Coalitional Dynamics in Presidential Systems

In contrast to initial expectations, a recent literature has identified coalition formation as being almost as common in presidential systems as in parliamentary systems. However, few studies have analyzed the dynamics of coalition governments in presidential democracies. In this dissertation, I address these dynamics, which include government formation, government breakdown, and policy monitoring between coalition partners. Three questions are answered in this dissertation: What explains the variation in the advantage of the president’s party with regards to the allocation of ministerial posts? Why and when do presidential coalition members monitor policies being implemented by their partners? Under what conditions are cabinet coalition terminations more likely to occur in presidential systems? My answers to these questions provide important insights into the fundamental differences between presidential and parliamentary forms of government

Visual-Quality-Driven Learning for Underwater Vision Enhancement

The image processing community has witnessed remarkable advances in enhancing and restoring images. Nevertheless, restoring the visual quality of underwater images remains a great challenge. End-to-end frameworks might fail to enhance the visual quality of underwater images since in several scenarios it is not feasible to provide the ground truth of the scene radiance. In this work, we propose a CNN-based approach that does not require ground truth data since it uses a set of image quality metrics to guide the restoration learning process. The experiments showed that our method improved the visual quality of underwater images preserving their edges and also performed well considering the UCIQE metric.Comment: Accepted for publication and presented in 2018 IEEE International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP

Venture capital como instrumento de financiamento à inovação : implicações do aporte em startups brasileiras capitalizadas pelo Fundo CRIATEC

Orientadora : Profª. Drª. Ana Paula Mussi Szabo CherobimTese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor de Ciências Sociais Aplicadas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração. Defesa: Curitiba, 25/03/2015Inclui referências : fls. 267-281Área de concentração: Estratégia e organizaçõesResumo: A presente tese tem por objetivo compreender a influência do aporte de recursos oriundos de fundos de venture capital sobre atividades de inovação a partir dos recursos e capacidades organizacionais. Argumenta que fundos de venture capital buscam identificar negócios inovadores com elevado potencial de crescimento, para que com o financiamento mercadológico destas tecnologias, conseguir remunerar o capital aplicado. Para a consecução do objetivo, utilizou-se como caso do estudo o fundo CRIATEC, criado pelo BNDES com o intuito de aplicar recursos em empresas inovadoras. O caso foi explorado por meio de procedimentos de pesquisa quantitativo e qualitativo. No eixo quantitativo foram aplicados 19 questionários com empresas aportadas para identificar os principais recursos e capacidades que sofreram maior influência do aporte de venture capital, bem como identificar a predisposição de inovação das empresas aportadas. No eixo qualitativo foi possível, por meio de entrevistas semiestruturadas com empreendedores, um gestor contratado por uma das empresas aportadas e um dos gestores nacionais do fundo CRIATEC, compreender como o fundo realiza modificações nas empresas aportas e como estas modificações influenciam as atividades de inovação. Os resultados indicam que os principais recursos organizacionais impactados são recursos financeiros, humanos, organizacionais e reputacionais, enquanto as competências que sofreram maior influência se relacionam ao desempenho gerencial, alocação de recursos, identificação de trajetórias e opções gerenciais. Os resultados ainda evidenciam que as modificações empreendidas pelo fundo estão orientadas ao crescimento mercadológico das empresas aportadas, por meio do estabelecimento de planos estratégicos e mecanismos de monitoramento e controle e envolvem, inclusive, a contratação de um gestor financeiro indicado pelo fundo. Conclusivamente, constatou-se, tendo em vista o caso em estudo, que o aporte de venture capital não induz atividades de inovação, podendo, inclusive, inibir este tipo de atividade tendo em vista não apenas as modificações nos recursos e capacidades organizacionais, mas também o marco regulatório que impacta negativamente as empresas que buscam financiar atividades de pesquisa e desenvolvimento com recursos de subvenção econômica após o aporte. Palavras-Chave: Inovação. Venture Capital. Visão Baseada em Recursos. Capacidades Dinâmicas. CRIATEC.Abstract: This thesis aims to understand the influence of venture capital funds on innovation activities using the resources and organizational capabilities views. Argues that venture capital funds seek to identify innovative businesses with high growth potential, able to remunerate the capital invested promoting market improvement in the firms.To achieve the goal, was used as a case study the CRIATEC fund, created by the BNDES in order to apply resources in innovative emerging companies. The case was explored by means of quantitative and qualitative research procedures. In the quantitative approach were applied 19 questionnaires with companies that received resources from venture capital to identify the key features and capabilities that have suffered greater influence of the contribution of venture capital as well as identify the innovation level. In the qualitative approach was possible, through semistructured interviews with entrepreneurs, a manager hired by one of the companies that received funds and one of the national CRIATEC managers understand how the fund performs changes in companies and how these changes influence the innovation activities. The results indicate that the main impacted resources are financial, human, organizational and reputational, while the capabilities related to managerial performance, resource allocation, identification of pathways and management options was deeply impacted. The results also shows that the changes undertaken by the fund are oriented by market growth, through the establishment of strategic plans and control mechanisms and monitoring mechanisms that involve even hiring a financial manager appointed by the fund. Conclusively, there was, in view of the case study, the contribution of venture capital does not induce innovation activities, and may also inhibit this type of activity considering not only the changes implemented in resources and organizational capabilities, but also the regulatory framework that negatively impacts the companies seeking to finance research and development activities with economic grant resources after the intake. Keywords: Innovation. Venture Capital. Resource-base View. Dynamic Capabillities. CRIATEC

De homens da governança à primeira nobreza: vocabulário social e transformações estamentais na Bahia seiscentista

This article shows how, throughout the seventeenth-century, the political elite of Salvador, capital of the State of Brazil, claimed the social classification common in Portugal as their own, thus representing itself as a local nobility and being recognized as such. This process took place because of the confrontations and negotiations with the Portuguese Crown and its representatives, markedly since the Portuguese Restoration of 1640.Ao longo do século XVII, a elite política de Salvador, capital do Estado do Brasil, apropriou-se de um vocabulário social tradicional no reino, passando a se identificar como uma nobreza local e a ser reconhecida como tal. Tal processo deu-se a partir dos embates e contatos políticos com a Coroa portuguesa e seus representantes no ultramar, especialmente a partir da Restauração portuguesa de 1640

Financial Education for low-income women: a parallel to Social and Collaborative Economy

The understanding of the daily financial habits of low-income women, specifically the beneficiaries of the Bolsa Família Program, is the starting point of a field study conducted by the Brazilian Financial Education Association (AEF-Brasil), organization that operates the National Strategy Financial Education, federal state policy. The understanding of such habits led to the development of educational social technology for this vulnerable public, aiming to improve their behavior in relation to money, especially the planning and the pursuit of the realization of dreams. It is related to understanding how such Technology would impact the lives of these women and their families, as well as on the engagement and reflection on the role of the Social and Collaborative Economy in the new economic arrangements, especially among populations that are on the margins of the consumer society

Performance compétente : relations avec valeurs, pratiques et identité dans le service de police

Tese (doutorado)—Universidade de Brasília, Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Administração, Doutorado em Administração, 2014.O objetivo geral desta tese é identificar e descrever a influência das manifestações da cultura da organização, em termos de valores e práticas organizacionais, e da identidade profissional e organizacional sobre o desempenho profissional por competências no serviço policial. Para isso, foi elaborada uma revisão teórica sobre os temas: cultura, valores e práticas organizacionais; identidade profissional e identidade organizacional; desempenho no trabalho e desempenho profissional por competências. Participaram desta pesquisa 916 policiais militares do Distrito Federal de todos os níveis hierárquicos. As análises fatoriais exploratória e confirmatória foram utilizadas para a verificação de evidências de validade das medidas dos seguintes construtos, que compõem o modelo teórico: valores organizacionais, práticas organizacionais, identidade organizacional, identidade profissional (variáveis antecedentes e mediadoras) e desempenho profissional por competências (variável critério). Para os testes desses modelos foram realizadas análises por intermédio de modelagens por equações estruturais. Os resultados sugerem que as variáveis antecedentes (valores organizacionais, práticas organizacionais, identidade profissional e identidade organizacional) são preditoras do desempenho profissional por competências. Tanto a identidade organizacional quanto a identidade profissional mediaram (mediação simples e em cadeia) a relação entre dimensões subjacentes aos valores e às práticas organizacionais sobre o desempenho profissional por competências. As práticas organizacionais apresentaram maior poder de predição sobre o desempenho profissional relativamente aos tipos motivacionais. O teste de modelos gerais e modelos parcimoniosos (modelos concorrentes) demostrou a estabilidade e a invariância dos construtos do modelo, permitindo sua aplicação em diversos contextos. Ao final, são apontadas limitações da pesquisa, implicações de ordem teórica, metodológica e gerenciais e uma agenda para realização de novas pesquisas é estabelecida.The purpose of this research was to identify and describe the influence of the manifestations of the culture, represented in this work by organizational values and practices, organizational and professional identity regarding the professional performance competencies of the professional in his service as a policeman. In order to achieve this objective a theoretical background was constructed using culture, values, practices, identity, performance at work and professional performance competencies. In total, 916 military police officers from Distrito Federal of all hierarchical levels of the police organization were questioned about organizational values, organizational practices, professional identity, organizational identity and professional performance competencies. The scales were tested using exploratory factorial analysis and confirmatory factorial analysis in order to validate the theoretical model using structural equation modeling. The results suggest that the variables of organizational values, organizational practices, professional identity and organizational identity can predict professional performance competencies. Organizational identity and professional identity have mediated (simple mediation and chain mediation) the relation between subjacent dimensions of values and organizational practices regarding performance at work. The organizational practices have predicted the professional performance competencies better than the organizational values subtypes. The tests of the general model and the parsimonious models (concurrent models) have demonstrated the stability and the invariance of the constructs of the model, indicating their usability in other contexts. After the conclusion are proposed the research limitations, theoretical, methodological and managerial implications, as well as an agenda to attend the gaps of the research.L’objectif général de cette thèse est d’identifier l’influence des manifestations de la culture de l’organisation, en matière de valeurs et de pratiques organisationnelles, ainsi que de l’identité professionnelle et organisationnelle sur la performance professionnelle par les compétences au sein de la police. Pour cela, une étude théorique a été faite sur les thèmes de : la culture, des valeurs et des pratiques organisationnelles, de l’identité professionnelle et de l’identité organisationnelle, de la performance au travail et de la performance professionnelle. 916 policiers militaires du District Fédéral de tous les niveaux hiérarchiques ont participé à cette recherche. Des analyses factorielles exploratoires et de confirmation ont été utilisées pour vérifier les évidences de la validité des mesures des constructions qui composent le modèle théorique comme suit : valeurs organisationnelles, pratiques organisationnelles, identité organisationnelle, identité professionnelle (variables antécédentes et médiatrices) et performance professionnelle (variable critère). Pour pouvoir tester ces modèles, des analyses ont été réalisées par le biais de modélisations d’équations structurelles. Les résultats trouvés suggèrent que les variables antécédentes (valeurs organisationnelles, pratiques organisationnelles, identité professionnelle et identité organisationnelle) permettent de faire des prédictions quant à la performance professionnelle. Aussi bien l’identité organisationnelle que l’identité professionnelle ont permis de faire une médiation (médiation simple et en chaîne) entre les dimensions sous-jacentes aux valeurs et aux pratiques organisationnelles et la performance au travail. Les pratiques organisationnelles ont plus de pouvoir de prédiction que les types de motivations par rapport à la performance professionnelle. Le test des modèles généraux et des modèles détaillés (modèles concurrents) a démontré que les constructions du modèle étaient stables et invariantes, ce qui permet leur utilisation dans différents contextes. Enfin, des limitations de recherche ont été montrées, leurs implications sont d’ordre théorique, méthodologique et de gestion, ce qui demande la mise en place de nouvelles recherches