Foreign subsidiaries performance and dynamics: a comparative analysis with domestic firms

In this study we conduct a dynamic and comparative analysis showing evolutional differences between foreign and domestic firms, a topic particularly important when foreign direct investment has become more important to economic growth. In this study, we discuss the Portuguese experience and the comparative evolution of foreign subsidiaries and domestic firms during the period 1985-2005. We look in particular at issues of performance, human capital and dynamics. The research is based on a large scale panel data at firm level from the database ‘Quadros de Pessoal’ for the period 1985-2005. Our study expands over previous analyses conducted about Portugal with qualitative empirical data at firm level. From our knowledge, this is the first study with such a long time pan dimension. More than allowing for a comparative and static analysis, with this time horizon it is possible to investigate how the differences evolved over time. We found dissimilar progress trends in performance, human capital and dynamics. We discuss the implications of the findings and open prospects for future research. To study the quality of the foreign investments and its potential impact on the competitiveness of the host economy is clearly an important issue, especially in an economy with strong a challenge for convergence, and about which we still know very little on these issues. These analyses and empirical evidences are important to evaluate the efforts put in action in the last decades to attract FDI, and to open new lines of discussion and new policy measures

The enhancing effect of human capital on the FDI and Economic Growth nexus

The importance of Human Capital accumulation in order to achieve greater economic growth is not neglected in economic theory. In this paper we look at the importance of human capital for enhancing the effect of another factor, inward foreign direct investment (FDI), that may affect growth. Governments in all continents now compete actively for FDI but not all countries reap the full benefits from it. Our study demonstrates that FDI has a greater impact on GDP growth for OECD countries that meet minimum thresholds of absorptive capacity measured by human capital proxy and private R&D. An active policy towards FDI implies therefore to support human capital development, learning and investment by local firms, as a way not only to attract high quality FDI but also to enhance the potential benefits arising from foreign presence

Revisiting the Foreign Direct Investment – Economic Growth Nexus: thresholds of absorptive capacity

This paper revisits the relationship between FDI and economic growth. While the relationship between FDI, growth and the role of the moderating variable ‘absorptive capacity’ has been intensely debated, the identification of the minimum thresholds of absorptive capacity for a positive effect from FDI to arise remains largely unexplored. For this reason, two threshold variables - host country’s human capital level and the share of R&D performed by business sector on total GDP - are used as proxies for host countries’ absorptive capacity. The study is based on a sample of 30 countries of OECD for the period 1997-2007. The results confirm the suspicion that FDI effect on economic growth should not be taken for granted, even in developed countries, requiring the gathering of some conditions within host economies. By using the empirical setting of OECD countries for the period 1997-2007, our results are strongly supportive of a moderating effect played by both human capital and business sector R&D expenditures upon the growth enhancing effects of FDI. We contribute to the existing empirical evidence by quantifying the minimum thresholds required for countries to gain with FDI. It was found that the benefits from inward FDI in terms of growth only emerge when the country level of population with a college degree reaches about 27% and the share of business sector R&D in total GDP is about 1,4%. In 2007 a great portion of OECD countries still remain below both thresholds

Interferência Do Volume De Calda, Crescimento Dos Frutos E Precipitação Pluviométrica Sobre Os Depósitos Da Pulverização No Período De Controle Da Mancha Preta Dos Citros

Citrus black spot (CBS) caused by Guignardia citricarpa is one of the most serious Brazilian citrus diseases. This study aims to assess the interference of three application volumes in spray deposition citrus fruit, as well as fruit growth and rainfall effects on spray deposit reduction during the CBS control period. The experiment was carried out in a commercial citrus orchard, with sixteen-year-old trees of the Valencia variety, in Mogi Guaçu, São Paulo State, Brazil. The spray volumes were: 3.5 (1333L ha-1), 4.5 (1714L ha-1) and 8.5 (3238L ha-1) litres per tree, sprayed by an airblast sprayer using fungicides at recommended periods for disease control. The spray deposition quantification and residue was done by spectrophotometry using a copper oxychloride tracer. Samples were collected in three height zones of the tree (top, middle and bottom) and placed between trees on line plantation. Spray depositions were significantly smaller in the first application as a consequence of reduced fruit size. The spray losses on average for each day of rainfall ranged from 4.0 to 5.7%. There was no significant difference between application volumes regarding spray deposition on citrus fruit,which makes possible the reduction of application volumes, however, it is necessary to improve spraying techniques for the top zone of the citrus tree. © 2016, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria. All rights reserved.46582583

Capacitação de boas práticas de manipulação de alimentos em estabelecimentos alimentícios no município de Fernandópolis-SP / Good handling skills of food in food establishments in the municipality Fernandopolis-SP

A capacitação para manipuladores de alimentos é considerada um dos métodos mais eficaz e aconselhado para transferir conhecimentos e proporcionar mudanças. Os manipuladores carecem de ser supervisionados e capacitados frequentemente em vários seguimentos, como por exemplo, higiene pessoal, higiene alimentar, doenças veiculadas por alimentos, dentre outros. A elaboração do projeto de capacitação das qualidades individuais das pessoas deve ser realizada em vários programas, encontrando-se diferentes níveis de experiência e conhecimento. Sendo assim, o objetivo desse trabalho foi desenvolver um plano de capacitação para manipuladores de alimentos nos estabelecimentos do município de Fernandópolis-SP. A pesquisa constituiu-se, primeiramente, em revisão de literatura, seguida de elaboração de cartilha de manipulação de alimentos, na sequência aplicação da mesma e elaboração de questionário, validação através deste e por fim tabulação de resultados obtidos. Dessa forma, como resultados esperados,  gostaríamos de ter a participação da maioria dos estabelecimentos e adesão de conhecimento com a capacitação aplicada nestes estabelecimentos comerciais

Gravitational Energy of Kerr and Kerr Anti-de Sitter Space-times in the Teleparallel Geometry

In the context of the Hamiltonian formulation of the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity we compute the gravitational energy of Kerr and Kerr Anti-de Sitter (Kerr-AdS) space-times. The present calculation is carried out by means of an expression for the energy of the gravitational field that naturally arises from the integral form of the constraint equations of the formalism. In each case, the energy is exactly computed for finite and arbitrary spacelike two-spheres, without any restriction on the metric parameters. In particular, we evaluate the energy at the outer event horizon of the black holes.Comment: 11 pages, 1 figure, to appear in JHEP11(2003)00

Energy Contents of Some Well-Known Solutions in Teleparallel Gravity

In the context of teleparallel equivalent to General Relativity, we study energy and its relevant quantities for some well-known black hole solutions. For this purpose, we use the Hamiltonian approach which gives reasonable and interesting results. We find that our results of energy exactly coincide with several prescriptions in General Relativity. This supports the claim that different energy-momentum prescriptions can give identical results for a given spacetime. We also evaluate energy-momentum flux of these solutions.Comment: 16 pages, accepted for publication in Astrophys. Space Sc

Charged Dilaton, Energy, Momentum and Angular-Momentum in Teleparallel Theory Equivalent to General Relativity

We apply the energy-momentum tensor to calculate energy, momentum and angular-momentum of two different tetrad fields. This tensor is coordinate independent of the gravitational field established in the Hamiltonian structure of the teleparallel equivalent of general relativity (TEGR). The spacetime of these tetrad fields is the charged dilaton. Our results show that the energy associated with one of these tetrad fields is consistent, while the other one does not show this consistency. Therefore, we use the regularized expression of the gravitational energy-momentum tensor of the TEGR. We investigate the energy within the external event horizon using the definition of the gravitational energy-momentum.Comment: 22 Pages Late