Privatization in Bolivia: The Impact on Firm Performance

This report studies the change in performance of Bolivian State Owned Enterprises (SOEs) that have been transferred to the private sector. The paper focuses particularly on how ownership affects management by measuring the characteristics of management and relating them to both ownership structure and performance. It argues that the characteristics of private management that follow privatization are a key factor in determining the effects of privatization on performance. To determine the impact of privatization on the performance of the 31 firms studied, the authors performed two ratio analyses, one with unadjusted and the other with adjusted ratios. For this purpose, they undertook two regression analyses, one with panel data and the other with a cross section analysis. Two methods were used to conduct privatization of Bolivian SOEs, and the process took place in three stages. The methods were traditional, or standard, privatization and capitalization. Traditional privatization consisted of the complete transfer (assets and shares) to the private sector of companies operating in competitive markets. Capitalization involved attracting private firms to invest in and manage key SOEs. SOEs were not sold outright. Instead, private investors gained managerial control but no more than 50 percent of equity.

Collaborative mixed reality environments: an application for civil engineering

The present thesis designs, implements and evaluates a channel for interaction between office and field users through a collaborative mixed reality system. This channel is aimed to be used for civil engineering purposes and is thus oriented toward the design and construction phases. Its application should contribute to the reduction of the challenges faced by those involved in a civil engineering project dealing with communication, collaboration and mutual understanding. Such challenges can become real problems for multidisciplinary teams of architects, engineers and constructors when working on the same project. In the context of this thesis, outdoor users are equipped with a real-time kinematic global positioning system receiver, a notebook, a head-mounted display, a tilt sensor and a compass. A virtual environment representing components of a civil engineering project is displayed before their eyes. Outdoor users share this collaborative virtual environment with indoor ones. They can talk to and see each other through an avatar. Indoor users can take part from any location where Internet is available. The goal of this thesis is to show that a networked solution of at least two users (In this case, indoor and outdoor users) is an opportunity for outdoor users to perform complex tasks whilst experiencing an immersive augmented reality application. Indoor users interact with outdoor ones when handling and navigating the virtual environment, guiding their counterpart through the scene and making clear common points of understanding. The thesis evaluates how users interact within a prototype system using a formative approach. Users are introduced to the system and motivated to “talk loudly”, thus verbalising what they are experiencing during the tests. All users are video-recorded while performing the exercises and interviewed immediately after. The evaluation reveals that users end up experiencing a system that is too immersive, which ends up narrowing their “attentional spotlight” to the virtual environment and not, as desired, experiencing an augmented reality system. The evaluation also makes clear that the design of the virtual environment is eventually more important for users than the system itself, and it is completely the kind of application that it is being used to and who the users are

The multimedia challenges raised by pervasive games

Pervasive gaming is a new form of multimedia entertainment that extends the traditional computer gaming experience out into the real world. Through a combination of personal devices, positioning systems and other multimedia sensors, combined with wireless networking, a pervasive game can respond to a player’s movements and context and enable them to communicate with a game server and other players. We review recent examples of pervasive games in order to explain their distinctive characteristics as multimedia applications. We then consider the challenge of scaling pervasive games to include potentially very large numbers of players. We propose a new approach based upon a campaign model in which individuals, local groups and experts draw on a combination of pervasive games, online services and broadcasting to take part in national or even global events. We discuss the challenges that this raises for further researc

Probabilistic Evaluation of the Sustainability of Maintenance Strategies for RC Structures Exposed to Chloride Ingress

International audienceNowadays, multiple constraints imposed by economical, social and environmental considerations undergo maintenance planning optimization into a major challenge to designers, owners and users of infrastructure. This study presents a simplified methodology to evaluate the sustainability of maintenance strategies used in reinforced concrete structures exposed to chlorides. The proposed approach is illustrated throughout the paper with an application to large-scale maintenance of a real structure (Agri-foodstuffs terminal wharf). The repair strategy consists of demolition of the polluted concrete and rebuilding of cover by using three techniques (wet shotcrete, dry shotcrete and formed concrete). The repair times are estimated by taking the randomness of chloride ingress into account. Three criteria are used to evaluate the sustainability of the repair techniques: present value life-cost, waste production and CO2 emissions. Based on this multi-criteria comparison, a simplified decision-making scheme based on a multi-objective index is proposed

Detection of four dengue serotypes suggests rise in hyperendemicity in urban centers of Brazil

FAPESP (Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo) 2010/19059-7FAPESP 2011/17071-2 and 2013/10382-8CNP

Collaborative mixed reality environments: an application for civil engineering

The present thesis designs, implements and evaluates a channel for interaction between office and field users through a collaborative mixed reality system. This channel is aimed to be used for civil engineering purposes and is thus oriented toward the design and construction phases. Its application should contribute to the reduction of the challenges faced by those involved in a civil engineering project dealing with communication, collaboration and mutual understanding. Such challenges can become real problems for multidisciplinary teams of architects, engineers and constructors when working on the same project. In the context of this thesis, outdoor users are equipped with a real-time kinematic global positioning system receiver, a notebook, a head-mounted display, a tilt sensor and a compass. A virtual environment representing components of a civil engineering project is displayed before their eyes. Outdoor users share this collaborative virtual environment with indoor ones. They can talk to and see each other through an avatar. Indoor users can take part from any location where Internet is available. The goal of this thesis is to show that a networked solution of at least two users (In this case, indoor and outdoor users) is an opportunity for outdoor users to perform complex tasks whilst experiencing an immersive augmented reality application. Indoor users interact with outdoor ones when handling and navigating the virtual environment, guiding their counterpart through the scene and making clear common points of understanding. The thesis evaluates how users interact within a prototype system using a formative approach. Users are introduced to the system and motivated to “talk loudly”, thus verbalising what they are experiencing during the tests. All users are video-recorded while performing the exercises and interviewed immediately after. The evaluation reveals that users end up experiencing a system that is too immersive, which ends up narrowing their “attentional spotlight” to the virtual environment and not, as desired, experiencing an augmented reality system. The evaluation also makes clear that the design of the virtual environment is eventually more important for users than the system itself, and it is completely the kind of application that it is being used to and who the users are

Extending Authoring Tools for Location-Aware Applications with an Infrastructure Visualization Layer

Abstract. In current authoring tools for location-aware applications the designer typically places trigger zones onto a map of the target environment and associates these with events and media assets. However, studies of deployed experiences have shown that the characteristics of the usually invisible ubiquitous computing infrastructure, especially limited coverage and accuracy, have a major impact on an experience. We propose a new approach in which designers work with three layers of information: information about the physical world, information about digital media, but also visualizations of ubiquitous infrastructure. We describe the implementation of a prototype authoring tool that embodies this approach and describe how it has been used to author a location-based game for mobile phones called Tycoon. We then outline the key challenges involved in generalizing this approach to more powerful authoring tools including acquiring and visualizing infrastructure data, acquiring map data, and flexibly specifying how digital content relates to both of these

Managing internal and external design teams in the product development process : the case of two footwear companies in the south of Brazil

Esse artigo trata da inserção do design no processo de desenvolvimento de produtos em duas empresas da indústria calçadista da região do Vale do Paranhana, no Rio Grande do Sul. Essas empresas podem trabalhar com diferentes tipos de equipes, interna, externa ou mista e, entender as vantagens e desvantagens de cada tipo de equipe é fundamental ao determinar a melhor opção para a empresa. Porém, pouco tem-se estudado buscando essa relação entre equipes de design e desenvolvimento de produtos. Nesse sentido, o objetivo do estudo foi analisar o gerenciamento de equipes de design, interna e externa, no processo de desenvolvimento de produtos de empresas da indústria calçadista. Para isso, um estudo de caso foi realizado através da análise do caso de uma empresa que trabalhava com os dois tipos de equipes. Com a realização desta pesquisa, foi possível estudar a forma de atuação e gerenciamento das equipes interna e externa de design no processo de desenvolvimento de produtos. Os resultados indicam que diferenças nas formas de atuação e gerenciamento de cada equipe estão relacionados com a autonomia decisória conferida para equipe no início do desenvolvimento de novos projetos.This paper aims at analyzing the management of internal and external design teams during the product development process in two footwear companies of Paranhana Valley in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. A case study was conducted in both companies that worked with both types of teams. The study provided a valuable discussion about how a company can work with internal or external design teams or both of them once the literature does not provide sufficient background to this matter. It also discusses the advantages and disadvantages of working with each team. Results indicated that differences in the way of managing the teams are related with the decision-making autonomy given to the members of each design team at the beginning of the development of new projects

Design and design management integration : a case study in a footwear industry in Rio Grande do Sul

O calçado gaúcho está perdendo mercado exportador considerando-se o número de pares exportados, porém esse segmento pertence ao estado brasileiro com maior faturamento gerado da exportação. Nesse contexto, o design assume um importante papel na gestão, promovendo a integração entre todos os setores, agindo em nível estratégico. Diante disso, este artigo, ao propor um estudo de caso baseado no modelo praticado por uma empresa calçadista do Rio Grande do Sul, busca entender como ocorre nesse espaço a inserção do design e da gestão de design.The footwear industry in Rio Grande do Sul (RS) is losing its export Market if considering the number of pairs/pieces? exported. But at the same time, RS is the Brazilian state with de highest billing generated through to exportation. In this context, design plays an important role in management. It makes the integration between all sectors and acts at the strategic level. Therefore, this article presents a case study in a footwear company, seeking to understand the integration of design and design management