The Applicability of Transaction Costs Economics to Vertical Integration Decision: Evidences from a Brazilian Beef Processor

This article aims to explore the vertical integration decision of a beef processor from an integrated approach operations strategy and transaction costs economic theory. In this research, vertical integration as a structural decision of operations strategy determined by the occurrence of transaction costs. The paper presents one case study carried out in one beef Processor Company which illustrates the main theoretical assumptions. The results suggest that transaction costs economics helps to identify key points of major strategic decisions on vertical integration due to its behavioural perspective, reducing the effect of uncertainty and asset specificity of this decision. At the end of the paper, future research is suggested.vertical integration, operations strategy, transaction costs economics, Agribusiness, Agricultural Finance, Industrial Organization,

the role of intercultural mediation

Migration is generally described as a process that is nationally specific and that have features common to several countries. This has been shown by several authors through comparative research that compares the migration process of the same immigrant group to several countries (among others, Engbersen, Snel, & de Boom, 2010) or which scrutinises the migration realities of different countries (Zimmermann, 2005). Most of these studies are about geographically near countries, which are part of the same political system (the EU), and that have an established (albeit differentiated) welfare system. These proximities (geographical, but also political and social) allowed the authors of these studies to conceptualise the existence of several migration models or regimes: the southern European model (Baldwin-Edwards, 2012), the Iberian model of Migration (Malheiros, 2012); the intra-EU mobility regime (Engbersen et al., 2017). These migratory regimes are intertwined by migrant integration models or by different approaches to increasingly diverse populations. Although these are often identified as ‘national models of integration’, they do not fail to integrate the developments that have been recorded in the last decades in the international contexts in which the countries are inserted. Throughout the present text, the Portuguese experience in dealing with immigrant integration is used to reflect on the development of intercultural policies and practices, and on the role of intercultural mediation. The article is structured in the following way: in the introductory section we will review the discussion on interculturalism; in a second section the Portuguese immigration context will be presented; in a third section the integration of immigrants in the country will be analysed, given special attention to the development of policies that support immigrants’ integration process. In the fourth section, the role of intercultural mediation for the integration of immigrants will be considered.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The role of food standards on international trade: assessing the Brazilian beef chain

The purpose of this paper is to identify how Brazilian beef managers have responded to a rapid expansion and intensification of standards for beef exports. This issue relates to how some Brazilian beef exporters are strategically repositioning themselves in the supply chains. The literature of this study reviews global chain governance and international standards. The method uses case studies consisting of six medium and large scale beef exporters who export fresh beef to the European Union. The main findings describe the kinds of governance that stimulate upgrading and transferral of the best practices and, consequently, full compliance with mandatory standards. This study suggests that standards do matter for companies trying to increase international competitiveness. These results contribute an understanding of the Brazilian beef chain, and also of other supply chains coping with demanding and changing international markets. Managerial implications show the challengesfacing Brazilian beef exporters in their efforts to sustain exports to the European Union and how they are using chain governance to improve their compliance with international standards and increase competitiveness

Estratégias de ensino e aprendizagem e a promoção de capacidades de pensamento crítico

Na Educação em Ciências defende-se a promoção do Pensamento Crítico (PC) de todos para que sejam capazes de resolver problemas de tomar decisões bem informadas sobre Ciência e Tecnologia.Para tal, os vários elementos, como as estratégias de ensino, devem ser explicitamente orientados para o desenvolvimento do PC. Nesta base pretende-se testar a hipótese nula: Não existem diferenças estatisticamente significativas, no nível de PC, entre os estudantes sujeitos a estratégias de ensino, como o questionamento, orientadas para o ensino do PC e os submetidos a esta e a outras estratégias sem essa orientação explícita. Para tal seguiu-se um desenho factorial do tipo 2 X 2. Os resultados apontam para a existência de diferenças estatisticamente significativas, no nível de PC, entre os estudantessujeitos a estratégias orientadas para o PC e os que não tiveram essa orientação

STRATEGIC RESPONSE TO INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS: INSIGHTS FROM THE BRAZILIAN BEEF CHAIN

While Globalisation in the agri-food sector may provide opportunities for companies in developing countries to access international markets, it also threatens the existence of some sub-sectors. This paper reviews existing literature on co-ordination and international standards, identifying the importance of both to supply chain management. In the context of the Brazilian beef export chain, this paper contributes to the question of how exporters are changing their transaction practices in order to respond efficiently to those standards. In-depth interviews with key people and summaries of case study findings highlight the impact of international standards on the organisation of the export supply chain. It is highlighted that to be globally competitive, traditional mistrust and opportunism need to be overcome by the formation of network or quasi integration strategies between processors and suppliers. Prediction shows that sharing market information would lead to a supply chain management and could be considered trading-up.While Globalisation in the agri-food sector may provide opportunities for companies in developing countries to access international markets, it also threatens the existence of some sub-sectors. This paper reviews existing literature on co-ordination and international standards, identifying the importance of both to supply chain management. In the context of the Brazilian beef export chain, this paper contributes to the question of how exporters are changing their transaction practices in order to respond efficiently to those standards. In-depth interviews with key people and summaries of case study findings highlight the impact of international standards on the organisation of the export supply chain. It is highlighted that to be globally competitive, traditional mistrust and opportunism need to be overcome by the formation of network or quasi integration strategies between processors and suppliers. Prediction shows that sharing market information would lead to a supply chain management and could be considered trading-up

Automatic Handling of Imbalanced Datasets for Classification

Imbalanced data is present in various business areas and when facing it without proper knowledge, it can have undesired negative consequences. In addition, the most common evaluation metrics in machine learning to measure the desired solution can be inappropriate and misleading. Multiple combinations of methods are proposed to handle imbalanced data however, often, they required specialised knowledge to be used correctly. For imbalanced classification, the desire to correctly classify the underrepresented class tends to be more important than the overrepresented class, while being more challenging and time-consuming. Several approaches, ranging from more accessible and more advanced in the domains of data resampling and cost-sensitive techniques, will be considered to handle imbalanced data. The application developed delivers recommendations of the most suited combinations of techniques for the specific dataset imported, by extracting and comparing meta-features values recorded in a knowledge base. It facilitates effortless classification and automates part of the machine learning pipeline with comparable or better results to a state-of-the-art solution and with a much smaller execution timeOs dados não balanceados estão presentes em diversas áreas de negócio e, ao enfrentá-los sem o devido conhecimento, podem trazer consequências negativas e indesejadas. Além disso, as métricas de avaliação mais comuns em aprendizagem de máquina (machine learning) para medir a solução desejada podem ser inadequadas e enganosas. Múltiplas combinações de métodos são propostas para lidar com dados não balanceados, contudo, muitas vezes, estas exigem um conhecimento especializado para serem usadas corretamente. Para a classificação não balanceada, o desejo de classificar corretamente a classe sub-representada tende a ser mais importante do que a classe que está representada em demasia, sendo mais difícil e demorado. Várias abordagens, desde as mais acessíveis até as mais avançadas nos domínios de reamostragem de dados e técnicas sensíveis ao custo vão ser consideradas para lidar com dados não balanceados. A aplicação desenvolvida fornece recomendações das combinações de técnicas mais adequadas para o conjunto de dados específico importado, extraindo e comparando os valores de meta características registados numa base de conhecimento. Ela facilita a classificação sem esforço e automatiza parte das etapas de aprendizagem de máquina com resultados comparáveis ou melhores a uma solução de estado da arte e com tempo de execução muito meno

THE IMPACT OF CHAIN GOVERNANCE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF TRUST

Consumers are getting increasingly concerned about food quality. Associated with this, public and private sectors have been enforcing compliance with strict food standards. This study focuses on the strategic response of Brazilian beef chain to comply with food standards and their attributes, specifically those demanding trustworthiness among partners. From a chain perspective, the study characterises both the Brazilian domestic and export markets. The empirical approach employed in the study is based on qualitative methods with case studies. The results have great policy and managerial implications. Emerging public and private standards are demanding changes to a more integrated supply chain in order to enhance confidence in beef production and processing. Findings describe those kinds of governance that stimulate upgrading and transferring of best practices and, consequently, result on more trustworthiness on chain relationships. From a managerial perspective, the results suggest that tight governance and investments in management capacity to new forms of organisation have to be considered

Ações de grupos e contagem: teorema de Burnside

TCCP (especialização) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina.Centro de Ciências Físicas e Matemáticas Departamento de Matemática

Sistemas compartimentais

Mestrado em Matemática e AplicaçõesNesta tese estuda-se sistemas dinâmicos compartimentais contínuos e discretos. Partindo do modelo utilizado para os sistemas compartimentais contínuos, aplica-se dois processos distintos de discretização (exacta e aproximada) de forma a obter os sistemas compartimentais discretos correspondentes, comparando-se o comportamento destes sistemas em relação ao do sistema contínuo inicial. Estuda-se ainda o problema do controlo da massa tanto no caso contínuo como no discreto, assim como no contexto da discretização de sistemas contínuos.In this work we study continuous- and discrete-time compartmental systems. Starting from a continuous-time compartmental model, we apply two different discretization methods, namely exact and approximate discretization, and compare the behaviour of the two discretized models when compared to the original continuous-time model. A study of the mass control problem both in the continuous- and the discrete-time case, as well as in the context of discretization of continuous-time systems, is also performed