Submitted by Gabriela Lopes (gmachadolopesufpel@gmail.com) on 2016-10-10T17:31:26Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Tese - Cláudia Militz da Costa.pdf.pdf: 2514954 bytes, checksum: 6ff53df6aea30c61f0946c80d9ddf869 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Aline Batista (alinehb.ufpel@gmail.com) on 2016-10-11T20:51:12Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Cláudia Militz da Costa.pdf.pdf: 2514954 bytes, checksum: 6ff53df6aea30c61f0946c80d9ddf869 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-11T20:51:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Tese - Cláudia Militz da Costa.pdf.pdf: 2514954 bytes, checksum: 6ff53df6aea30c61f0946c80d9ddf869 (MD5) license_rdf: 0 bytes, checksum: d41d8cd98f00b204e9800998ecf8427e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014-12-18 / Sem bolsa / Em grãos de arroz de duas cultivares híbridas e duas variedades, beneficiadas logo após a colheita e após 6 meses de armazenamento dos grãos em casca na temperatura de 20ºC, foram analisados teores de 18 aminoácidos, proteínas totais, amilose, umidade, temperatura de gelatinização (estimativa), mais os parâmetros de qualidade industrial, de cocção, de textura, de viscosidade e sensorial, preferência e aceitação. Os resultados permitiram concluir que: (a) o aumento do tempo de armazenamento provoca reduções no conteúdo e alterações no perfil de aminoácidos, não havendo diferenças de comportamento entre variedades e híbridos; (b) o conteúdo de proteínas totais do endosperma não define o grau soltabilidade (ou de empapamento) dos grãos e nem está relacionado com a preferência do consumidor pelo arroz após a cocção; (c) a elevação do conteúdo de cisteína provoca aumento na soltabilidade do arroz cozido ao longo do armazenamento; (d) os parâmetros de avaliações texturométricas e reológicas refletem os resultados da análise sensorial e da aceitação do arroz após a cocção; e, (e) o aumento do tempo de armazenamento provoca aumento inicial no rendimento industrial e reduções na brancura e no grau de polimento, mas não altera a transparência do arroz. / In rice grains from two hybrids cultivars and two varieties, milled immediately after harvest and after 6 months of storage of grains with husk at the temperature of 20°C, were analyzed levels of 18 amino acids, total protein, amylose, moisture, gelatinization temperature (estimation), plus the parameters of industrial quality, cooking, texture, viscosity and sensory attributes, also preference and acceptance. The results allowed to conclude that: (a) the increase of storage time causes reductions in the amino acid content and changes in amino acid profile, with no significant differences among varieties and hybrids; (b) total protein content from endosperm does not define the degree of loose cooked grains (or of grain stickiness) and it is not associated with the consumer preference for the rice after cooking, (c) elevation in cysteine content causes an increase in loose cooked grain (reduction of stickiness) during storage; (d) parameters of texturometric and rheological evaluations reflect the results from sensory analysis and acceptance of the rice after cooking; and (e) the increase of storage time causes an initial increasing in industrial yield and leads to reductions in whiteness and polishing degree (milling degree), but does not change the transparency of rice .

Beetle-killed trees and woody residues degenerate and may lead to wildfires and uncontrolled CO2 emission. Woody biomass is known as a neutral CO2 solid fuel since it generates the same amount of CO2 that takes from atmosphere during its growing up. Cofiring woody biomass with coal in existing coal power plants is a reasonable solution to reduce the net amount of CO2 emission and decrease the risk of wildfires. However, there are some challenges ranging from providing and handling the woody biomass to the operation of cofiring woody biomass with coal. Co-milling of the fuels and ash deposition on the heat exchanger surfaces during cofiring are among the most critical challenges. A CFD model simulated the behavior of the pulverized particles and evaluate the impact of geometry and operational changes on mill performance. In addition, we measured the ash deposit rate derived from cofiring woody biomass with coal in a pilot combustor (1500 kW) and full-scale furnace. Moreover, we developed a model to predict ash deposit rate during combustion of coal and its blend with a variety of biomass. The post-processing analysis of CFD modelling of co-milling woody biomass with coal shows that the entrained large woody biomass particles exit the pulverizer along with the fine coal particles due to their lower density than that of coal particles. Some simple geometry and operational changes can optimize mill performance by reducing the number of large biomass particles in the product stream. Therefore, it makes the particle size distribution (PSD) of the product stream of co-milling more like that of coal. The collected data set of fly ash particles and ash deposit samples shows that the ash formation and deposit rates were not impacted significantly by cofiring woody biomass with coal. The concentration of alkali metals in the ash aerosol during cofiring was slightly higher than that of coal. Cofiring in pilot scale combustor made a tri-modal PSD of ash aerosol particles; however, the distribution was bimodal in the full-scale boiler. The ash deposit rates during cofiring in 1500 kW combustor were higher (30 to 70%) at locations closer to the burner at short operation times. Our developed model of ash deposit rate investigated two types of stickiness models of fly ash particles to the surface of heat exchanger: melt fraction stickiness model (MFSM) and kinetic energy stickiness model (KESM). The developed model suggested that the MFSM, which is based on the melt fraction of ash and our novel approach to condensation of alkali vapor species, was more accurate in predicting ash deposit rate of a variety of fuel combustion of a 100-kW combustor. The model calculated four mechanisms: inertial impaction, thermophoresis, condensation, and eddy impaction.

Abstract  Title: Information Technology and the Timing of Knowledge Transfer Methods: A study within six organizations in Sweden  Level: Master Thesis for Master’s Degree in Business Administration Author: Anna Thorsell and Filip LarssonSupervisor: Daniella FjellströmExaminer: Ehsanul Huda Chowdhury  Date: 2021 June  Aim: It has been stated that knowledge transfer processes fail due to poorly timed transfer methods and that it is of importance to understand underlying mechanisms of transfer. It has also been argued that information technology (IT) systems can increase knowledge transfer in organizations. This study aims to research the influence IT has on the timing of transfer methods and knowledge transfer. The authors of this study discovered a gap for the use and timing of IT transfer methods and its influence on knowledge transfer within organizations in existing research.  Method: This study included the use of secondary data from a literature review, as well as primary data using a qualitative research method with an inductive approach as semi- structured in-depth interviews were conducted for a multi-case study. The interviews were held with individuals working in six organizations in Sweden. Phases of analysis including content analysis and data coding were used for the analysis and reporting of the data collected.  Findings and Conclusion: The study showed that IT provides platforms for knowledge transfer through different types of IT and IT transfer methods used. That the type of IT chosen can depend on the urgency of the transfer, what type of knowledge is transferred as well as the amount of knowledge transferred. That the timing of IT transfer methods I can speed up knowledge transfer as it enables the transfer to happen faster and in later stages of the transfer process due to providing direct knowledge transfer channels and accessible knowledge to all members of a team. It was shown that IT transfer methods can influence internal stickiness, decrease causal ambiguity and reduce the knowledge barrier of arduous relationships as well as influence the use of front-loading and back- loading modes of transfer. That the urgency of transfer can be a determining factor for the modes used rather than the level of causal ambiguity of the knowledge.  Contribution of the Study: This study contributes to studies on types of IT and IT transfer methods used in organizations for knowledge transfer. It adds to existing research on timing of knowledge transfer methods including both explicit and tacit knowledge, as well as adding the influence of IT on the timing of knowledge transfer methods, knowledge transfer, internal stickiness, knowledge barriers and affordance of interaction. It provides new findings to the timing of knowledge transfer from the timing of types of IT and IT transfer methods used based on the urgency of transfer and what type of knowledge that is being transferred. The study contributes to highlighting the value of IT for the management of knowledge transfer within organizations, especially due to global events such as the COVID-19 pandemic. The study provides a basis for managers to examine their use of IT for knowledge transfer in organizations. It also showcases the continuous increased need for effective knowledge transfer processes between organizations, people and across locations and how IT can facilitate that.  Study Reflections and Suggestions for Future Research: This study included individuals from six organizations. It is suggested to include more participants for future studies as well as investigating teams, departments and organizations on narrow as well as on broader levels in different sectors to gain deeper insight into the field. Further research on how the urgency of transfer affects the modes of transfer used is also advised.  Keywords: Knowledge, Knowledge Transfer, Methods of Transfer, Timing, Modes of Transfer, Internal Stickiness, Information Technology, COVID-19

Standard empirical models of operating efficiency (OE) and managerial ability (MA) assume a symmetric linear relation of OE and MA with firm performance. However, OE and MA metrics are likely to respond faster to a demand decrease than a demand increase due to cost stickiness and respond faster to negative returns than to positive returns due to accounting conservatism. As predicted, I find large asymmetries in the behavior of OE and MA measures. OE and MA in levels (changes) are 2.4 (1.4) times and 1.5 (1.6) times more sensitive to demand decreases than demand increases. Similarly, OE and MA levels (changes) are 1.7 (1.5) times and 3.6 (2.3) times more sensitive to negative returns than to positive returns. The incremental explanatory power of modeling asymmetry in OE and MA levels (changes) is 20.9% (39.5%) and 263.3% (27.6%), measured as incremental adjusted R2. Cross-sectionally, asymmetry in OE and MA varies with the determinants of cost stickiness: (1) asset intensity and (2) employee intensity. Moreover, the degree of asymmetry also varies with the determinants of accounting conservatism: (1) book-to-market value of equity, (2) leverage, and (3) market capitalization. In addition, demand decline (i.e., cost stickiness) and bad news (i.e., accounting conservatism) during prior and successive periods have an incremental impact on the asymmetry in OE and MA. The standard models of OE and MA do not control for these correlated-omitted variables or incorporate the cost stickiness and accounting conservatism asymmetries, which yield biased measurements and render incorrect regression estimates and inferences. / Business Administration/Accounting

台灣寂寞商機的興盛，以及網路的蓬勃發展，使網路交友平台越來越熱絡，紛紛進入產業分食大餅，但並非各個網路交友平台皆能吸引龐大用戶的興趣，進而長駐於平台之內，使平台順利成長。有些網路交友平台缺乏自我特色，最終落得合併與收場的地步；然而，有部分擁有強烈特色與清楚定位的網路交友平台，不僅穩坐產業前幾名寶座，更是不斷自我成長，讓用戶與平台間的關係越趨緊密、密不可分，本研究試圖回答以下兩大問題： 一、 交友平台如何建立用戶專屬陷入成本，增加其對平台的黏著性？ 二、 交友平台企業如何創造對客戶的價值？ 為回答上述兩大問題，本研究依序分析平台機制設計、探討平台建立用戶信任感的因素、研究平台專屬資產的類型、以及平台創造顧客價值的層面，並根據分析結果，本研究針對實務與後續研究提出建議。本研究提出以下結論： 一、 網路交友平台的定位明確，掌握以定位出發的核心機制設計，衍生開發功能，善用插旗、築牆、圍城策略，環環相扣，能提昇用戶對平台的黏著度。 二、 網路交友平台善用社群策略，洞悉用戶網路外部性的運作，會提昇平台對用戶的價值，也會對企業成長產生正向回饋。 / With a view to business opportunity of single people and a flourishing Internet, it is getting great demand of online dating businesses in Taiwan in order to divide up the market. However, not every online dating business can arouse enthusiasm in their members, not to mention building up the stickiness of platform business. Some of them are lack of characteristics and it result in the condition of mergers and acquisitions, and even ending up their businesses in the long run. But some possess strong styles and clear position, they not only having good ratings but also make tighter relationship between members and themselves. Specifically, the present study tries to answer the following two questions: 1. How do the online dating business build up asset specificity cost and increase the customer stickiness? 2. How do online dating businesses make value creation? By analyzing the platform mechanism, this study concludes that: 1. The clear position of platform and mastering core mechanism, and making progress in developing interrelated functions can increase the customer stickiness of members toward online dating businesses. 2. Online dating businesses which are good at strategy of community and Internet externality can increase the platform value, and also have positive impact on the growth of platform business.

L'objectif de cette thèse est de contribuer à une meilleure connaissance du marché du travail dans les économies en développement à dominante informelle. Le Mali est son cas d'étude. Dans la première partie, elle met en évidence la difficulté de comprendre le chômage au travers du statut ambigu des actifs de l'informel, oscillant entre le chômage et l'emploi. Nous y montrons que l'économie informelle exacerbe l'instabilité des frontières du chômage sans toutefois aliéner la rigidité des revenus salariaux à la baisse. A l'aide d'une courbe du salaire, nous appréhendons cette dernière et présentons ses causes. La seconde partie de la thèse pr'esente les dispositifs en matière d'emploi et montre que si, d'un côté, ils répondent pour une large part aux besoins du marché du travail et visent à corriger ses principales insuffisances - notamment en matière de financement et de formation -, de l'autre, leur mise en oeuvre se révèle profondément défaillante. Ceci explique les résultats mitigés de certaines mesures malgré plus de deux décennies d'application. Dans la troisième partie, l'attention est tournée vers l'offre de travail, à la faible connaissance de laquelle on peut attribuer une partie des échecs des dispositifs d'emploi. Nous y examinons le rôle de l'environnement familial dans la participation au marché du travail et dans la prospection d'emploi et montrons que plusieurs variables de cet espace peuvent contribuer à la formulation de meilleurs dispositifs / The aim of this thesis is to contribute to a better understanding of the labour market in informal-dominated developing economies. Mali is its study case. In the first part, it highlights the difficulty to approach unemployment through the ambiguous status of the informal workers, swinging between employment and unemployment. We show that the informal economy exacerbates the instability of the unemployment frontiers without alienating the wage stickiness, which we apprehend through a wage curve. The second part of the thesis presents the employment measures and shows that though, on one hand, they respond accurately to the labour market needs and aim to correct its shortcomings - particularly regarding the financing and training -, on the other hand, their execution is deeply dysfunctional. That explains the mitigated results of some measures, in implementation for over two decades. In the third part, the attention is turned to the labour supply, the weak knowledge of which can partially explain the failures of the employment policies. We examine the role of the household environment in the participation decision and the job search and shows that many variables of this environment can contribute to improving the measures.

Resin composites are the most commonly used material in restorative dentistry. They have been used initially for aesthetical reasons, but afterwards were modified to be used widely for their good aesthetic and mechanical properties performance. They are classified as visco-elastic materials which are composed of inorganic fillers and organic matrix. The aim of this study was to investigate some handling properties of uncured resin composites such as stickiness, consistency and rheology. Also, to measure the degree of conversion and creep behaviour under static loading of some resin composites. In the pre-cure stage, their handling properties are very essential to achieve a successful dental restoration. Therefore, dental practitioners are very critical in choosing the resin composite restorative material. A texture analyser was used to measure the stickiness and consistency of some commercial resin composites. Also, the rheology of different commercial and model resin composites were investigated using the Bohlin Rheometer in two different temperatures (room and body temperature).Moreover, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was used to determine the degree of conversion of several bulk-fill resin composites (DC) at 4 mm depth at different periods during 24 h post-irradiation. Also, the visco-elastic stability of cured resin composites with different resin matrices was investigated under static load at different maturation times (1 h and 24 h).

No description available.

No description available.

Cette thèse contribue au débat sur les politiques de ciblage d’inflation et de transparence des banques centrales en présentant notamment trois essais théoriques et empiriques sur le sujet. Dans le premier essai, nous étudions théoriquement les conditions sous lesquelles il serait optimal pour une banque centrale d’adopter explicitement un régime de ciblage d’inflation. Nous proposons un nouveau cadre théorique qui combine les deux principales raisons avancées dans la littérature pour expliquer les effets réels à court terme de la politique monétaire et qui sont d’une part, la présence d’informations hétérogènes entre les agents économiques (Phelps, 1970 ; Lucas, 1972), et d’autre part, la rigidité des salaires ou des prix (Taylor, 1980 ; Calvo, 1983). Nous analysons ensuite notre problématique dans ce nouveau cadre en considérant l’interaction entre le degré de rigidité des prix, et le degré de complémentarités stratégiques dans la fixation de prix des firmes. Nos résultats montrent que l’adoption d’un régime de ciblage d’inflation dépend fortement de l’importance relative des paramètres du modèle. En particulier, nous montrons que le ciblage d’inflation devrait être toujours adopté lorsque les complémentarités stratégiques sont faibles, alors que dans le cas contraire, il est optimal uniquement lorsque les prix sont assez rigides et que la banque centrale détient des informations suffisamment précises sur les fondamentaux de l’économie. Dans le second essai, nous utilisons la macroéconomie expérimentale afin d’évaluer dans quelle mesure l’annonce de la cible d’inflation est pertinente dans un cadre de ciblage de l’inflation. Nos résultats montrent que lorsque la banque centrale ne se soucie que de la stabilisation de l’inflation, l’annonce de la cible d’inflation n’apporte pas de gain supplémentaire en termes de performances macro-économiques, par rapport à une politique monétaire active (type règle de Taylor). Cependant, si la banque centrale intègre également la stabilisation de l’activité économique dans ses objectifs, la communication de la cible contribue à réduire la volatilité de l’inflation, du taux d’intérêt, et de l’écart de production, bien que leurs niveaux moyens ne soient pas affectés. Ce résultat fournit ainsi une justification pour l’adoption d’un régime de ciblage flexible d’inflation par la majorité des pays ciblant l’inflation. Enfin dans le troisième essai, nous appliquons une analyse transversale ainsi que la technique des variables instrumentales, afin d’analyser les effets de la transparence des banques centrales sur les résultats macroéconomiques dans les pays émergents. Nous construisons un nouvel indice de transparence qui combine certains aspects de l’indice de transparence globale d’Eijffinger et Geraats (2006), avec ceux de l’indice de transparence sur le comité de politique monétaire de Hayo et Mazhar (2011). Nous analysons ensuite le rôle individuel de chaque composante du nouvel indice en termes de réduction du niveau de l’inflation et de sa volatilité, ainsi que de la volatilité du produit. Contrairement à la littérature antérieure, nous trouvons que le nouvel indice de transparence ainsi que ses aspects économique, politique, procédurale et de transparence sur la politique monétaire impactent négativement le niveau moyen de l’inflation, mais pas sa volatilité dans ces pays. L’unique composante du nouvel indice qui permet de réduire à la fois la volatilité de l’inflation et celle de la production est la transparence opérationnelle. Ces résultats s’avèrent robustes aux différentes spécifications de modèles économétriques utilisés dans cet essai. / This dissertation contributes to the debate on inflation targeting and central bantransparency by presenting three theoretical and empirical essays on the topic. In the first essay, we theoretically investigate the conditions under which it would be optimal for a central bank to explicitly adopt an inflation targeting regime. We propose a new theoretical framework that combines the two main frictions put forward in the literature to explain the real short run effects of monetary policy that is, heterogeneous information among agents (Phelps, 1970; Lucas, 1972), and wage or price rigidities (Taylor, 1980; Calvo, 1983). We then analyze our issue in this new framework by considering the interaction between the degree of price stickiness, and the degree of strategic complementarities in firms’ price setting. Our results show that adopting an inflation targeting regime crucially depends on the relative importance of the model’s parameters. In particular, we show that inflation targeting should always be adopted when strategic complementarities are low, while in the opposite case, it is optimal only if prices are sticky enough and the central bank holds sufficiently accurate information on the fundamentals of the economy. In the second essay, we use experimental macroeconomics to evaluate to what extent communication of the inflation target is relevant in an inflation targeting framework. Our results show that first, when the central bank only cares about inflation stabilization, announcing the inflation target does not make a difference in terms of macroeconomic performance compared to a standard active monetary policy. However, if the central bank also cares about the stabilization of the economic activity, communicating the target helps to reduce the volatility of inflation, interest rate, and output gap although their average levels are not affected. This finding provides a rationale for the adoption of flexible inflation targeting by the majority of inflation targeting countries. In the third essay, using a cross-sectional analysis and instrumental variables technique, we analyze the impact of central bank transparency on macroeconomic outcomes in emerging economies. We build a new index of transparency that combines some aspects of the overall Eijffinger and Geraats (2006) transparency index, with those of monetary policy committee transparency developed in Hayo and Mazhar (2011). We then analyze the individual role of each component of the new index in mitigating inflation and its volatility, as well as output volatility. By contrast to the previous literature, we interestingly find that the overall new index of transparency as well as its political, economic, procedural, and policy aspects negatively impact the average level of inflation, but not its volatility in these countries. The unique component of the new index that reduces the volatility of both inflation and output is operational transparency, and these results are robust to different econometric and instruments setting specifications.