sosiaalisessa mediassa. Tutkimus on kvalitatiivinen tapaustutkimus, ja sen tavoitteisiin pyritään vastaamaan puolistrukturoitujen haastattelujen (12 kpl) avulla. Tutkimuksen kohdeorganisaatio on innovaatiorahoituskeskus Tekes. Tiedon jakamista sisäisessä sosiaalisessa mediassa tutkittiin yksilön näkökulmasta motivaatioon, kykyyn ja mahdollisuuteen perustuvaa MOA-mallia hyödyntäen. Tutkimuksessa löydettiin sekä motivaatioon, kykyyn että mahdollisuuteen liittyviä tekijöitä, jotka vaikuttavat sisäisessä sosiaalisessa mediassa tapahtuvaan tiedon jakamiseen. Motivaatioon liittyvistä tekijöistä nousivat esiin erityisesti jaetun tiedon hyöty asiantuntijan työssä sekä aktiivisten sosiaalisen median käyttäjien määrä, mahdollisuuteen liittyvistä tekijöistä käytettävissä oleva aika sekä tiedon ja tiedon jakamisen kanavien suuri määrä.

Acompanhamento de uma empreitada de demolição de um edifício devoluto

Relatório de Estágio para obtenção do grau de Mestre em Engenharia Civil na Área de Especialização de Edificações

Serviço de revisão bibliográfica colaborativa

The investigation communities spread all over the planet create considerable amounts of knowledge while developing their activities. The most known way of communicating this knowledge is through papers publishing, books and reports, among others. These documents are stored in libraries and even more nowadays, in the Internet, allowing people to access up dated information more efficiently than ever. However, this great amount of available information can represent an obstacle to its transformation in knowledge. It is therefore relevant the implementation of mechanisms that enable this transformation. In this dissertation a proposal for creation of a new information service is presented. It concerns a service of collaborative bibliographic revision, which supports the investigators in this specific task as well as in registering its results, thus providing future revisions by third party. The developed model takes its grounds in a documental background accessible through a commercial libraries management system, under which a "web" of semantically enriched connections is established and that register preferential paths for exploring this background, according to multiple criteria as well as notes to documents and paths themselves. A prototype is presented it implements the fundamental ideas of the model, which at its basic level represents an access interface to a repository of documents in electronic form. Based on this level there are two others, focussed on the registration of information added by the users of the service. The results emerged from this prototype clearly show the viability of the model.

¿Puede la gestión del conocimiento influir en los resultados empresariales?

El objetivo de este artículo es analizar la influencia de la gestión del conocimiento en los resultados empresariales. En primer lugar, se ha realizado una revisión de la literatura, que ha permitido establecer las dimensiones más comunes de la gestión del conocimiento y de los resultados, para su posterior medición. Se han tomado como dimensiones de la gestión del conocimiento: la creación; el almacenamiento y la transferencia; y la aplicación y uso del conocimiento. La adquisición de información, la diseminación de ésta y la interpretación compartida se han utilizado como medidas para la creación de conocimiento. Asimismo, se han utilizado como medidas de la aplicación y uso del conocimiento, el empowerment, el trabajo en equipo y el compromiso con el conocimiento. Como dimensiones de los resultados se han utilizado resultados operativos, financieros y de innovación. La metodología utilizada se basa en el estudio del caso, a través de datos primarios y secundarios. Los resultados obtenidos muestran que la gestión del conocimiento influye en los resultados tanto operativos, como financieros y de innovación. De este modo, las empresas analizadas que tienen un mayor grado de gestión del conocimiento, a través del trabajo en equipo, incremento del empowerment, flexibilización en la toma de decisiones y una visión global de la empresa, entre otras prácticas, obtienen mayores resultados, tanto operativos, como financieros y de innovación.

Desenvolvimento de um modelo de mineração de dados educacionais para identificar a ocorrência de colaboração online

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Educação, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação, 2016.

Técnicas construtivas de túneis de travessia

Dissertação (mestrado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Tecnologia, Departamento de Engenharia Civil e Ambiental, 2016.

How do servant leaders ignite absorptive capacity?: the role of epistemic motivation and organizational support

This study examines the role of servant leadership in absorptive capacity. Data from manufacturing and service sector organizations found that: a) there was moderation of servant leadership influence on knowledge identification through POS by high need for cognition, b) there was moderation of servant leadership influence on knowledge application through POS by low time pressure, and c) POS mediated relationship between servant leadership and knowledge dissemination. The findings illustrate and support the importance of a comprehensive model integrating servant leadership, POS, and epistemic motivation in determining absorptive capacity.

Plano de Gestão do Risco dos Projetos da Marinha Portuguesa

A gestão de projetos tem vindo a ser considerada uma arma competitiva para as organizações, a qual possibilita níveis de eficiência, qualidade e respetivo valor acrescentado sobre o produto ou serviço disponibilizado. A aplicação de conhecimentos e práticas nesta área permite um rigoroso controlo das principais componentes de um projeto, mesmo que essas componentes sejam consideradas variáveis incertas, devido a serem caracterizadas pela sua imprevisibilidade de ocorrência e pela sua influência sobre os objetivos do projeto. Deste modo, a gestão do risco viabiliza um tratamento destas variáveis que condicionam o sucesso do projeto, classificadas como riscos, daí a importância desta gestão ser efetuada de uma forma adequada e o mais completa possível. A Marinha Portuguesa adaptou a doutrina de gestão de projetos às suas atividades, edificando a Capacidade de Gestão de Projetos. Esta capacidade permitiu compilar a informação e as técnicas reconhecidas pela doutrina que, se julgaram indispensáveis para o cumprimento das atividades. Todavia, a doutrina tem vindo a ser atualizada permitindo, cada vez mais, condições de sucesso garantido através da aplicação de conhecimentos e procedimentos válidos em todas as áreas de conhecimento da gestão de projetos. Neste sentido, a presente investigação tem como objetivo principal, o estudo de uma das áreas mais delicadas da gestão de projetos, a gestão do risco, possibilitando a atualização e otimização desta área do conhecimento, adaptada à Marinha Portuguesa, através da conceção de um modelo do Plano de Gestão do Risco. Este documento trata e revela o modo como será executada a gestão do risco por meio de estratégias e técnicas devidamente selecionadas, garantindo o sucesso dos projetos e respetivo valor acrescentado para a organização.

Diverticulosis y relación con el consumo de fibra en pacientes del Hospital Universitario de la Samaritana

Introducción: La diverticulosis es la condición más frecuentemente encontrada en la colonoscopia, condición asintomática, con un alto costo para el sistema de salud. Diversos factores han demostrado estar en relación con la aparición de la enfermedad. En nuestra población, esta información se desconoce; el objetivo del estudio es la caracterización de la población con diverticulosis y su relación con la frecuencia de la ingesta de fibra. Materiales y Métodos: Estudio observacional prospectivo de corte transversal con componente analítico. Realizado a todas las personas que asistieron al HUS a realización de colonoscopia entre Noviembre de 2015 y Abril de 2016. Se recolectaron datos de la frecuencia de fibra ingerida a través de entrevistas basadas. Resultados: Se estudiaron 278 personas, 55.7% mujeres. La prevalencia de diverticulosis fue de 21.58%, siendo más frecuente en mujeres ( 66,7%), 31% entre los 71-80 años, 2,16% tenían antecedente familiar de diverticulosis; principal sitio de afectación fue colon sigmoide en las mujeres y el colon descendente en los hombres. En las personas con diverticulosis el consumo de harina de trigo fue mayor (91,67% vs 86,7%), mientras el consumo de frutas fue mayor en las personas que no presentaron diverticulosis (83,49% vs 78,33%). Conclusiones: La prevalencia de diverticulosis es similar a lo reportado en la literatura. Así mismo se encontró un mayor consumo de fibra en la población sin divertículos lo que hace pensar que a pesar de que esta condición es multifactorial , el consumo de mayores cantidades de fibra puede prevenir la aparición de la misma

One archive, many readings. Personal archives as complex networks in the semantic web

Personal archives are the archives created by individuals for their own purposes. Among these are the library and documentary collections of writers and scholars. It is only recently that archival literature has begun to focus on this category of archives, emphasising how their heterogeneous nature necessitates the conciliation of different approaches to archival description, and calling for a broader understanding of the principle of provenance, recognising that multiple creators, including subsequent researchers, can contribute to shaping personal archives over time by adding new layers of contexts. Despite these advances in the theoretical debate, current architectures for archival representation remain behind. Finding aids privilege a single point of view and do not allow subsequent users to embed their own, potentially conflicting, readings. Using semantic web technologies this study aims to define a conceptual model for writers' archives based on existing and widely adopted models in the cultural heritage and humanities domains. The model developed can be used to represent different types of documents at various levels of analysis, as well as record content and components. It also enables the representation of complex relationships and the incorporation of additional layers of interpretation into the finding aid, transforming it from a static search tool into a dynamic research platform.  The personal archive and library of Giuseppe Raimondi serves as a case study for the creation of an archival knowledge base using the proposed conceptual model. By querying the knowledge graph through SPARQL, the effectiveness of the model is evaluated. The results demonstrate that the model addresses the primary representation challenges identified in archival literature, from both a technological and methodological standpoint. The ultimate goal is to bring the output par excellence of archival science, i.e. the finding aid, more in line with the latest developments in archival thinking.

Innovation through virtual communities of Practice: motivation and constraints in the knowledge-creation process

Communities of Practice are places which provide a sound basis for organizational learning, enabling knowledge creation and acquisition thus improving organizational performance, leveraging innovation and consequently increasing competitively. Virtual Communities of Practice (VCoP‟s) can perform a central role in promoting communication and collaboration between members who are dispersed in both time and space. The ongoing case study, described here, aims to identify both the motivations and the constraints that members of an organization experience when taking part in the knowledge creating processes of the VCoP‟s to which they belong. Based on a literature review, we have identified several factors that influence such processes; they will be used to analyse the results of interviews carried out with the leaders of VCoP‟s in four multinationals. As future work, a questionnaire will be developed and administered to the other members of these VCoP‟s

Innovation through virtual communities of practice: motivations and constraints in the knowledge-creation process

This paper appears in International Journal of Projectics. Vol 4(1), pp. 39-49