Small Companies Innovations in Emerging Countries: E-Business Adoption and its Business Model

Organizations have been taking advantage of e-business as an innovative opportunity to improve business results, but small companies have not been adopting this tool as quickly as large corporations. There are several studies on the adoption of e-business in developed countries, but there are fewer studies in emerging Latin American countries. Thus, the goal of this study was to describe the business model of small companies that have adopted e-business (an innovation to this segment) in an emerging Latin American country. For that, we used a quantitative approach trough a survey data. Main results: the owners/shareholders play a central role in making decisions about the adoption of e-business; the main value delivered from using the internet was improved brand and/or product awareness. The companies using e-business achieved increase in business and an expanded geographic scope of sales. The main difficulties encountered were training personnel to work on the internet and defining which web activities can lead to achieve strategic objectives

Trabalho e sobrevivência - o mundo da vida sob ameaça: racionalidade ou irracionalidade?

A condução da vida por uma racionalidade capitalista-instrumental é o tema aqui discutido sob o prisma de reconhecê-la em manifestações da vida, sem desconhecer o quanto afeta o chamado mundo do trabalho. A subjetividade comprometida do trabalhador nesse processo é um dos seus maiores efeitos. A construção do texto resgata as idéias weberianas sobre um processo racional-instrumental que absorve a vida moderna, apresentando, em seguida, o novo paradigma habermasiano da razão comunicativa como alternativa às conseqüências dessa lógica tipicamente capitalista. Ao analisar a invasão do mundo sistêmico sobre o mundo da vida e a continuidade desse processo, o artigo elabora uma reflexão sobre a racionalidade, colocando a indagação: nas condições da moderna produção flexível, marca das grandes e médias indústrias de caráter transnacional, está-se diante de uma racionalidade ou irracionalidade capitalista

INDÚSTRIA AUTOMOBILÍSTICA E SINDICATO: atuação renovada no Paraná dos anos 2000

O artigo tem por objetivo discutir a relação entre sindicato, empresa e trabalhadores que se estabelece com a instalação das montadoras no Paraná, em meados dos anos 1990. A inserção do Estado no circuito econômico mundial deu-se pela produção enxuta, adoção de tecnologia e gestão flexível do trabalho, o que afetou a forma de negociação dos metalúrgicos. A pesquisa baseia-se em entrevistas estruturadas com sindicalistas, assessores e trabalhadores e informações sobre a produção, o emprego e o sindicato. Os padrões da reestruturação produtiva chegaram consolidados nessas plantas novas e trouxeram impactos aos trabalhadores organizados, que passaram a enfrentar as empresas em rede, a heterogeneidade da cadeia automotiva e a fragmentação do mercado de trabalho, além do intercâmbio estabelecido com outras localidades. Palavras-chave: indústria automobilística, sindicato, redes, cadeia automotiva, metalúrgicos. CAR INDUSTRY AND UNION: renewed performance in Paraná in the year 2000 Silvia Maria de Araújo This article focus on the discussion of the relation between syndicate/industry/workers, established with the car industries installation, in Paraná, during the 1990´s. The insertion of the state of Paraná in the world-wide economical circuit was caused by the lean production, adoption of technology and flexible work management, affecting the negotial form of the metallurgists. This research is based on interviews with syndicalists, assessors and workers, and information about production, employment and trade union. The patterns of the productive re-structuration were consolidated in these new plants and caused impact to the organized workers, that began to face the industries, the heterogeneity of the automotive chain and the fragmentation of the work market, besides establish interchange with other localities. Key-words: automobilistic industry, syndicate, nets, automotive chain, metallurgists. INDUSTRIE AUTOMOBILE ET SYNDICAT: action renouvelée au Paraná dans les années 2000 Silvia Maria de Araújo L’article a pour but de discuter le rapport syndicat/entreprise/travailleurs qui s’établit lors de l’instalation des usines automobiles au Paraná, pendant les années 1990. L’insertion de l’état du Paraná dans le circuit économique mondial s’est réalisée par le biais de l’objectivité du travail, l’adoption de la technologie et la gestion flexible du travail, qui ont affecté la forme de négocier du syndicat des métallurgistes. La recherche est basée sur des interviews structurées avec les syndicalistes, les assesseurs et les travailleurs aussi bien que sur des informations sur la production, l’emploi et le syndicat. Les paramètres de la restructuration productive sont arrivés consolidés dans ces nouvelles implantations et ont apporté des impacts sur les travailleurs organisés qui ont commencé à affronter les entreprises en réseau, l’hétérogénéité de la chaîne automobile et la fragmentation du marché du travail, et à établir des échanges avec d’autres localités. Mots-clés: industrie automobile, syndicat, réseau, chaîne automobile, métalurgistes. Publicação Online do Caderno CRH: http://www.cadernocrh.ufba.b

Evaluating the Efficacy of Value-driven Methods: A Controlled Experiment

A value model is an abstract representation of an organization and is used for capturing and describing the rationale of how the organization creates, delivers, and captures business value. Value-driven development methods use the notion of “economic value exchange” to define more efficient business strategies and align Information Systems with the organization goals. However, current value-driven methods are complex and there is not enough empirical evidence about which of the existing methods is more effective under what circumstances. This paper addresses this issue by presenting a controlled experiment aimed at comparing the Dynamic Value Description (DVD) method, which is a recently defined cognitive early requirements approach, with the well-known e3value method, with respect to their effectiveness, efficiency, perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and intention to use. The results show that DVD has proved to be a promising method for specifying business value

Da precarização do trabalhador portuário avulso a uma teoria da precariedade do trabalho

A reestruturação organizacional dos portos, a dinâmica tecnológica e um quadro de privatização crescente, desde os anos 1990, criaram um novo referencial para o trabalho, mudando relações técnicas e sociais de categorias históricas, como os estivadores e arrumadores (capatazia). A desregulamentação “oficial” do trabalho portuário, no Brasil, data da implantação do sistema de escala eletrônica. Com sua atividade laboral intermitente e condições contratuais inconsistentes, a situação de precarização dos trabalhadores portuários avulsos antecede as reformulações políticas neoliberais e instiga a proposição de uma teoria da precariedade do trabalho

ACUTE EFFECT OF QUADRICEPS STRETCHING ON VERTICAL GROUND REACTION FORCE, MUSCLE ACTIVITY AND VERTICAL JUMP PERFORMANCE

The aim of this study was to analyze the acute effects of stretching on jumping performance (vertical velocity of the center of mass), vertical ground reaction force (peak force and rate of force development) and electromyography (EMG) of the vastus lateralis (VL) during the countermovement jump (CMJ). Nineteen male individuals performed the CMJ test before and after one quadriceps stretching session. This session consisted of four 20-second repetitions of passive static stretching of quadriceps. The results indicated a significant reduction in the rate of force development, a reduction in the integrated EMG during the eccentric phase and an increase in duration of the concentric phase. However, these alterations did not affect the vertical jump performance