Erasmus experience : the impact on employability and development of skills

Mestrado em Gestão de Recursos HumanosO programa Erasmus é um programa de mobilidade entre estudantes de diferentes países que tem aumentado a cada ano. Este programa proporciona aos estudantes intercâmbios em países diferentes que lhes proporcionam uma experiencia diferente tanto ao nível pessoal como profissional. Esta dissertação tem como objetivo analisar algumas das vantagens deste programa, nomeadamente ao nível da aprendizagem e enriquecimento de competências e o impacto que o programa pode ter ao nível da empregabilidade relativamente aos estudantes que o experienciaram. Para a elaboração desta dissertação, foi usado como amostra um grupo de 118 estudantes que tiveram uma experiencia Erasmus em países diversos. Este grupo foi submetido a um questionário que procura analisar as perceções que os mesmos têm ao nível do seu desenvolvimento de determinadas competências e ao nível das perspetivas de empregabilidade antes e apos o intercâmbio. Os Resultados permitem-nos concluir que uma experiência Erasmus provoca nos estudantes um impacto positivo relativamente à perceção no desenvolvimento de competências e perspetiva de empregabilidade no seu futuro, sendo estes os tópicos desenvolvidos em detalhe nesta dissertação.The Erasmus Programme is a mobility programme between students from different countries that is increasing year by year. This Programme gives the students exchange experiences abroad which allows them to have a different personal and professional experience. This dissertation has the goal of analysing some of the advantages of these exchanges, especially regarding the improvement of competences and the impact on their future employability. Regarding the literature review and the facts already discovered, we used a sample of 118 students who already did Erasmus. This group of students filled a questionnaire which had as its main goal, to analyse the perceptions they have regarding the development of competences and perspectives of employability before and after their exchange. The results allow us to conclude that an Erasmus experience has a positive impact on the students, regarding the perception they have about the development of competences and perspectives of employability in their future, and these are the topics analysed during this dissertation.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Basileia II: gestão do risco operacional no sector bancário em Portugal

A evolução tecnológica no domínio dos sistemas de informação e os avanços científicos na área da economia financeira, tal como o desenvolvimento e integração dos mercados financeiros têm motivado a que haja um reforço no processo de inovação financeira, proporcionando a adopção de técnicas progressivamente mais sofisticadas de avaliação dos riscos por via a que as funções do sector financeiro sejam aplicadas num contexto de estabilidade financeira. É neste contexto que têm sido postas em prática algumas iniciativas a nível internacional, no intuito da adaptação do quadro regulamentar às novas realidades designadamente no domínio das regras de adaptação de capital. O Acordo de Basileia surgiu como tentativa de definir objectivos e mecanismos gerais de supervisão dos sistemas financeiros nacionais, centralizada no sistema bancário. No seguimento dos estudos efectuados, após a implementação de Basileia I, para o cálculo dos requisitos de capital surge o Novo Acordo – Basileia II, onde se efectua pela primeira vez alusão ao risco operacional. Recentemente, o risco Operacional tem recebido tanto por parte das instituições financeiras como das entidades reguladoras uma elevada atenção. O Comité de Basileia esboçou um documento, o Sound Practices for the Management and Supervision of Operational Risk (Bank of International Settlements, 2003), onde evidenciava as melhores práticas para a gestão do risco operacional. Este documento deve ser encarado como uma tentativa conjunta dos esforços de académicos e de órgãos de gestão de risco das principais instituições financeiras e defende que o planeamento global, a coordenação e a monitorização do risco operacional devem estar centralizados num departamento denominado “gestão do risco”. Deste modo, nesta dissertação os respectivos departamentos das instituições financeiras foram inquiridos com o objectivo de recolher dados que reflictam o impacto que o Novo Acordo repercute na Gestão do Risco operacional no sector bancário, quais os níveis de divulgação de bancos com carteira em Portugal, interessando também conhecer a adaptação dos bancos e o que pensam os seus responsáveis sobre as implicações de Basileia II. Procura-se, também, por via da análise documental dos relatórios e contas de algumas instituições Financeiras, divulgados em 2009 referentes ao exercício de 2008, complementar o presente estudo. Da análise das informações divulgadas pelas instituições, constamos que a maioria adoptou no ano de 2008 o Método do Indicador Básico, apresentando nesse mesmo ano ao Banco de Portugal candidatura para a adopção do Método Standard para o cálculo de requisitos de fundos de capitais próprios a afectar ao risco operacional, tendo todas elas o intuito de criar condições que lhes permitam a evolução para o Método de Medição Avançada com vista às melhores práticas de controlo interno. Numa perspectiva microeconómica, as abordagens realistas sobre a gestão dos riscos e dos níveis de capitalização, contribuirão positivamente para a estabilidade financeira. Numa perspectiva macroeconómico, a contribuição para a estabilidade financeira dependerá do alcance geográfico do novo enquadramento normativo, incentivando a uma gestão prudente, tendo envolvido autoridades de supervisão, instituições, analistas de mercados, consultores, entre outros na discussão do seu desenho regulamentar.Technological developments in the field of information systems and scientific advances in the area of financial economics, as the development and integration of financial markets have been motivated that there is a strengthening in the process of financial innovation, providing the adoption of increasingly sophisticated techniques of risk assessment by which the functions of the financial sector are applied in the context of financial stability. It is in this context that have been put in place some initiatives at international level in order to adapt the regulatory framework to the new realities, particularly in the field of the rules of capital adjustment. The Basel Agreement came with the attempt to define general objectives and mechanisms for the supervision of national financial systems, centralized in the banking system. Following the studies conducted after the implementation of Basel I for the calculation of capital requirements is the New Agreement - Basel II, which makes first reference to operational risk. Recently, the operational risk has received by both financial institutions and the regulators high attention. The Basel Committee drafted a document, the Sound Practices for the Management and Supervision of Operational Risk (Bank of International Settlements, 2003), which showed the best practices for operational risk management. This document should be seen as an attempt of joint efforts of academics and management of risk of major financial institutions and argues that the overall planning, coordination and monitoring of operational risk should be centralized in a department called "risk management". Thus, in this dissertation, their departments of financial institutions were surveyed in order to collect data that reflect the impact that the New Agreement affects the Management of Operational Risk in the banking sector, which levels of disclosure of banks with portfolio in Portugal, interesting also know the adjustment of seats and what its leaders think about the implications of Basel II. Demand is also, through documentary analysis of reports and accounts of some financial institutions, released in 2009 for the financial year of 2008 to supplement the present study. From the analysis of information provided by institutions, which are the majority in the year 2008 adopted the Basic Indicator Approach, presenting in that same year the Bank of Portugal application for the adoption of the Standard Method for calculating the requirements of capital funds to be allocated operational risk, and all of them in order to create conditions that allow them to the evolution of the Advanced Measurement Approach for the best practices of internal control. In a microeconomic perspective, realistic approaches about the management of risks and levels of capitalization, will contribute positively for the financial stability. In a macroeconomic perspective, the contribution for the financial stability will depend on the geographic reach of the new regulatory framework, encouraging prudent management, and involved supervision authorities, institutions, market analysts, consultants, among others in the discussion of its regulatory design

Proposta de Melhoria do Processo de Picking num Armazém de Alimentos Congelados

Atualmente, a gestão de armazéns exige a cada empresa que tenciona ser mais competitiva, a procura contínua por tornar os seus processos mais eficientes. Como tal, as reduções de custos, de desperdícios e de recursos consumidos, contribuem fortemente para a empresa apresentar melhores resultados. A presente dissertação foi desenvolvida no departamento de logística da Gelpeixe, que, entre outras funções, tem a seu cargo a gestão das câmaras frigoríficas da empresa e tem como filosofia a procura pela melhoria dos processos e atividades, relativamente à sua eficiência atual. Assim, o objetivo deste estudo de caso passa por, inicialmente, analisar o estado atual de funcionamento das atividades realizadas em armazém, identificar os pontos suscetíveis a sofrer melhorias e, posteriormente, testar e implementar alterações que atuem sobre os problemas e desperdícios identificados. Depois da análise efetuada ao processo de preparação de encomendas, são simuladas as propostas de melhoria nas atividades de picking de produtos e na montagem das paletes finais, ambas para a via de exportação. A análise é realizada com base em observações diretas e presenciais das atividades, cronometrando e registando os tempos praticados pelos operadores e, em simultâneo, com recurso a dados e ficheiros fornecidos pela empresa. As propostas de melhoria desenvolvidas sobre o processo de picking, consistem em alterações na alocação dos produtos em armazém, através de uma análise ABC, na folha utilizada durante o picking dos produtos e na rota percorrida pelos operadores em armazém. Através da simulação de cada proposta de melhoria, conclui-se que a sua implementação resultaria em reduções de mais de 35% do tempo despendido em deslocamentos efetuados pelos operadores no interior do armazém.Currently, warehouse management requires every company that intends to be more competitive, to continually seek to make its processes more efficient. Therefore, the reduction in costs, wastes and consumed resources strongly contributes to achieve better results to the company. The current study takes place inside the Gelpeixe logistics team department, that has, among other functions, the responsibility of manage the existing warehouses, and has as philosophy the seek for the improvement of processes and activities, comparing to their current efficiency. The main goal of this case study is, firstly, to analyze the current state of the warehouse activities, to identify the points susceptible to improvement and, secondly, to test and implement changes that will act on the identified problems and waste. Once the analysis to the orders preparation process is done, the improvement proposals are simulated in the picking activity and in the assembly of the pallets, both of them for the export route. This analysis is performed based on direct and presential observations of the activities, measuring and recording operators’ times and, at the same time, using data and files provided by the company. The developed improvement proposals about the picking process consist in changing the allocation of products in the warehouse, through an ABC analysis, in the sheet used during the picking of the products and in the route taken by the warehouse operators. Through the simulation of each improvement proposal, it is concluded that its implementation would result in reductions of more than 35% of the time spent the operators travels inside the warehouse

A questão moral em o deserto dos Tártaros, de Dino Buzzati

Na presente dissertação defende-se que em O Deserto dos Tártaros (1940), romance do autor italiano Dino Buzzati (1906 - 1972), a identificação do(s) motivo(s) que possa(m) ter levado o protagonista a agir como agiu, aparentando ir contra a sua própria vontade, é uma questão que resulta desvalorizada na narrativa. Propõe-se em contrapartida uma linha de leitura segundo a qual o foco do romance incide principalmente no significado da contradição do protagonista. Nessa perspectiva, ensaia-se a possibilidade de acomodar na narrativa dois modos seculares e divergentes de pensar os comportamentos humanos: o aristotélico, que contempla a possibilidade de acrasia (ou seja, falta de autodomínio), e o platónico, que a nega. Pretende-se por fim mostrar que, nesta linha de leitura, o romance de Buzzati suscita sobretudo relevantes questões de ordem moral e de autoconhecimento.In the present dissertation we argue that in The Tartar Steppe (1940), a novel by the Italian author Dino Buzzati (1906 - 1972), the identification of the motive(s) that might have led the protagonist to act the way he did, apparently going against his own will, is a matter devaluated by the narrative. Instead, we propose a reading according to which the main focus of the novel is on the meaning of the protagonist’s contradiction. In that perspective, it is attempted the possibility to accommodate in the narrative two secular and divergent theories on human behaviours: the Aristotelian, which allows for akrasia (i.e. lack of mastery), and the Platonic, that does not. We would like to show that, if read this way, Buzzati’s novel is above all raising relevant issues on morals and knowledge

Mechanical pruning and soil fertilization with distinct organic amendments in vineyards of Syrah: effects on vegetative and reproductive growth

The effects of fully mechanized pruning systems on physiology, vigor and yield of grapevines have been studied for more than forty years and are an interesting way to reduce production costs. Organic amending of vineyard soil is a way to increase vine productivity. Thus, this study aims to understand the effects of the interaction between these two practices, on vine growth and productivity. Two trial fields were implemented on Shiraz vineyards in 2 different wine regions. Mechanical hedge pruning was compared with hand spur pruning and four different organic amendments were tested: biochar; municipal solid waste compost; cattle manure; sewage sludge. Mechanical pruning and organic amendments, by themselves, did not significantly increase yield. However, the interaction between both factors reduced the impact of self-regulation mechanisms (budburst, bud fruitfulness and cluster weight) in mechanical pruning and successfully increased yield, without decreasing vegetative growth. The effects of mechanical pruning with the application of organic amendments to soil on yield is significant and, thereby, the choice of the organic amendment and its amount, must be done considering the destiny of produced grapesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Assessing the contribution of ECa and NDVI in the delineation of management zones in a vineyard

Precision fertilization implies the need to identify the variability of soil fertility, which is costly and time-consuming. Remotely measured data can be a solution. Using this strategy, a study was conducted, in a vineyard, to delineate different management zones using two indicators: apparent soil electrical conductivity (ECa) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI). To understand the contribution of each indicator, three scenarios were used for zone definition: (1) using only NDVI, (2) only ECa, or (3) using a combination of the two. Then the differences in soil fertility between these zones were assessed using simple statistical methods. The results indicate that the most beneficial strategy is the combined use of the two indicators, as it allowed the definition of three distinct zones regarding important soil variables and crop nutrients, such as soil total nitrogen, Mg2+ cation, exchange acidity, and effective cation exchange capacity, and some relevant cation ratios. This strategy also allowed the identification of an ionic unbalance in the soil chemistry, due to an excess of Mg2+, that was harming crop health, as reported by NDVI. This also impacted ECa and NDVI relationship, which was negative in this study. Overall, the results demonstrate the advantages of using remotely sensed data, mainly more than one type of sensing data, and suggest a high potential for differential crop fertilization and soil management in the study areainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Adaptation of Ancient Techniques to Recreate ‘Wines’ and ‘Beverages’ Using Withered Grapes of Muscat of Alexandria

The production of wines using ancient techniques is a present trend with commercial interest among consumers valorising their historical background. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to recreate wines and piquettes produced from dehydrated grapes, vinified according to the techniques described in classical Roman agricultural manuals. Muscat of Alexandria grapes were harvested and subjected to greenhouse drying under ambient temperature for 7 days, during the 2020 and 2021 harvests. When weight loss was approximately 30%, grapes were processed according to different protocols, including a rehydration step using saltwater or white wine (2020 harvest). Fermentation was conducted with the addition of commercial yeast without sulphur dioxide supplementation. The piquettes were obtained from the pressed pomaces diluted with water solution (5 g/L tartaric acid). The 2020 wines showed alcoholic content and residual sugar ranging from 14.8 to 17.0% (v/v), and 0.8 g/L to 18 g/L, respectively. Volatile acidity was less than 1 g/L (as acetic acid) in all wines, except for the fermentation of crushed grapes alone, which yielded 2.3 g/L volatile acidity. The fermentation of dehydrated crushed grapes in the semi-industrial trial run in the harvest of 2021 yielded 1.1 g/L volatile acidity. The piquettes analysis showed ethanol ranging from 10.2% (v/v) to 16.0% (v/v), reducing substances less than 2 g/L and volatile acidity less than 0.8 g/L. Overall, the physicochemical analysis showed that it was possible to recreate ancient winemaking techniques that may be further improved to produce commercially and legally acceptable winesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

How do we perceive advertising? Antecedents of attitudes on advertising and implications in purchase intentions

Con el presente trabajo pretendemos realizar un análisis empírico de las dimensiones que explican el modo en que los consumidores perciben la publicidad y las consecuencias de este proceso. Mediante la administración de un cuestionario fue posible obtener las respuestas de 220 individuos portugueses sobre la publicidad de la marca líder de telecomunicaciones en Portugal. El análisis de datos permitió identificar cuatro dimensiones que están presentes en la percepción de la publicidad: entretenimiento, relevancia, empatía y rechazo. Concluimos que el entretenimiento y la relevancia (positivamente) y el rechazo (negativamente), permiten predecir la "actitud frente a la publicidad de la marca" y que esta última explica parcialmente la "intención de compra".691D-6753-BE59 | Manuel José Serra da Fonsecainfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Academic production of themes strategy and corporate governance

A estratégia empresarial é um assunto complexo, que pode ser examinado a partir de diversas perspectivas, e, em particular, da Governança Corporativa que, por sua vez, se constitui em um tema de interesse visível para o papel da política estratégica no mundo corporativo. Este artigo mapeou o perfil e a evolução da pesquisa em Governança Corporativa e Estratégia, no período 1990 a 2012, nos periódicos internacionais da área de Administração. Metodologicamente realizou-se um estudo bibliométrico, com análise de redes sociais, em uma amostra de 411 artigos. Os resultados permitem concluir que houve um crescimento dos trabalhos a partir de 2002, que Wright e Filatotchev são os autores mais produtivos, que Jensen e Meckling, Fama e Jensen, e Shleifer e Vishny são os pesquisadores mais citados. Adicionalmente, as redes de coautoria têm baixa interação e existe uma centralidade da rede de cocitação.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparison of chromosomal and array-based comparative genomic hybridization for the detection of genomic imbalances in primary prostate carcinomas

BACKGROUND: In order to gain new insights into the molecular mechanisms involved in prostate cancer, we performed array-based comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) on a series of 46 primary prostate carcinomas using a 1 Mbp whole-genome coverage platform. As chromosomal comparative genomic hybridization (cCGH) data was available for these samples, we compared the sensitivity and overall concordance of the two methodologies, and used the combined information to infer the best of three different aCGH scoring approaches. RESULTS: Our data demonstrate that the reliability of aCGH in the analysis of primary prostate carcinomas depends to some extent on the scoring approach used, with the breakpoint estimation method being the most sensitive and reliable. The pattern of copy number changes detected by aCGH was concordant with that of cCGH, but the higher resolution technique detected 2.7 times more aberrations and 15.2% more carcinomas with genomic imbalances. We additionally show that several aberrations were consistently overlooked using cCGH, such as small deletions at 5q, 6q, 12p, and 17p. The latter were validated by fluorescence in situ hybridization targeting TP53, although only one carcinoma harbored a point mutation in this gene. Strikingly, homozygous deletions at 10q23.31, encompassing the PTEN locus, were seen in 58% of the cases with 10q loss. CONCLUSION: We conclude that aCGH can significantly improve the detection of genomic aberrations in cancer cells as compared to previously established whole-genome methodologies, although contamination with normal cells may influence the sensitivity and specificity of some scoring approaches. Our work delineated recurrent copy number changes and revealed novel amplified loci and frequent homozygous deletions in primary prostate carcinomas, which may guide future work aimed at identifying the relevant target genes. In particular, biallelic loss seems to be a frequent mechanism of inactivation of the PTEN gene in prostate carcinogenesis