Marketing sostenible y Responsabilidad Social Corporativa: activos efectivos y de gran competitividad

Las empresas son un agente principal en el sistema, es por ello, que deben abordar los problemas sociales ya que suponen una oportunidad estratégica para innovar en sus operaciones comerciales y satisfacer las necesidades de todos sus públicos. La estabilidad política, económica y social del País Vasco, frente a otras regiones de España, supone un valor añadido para apostar por prácticas de Responsabilidad Social Corporativa desde una posición privilegiada y entender la RSC de forma estructural en las organizaciones. Asimismo, las entidades vascas deben aprovechar que la tendencia de la RSC y Marketing Sostenible es de constante crecimiento. En este estudio se ha considerado analizar y extraer conclusiones desde una perspectiva global evitando centrarse en una única organización. En esta investigación se analiza la RSC y MS de entidades de distintos sectores: gastronomía, textil y complementos, comercio local, agricultura, diseño y urbanismo, entre otros. Las principales motivaciones para la elaboración de este trabajo de investigación han sido la oportunidad de explorar el MS y la RSC a través de la experiencia y aportar valor e información de utilidad a las empresas del País Vasco

A Model for Sustaining New Technology Based on Government Incentives

The diffusion of new technology that provides environmental benefits may require government incentives for a duration of time, especially when the technology is expensive. The Center of Systems Research and Education (CASRE) model is developed that analyzes the impact of incentives in sustaining new technologies to allow their social acceptance. The CASRE model includes both demand and supply variables associated with incentive policy to sustain new technology. The key to market dissemination and sustainability is the Investment Tax Credit (ITC) levels provided by the government. The level of ITC is based on the current cost to the customer and the customer acceptance of the cost. The cost of the technology decreases over time due to the effect of learning, scale, and technological progress impacting the level the market demand and therefore the tax credit investments required to sustain the technology. A sensitivity analysis is utilized to predict the impact of cost reductions on tax incentives required. The CASRE model is applied to a case study on non-automotive Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) for the Backup Power (BuP) and Material Handling Equipment (MHE) applications. The termination of ITC in 2018 is projected to cause a sharp sales reduction of PEMFCs for BuP but minimum impact on MHE. The gradual phase-out policy of ITC seems to be provide greater probability of sustaining PEMFCs for both applications

INVESTIGATING AGENT AND TASK OPENNESS IN ADHOC TEAM FORMATION

When deciding which ad hoc team to join, agents are often required to consider rewards from accomplishing tasks as well as potential benefits from learning when working with others, when solving tasks. We argue that, in order to decide when to learn or when to solve task, agents have to consider the existing agents’ capabilities and tasks available in the environment, and thus agents have to consider agent and task openness—the rate of new, previously unknown agents (and tasks) that are introduced into the environment. We further assume that agents evolve their capabilities intrinsically through learning by observation or learning by doing when working in a team. Thus, an agent will need to consider which task to do or which team to join would provide the best situation for such learning to occur. In this thesis, we develop an auction-based multiagent simulation framework, a mechanism to simulate openness in our environment, and conduct comprehensive experiments to investigate the impact of agent and task openness. We propose several agent task selection strategies to leverage the environmental openness. Furthermore, we present a multiagent solution for agent-based collaborative human task assignment when finding suitable tasks for users in complex environments is made especially challenging by agent openness and task openness. Using an auction-based protocol to fairly assign tasks, software agents model uncertainty in the outcomes of bids caused by openness, then acquire tasks for people that maximize both the user’s utility gain and learning opportunities for human users (who improve their abilities to accomplish future tasks through learning by experience and by observing more capable humans). Experimental results demonstrate the effects of agent and task openness on collaborative task assignment, the benefits of reasoning about openness, and the value of non-myopically choosing tasks to help people improve their abilities for uncertain future tasks

Leigos e especialistas : um estudo experimental sobre diferenças comportamentais

A motivação principal para a realização desta tese deveu-se em primeiro lugar à curiosidade em perceber o que é a Economia Comportamental, por que motivo existe e que desafios procura solucionar; em segundo lugar, a possibilidade de lidar na minha área profissional com investidores com experiência nos Mercados Financeiros que podem revelar, mesmo no próprio dia, comportamentos muito diferenciados. Fruto do contexto socio-económico de crise que ainda persiste em Portugal, o desafio a que me propus não só passou por perceber se os investidores são mais ponderados, mas também se decidem melhor que os Leigos nos mercados financeiros, especialmente quando estão na iminência de enfrentar desvios comportamentais. O estudo traduziu-se em 3 experiências distintas, através de um questionário realizado a indivíduos com experiência nos mercados financeiros, envolvendo 3 desvios comportamentais. As descobertas responderam alguma forma às questões que haviam sido levantadas e mostram que a experiência não torna as pessoas mais desumanas ou, desprovidas de emoções (sobretudo quando está dinheiro envolvido). A descoberta mais relevante deste estudo foi ter percebido que quando se descreve um problema de um modo mais intenso ou com maior impacto emocional, as pessoas ficam mais sensíveis a resolvê-lo. Isto poderá ser uma vertente a explorar por parte das Organizações sem Fins Lucrativos, na tentativa de angariar mais fundos. As ilações a retirar desta investigação vão desde o facto de os participantes terem sido influenciados apenas pelo sentido dos valores de referência, envidarem mais esforços para se proteger de perdas do que arriscar ganhos maiores, e doarem mais dinheiro a um grupo de crianças do que a uma única criança. As limitações desta investigação prenderam-se sobretudo com a dificuldade em encontrar mais indivíduos que preenchessem o requisito de ter experiência nos mercados financeiros, e a falta de estrutura para formular questões que envolvessem dinheiro real.The primary motivation for the completion of this thesis is firstly due by the curiousity to figure out what in fact Behavioral Economics are, the reason for their existence and what challenges do they try to tackle; secondly, the chance to dealin my professional area with Experienced Investors in financial markets that reveal, even on the same day, very different behaviors. As a result of the socio-economic context of the crisis that still persists in Portugal, the challenge that I set out to was not only to observe whether investors are more rational, but also if they decide better than Lay people in financial markets, especially when on the verge of facing behavioural biases. The method used for solving this challenge was achieved via a questionnaire made to investors that have their own portfolios of securities or individuals with experience in financial markets. The findings, in some way, have answered to the questions that had been raised and show that experience does not turn people more inhuman or, devoid of emotions (especially when money is involved). The most significant discovery of this research was that when a problem is described in a more violent and aggressive way, people become more sensitive to solve it. This could be a chance to explore by nonprofitable organisations, in order to raise more funds. The conclusions from this research go from the fact that the participants were not affected by random anchors, made more efforts to protect themselves from losses than risking to obtain larger gains, and donate more money to a group of children than to a properly iddentified child. The limitations of this research had to do mainly with difficulties in finding more people that would fulfill the necessary requirements of financial expertise and the lack of structure to formulate questions involving real money

Development of pupil’s career management skills within the pedagogical process of general education schools

Intas Lemešonokas promocijas darbs pedagoģijā „Skolēna karjeras vadības prasmju veidošanās vispārizglītojošās skolas pedagoģiskajā procesā” izstrādāts Rīgas Pedagoģijas un izglītības vadības akadēmijas Pedagoģijas fakultātē profesores Dr. paed. Zentas Anspokas vadībā laikā no 2012. līdz 2017. gadam. Pētījuma mērķis ir izstrādāt teorētiski pamatotu skolēna karjeras vadības prasmju veidošanās modeli, to eksperimentāli pārbaudīt un apkopot pētījuma rezultātus. Tas dod iespēju pārbaudīt pētījuma hipotēzi: skolēns karjeras vadības prasmes veido sekmīgāk, ja skolas pedagoģiskā procesa ietvaros ir sistemātiski un sistēmiski organizēta karjeras izglītība atbilstoši skolēna vajadzībām; skolēna karjeras vadības prasmju veidošanās pamatā ir mērķtiecīga sadarbība skolēna un profesionāla pedagoģiskā personāla starpā. Pētījuma bāze ir Latvijas skolu 8., 9., 11. un 12. klases 827 skolēni un 176 skolotāji, 43 individuālo karjeras konsultāciju apmeklējušie skolēni; autores vadīto pedagogu profesionālās pilnveides semināru un kursu dalībnieki - 8 skolotāju grupas (kopskaitā 424 dalībnieki); autores vadīto semināru vecākiem 108 dalībnieki – skolēnu vecāki; fokusgrupu diskusiju dalībnieki - 53 skolēni, 76 skolotāji; 48 vecāki; intervētie 36 skolēni un 32 skolotāji. Pedagoģiskā eksperimenta veikšanai izvēlēta eksperimentālā grupa, sastāvoša no 9.klases 17 skolēniem un 12. klases 19 skolēniem – kopskaitā 36. Promocijas darba 1. nodaļā „Skolēna karjeras vadības prasmju veidošanās kompetenču pieejā balstītas izglītības ietvaros” veikta zinātniskās literatūras un avotu izpēte par kompetencēs balstītas izglītības koncepta būtību, karjeras vadības prasmju būtību, karjeras izglītību kā skolēna karjeras atbalsta sistēmas sastāvdaļu un karjeras izglītības metodisko pamatu. Izveidots skolēna karjeras vadības prasmju veidošanās teorētiskais modelis, izstrādāti modeļa kritēriji un rādītāji, balstoties uz darbā analizēto un zinātniski pamatotu karjeras vadības prasmju veidošanu mācīšanās procesā. Promocijas darba 2. daļā „Skolēna karjeras vadības prasmju veidošanās empīriskā izpēte” atklāta esošā situācija vispārizglītojošās skolas skolēna karjeras vadības prasmju veidošanās procesā; pedagoģiskajā eksperimentā atklāta skolēna karjeras vadības prasmju veidošanās kompetenču pieejā balstītas izglītības ietvaros un noskaidrota iesaistīto skolēnu gatavība pieņemt lēmumu karjeras izvēlē, absolvējot 9. un 12. klasi. Balstoties uz izstrādāto skolēna karjeras vadības prasmju veidošanās modeli, izstrādāti ieteikumi pedagoģiskā procesa pilnveidei vispārizglītojošā skolā.Inta Lemešonoka’s doctoral thesis in pedagogy “Development of pupil's career management skills within the pedagogical process of general education schools” has been worked out at the Faculty of Pedagogy of the Riga Teacher Training and Educational Management Academy during the period from 2012 to 2017 under supervision of Prof. Dr. paed. Zenta Anspoka. Research goal is to elaborate a pupil's career management skills development model based on theoretical knowledge, verify it through experiment and summarise the research results. Hypothesis: a pupil develops career management skills more successfully, if a systematically and systemically organized career education is included in school's pedagogical process according to pupil's needs; development of pupil's career management skills is based on a meaningful cooperation between the pupil and a professional pedagogical personnel. Research basis: 827 pupils from 8th, 9th, 11th and 12th grades and 176 teachers from different Latvian schools took part in the study: 43 pupils receiving individual career guidance consultations with the author of the study; participants of the author's organized seminars and courses - 8 groups of teachers (424 participants in total) and 4 groups of parents (108 participants in total); participants of the author's organized focus groups - 53 pupils, 76 teachers and 48 parents; 36 pupils and 32 teachers interviewed by the author. Pilot group in order to carry out the experiment was comprised of seventeen 9th grade pupils and nineteen 12th grade pupils (36 in total). The first part of the thesis “Development of pupil's career management skills within a competency based educational approach” studies scientific literature and resources on the concept of competency based education, the essence of career management skills, career education as a part of school's career support system and methodological grounds of career education. A theoretical Pupil's career management skills development model has been elaborated along with the model's criteria and indicators, based on the previously analysed and scientifically founded career management skills development within the pedagogical process. The 2nd part of the doctoral thesis “Empirical study of pupil's career management skills development” detected the current situation about the conditions of pupil's career management skills development; during the pedagogical experiment these conditions have been identified within a competency based educational approach, and find out of the involved pupils' readiness to make career choice decisions when graduating the 9th and 12th class has been carried out. Recommendations on improving the pedagogical process in general education schools have been set forth based on the elaborated pupil's career management skills development model