Why is the cladoceran Simocephalus vetulus (Müller) not a 'bang-bang strategist '? A critique of the optimal-body-size model

Lynch's (1980a) optimal-body-size model is designed to explain some major trends in cladoceran life histories; in particular the fact that large and littoral species seem to be bang-bang strategists (they grow first and the reproduce) whereas smaller planktonic species seem to be intermediate strategists (they grow and reproduce simultaneously). Predation is assumed to be an important selective pressure for these trends. Simocephalus vetulus (Müller) does not fit this pattern; being a littoral and relatively large species but an intermediate strategist. As shown by computer simulations, this species would reduce its per capita rate of increase by adopting the strategy predicted by the optimal-body-size model. Two aspects of the model are criticized: (1) the optimization criterion is shown to be incorrect and (2) the prediction of an intermediate strategy is not justified. Structural constraints are suggested to be responsible for the intermediate strategy of S.vetulus. Biotic interactions seem to have little effect on the observed life-history patterns of this species.

As relações públicas de celebridades: o contributo das relações públicas para a gestão da reputação das celebridades em Portugal

Relatório de estágio apresentado à Escola Superior de Comunicação Social como parte dos requisitos para obtenção de grau de mestre em Gestão Estratégica das Relações Públicas.

Balloniscus glaber (Crustacea, Isopoda, Balloniscidae), a habitat specialist species in a disturbed area of Brazil

ABSTRACT Balloniscus glaber Araujo & Zardo, 1995 (Balloniscidae), a Neotropical Oniscidea, has been recorded historically in environments with low or no human interference. In one of these areas, it was determined as aK-strategist. Recently, however, this species was documented in a disturbed forest within urban limits. The present work revealed that the population in the urban area has high density, high number of ovigerous females and mancae in the population, a long reproductive period, and early sexual maturity. These results suggest that modified environments may provide favorable conditions and that the species is not negatively affected by human influence.

Vital Statistics of Panstrongylus geniculatus (Latreille 1811) (Hemiptera: Reduviidae) under Experimental Conditions

A statistical evaluation of the population dynamics of Panstrongylus geniculatus is based on a cohort experiment conducted under controlled laboratory conditions. Animals were fed on hen every 15 days. Egg incubation took 21 days; mean duration of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th instar nymphs was 25, 30, 58, 62, and 67 days, respectively; mean nymphal development time was 39 weeks and adult longevity was 72 weeks. Females reproduced during 30 weeks, producing an average of 61.6 eggs for female on its lifetime; the average number of eggs/female/week was 2.1. Total number of eggs produced by the cohort was 1379. Average hatch for the cohort was 88.9%; it was not affected by age of the mother. Age specific survival and reproduction tables were constructed. The following population parameters were evaluated, generation time was 36.1 weeks; net reproduction rate was 89.4; intrinsic rate of natural increase was 0.125; instantaneous birth and death rates were 0.163 and 0.039 respectively; finite rate of increase was 1.13; total reproductive value was 1196 and stable age distribution was 31.2% eggs, 64.7% nymphs and 4.1% adults. Finally the population characteristics of P. geniculatus lead to the conclusion that this species is a K strategist.

Strategiatyö pienissä ja keskisuurissa kasvuyrityksissä Kouvolan seudulla

Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli kuvata ja ymmärtää, millaista strategiatyö on pienissä ja keskisuurissa kasvuyrityksissä ja miten sitä voitaisiin kehittää. Strategiatyötä ovat ne toimet, joita yritysten strategit tekevät strategiaprosessissa. Kirjallisuuskatsauksessa määriteltiin käsitteet ja teoreettinen viitekehys. Empiriassa kerättiin Kouvolan seudun kasvuyritysten strategeilta aineistoa lomakekyselyllä. Kahdeksan yrityksen strategeja, yrittäjäomistajia, haastattelemalla syvennettiin aineistoa. Aineiston laadullisella analyysillä tuotettiin vastaukset tutkimuskysymyksiin. Kahdessa kolmesta kohdeyrityksestä strategiatyö oli melko vakiintunutta. Strategiatyön avulla yrittäjät pyrkivät löytämään keinot hyödyntää markkinoilla havaitut mahdollisuudet ja muodostamaan tarvittavat resurssiyhdistelmät. Strategiatyö ei noudattanut selkeää, määritettyä prosessia. Strategian muotoutuminen, jalkauttaminen ja arviointi olivat strategiatyön osat, jotka olivat vuorovaikutuksessa strategin strategiajärkeilyn kautta. Strategiaa pidettiin yrityksen menestymisessä ja kasvussa tärkeänä tekijänä. Pk-kasvuyritykset ovat seudun tulevaisuuden kannalta niin tärkeä yritysryhmä, että niiden strategiatyötä olisi perusteltua kehittää yrityspalvelun toimesta ja panostuksilla.

Pk-yrityksen ylimmän johdon strategiaprosessi - kuka tekee, mitä tekee ja miten tehdään?

Tutkimuksen tavoitteena oli selvittää, miten pk-yrityksen strategiaprosessia käytännössä toteutetaan, keitä siihen osallistuu ja minkälaisia käytäntöjä siihen liittyy. Lisäksi pyrittiin lisäämään ymmärrystä hallituksen sekä hallituksen ja toimitusjohtajan vuorovaikutussuhteista tehtävien, roolien ja vallan jakautumisen näkökulmista strategiaprosessin eri vaiheissa ja päätöstilanteissa hyvän hallintotavan periaatteet huomioiden. Tutkimuksen mielenkiinnon kohteena oli myös jaetun johtajuuden rooli yrityksen ylimmän johdon strategiatyössä. Tutkimus on toteutettu kvalitatiivisella tapaustutkimusmenetelmällä. Tutkimuskohteena toimi pieni suomalainen it-alan yritys, josta haastateltiin sekä toimitusjohtajaa, että hallituksen jäseniä. Tutkimuksen havaintojen ja analyysien perusteella pk-yrityksen toimitusjohtajalla on ratkaiseva rooli yrityksen pääasiallisena strategina, pk-yrityksissä ei toteuteta strategian muodostamisen jälkeen erityisen määrämuotoista strategiaprosessia, vaan strategisia valintoja peilataan kilpailuympäristössä tapahtuviin muutoksiin ja ylimmän johdon tiedon sosiaaliseen rakentumiseen perustuvilla strategikäytännöillä voidaan savuttaa tehokkuutta strategiatyössä. Myös hallituksen palvelutehtävän painottaminen, johdon ja hallituksen vuorovaikutteinen keskustelukulttuuri ja jaetun johtajuuden periaatteet tuovat lisäarvoa pk-yrityksen strategiatyöhön.

L’émir Abdelkader et la franc-maçonnerie française : de l’engagement (1864) au renoncement (1877)

Figure majeure de l’histoire des relations coloniales franco-algériennes, l’émir Abdelkader est généralement présenté par ses compatriotes comme le modèle politique, militaire et religieux du résistant au colonialisme français du 19ième siècle. L’historiographie officielle algérienne en véhicule l’image du chef religieux qui a initié al-jihad de résistance conforme aux règles exotériques de la chari’ia. Il est décrit comme un guerrier loyal et magnanime, fin stratège, dont la défaite militaire a paradoxalement marqué la fondation de l’Algérie moderne en tant que Nation et État. La construction sociopolitique postcoloniale de ce mythe a permis de légitimer les différents régimes politiques, qui se sont succédé dans l’Algérie indépendante et qui ont toujours tenu, dans le cadre d’une lecture littérale de l’Islam. Ceci dans le but de taire la dimension spirituelle d’Abdelkader disciple, héritier et commentateur de l’œuvre du magister Magnus soufi, IbnʻArabî. Fascinés dès le début de l’occupation par cet adversaire hors du commun, les français, de plus en plus sécularisés, en ont érigé une image utilitaire, l’aliénant ainsi de ses compatriotes coreligionnaires et le découplant de sa foi islamique. Les mémoires concurrentes de l’ancienne puissance coloniale et de son ex-colonie, l’Algérie, ont généré plusieurs débats contemporains en ce qui a trait à l’écriture de l’histoire de la colonisation. Le personnage d’Abdelkader a été instrumentalisé par les uns et les autres. Deux évènements controversés de sa biographie sont devenus les objets d’une polémique souvent âpre et amère entre auteurs chercheurs algériens et français : l’adhésion de l’émir à la franc-maçonnerie française et sa séparation d’avec celle-ci. Nous allons présenter que la prémisse d’auteurs algériens, selon laquelle Abdelkader n’aurait pas pu adhérer au Grand Orient de France, pour cause d’incompatibilité doctrinale musulmane, est inconsistante. Nous essayerons de démontrer au contraire, que son initiation à la maçonnerie telle qu’elle s’était présentée à lui était en accord avec sa vision soufie et légaliste du dogme islamique. En nous basant sur le choix de la franc-maçonnerie française pour la laïcité au moment de la réception supposée de l’émir dans la fraternité, nous montrerons qu’il s’en éloigna pour des raisons de doctrine islamique. En effet, l’élimination de toute référence déiste des textes constitutifs du Grand Orient de France fut inacceptable pour le musulman qu’était Abdelkader, vaincu militairement mais raffermi spirituellement par sa proximité grandissante avec son maître spirituel IbnʻArabî. L’humanisme des francs-maçons français avait motivé une refondation basée sur les droits de l’homme issus de la révolution française. Tandis que celui de l’émir Abdelkader prenait sa source dans l’Unicité de l’Être, concept-cadre Akbarien de la compréhension de la relation de Dieu avec ses créatures. Nous allons montrer que les polémiques franco-algériennes sur les relations d’Abdelkader avec la franc-maçonnerie française, masquent un autre débat de fond qui dure depuis des siècles dans le monde musulman. Un débat opposant deux herméneutiques légalistes des textes islamiques, l’une exotérique s’incarnant dans l’œuvre du théologien musulman Ibn Taymiyya et l’autre ésotérique se trouvant au cœur des écrits du mystique IbnʻArabî.

BSkyB transformation from a new loss-making venture to a successful organisation: case study and interview with Jeremy Darroch, Chief Executive of British Sky Broadcasting Group Plc

Purpose – This paper aims to articulate strategic dilemmas faced by a Chief Executive of a highly successful company and how such dilemmas were resolved. Design/methodology/approach – The case is based on a semi-structured interview with Mr Jeremy Darroch – Chief Executive of BSkyB – and analysis of documentary evidence. Findings – It is often difficult to implement strategies that simultaneously yield high organic growth rate, innovation, and a healthy balance-sheet. The paper sheds light on how Sky has met this challenge. Research limitations/implications – The research offers a unique insight into the views of a principal strategist and articulates the background to offer context, however, because of its design the findings are not generalisable. Originality/value – Very few articles offer insight into the thinking of those with principal responsibility for design and delivery of strategy. This paper offers such an insight based on a detailed interview with a highly successful Chief Executive.

Paix et guerre selon Christine de Pizan

Analysis of the thinking on just war and conflict mediation of the only classical woman strategist, who lived around 1400, and wrote this with a view to the Hundred Years' War and civil wars and insurgencies taking place in her lifetime. Christine de Pizan's Feats of Arms and Chivalry would later become the first printed and widely distributed field manual, translated into English and printed by Caxton for Henry VII Tudor.

O estrategista brasileiro da micro, pequena e média empresa privada nacional

The leadership of American literature in the field of business strategy and its consequent influence on the scientific and entrepreneurial world in Brazil is a real fact. It's also true that the major theories in strategy, especially from the classic school, the oldest and most influent in this field, were originated from empirical studies in large ¿ if not giant ¿ companies, many of them currently present in Brazil. The micro, small and medium Brazilian companies, of well known social and economical importance to the country, and its strategists are certainly not inert to this knowledge, but it doesn¿t necessarily means it can be applied with success in such different context. Previous studies indicate that this strategist makes use of intuition and is not very friendly with bureaucratic controls, but, in reality, the profile of this Brazilian executive is still unknown. Naturally, we do not expect this profile to be static in time, but reactive to changes on business environment, especially with the current globalization process. This research, aiming at knowing the profile of the Brazilian strategist of micro, small and medium companies and through an intensive revision on strategy literature, has built a mathematical model by the use of factor analysis, that can be applied in future studies. A new typology to understand the strategic thinking of these leaders is proposed. The conclusion shows that, for the executives in this research, intuition is not predominant on their decisions. Although more rational than intuitive, they refuse the idea of being purely rational. Besides, in the strategy formation process, they tend to have a collective spirit rather than deciding alone and to believe in the importance of being formal, planning and registering their intentions.

Redes estratégicas no contexto luso-brasileiro: estudo de caso na indústria do petróleo

Desde seu surgimento, a área de estratégia apresenta como características centrais a criação, uso e difusão de modelos que ajudam a construir e manter a autoridade do estrategista da grande empresa e o forte embasamento nas teorias econômicas e no paradigma da entidade autônoma. No cenário teórico dessa disciplina, predominam os referenciais produzidos no ambiente anglo-americano, a prescrição de modelos estratégicos universais e a falta profundidade teórica e conceitual que ajude a melhor compreender o fenômeno das redes. Esse arcabouço teórico dominante na disciplina designa maior relevância e foco à tese da mercadização, que reproduz os princípios do neoliberalismo e marginaliza as demais teorias de mercado que também são de fundamental importância para a compreensão do desempenho das empresas e das redes. Exemplos de teorias marginalizadas são as que endereçam o reconhecimento das interfaces entre poder, política, mercado, Estado e sociedade. Especialmente em economias emergentes assim como em economias em transição, como é o caso do Brasil e de Portugal respectivamente, essas teorias marginalizadas revelam o reconhecimento de que estratégias de não-mercado são tão importantes quanto estratégias de mercado. Dada a atual relevância das operações envolvendo as organizações híbridas Petrobras e Galp, em especial na indústria petrolífera de Brasil e Portugal, por meio de um estudo de caso a presente dissertação busca identificar como e porque são formadas redes de organizações híbridas na indústria petrolífera luso-brasileira e como estratégias de mercado e de não-mercado interagem nessas redes.

Homogeneous middles vs. heterogeneous tails, and the end of the ‘Inverted-U’: the share of the rich is what it’s all about

This paper examines the current global scene of distributional disparities within-nations. There are six main conclusions. First, about 80 per cent of the world’s population now live in regions whose median country has a Gini not far from 40. Second, as outliers are now only located among middle-income and rich countries, the ‘upwards’ side of the ‘Inverted-U’ between inequality and income per capita has evaporated (and with it the statistical support there was for the hypothesis that posits that, for whatever reason, ‘things have to get worse before they can get better’). Third, among middle-income countries Latin America and mineral-rich Southern Africa are uniquely unequal, while Eastern Europe follows a distributional path similar to the Nordic countries. Fourth, among rich countries there is a large (and growing) distributional diversity. Fifth, within a global trend of rising inequality, there are two opposite forces at work. One is ‘centrifugal’, and leads to an increased diversity in the shares appropriated by the top 10 and bottom 40 per cent. The other is ‘centripetal’, and leads to a growing uniformity in the income-share appropriated by deciles 5 to 9. Therefore, half of the world’s population (the middle and upper-middle classes) have acquired strong ‘property rights’ over half of their respective national incomes; the other half, however, is increasingly up for grabs between the very rich and the poor. And sixth, Globalisation is thus creating a distributional scenario in which what really matters is the income-share of the rich — because the rest ‘follows’ (middle classes able to defend their shares, and workers with ever more precarious jobs in ever more ‘flexible’ labour markets). Therefore, anybody attempting to understand the within-nations disparity of inequality should always be reminded of this basic distributional fact following the example of Clinton’s campaign strategist: by sticking a note on their notice-boards saying “It’s the share of the rich, stupid”.

Discrimination of Shark species by simple PCR of 5S rDNA repeats

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Influência do nitrato e fosfato no crescimento de Schizomeris leibleinii Kützing (Chaetophorales, Chlorophyta)

Schizomeris leibleinii Kützing é uma alga filamentosa comumente encontrada em ambientes aquáticos continentais eutrofizados ou poluídos por nutrientes orgânicos e é um potencial organismo indicador de poluição orgânica. Estudos envolvendo o cultivo de S. leibleinii sob concentrações variáveis de nitrato e fosfato foram efetuados durante períodos de 50 dias. A biomassa foi expressa através da quantificação da concentração de clorofila a relativa a diferentes tempos de cultivo. Além da análise das curvas de crescimento, os dados obtidos foram submetidos à Anova (uma via) e teste de Tukey para comparação entre os tratamentos. Os resultados revelaram que S. leibleinii apresentou crescimento rápido sob baixas concentrações de nitrato e fosfato, mas o melhor desempenho ocorreu em concentrações altas de nitrato. Verificou-se nesta espécie que condições de estresse ambiental provocam, inicialmente, crescimento rápido, possivelmente acompanhado de intensa reprodução. Apesar do rápido desenvolvimento, a avaliação das curvas de crescimento de S. leibleinii sugere que esta espécie é um estrategista em k. Além disso, a alga mostrou-se mais dependente da concentração de nitrato do que de fosfato, indicando o nitrogênio como limitante do crescimento em meio de cultura.

Short-term successional dynamics of a macroalgal community in a stream from northwestern São Paulo State, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)