Repositório RCAAP

Consumers and retailers return product to manufacturers due to a variety of reasons: the product does not meet customer expectation, the product is defective or there is excess inventory, among others. Therefore manufacturers need to handle the returned product in an effective way to improve customer's relationship and decrease its associated costs.This paper describes the return processes of two Spanish companies, pertaining to the Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) group, focusing on the forward and reverse flows in the supply chain and highlighting the relevance of managing reverse supply chain issues efficiently. The methods used are interviews with the main managers at both companies. We have found that the main motivation of these companies to accept returns is to create a good company's image. Additionally, the same design of return processes and logistics networks has been identified in both companies, independently of the company's industry sector and the management qualification.

Este artigo verifica, por meio da análise de redes, a estrutura de relacionamento entre instituições de pesquisa no campo de administração pública e gestão social no Brasil. O relacionamento entre instituições de pesquisa foi obtido com base nas afiliações institucionais dos autores pela análise de 549 artigos publicados nos anais do Enanpad, entre 2000 e 2005. Com o uso dos softwares Ucinet 6.0 e Pajek 1.10, foi elaborada a rede de relações da área e foi possível verificar tanto as propriedades estruturais e posicionais da rede, quanto avaliar a influência da estrutura da rede na produção científica. Verificou-se que, apesar de a densidade da rede ser baixa, a distância entre as instituições é pequena, com grande componente principal. Pode-se afirmar que, na maioria dos casos, as instituições que apresentam maior número de laços estão mais globalmente centralizadas e também são importantes elos de coesão na rede. Observou-se que a maioria dos laços acontece entre instituições do próprio estado. Pode-se também afirmar que a estrutura da rede tem relação direta com os indicadores de produção científica.

Intermodal transportation is characterized by the transfer of goods from the origin point to a destination, involving two or more different modals of transportation. This paper aims to analyze modal road and rail transportation in the Campos Gerais region, as a form of concentrated cargos (storage and distribution) in this region. The empirical secondary data was obtained from federal agencies, such as the Ministry of Development and Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (IBGE). The modal choice emphasizes each specific characteristic and costs cutting. The Campos Gerais region presents significant exports, representing 41% of the state of Parana in 2004. The logistics junction of Campos Gerais region is focused on modal road-rail, centering on a large volume of cargo in this region.

Este artigo discute os conceitos concernentes à tecnologia social num mundo globalizado, em contraposição às propostas que defendem a adoção, pelas multinacionais, de estratégias organizacionais focadas na base da pirâmide social. Uma análise de aplicação desse novo conceito de tecnologia social é feita a partir de um estudo de caso. Como resultado, identificou-se o potencial inovador dessas tecnologias, em termos de eficácia, possibilidade de multiplicação e desenvolvimento em escala para a solução de problemas que afetam a maioria dos seres humanos, como os relacionados com a demanda por água, alimentos, educação, energia, saúde, entre outros, ao mesmo tempo que promovem a inclusão social e protegem o meio ambiente.

The study aims to identify the degree of alignment between the supply, manufacturing and distribution practices on the one hand and the generic business strategies suggested by Porter (1996): differentiation, low cost, focus on differentiation and focus on low cost on the other and to obtain some insights into how these relationships influence business performance. The gestalt and profile deviation (Venkatraman, 1989) approaches were used to identify the relationship between practices and the degrees of alignment in the respective strategy groups. When compared to other strategy groups, the group of companies predominantly devoted to the Focus on Low Cost strategy (49,25%) was found to have: greater consistency in the development of practices between supply, manufacturing and distribution, a high degree of alignment of most of these practices with that strategy, a greater tendency towards achieving better business performance.

Este artigo analisa, pela perspectiva da cultura, os significados que os estivadores atribuem às mudanças que se processam no porto de Santos, colocando em evidência o impacto produzido pela transformação portuária sobre os valores constituídos ao longo de sua experiência histórica. Os primeiros resultados mostram que a atual organização do trabalho, orientada pelas novas tecnologias e pelos novos atores no porto, se apresenta para os estivadores como um estranhamento, visto que seu significado ainda se inscreve na ordem cultural passada.

Supply chain management emphasizes the overall and long-term benefit of all parties on the chain through cooperation and information sharing. Recently, information sharing is attaining the concentration of the researchers. Majority of the previous work is on the individual effect of information and knowledge sharing on performance. This paper aims to focus on the combined consequence of information and knowledge sharing on supplier's operational performance through supplier-buyer relationship. A conceptual model was formulated based on previous literature. A questionnaire based survey was performed. Data from 30 Bangladeshi Readymade Garments Industry were collected through interview and mail survey. The content validity, construct validity, and reliability are tested. Path Analysis is performed for the identification of the validity of the model. The findings show that information sharing is a prerequisite for knowledge sharing and the close supplier-buyer relationship is a vital factor for escalating the supplier's operational performance.

Os princípios de universalidade, integralidade e eqüidade do SUS só podem ser viabilizados com a construção de um modelo de financiamento flexível e transparente que permita o controle social e ofereça a agilidade no uso dos recursos. Este artigo analisa as dificuldades e desafios do financiamento da saúde bucal na ótica de gestores e técnicos da área. A coleta de dados ocorreu por meio de entrevistas, queforam gravadas e transcritas para análise qualitativa, preconizada por Bardin. As dificuldades relatadas pelos entrevistados foram expressas em frases como: "Procuro cumprir a agenda, porém muita coisa não consegui devido à falta de recursos", "não se sabe o quanto pode gastar", "escassez de recursos para procedimentos de média e grande complexidades", "falta de recurso para troca de equipamento" e "prioridade para compra de materiais". No que tange aos desafios foi relatada a necessidade de "capacitação", "formação" e "organização" dos recursos humanos em saúde pública. Observa-se a dificuldade na realização completa do plano previsto de gestão, assim como a necessidade de compromisso por parte dos gestores em acompanhar as etapas de todo processo de repasse financeiro e aplicação do mesmo.

This paper analyzes resource allocation between principal-agent (and between agent-agent) in the upstream oil & gas industry. In the model, we incorporate the parties' preferences as we outline a principal-agent model. Further, we optimize the resource allocation between the parties as they are self-interested with the use of incentive-based contracts with risk and rewards. Our optimization determines that to realize the highest profit, the principal and the involved agents should avoid any agents' becoming dominant. Hence, the volume of sourced items from the agents should not vary too much. We further outline the on-boarding process of new agents in the network and how the network needs to compensate for the potential loss for some of the agents if the network should fulfill the incentive-compatibility condition.

Este artigo apresenta os resultados de uma pesquisa que avaliou um dos componentes do choque de gestão adotado pelo governo do estado de Minas Gerais: os termos de parceria estabelecidos com as Oscips. Definido como um conjunto integrado de políticas de gestão pública orientadas para o desenvolvimento, o choque de gestão orienta-se pela gestão por resultados e é baseado numa série de instrumentos de contratualização. A pesquisa de campo realizada no decorrer do ano 2007 verificou como os responsáveis pela contratação (governo) e pela provisão (Oscips) dos serviços estabelecidos nos principais termos de parceria com o governo do estado de Minas Gerais percebem e justificam o modelo de gestão por resultados. Para responder a essa pergunta, três Oscips mineiras foram escolhidas com base na sua diversidade conceitual e operacional. Os dados foram coletados via entrevistas semi-estruturadas com representantes das Oscips e do governo mineiro e foram tratados por meio de análise de conteúdo. Os resultados da pesquisa evidenciam que a orientação por resultados já se encontra incorporada nos discursos das Oscips, mas também destacam alguns paradoxos discursivos relativos à centralidade do novo papel do Estado vis-à-vis a crítica das suas estruturas burocráticas.

The purpose of this research study is to evaluate the influence of a company's cooperation resource availability on its innovativeness. 229 companies in the Manufacturing Industry segment were analyzed. Descriptive statistical analysis associated to regression analysis was used in order to achieve the research objective. Based on analysis of the data, it has become evident that the existence of organizational slack, as well as that of cooperation, positively influence a company's innovativeness, resulting in superior performance. Additionally, the quantitative research permitted the proposition of a predictive model which is applicable to the industry.

Apesar do amplo processo de desestatização ocorrido internacionalmente nas décadas de 1980 e 1990, as empresas estatais permanecem desempenhando significativo papel na implementação de políticas públicas e na oferta de bens e serviços à sociedade. Entretanto, sua natureza institucional e estrutura de controle tornam complexas as definições de seus objetivos operacionais, a avaliação de seu desempenho, e a própria gestão executiva das empresas, já que sua atuação está sujeita tanto às necessidades de seu controlador imediato, o governo; quanto aos interesses difusos de seu controlador indireto, a sociedade, além das expectativas de retorno financeiro dos sócios privados nas sociedades de economia mista. No momento que a Organização para a Cooperação e Desenvolvimento Econômico (OCDE) propõe diretrizes para a governança corporativa de empresas estatais, que estabelecem referências para o relacionamento entre Estado, conselheiros, gestores, investidores e outras partes interessadas, este artigo avalia essas diretrizes quanto à adequação das propostas ao contexto das estatais brasileiras e sua possibilidade de implementação.

This paper presents the results of our case-based research into the causes and remedies of fresh produce supply chain disruptions resulting from contamination. The research was motivated by the incident of E-coli outbreak in packaged spinach in the US. We base our analysis on information gathered from published literature and data collection in the region from personnel involved in Agriculture. Our research is aimed at addressing the following research questions: What key factors contribute to the vulnerability to disruption from contamination and what are the interrelationships between these contributing factors? What managerial actions may be taken to minimize the fresh produce supply chain's vulnerability to disruption? In this research we develop a conceptual framework consisting of the contributing factors: product type, topological structure, exposure to contamination, product traceability, and communication. The practice related contributions of this research are managerial insight and recommended actions derived from the proposed conceptual framework.

Este artigo descreve e analisa o corpo gerencial de uma empresa pública no que diz respeito às variáveis de qualidade de vida no trabalho e de estresse ocupacional, tendo em vista o contexto de reestruturação produtiva e seus multivariados impactos nas atividades dos gestores e nos significados atribuídos a essas experiências de trabalho, implicando desgastes à saúde dos indivíduos. Foi feita uma pesquisa descritiva, de enfoque quantitativo e qualitativo. O questionário foi respondido por 96 dos 144 gestores. De uma maneira geral, a qualidade de vida dos pesquisados apresenta-se com níveis satisfatórios. A partir de uma análise conjunta dos resultados, aponta-se para uma realidade de estresse. Assim, a estruturação de políticas e práticas de gestão de pessoas mais abrangentes é necessária para a identificação, a desmistificação e o monitoramento do estresse ocupacional entre os gerentes da empresa, passando por pesquisas mais específicas de diagnóstico. Tais atividades são recursos adjacentes àreestruturação produtiva em curso, pois referem-se à gestão da força de trabalho e à mediação de conflitos.

One of the strongest relationships among the elements of Heskett, Sasser and Schlesinger's service profit chain is verified between employee satisfaction and client's satisfaction. This paper reports the results of an exploratory study on the Brazilian operation of a world-wide leader of elevator technical assistance, in which the relationship between these two elements and their influence on the client retention rate was evaluated. The research data were treated with statistical discriminant and cluster analysis. The findings identified the relationship between employee and client satisfaction in 25 of the 27 business units studied. On the other hand, the factor that largely influences the client retention rate in this business environment is client satisfaction, while employee satisfaction is almost null. The results have important academic and managerial implications, given the limited amount of studies in this area and drive actions for the business success.

Globalization of food supply chains requires from companies located in developing countries to comply with strict production standards. Hence, there is an increasing need for socio-economic environmental certification worldwide. A way to meet food standards is to create a supply chain management that deals with sequential processes coordinated by the chain leader. In the particular case of agri-food markets, it is common for food retailers to perform the role of chain leaders. This paper describes the configuration and coordination of a certified fair trade fruit supply chain in Brazil servicing the United Kingdom (UK) market. The methods used are interviews with key informants working at different stages of the supply chain in both countries and secondary data analysis. Our findings suggest that retailers in the UK transfer the responsibility of supply chains coordination to their partnering traders in Brazil, who, in turn, are responsible for monitoring information flow and tracking processes. Theoretical contributions are related to the understanding of a complex supply chain because it involves members that have different technologies, skills, language and knowledge about the market. This heterogeneity makes the co-coordinating role even more important.

In the last decades, firms have been facing a new challenge, considering the increasing uncertainty of the markets and the pressure to achieve better levels of performance, within the stake-holders expectations. Three main problems have been emerging in dealing with management performance: the increasing pressure to reduce working capital, the growing variety of products and the fulfillment of a demanding service level. Most of the popular indicators have been developed based on a controlled environment. A new indicator is now proposed, based on the uncertainty of the demand, the flexibility of the supply chains, the evolution of the products lifecycle and the fulfillment of a required service level. The model to support the indicator will be developed within the real options approach.

The discussion about Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Projects has its roots in global warming and its consequences. CDM projects enable developed countries to offset the pollution generated by the acquisition of Certified Emission Reductions (CER), concerning the reduction of Greenhouse Gases (GHG) emissions in developing countries. The article discusses the CDM in a comprehensive manner, based on the opinion of experts, and investigates the future of this market from 2012, the post-Kyoto period. The main results show that the CDM follows the principles of Sustainable Development, focusing on the climate changes and the profitability of projects. It shows that Brazil has real possibilities to act in the CER market which is expected to consolidate in the post-Kyoto. Controversial issues as the future of post-Kyoto, nuclear power and especially the conservation of forests, through the generation of CER, remain undefined.

Organizations with exceptional operational performance have generally achieved this status through management's diligence encouraging the workforce to innovate. The use of suggestion boxes to collect process improvement suggestions from the workforce is one such example, but they are not always successful. Some organizations do a good job collecting great ideas from their workers, both staff and managers, while others see little result from their efforts. This paper presents a formal model of the (dis)incentives for entrepreneurial behavior in organizations. The model extends research on the stigma of failure into organizations by examining the implications of more conservative and more experimental organizational cultures on the incentives for entrepreneurial action by the corporate-funded employee. The models explain how a forgiving organization that is willing to accept failure as well as success will lead to more product and process innovation. Contrariwise, it explains how a bureaucratic organization will rarely innovate because of its low tolerance for unsuccessful ventures.

This paper reports an attempt to explore the relationships between logistics complexity and supply chain management (SCM) objectives and decision areas in large manufacturing companies operating in Brazil. Literature review is conducted, followed by survey research data (using a sample of 108 large companies operating in Brazil) analysis using cluster analysis, factor analysis and binary logistic regression. Results suggest that the level of logistics complexity of companies is a driver of management choices in supply chain objectives and decision areas, confirming our initial proposition that a contingency approach for supply chain management would be more appropriate than the "best practice" one. At the end of the article some further conclusions are drawn and opportunities for further research are discussed.