Road transport infrastructure: a longitudinal case study (2009-2017)

This article investigates the economic gains with the reduction of logistic costs after the asphalt pavement of the highway MT 235 for a Brazilian crystal sugar and alcohol industry. Investment in infrastructure is an attribute that increases economic growth and increases the competitiveness of companies. As far as road transport infrastructure is concerned, the problems are not limited to a specific area, but stretches of highways, which link urban transportation and ports to the generation and transmission of electricity, among others. Only 12.2% of Brazilian highways are paved. This work is the result of a longitudinal case study with participant observation, in a time line from 2009 to 2017. It was possible to identify that, after improvements in road transport infrastructure, the asphalt pavement of the highway MT 235 made possible a gain in travel time and a decrease in logistics costs, which led to the closure of the activities of one of the subsidiaries of the company studied, located in Manaus (Amazonas), in 2009. With the benefits of the asphalt pavement of the MT 235, in 2017 we found that sales volume increased 650% in relation to 2011, logistics costs have been significantly reduced in relation to gross revenues, maintaining an average of 11.58%. In 2017, the logistic costs of the company studied were 12.61% versus 20.7% from the group of Brazilian agribusiness companies. The findings show that investments in road transport infrastructure are crucial when it comes to fostering trade and competitiveness of domestic products in international markets, by reducing logistics costs

Quality of working life management and organizational commitment: a study in teams with multiple contracting forms in a technological research institution.

A partir do final do século passado, a competitividade impulsionou as organizações a buscar uma maior flexibilização em seus processos, conduzindo a novas formas de contratação de pessoas. A gestão da qualidade de vida no trabalho (GQVT), o comprometimento organizacional e a gestão de equipes com múltiplas formas de contratação são temas atuais e necessários nas organizações. A proposta deste estudo foi investigar como são as relações da qualidade de vida no trabalho e do comprometimento organizacional em equipes com múltiplas formas de contratação. Para isso fundamentou-se em algumas definições. Como qualidade de vida no trabalho entende-se a percepção e escolhas de bem-estar relativas a hábitos saudáveis pessoais, familiares e organizacionais em ambiente ético e sustentável. Como comprometimento organizacional entende-se o empenho e envolvimento do indivíduo com a organização. Foi realizado um estudo de caso em uma instituição de pesquisa tecnológica que opera com equipes de múltiplos vínculos. Foi aplicado um questionário auto-administrado obtendo-se uma amostra de 270 colaboradores, que foi analisada utilizando-se a Correlação de Pearson e a ANOVA. As hipóteses do estudo foram confirmadas, indicando associações moderadas entre a satisfação com QVT e as dimensões de comprometimento afetiva e afiliativa, bem como diferenças entre os colaboradores com vínculos de trabalho diferenciados, em relação à satisfação com QVT, à atribuição de importância em QVT e ao comprometimento. Os resultados indicam que, entre os colaboradores de diversos vínculos contratuais, há diversas diferenças na satisfação com a QVT, algumas diferenças na atribuição de importância em QVT e algumas diferenças no comprometimento, em assertivas que não podem ser generalizadas para a forma de comprometimento predominante na organização. Os dados indicam que o comprometimento organizacional na amostra é, em geral, normativo e dissociado da QVT. Isto indica que o comprometimento pode estar mais associado a outros aspectos, como a cultura da organização, do que a diferenças entre as formas de contratação. A confiança também foi percebida como um importante aspecto que deve ser considerado na gestão de equipes multicontratuais. Sistemas participativos, com maior difusão de informação e políticas públicas que incorporem gestões mais modernas pode ser uma solução, possibilitando também maior equidade nas formas de contratação.Since the end of last century, competitiveness has stimulated organizations in order to search for more flexibilization in processes, leading to new forms of contracting people. The quality of working life management (QWLM), the organizational commitment and the management of teams with multiple contracting forms are current and necessary subjects in the organizations. The aim of this study was to investigate how are the relations of quality of working life and organizational commitment in teams with multiple contracting forms. Thus this study was based on some definitions. Quality of working life is understood as the individual perception and choices concerning well-being, at personal, familiar and organizational healthful habits in an ethical and sustainable environment. Organizational commitment is understood as the individual striving and involvement with organization. A case study was carried out in a technological research institution which operates by teams of multiple contracting forms. A self-administered questionnaire was applied to a sample of 270 collaborators, which was analyzed by Pearson Correlation and ANOVA. The hypotheses of this study were confirmed, indicating moderate associations between the QWL satisfaction and the affective and affiliate dimensions of organizational commitment, as well as differences between collaborators with different contracting forms to QWL satisfaction, to attribution of QWL importance and to organizational commitment. The results indicate that, among the collaborators of diverse contracting forms, there are several differences in QWL satisfaction, some differences in QWL attribution of importance and some differences in organizational commitment, in some statement that cannot be generalized for the predominant commitment dimension in the organization. Data also indicate that the organizational commitment, from the sample is, in general, normative and dissociated from QWL. Therefore commitment can be more associated to other aspects, such as organizational culture, than contract differences. Participation systems, with information diffusion and public politics which incorporate modern managements can be a solution, what would also make possible more equity of contracting

Organizational identity construction and reciprocal influences with personal identity: a study in technological parks

A identidade pode ser definida como o conjunto de características que fazem as pessoas, grupos e organizações similares e diferentes uns dos outros, considerando a continuidade e a diferenciação. É um conceito que pode ser abordado em diversos níveis: pessoa, grupo, organização, nação e mundo e é importante porque constroi interesses, valores e projetos. A pergunta central de pesquisa é Como se estabelece a identidade organizacional em parques tecnológicos, em suas reciprocidades com a identidade pessoal? O objetivo geral deste estudo consiste em investigar como se estabelece a construção da identidade organizacional em parques de ciência e tecnologia a partir do entendimento do construto de identidade pessoal, gerando subsídios para modelos de gestão. Operacionalmente, a identidade organizacional foi estudada considerando elementos estruturantes encontrados na literatura de identidade pessoal, que são o histórico (o quê, como, por quem, para quê), visão de futuro, confiabilidade, autonomia, integração, recapacitação e relacionamentos, bem como aspectos centrais e distintivos. A identidade organizacional é o guia final para a tomada de decisões, quando um conflito parece insolúvel. É, portanto, um conceito importante em contexto de competitividade, cujo conceito seminal foi publicado em 1985. Os parques tecnológicos são entendidos como um instrumento de interação entre universidade e empresa para gerar competitividade através da inovação, promovendo qualificação, aumento de empregos e bem-estar social pela geração do conhecimento. Os parques tecnológicos são um fenômeno recente no Brasil, cujas primeiras iniciativas ocorreram há trinta anos, em 1984, e intensificou-se após a lei da inovação, há dez anos, em 2004. O estudo caracteriza-se como exploratório, qualitativo, com estudo de casos múltiplos e seu nível de análise é o organizacional. Foram estudados o Parque Eco Tecnológico Damha, o Parque Tecnológico - São José dos Campos e o Parque Tecnológico de Sorocaba. Foram utilizadas múltiplas fontes de evidências, que são observação, documentos, materiais audiovisuais e reuniões individuais e em grupo. Foram realizadas reuniões com os gestores dos parques tecnológicos bem como em três empresas; adicionalmente, foi realizada uma entrevista com especialista no tema Parques Tecnológicos. O valor que gera distintividade e diz respeito à essencialidade da existência dos parques estudados está na inovação, como fruto do desenvolvimento científico, e fomento de empresas inovadoras, que gere competitividade, mesmo que isto ocorra em detrimento dos setores enunciados, como forma de continuidade e diferenciação, ou seja, a competência de adaptar-se a novos horizontes. Esta pesquisa contribui com o estudo da identidade organizacional de parques tecnológicos, que é um fenômeno recente e pouco estudado, considerando os aspectos centrais, duradouros e distintivos, e com a proposição de parâmetros que norteiam o estabelecimento das identidades organizacionais, a partir do estudo do construto de identidade pessoal, que são confiabilidade, autonomia, integração, recapacitação e, ainda, o entendimento das parcerias como stakeholders internos nestes ambientes e pelas perguntas como, por quê, quando e por quem. O modelo gera inovação psicossocial, e verifica que a mudança para o parque gerou incremento da qualidade de vida no trabalho, percebido nos aspectos de qualidade de ambiente, de empreendedorismo e cordialidade; facilidades; confiabilidade; recapacitação; integração; imagem e acesso a financiamentos, embora este último constitua ainda uma barreira. Ressalva-se que estes achados limitam-se aos casos estudados.Identity can be defined as the set of characteristics that make people, groups and organizations similar and different from each other considering continuity and differentiation. It is a concept that can be approached at different levels: individual, group, organization, nation and world, and is important because it builds interests, values and projects. The central research question is How organizational identity is established in technology parks in reciprocity with personal identity? The purpose of this study is to investigate how to establish the organizational identity construction in science and technology parks from the understanding of personal identity construct, generating subsidies for management models. Operationally , organizational identity has been studied considering the structural elements found in the personal identity literature , which are historical ( what, how , by whom and for what ) , forward thinking , reliability , autonomy , integration , retraining and relationships , as well as central and distinctive features . The organizational identity is the ultimate guide to making decisions when a conflict seems insoluble. It is therefore an important concept in the context of competitiveness, which seminal concept was published in 1985. Technological parks are seen as a tool for interaction between university and company to generate competitiveness through innovation, promoting skills, job growth and social welfare from knowledge generation. Technological parks are a recent phenomenon in Brazil, whose first initiatives occurred thirty years ago , in 1984 , and intensified after the innovation law , ten years ago , in 2004. This study is characterized as exploratory, with multiple cases and their level of analysis is organizational. São José dos Campos Technology Park, Sorocaba Technological Park and Damha Eco Technology Park were studied. It were used multiple sources of evidence, which are observation, documents, audiovisual materials and individual and group meetings. Meetings with managers of technology parks and three companies were held and, additionally, an interview with an expert on the subject. The value that generates distinctiveness and concerns the essentiality of the existence of the studied parks lies in innovation as the result of scientific development , and promotion of innovative companies that generate competitiveness , even if this occurs at the expense of the sectors listed, as a form of continuity and differentiation , that means , the power to adapt to new horizons. The study contributes by organizational identity study in technology parks , which is a recent phenomenon and little studied , considering the central , enduring and distinctive features , and the proposition of parameters that guide the establishment of organizational identities , from the study of construct of personal identity , which are reliability, autonomy, integration, requalifying and further the understanding of partnerships and internal stakeholders in these environments and the questions how, why, when and by whom . The model generates psychosocial innovation, and finds that moving to the park improves the quality of working life, noted in quality aspects of the environment, entrepreneurship and warmth; facilities; reliability; requalifying; integration; image and access to finance, although the latter still constitutes a barrier. It is emphasized that these findings are limited to the cases conducted

Demandas tecnológicas em empresas: estudo no Parque Tecnológico de São Paulo

Este estudo é fundamentado no modelo do Parque Tecnológico de São Paulo (PTSP) proposto por Zouain (2003), que propõe um parque tecnológico urbano a partir da formação de clusters em áreas não contíguas. O objetivo consiste em compreender as demandas tecnológicas de empresas situadas na região do parque. Com base em estudos anteriores, foram realizados estudos de casos em empresas na região. As empresas têm como demandas potenciais a obtenção de certificações, globalização dos produtos, especialmente em relação ao mercado europeu; há também demandas estruturais, pela falta ou menor qualidade de insumos tecnológicos no mercado brasileiro; e demandas que contemplam maior interação entre os atores universidade, governo e comunidade empresarial, que são a qualificação técnica e acesso a financiamentos. Adicionalmente, percebe-se que as empresas locais que não têm participação estrangeira têm grande dificuldade para a alavancagem de seus negócios

Road transport infrastructure: a longitudinal case study (2009-2017)

This article investigates the economic gains with the reduction of logistic costs after the asphalt pavement of the highway MT 235 for a Brazilian crystal sugar and alcohol industry. Investment in infrastructure is an attribute that increases economic growth and increases the competitiveness of companies. As far as road transport infrastructure is concerned, the problems are not limited to a specific area, but stretches of highways, which link urban transportation and ports to the generation and transmission of electricity, among others. Only 12.2% of Brazilian highways are paved. This work is the result of a longitudinal case study with participant observation, in a time line from 2009 to 2017. It was possible to identify that, after improvements in road transport infrastructure, the asphalt pavement of the highway MT 235 made possible a gain in travel time and a decrease in logistics costs, which led to the closure of the activities of one of the subsidiaries of the company studied, located in Manaus (Amazonas), in 2009. With the benefits of the asphalt pavement of the MT 235, in 2017 we found that sales volume increased 650% in relation to 2011, logistics costs have been significantly reduced in relation to gross revenues, maintaining an average of 11.58%. In 2017, the logistic costs of the company studied were 12.61% versus 20.7% from the group of Brazilian agribusiness companies. The findings show that investments in road transport infrastructure are crucial when it comes to fostering trade and competitiveness of domestic products in international markets, by reducing logistics costs

Influence of relational resources on the development of relational operating skills

The debate about relational resources and their influences has followed an internal focus on organizations, and in the literature this has been shown to have a high influence on the ways of the resource-based view. This article aims to analyze the development of operational competencies following the focus of the relational view from the interaction of relational resources shared in supply chains. The research was guided by the strategy of multiple case studies in the steel industry, automotive and industrial applications, pulp production, and engineering for the energy industry. The results of the analysis of the four cases show that deeper relationships in the form of partnerships enable a process of investing in specific assets, knowledge accumulation, learning exchange, and a combination of complementary strategic resources that develop relational operational competencies. And, these competencies that represent the company's ability to promote a skill set to use resources efficiently and to provide a barrier to imitation are further developed by the information and knowledge constructs

Operational competencies rooted in resource theory: operations strategy and supply chain performance

This study discusses the influence of internal and relational resources on the performance of purchasing companies in which strategic suppliers are involved in their business processes, through interaction with operational competencies. The discussion of competency development has followed an internal focus on the company influenced by the resource-based view. In turn, the relational view proposes strategies of interorganizational cooperation to develop competitive relationships through short- and long-term collaborative actions. This study fills an important gap in the field of resource theory in Latin America. The results show that relational vision categories, when integrated with operational competences, influence business performance