Repositório RCAAP

The research reported in this paper, looks at the internal processes of Brazilian small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) concerning the transport decision. SME represent over 99% of the formal enterprises in Brazil. The sample size was 400 industrial companies (with up to 100 employees) of Brazilian manufacturing sector. The results indicated that shippers do not use transportation as an opportunity to create competitive advantages. In addition, to get the needed services, Brazilian SMEs tend to buy transport services, readily available, without concerns for future transactions and more stringent and systematic criteria for the selection and evaluation of the service.

This paper proposes an explanatory model for the configuration of automobile distribution channels. A case study was developed, using two sources of information: 1) the literature on the distribution of specialty goods and on automobile distribution and 2) interviews conducted with dealers and automakers. The survey allowed the identification of three variables for the proposed model: dealer size, consumer behavior and the legal environment. The model comprises three possible organizational forms for the distribution business: isolated single-brand, single-brand group, and multi-brand group. This study is expected to contribute to a better understanding of the evolution of the sector, as well as to support the analysis of future auto distribution trends.

Leading manufacturers that have advanced in the streamlining of internal processes are realising that the accomplishment of further performance gains implies stretching the deployment of process improvement efforts beyond their boundaries. In this context, there is a growing interest in extending mapping activities to inter-plant and inter-firm levels. However, research on the conditions under which such an initiative has actually been tackled in industry is still incipient. Based on multiple-case study method, this paper discusses some supply chain (SC) mapping initiatives undertaken in the Brazilian automotive industry. The study examines the major motivations, difficulties, and outcomes observed in the cases, as well as the methodological approach adopted in their realisation. The cases reveal that despite its intrinsic complexity, the SC mapping process provides invaluable opportunities to strengthen the SC capabilities. However, its adoption as a formal management method with strategic implications will depend on clearer understanding of its relevance and potentials.

This paper aims to identify and analyze recent trajectories followed by two engine assembly plants set up in Brazil (one mature company and one newcomer), regarding operations and technology strategies undertaken by them. In short, the mature company has made efforts to increase quality and flexibility, while the newcomer has prioritized cost reduction and quality enhancements, besides taken action to increase its product nationalization. The main findings indicate that (1) competitive priorities seem to "pull" the trajectories, translating market needs into specific tasks that must be fulfilled by each strategy, while the advances made in each step may "push" the trajectories, setting the basis for new strategies and making them capable of moving further; (2) although advances along trajectories are intended and planned, they cannot be foreseen and alternate decisions may be necessary and (3) secondary factors like the degree of autonomy assigned to firms and accumulated knowledge also influence trajectories.

The paper analyses how the area of production and operations management (POM) in Brazilshould change/adapt in order to remain relevant in the so called "new economy". Drawing frominsights coming from both the relevant literature and a survey, a preliminary research and teachingagenda is proposed.

This paper studies the effect of a kit system on the supplier inventory. Kits have been popular fordecades in many segments, especially in the health care sector. Pre-assembled kits create new kinds of inventory:a circulating inventory and its safety stock. The classic replenishment formula of the periodic review system is affectedby the use of kits. The paper establishes simple formulas to determine the size of the circulating inventoryand of its safety stock. The theme was inspired by the activities of an importer-distributor of orthopedic surgicalgoods, based in São Paulo, Brazil, who imports these items from an American manufacturer and loans the kits tohospitals for a few days to perform surgeries. Working with pre-assembled kits offers many advantages: less errors,less losses, more speed, which offset the moderate inventory increase they cause.

This study analysed the extent of strategic alignment in the Brazilian automotive chain byexamining the strategies adopted by the Purchasing function in the first tier suppliers for managingrelationships with their suppliers. The multiple case studies strategy was used. The theoretical modelused for analysis was based on Network Theory, in terms of its fundamental principles - actors, activitiesand resources.

A reverse logistics system (RLS) involves all players, their activities and relationships in theprocess of recovering value from end-of-life products. This article describes and analyzes the influenceof power and the trust among players over performance (effectiveness and efficiency) of RLSs. Two caseswere developed describing RLSs for scraptires. The main conclusions show a forward relation betweentrust and effectiveness and efficiency of RLSs. However, regarding power, no forward evidence overperformance was found.

The article investigates the impact of quality on profitability, following the evolution duringa ten years period of 31 firms recognized by Brazilian National Quality Award (PNQ). Data of other companiesfrom the same sectors were also considered, reaching 5354 observations. The statistical analysesincluded regressions, parametric and non-parametric analyses.

This work looks at the decision process of entrepreneurs when they create a new businessin an atmosphere of uncertainty and without clear objectives, using the notion of 'effectuation'. The effectualapproach suggests that, when a new company is just beginning, entrepreneurs emphasize howmuch they can afford to lose and try as many different strategies and combinations of resource as possible,given the resources that are already under their control. The objective of this article, therefore, is toexamine if, and to what extent, entrepreneurs build companies in the real world using effectuation.

What are the main factors affecting the failure recovery management in Logistics ServiceProviders (LSPs)? In trying to answer this question, a case study was conducted in a large Brazilian LSPto understand actions taken by that company in failure recovery processes, especially when the LSPmanages business-to-business (B2B) relationships. In those situations, the LSP acts as a third party relatingwith other two companies in the supply chain. At the end, seven main factors were found to be relevantto the failure recovery management analysis: Strong link in the supply chain, Relationship, Level ofCustomer Importance, Level of Customer Importance, Procedures, Personnel Training and Technology,Rewards for performance, Outsourcing. Limitations and suggestion for future research are discussed.

This article presents the results of a research aiming to evaluate whether retail banking customers' satisfaction level has some impact on the perception of switching costs and on customers' loyalty. Loyalty was measured through behaviors traditionally associated with this construct: intention to repurchase, propensity to recommend service and price sensitivity. The results of the research conducted in May 2007 with 1000 retail banking clients in the cities of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo showed that, the higher the customers' satisfaction with banking services, the higher the propensity to adopt classical behavior related to loyalty such as the intention to remain as customers for the next 12 months, to recommend the bank to relatives and friends and to be willing to pay a higher price for the offered services than their bank's competitors. On the other hand, no significant difference was observed on perceptions of bank switching costs as a result of customers' satisfaction level. These results provide financial institution managers with a better understanding of the relation between satisfaction and loyalty behavior on the part of customers. Such understanding is paramount for banks' good performance in the long run. Moreover, attention should be drawn to elements that may not be overlooked in service projects and their operations in order to achieve quality excellence perceived by customers. In this study such perception precedes satisfaction.

Significant Science and Technology (S&T) results are expected from the telecommunications industry, as well as good social and economic indicators, once this industry is among those with the highest rates of innovation. This paper shows an analysis of investments and indicators of technological development and its relationship with economic and social changes in the sector in the last few years. An analysis of data leads us to conclude that investments in technological development are vulnerable to the economic environment for the industry.

The decision-making process that results in carrying out R&D activities in the internal, non-internal or combined way involves a series of variables and deserves a more detailed analysis due to its specificities. This need stems from the relevance of R&D activities in the organizational universe, verified more in the last decades, due to the possibility for the formation of the competitive edge. The R&D area represents the organizational unit responsible for converting the body of knowledge that permeates the fabric of the organization into innovation of products and processes aiming to achieve the sustainability of the organization. The change in the profile of the R&D area in recent years, allowed to observe repositioning of this highly technical area, through converting it into a more integrated unit in the organizational world, by more intense interaction with other organizational units, filtering information used in the innovation process. Following the logic of rationality in the theory of transaction costs, evidenced by the dilemma "make or buy?", the R&D activities are analyzed in the possibility to be carried out internally or externally. In many cases outsourcing may occur even across national borders. This paper was created with the aim of examining the case of three multinational companies that have outsourced their R&D activities to Brazil based on a strategic perspective, in order to understand the contextual framework that led to different configurations of the R&D activity in these three subsidiaries, providing new possibilities of design for international management of operations. The results highlight the importance of relations of trust, based on local expertise, regardless of pre-existing or developed, as background for the decision of multinational firms in order to transfer more complex activities such as research and development to the subsidiaries in Brazil. The authors hope to contribute to the debate on the advantages and benefits of the process of the outsourcing of these activities.

This paper explores the potential value proposition that could be created in supply chains on adoption of the electronic business messaging standard directory; UN/XML, developed by the United Nations, UN/CEFACT and offers a framework to aid managers in deciding if UN/XML should be applied in their organizations

The aim of this work is to identify the contributions of the Cleaner Production Program to the Environmental Management System certified to ISO 14000. The results of the research indicate that the procedure standardization demanded by normalization leads the company to adopt environmentally adequate procedures; besides, the implementation of the Cleaner Production Program acts as a complementary tool in the EMS, with a view to improving environmental performance.

The present paper has the purpose of presenting the results of a research carried out to reach the followingobjectives: (1) to identify which objective and subjective factors are found at organizations that are systematically underinnovation; (2) to present how those factors inter-relate; (3) to describe innovation processes within organizational dynamics.In order to develop this research, three organizations were chosen - Embraer, Promon and Odebrecht Construction- CNO. The conceptual framework used for field research was a combination of Innovation references with Hatch'sCultural Dynamics Model. By using Grounded Research with Content Analysis as the chosen methodologies, it waspossible to identify factors that were present and enabled innovations in those corporations. The results herein presentedare the identified factors and its relatedness within the organizational dynamics.

This study analyzes the strategies and market positioning adopted by Brasil Telecom (incumbent) and GVT (mirror company) over the last few years. The research involved semi-structured interviews with executives of the two companies, as well as documental analysis, particularly of those companies' annual reports. The data was then confronted with a model that was consolidated by the authors based on previous work by Hrebiniak and Joyce, in 1985, and Hax and Wilde II, in 1996 and 2001. Results show that those organizations make strategic choices and develop organizational competences that are still influenced by the way they entered the market several years ago.

This paper discusses the value creation sources of Mobile Payment concept into the Credit Card Chain. A case-study was developed based on the Transaction Cost Theory, Value Chain Analysis, RB V, Schumpeterian Innovation, and Strategic Network Theory. The results illustrate the technology potential to modify the configuration of Credit Card chain.

This paper presents the results of a study about the impact of the Internet and other information technologies on supply chain management, as perceived by managers in the field. Two almost identical surveys were applied to 105 Brazilian manufacturing companies, three years apart from one another, aiming to depict changes on managers' perceptions over time. Answers to the questions were organized and presented in bar graphs segmented based on the year and the companies' size. Several analyses were then possible, which helped to understand how the scenario evolved over time and to depict trends for the future.Answers to the questions were organized and presented in bar graphs segmented by year and company size. Several analyses were possible, which enlightened us as to how the scenario evolved from 2003/2004 to 2006/2007 and provided data with which to project trends for the future