Organizational performance and strategic inertia

Abstract Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between organizational performance and the pattern of strategic decisions formalized in the planning of a Brazilian heavy construction company between 2006 and 2014. In this period, the company experienced a recurrent pattern of maintaining strategic decisions, despite the systematic decrease in performance and investments in the formal strategic planning (SP) and monitoring of results. The research focus is on strategic inertia and the influence of social determinants on the relationship between performance and the strategic actions negotiated in formal planning. Design/methodology/approach – This is a single-case study. The exploratory-descriptive research comprises data collection on performance and strategic decisions from the period between 2006 and 2014. The analysis was guided through documentary material and data collected from 16 interviews conducted with members of the middle to top management concerning performance, goals, and strategic initiatives. The interviewees’ statements were used to apprehend the interpreted dimension of SP expressed in the meanings attributed to this process. The analysis adopts a sociological base, and strategic inertia is the underlying phenomenon that guides this analysis. Findings – The results show the interactive effect caused by political, cognitive, discursive, and ceremonial mechanisms obstruct the company’s strategic decisions. This case study illustrates that the conditions for the phenomenon of path dependence were created, reinforcing the strategic inertia observed in the maintenance of a reproduced pattern of strategic initiatives and goals, even though the performance was recurrently unsatisfactory. In this case, strategic inertia showed a complex relationship between the interpreted performance and strategic actions negotiated in formal planning, conditioned by mechanisms of trajectory reinforcement that interfered with the conditions for strategic change. Research limitations/implications – Strategic inertia demonstrates a complex relationship between the interpreted performance and strategic actions negotiated in formal planning, conditioned by mechanisms of trajectory reinforcement that interfere with the conditions for strategic change. Future research on social mechanisms from the perspective of strategy-as-practice could be developed to capture the tacit components, language, power games, and other relevant categories in the social interaction of strategy development at the organizational level. In addition, future research could focus on investigating the extent to which path dependence is contingent, assuming that it is a temporary and, therefore, reversible process. Practical implications – This work contributes to the view of SP from the social perspective and shows that the relationship between performance and strategy has biases that can compromise performance. The work highlights implications for maintaining strategic initiative patterns, which shape a path whose function is less associated with its effects on performance and more associated with the commitment to instrumental results, due to the social nature of organizations.Social implications – This work deals with social mechanisms that influence strategic decisions. Since organizational performance depends on strategic decisions, the social nature of strategic inertia has causal implications to economic and social impact of organizations. Originality/value – This work argues in favor of the influence of self-reinforcing mechanisms of path dependence in the relationship between performance and strategic decisions. The results extended the predominantly structural approach of path dependence by considering interpretive aspects related to the political, discursive, cognitive, and ceremonial dimensions of strategic inertia. Keywords Organizational performance, Organizational strategy, Strategic inertia, Path dependenc

Organizational performance and strategic inertia: The case of a Brazilian heavy construction company

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to analyze the relationship between organizational performance and the pattern of strategic decisions formalized in the planning of a Brazilian heavy construction company between 2006 and 2014. In this period, the company experienced a recurrent pattern of maintaining strategic decisions, despite the systematic decrease in performance and investments in the formal strategic planning (SP) and monitoring of results. The research focus is on strategic inertia and the influence of social determinants on the relationship between performance and the strategic actions negotiated in formal planning. Design/methodology/approach – This is a single-case study. The exploratory-descriptive research comprises data collection on performance and strategic decisions from the period between 2006 and 2014. The analysis was guided through documentary material and data collected from 16 interviews conducted with members of the middle to top management concerning performance, goals, and strategic initiatives. The interviewees’ statements were used to apprehend the interpreted dimension of SP expressed in the meanings attributed to this process. The analysis adopts a sociological base, and strategic inertia is the underlying phenomenon that guides this analysis. Findings – The results show the interactive effect caused by political, cognitive, discursive, and ceremonial mechanisms obstruct the company’s strategic decisions. This case study illustrates that the conditions for the phenomenon of path dependence were created, reinforcing the strategic inertia observed in the maintenance of a reproduced pattern of strategic initiatives and goals, even though the performance was recurrently unsatisfactory. In this case, strategic inertia showed a complex relationship between the interpreted performance and strategic actions negotiated in formal planning, conditioned by mechanisms of trajectory reinforcement that interfered with the conditions for strategic change. Research limitations/implications – Strategic inertia demonstrates a complex relationship between the interpreted performance and strategic actions negotiated in formal planning, conditioned by mechanisms of trajectory reinforcement that interfere with the conditions for strategic change. Future research on social mechanisms from the perspective of strategy-as-practice could be developed to capture the tacit components, language, power games, and other relevant categories in the social interaction of strategy development at the organizational level. In addition, future research could focus on investigating the extent to which path dependence is contingent, assuming that it is a temporary and, therefore, reversible process. Practical implications – This work contributes to the view of SP from the social perspective and shows that the relationship between performance and strategy has biases that can compromise performance. The work highlights implications for maintaining strategic initiative patterns, which shape a path whose function is less associated with its effects on performance and more associated with the commitment to instrumental results, due to the social nature of organizations. Social implications - This work deals with social mechanisms that influence strategic decisions. Since organizational performance depends on strategic decisions, the social nature of strategic inertia has causal implications to economic and social impact of organizations. Originality/value – This work argues in favor of the influence of self-reinforcing mechanisms of path dependence in the relationship between performance and strategic decisions. The results extended the predominantly structural approach of path dependence by considering interpretive aspects related to the political, discursive, cognitive, and ceremonial dimensions of strategic inertia

Immobilization of biomolecules on natural clay minerals for medical applications

Biomolecules are a group of organic entities that are important in many areas of research on nanomaterials and for biomedical and pharmaceutical applications. Advanced systems have been developed to attempt to protect the activity of biomolecules from rapid degradation and instability. Among these techniques, the incorporation or immobilization of biomolecules has become popular in the development of biocomposites. As such, clay minerals appear to be promising materials; combining a nanometer-scale size with their adsorptive capacity, lack of toxicity, and biocompatibility would result in enhanced biomaterial properties. This mini?review discusses the recent advances concerning biological molecules immobilized on clay minerals and their biomedical applications as biosensors, in regenerative medicine, and even as controlled delivery systems

Análise de microcusteio e custo-efetividade para diferentes dispositivos utilizados na terapia endodôntica

The objective was to compare the cost-effectiveness of different devices used in endodontic therapy, through micro-costing. A comparison was made between endodontic therapy techniques. The conventional technique, characterized by manual instrumentation and conventional odontometry (Mn+OC), and the techniques that incorporate: mechanized instrumentation (Mc+OC), electronic odontometry (Mn+OE), and both (Mc+OE). A panel of specialists (n=5) outlined the protocols for each technique, establishing clinical time, consumables, instruments, equipment and necessary human resources. The costs were extracted from the Price Panel of the Ministry of Management and Innovation in Public Services in Brazil. The value of each item was diluted according to frequency and time of use. Clinical hours for human resources were defined based on the national average salary for Endodontists and Oral Health Assistants. The sum of expenses with materials, equipment and human resources was obtained for each technique. An economic analysis was carried out using a decision tree to determine the cost-effectiveness of different techniques. It was found that Mc+OE had the shortest clinical time (1.12h), whereas Mn+OC had the longest (2.47h). Regarding costs, Mn+OC had the highest total cost (R$451.59) and the highest expenditure on human resources (R$ 402.81), Mc+OC resulted in the lowest total cost (R$330.93) and the technique Mc+OE the lowest expenditure on human resources (R$ 182.38). As for the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, it was the lowest for Mc+OE (cost of R$66.53 per additional clinical hour), whereas Mn+OC was the highest (R$ 182.66/h). It is concluded that the incorporation of technologies to endodontic therapy is recommended in view of the better cost-effectiveness, when compared to the conventional technique.Objetivo: comparar o custo-efetividade de dispositivos empregados na terapia endodôntica, por meio de microcusteio. Metodologia: foi realizada a comparação entre a técnica convencional, caracterizada pela instrumentação manual e odontometria convencional (Mn+OC), e as técnicas que incorporam: instrumentação mecanizada (Mc+OC), odontometria eletrônica (Mn+OE), e ambas (Mc+OE). Um painel de especialistas (n=5) delineou protocolos para cada técnica, sendo estabelecidos tempo clínico, materiais, equipamentos e recursos humanos. Os custos foram extraídos do Painel de Preços do Ministério da Gestão e da Inovação em Serviços Públicos do Brasil. O valor de cada item foi diluído segundo frequência e tempo de utilização. A hora clínica dos recursos humanos foi definida a partir da média salarial nacional para Endodontista e Auxiliar em Saúde Bucal. O somatório dos gastos com materiais, equipamentose recursos humanos foi obtido para cada técnica. Realizou-se uma análise econômica a partir de árvore de decisão para determinar o custo-efetividade. Resultados: Mc+OE apresentou o menor tempo clínico (1,12h), já Mn+OC o maior (2,47h). Em relação aos custos, Mn+OC apresentou o maior custo total (R$451,59) e maior gasto com recursos humanos (R$ 402,81), Mc+OC resultou no menor custo total (R$330,93) e a técnica Mc+OE o menor gasto com recursos humanos (R$ 182,38). Quanto à razão de custo-efetividade incremental, foi menor para Mc+OE (custo de R$66,53 por hora clínica adicional), já Mn+OC foi a maior (R$ 182,66/h). Conclusão: a incorporação de tecnologias à terapia endodôntica é recomendada diante do melhor custo-efetividade, quando comparadas àtécnica convencional

Xylitol production and furfural consumption by a wild type Geotrichum sp.

Background: Xylitol is a five carbons polyol with promising medical applications. It can be obtained from chemical D-xylose reduction or by microbial fermentation of Sugarcane Bagasse Hemicellulosic Hydrolysate. For this last process, some microbial inhibitors, as furfural, constitute severe bottleneck. In this case, the use of strains able to produce xylitol simultaneously to furfural neutralization is an interesting alternative. A wild-type strain of Geotrichum sp. was detected with this ability, and its performance in xylitol production and furfural consumption was evaluated. Furthermore, were analyzed its degradation products. Results: Geotrichum sp. produced xylitol from D-xylose fermentation with a yield of 0.44 g\ub7g-1. Furfural was fully consumed in fermentation assay and when provided in the medium until concentration of 6 g\ub7L-1. The furfural degradation product is not an identified molecule, presenting a molecular weight of 161 g\ub7mol-1, an uncommon feature for the microbial metabolism of this product. Conclusion: This strain presents most remarkable potential in performing furfural consumption simultaneous to xylitol production. Subsequent efforts must be employed to establish bioprocess to simultaneous detoxification and xylitol production by Geotrichum sp

Pré-eclâmpsia : rastreamento universal ou prevenção universal para países de baixa e média-renda?

Pre-eclampsia (PE) is a severe disorder that affects up to 8% of all pregnancies and represents an important cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. The screening of the disease is a subject of studies, but the complexity and uncertainties regarding its etiology make this objective a difficult task. In addition, the costs related to screening protocols, the heterogeneity of the most affected populations and the lack of highly effective prevention methods reduce the potential of current available algorithms for screening. Thus, the National Specialized Commission of Hypertension in Pregnancy of the Brazilian Association of Gynecology and Obstetrics Federation (Febrasgo, in the Portuguese acronym) (NSC Hypertension in Pregnancy of the Febrasgo) considers that there are no screening algorithms to be implemented in the country to date and advocates that Aspirin and calcium should be widely used.A Pré-eclâmpsia (PE) é uma doença grave que acomete ~8% das gestações e representa importante causa de morbimortalidade, tanto materna quanto perinatal. O rastreamento da doença émotivo de estudos, porém a complexidade e as incertezas quanto a sua etiologia tornam esse objetivo bastante difícil. Além disso, os custos relacionados com o rastreamento, a heterogeneidade das populações mais afetadas e ainda a falta de métodos de prevenção de grande eficácia reduzem o potencial dos algoritmos de rastreamento. Assim, a Comissão Nacional Especializada sobre Hipertensão na Gravidez da Federação Brasileira das Associações de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia (CNE Hipertensão na Gravidez da FEBRASGO) considera que não há algoritmos de rastreamento que possam ser aplicados no país nesse momento e defende a utilização dos métodos de prevenção como ácido acetilsalicílico e cálcio de maneira ampla

Contribution of the institutions in the Northern region of Brazil to the development of plant cultivars and their impact on agriculture

This paper describes the development of breeding programs in northern Brazil and their main impacts on agriculture. Their contribution to the breeding of the species palm oil, acai fruit, cacao, cupuaçu, guarana, tomato, camu-camu, cocona, peach palm, and rubber was laid out in detail. Advances in breeding programs of institutions such as Embrapa, Ceplac, Inpa, and Universities require investments in infrastructure and in human and financial resources to ensure continuity and efficiency in economic, social and environmental gains. The improvement of native species, the main focus of the breeding programs of the institutions in the Northern region of Brazil, is a form of exploiting the Amazonian biodiversity for the benefit of society. Therefore, policies to foster research institutions should be a subject of deliberation and action of the scientific and technological community in Brazil