Into the heterogeneities in the Portuguese labour market : an empirical assessment

This paper provides a comprehensive study of the heterogeneity in the Portuguese labour market. We use Labour Force Survey microdata covering a complete business cycle, from 1998:1 to 2018:1, to evaluate the labour market attachment of several labour states and assess the most suitable allocation of individuals across statuses. We also evaluate the adequacy of the conventional unemployment criteria. Following the relevant strand of literature on this topic, we apply an evidence-based categorisation of labour market status by exploiting the information on the results of the behaviour of non-employed. To that end, we use multinomial and binary logit models of the determinants of transitions of workers across labour market states to test for the equivalence between non-employed groups. We conclude that heterogeneity is an evident feature of the Portuguese labour market, both between and within the conventional non-employment states. In particular, we find that the status comprising those inactive workers which want work constitutes a distinct state in the labour market and displays a transition behaviour closer to unemployment than to the group of inactive workers which do not want work. Moreover, the classification as inactive workers of individuals which report "waiting" as a reason for not having searched for a job, those individuals who have searched for a job but are still considered to be out-of-the-labour-force, as well as those individuals which are due to start work in more than three months might not be reasonable, since they show considerable attachment to the labour market and we reject the pooling of such states with their counterparts.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Competency-based postgraduate medical education: considerations regarding medical residency

Introdução: o conceito de treino/aprendizagem baseada em competências (TABC) é relativamente recente na educação médica portuguesa, embora seja cada vez mais recomendado a nível internacional como forma de responder às exigências actuais do ensino médico, nomeadamente no treino de especialistas. Métodos: foi efectuado um estudo empírico para avaliar se o internato da especialidade apresenta características compatíveis com uma aprendizagem baseada em competências. O estudo implicou a construção e validação de um questionário constituído por 17 itens medidos numa escala de Lickert de cinco níveis. A validade de conteúdo foi avaliada de acordo com o método de Lawshe. A fiabilidade avaliada com alfa de Cronbach foi de 0,722. O questionário foi enviado pelo correio para 4.501 médicos, incluindo uma amostra aleatória de especialistas de Medicina Geral e Familiar, Medicina Interna e Cirurgia, e todos os possíveis internos. O preenchimento foi efectuado pelos próprios médicos e foi anónimo. Resultados: responderam 457 médicos (10,3% dos inquiridos) com idades entre os 27-82 anos. Foram considerados válidos 439 questionários, correspondentes a 237 internos da especialidade e 202 especialistas (72 cirurgiões, 67 internistas e 63 médicos de família); 128 especialistas eram tutores. A maioria dos respondentes (78,7%) admitiu ter pouco ou nenhum conhecimento dos métodos de TABC. A maioria dos médicos considera ter um conhecimento aceitável das competências genéricas e específicas que devem ser adquiridas no internato da sua especialidade, embora esse conhecimento seja mais acentuado na especialidade de Medicina Geral e Familiar. As respostas aos itens relacionados com a adequação dos métodos de treino são concordantes com os métodos TABC. Contudo, as respostas a todos os itens relacionados com os instrumentos de avaliação revelam muito pouca concordância com os métodos de TABC. Conclusões: os resultados contrariam a possibilidade do internato médico português ser um processo de treino/aprendizagem baseado em competências.Introduction: competency-based learning (CBT) is a recent concept in Portuguese medical education. However, CBT is emerging as a new international standard as a way to respond to the new demands of medical education, namely in the training of medical specialists. Methods: an empiric study was conducted to evaluate the training process in the Portuguese medical residency programs and if they meet the terms that characterize CBT initiatives. The study included the construction and validation of a 17-items questionnaire measured according to a five-level Lickert scale. Content validity ratio was evaluated by the method described by Lawshe. Reliability was assessed by the Cronbach Alpha and was 0,722. Questionnaires were mailed to 4.501 physicians, including a randomized sample of specialists in Family Medicine, Internal Medicine and Surgery, and all possible residents. The physicians were asked to fill-in anonymous, self-report questionnaires. Results: replied 457 physicians (10,3 of % of all sent questionnaires) aged between 27 and 82-years-old; 439 questionnaires were considered valid, including 237 residents and 202 specialists (72 surgeons, 67 internists, and 63 family doctors); 128 specialists had tutorial activities. The majority of responders (78.7%) admitted to have little or no knowledge about CBT. The majority of the responders considered to have an acceptable knowledge about the generic and specific competencies that comprise their specialties residency programs, although this knowledge is significantly higher among general practitioners. A concordant response with CBT initiatives is manifested in the domain of the training methods. However, the responses to all items concerning the assessment instruments reveal very little concordance with the demands of CBT initiatives. Conclusions: these results contradict the possibility that the Portuguese medical residency programs are real competency-based initiatives

O USO DE UM AMBIENTE VIRTUAL INTEGRADO COMO FERRAMENTA INOVADORA PARA A PROMOÇÃO DA EDUCAÇÃO À DISTANCIA: UM ESTUDO DE CASO DO LMS MOODLE

Com a necessidade de promover a educação a milhares de pessoas por todo o mundo, a educação a distância - EAD é uma modalidade de ensino-aprendizagem que cresce cada vez mais. Devido a fatores intrínsecos, ela permite que diversas ferramentas tecnológicas como os Learning Management Systems – LMS sejam utilizadas. Nesse sentido, este artigo tem como objetivo apresentar as funcionalidades e a importância de um LMS para a EAD. Para essa finalidade foram realizadas pesquisas bibliográficas em livros, sites e artigos especializados, além de visitas as Instituições de Ensino Superior que promovem a EAD. Para contextualizar o estudo, utilizou-se, como referência, o ambiente virtual de aprendizagem LMS Moodle por se tratar de um software livre com funções diferenciadas e inovadora para a promoção da educação à distância

An application of the SMED methodology in an electric power controls company

Lean production is a strategy for high competiveness in manufacturing. The capability for economical manufacture in small batch sizes is an essential requirement for achieving lean production. This facilitates mixed production of several kinds of products to match varying product demand and can have a major impact in reducing inventories. An obvious requirement for this is the high frequency of equipment setups or product changeovers. This will not be attractive unless set-up times and costs can be reduced to competitive levels. The application of SMED can achieve this. SMED is a well-established methodology involving a set of techniques, methods and guidelines to achieve fast product changeovers at machines. This paper describes the application of SMED in the production process of plastic and metal components required for the assembly of several types of circuit breakers. The work was carried out during a short period of a few months under a master thesis project. Several important SMED strategies and solutions were implemented and evaluated in terms of their impact on productivity and on other manufacturing performance measures. Three specific machines were involved: a punch-bending machine, a punch press and an injection moulding machine. An important contribution was made by introducing innovative and simple solutions such as adapting tools and normalizing changeover operations. Most of the achieved results exceeded the initial expectations. Beyond the purely technical and economic benefits of SMED, better workstations’ ergonomic conditions were also attained. Besides the usual quantification of setup time reduction, other indicators were calculated, namely: work-in- process (WIP), annual setup cost and distance travelled by operators during the changeover process. Reductions of setup time varying from 59% to 90% were achieved. WIP of metal components was reduced from 17.05 to 7.74 days reducing more than 50% on the corresponding costs. A more impressive reduction on WIP was obtained for plastic parts, actually from 5 to 1.09 days of work corresponding to a WIP cost reduction of over 80%. The distance travelled by operators during the changeover process was dramatically reduced too: typically a reduction from 300 m to 10 m and less. The total annual cost savings projection, in this small area of parts production, is near 20,000 €. Although large benefits were obtained from the study, scope for further improvement still exists. In fact the objective of product changeover times below 10 minutes aimed by SMED was not achieved in one case.Universidade do MinhoFundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

A retrospective assessment of a country performance

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A Gestão de Transportes na Cadeia de Logística

É imperativo aferir que o objetivo deste trabalho consiste na análise da Gestão de Transportes na Cadeia de Logística, razão pela qual procedeu-se a abordagem de conceitos de Logística, Custos Logísticos e Transporte. A metodologia seguida remete para um carácter qualitativo, tendo-se efetuado uma revisão da literatura acerca da problemática em estudo, com o intuito de se reunir o máximo de informação possível no sentido de compreender qual é o papel fundamental da Gestão Logística no âmbito dos Transportes. As principais conclusões remetem para o facto de a Gestão Logística englobar várias áreas e actividades, as quais se encontram relacionadas com finanças, a produção, o stock e a distribuição dos produtos; e para o facto de a empresa dever proceder para otimização da gestão logística dos transportes, objetivando a minimização dos vários custos que se encontram interligados com a sua rotina, o que possibilita, por sua vez, o aumento dos lucros obtidos pela empresa em questão

O CONTRIBUTO DO TOCOISMO NA DEFESA DOS DIREITOS HUMANOS EM ANGOLA DE 1964 A 1974

  Este artículo se refiere a la Contribución del Tocoísmo en la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos en Angola de 1964 a 1974. En esta investigación, el objetivo fue describir la Contribución del Tocoísmo en la Defensa de los Derechos Humanos. Además, se utilizaron métodos bibliográficos, documentales, de observación e indagación. Además, teniendo en cuenta los resultados, se concluyó que el Tocoismo es un movimiento que defendió los derechos humanos, sobre todo, el derecho a la libertad religiosa y la autodeterminación en Angola.  O presente artigo se refere ao Contributo do Tocoismo na Defesa dos Direitos Humanos em Angola de 1964 à 1974. Nesta pesquisa, objetivou-se descrever o Contributo do Tocoismo na Defesa dos Direitos Humanos. Ademais, recorreu-se ao método bibliográfico, documental, observação e inquérito. Outrossim, tendo em conta os resultados, concluiu-se que o Tocoismo é um movimento que defendeu os direitos humanos, sobretudo, o direito liberdade religiosa e a autodeterminação em Angola. &nbsp

The impact of risk-taking and creativity stimuli in education towards innovation: A systematic review and research agenda

Academic research on educational stimuli of risk-taking and creativity to foster innovation can contribute to overcome the challenges faced by organizations in the marketplace. To explore the contributions provided in this field, this study developed a bibliometric and systematic review on academic production in the domain of creativity, risk-taking and innovation through an educa- tional perspective. The bibliographical databases adopted were Web of Science and Scopus and outcomes were analysed using the Bibliometrix tool in R software. Research findings point to three main clusters of academic production: (i) Tools and techniques to boost creativity; (ii) Educational interventions towards innovativeness; and (iii) Antecedents of entrepreneurial ac- tivity. This study pictures entrepreneurial education as a field that is still in its infancy and, thus, provide opportunities for research and education policies and programs design. It was revealed that there are two relevant fields that can be envisaged as motor themes for policies and programs design: (i) “social innovation, design education, and design thinking” and (ii) “education, design, and design process”. Both fields point to the dominance of multidisciplinary approaches and design as a central vehicle to creativity, risk-taking, and innovation diffusion.Campus Lima Centr

Infrared Thermal Imaging: A dataset definition towards decision making and intelligence

Infrared imaging is being used every day for monitoring and diagnostic purposes, although it is poorly documented, which can be a major barrier for intelligence creation from the data collected. This research looked deeper into reference recent literature to find the different sources of data related to an IR examination. It was found that exam, image, object of interest, environmental and equipment data are required for a comprehensive dataset. This dataset will enforce quality assurance and drive decision making through being the basis for intelligence generation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

POLÍTICAS E ESTRATÉGIAS DE GESTÃO DE PESSOAS NUMA INSTITUIÇÃO DE ENSINO SUPERIOR PRIVADA

Este artigo teve o objetivo de analisar as políticas e estratégias de Gestão de Pessoas que estão relacionadas ao corpo docente de uma Instituição de Ensino Superior privada de Belo Horizonte. A pesquisa realizada teve uma abordagem qualitativa, de caráter descritivo constituindo um estudo de caso. Foi realizada uma análise documental e, posteriormente, a análise de conteúdo das entrevistas realizadas com profissionais responsáveis pela Gestão de Pessoas, tanto na instituição pesquisada quanto na Holding que realiza a sua gestão, pois as definições das estratégias e políticas de Gestão de Pessoas são elaboradas de forma colaborativa entre o grupo e suas Instituições de Ensino. Foi possível analisar as convergências e divergências da análise documental com a análise das entrevistas, bem como a fundamentação teórica do modelo que vem sendo adotado. Foram identificadas, ainda, as expectativas que os profissionais de Gestão de Pessoas têm em relação ao desenvolvimento dos docentes, bem como os desafios que identifica neste momento