China’s economy is growing. It has been said that “the question like ‘how to do business with Chinese people’ have occupied the minds of international business people who are planning to enter China.” (Fan & Zigang, 2004). Sweden as a country which listed China as its largest trading partner in Asia and a priority country in Sweden's export strategy, has a need to gain understanding about guanxi –an important concept in Chinese business culture. In this thesis, the author will present the development of three exercises inspired by design methods (role play, visualization and customer journey map) which aim to help Swedish business managers to learn guanxi in an experiential way. It includes the challenges the design team went through, how did they solve it and what are the latest version of the exercises looks like. The main challenges presented in this thesis are: how to embed specific knowledge smoothly into exercise; how to set up the role of facilitator(s); and how to increase the level of satisfaction for the users. Those challenges are not only specific to our project, but also could be inspirational for other people (e.g. designers, business culture scholars and so on) who want to create similar exercises or looking for new ways to deliver the knowledge about cross-cultural business communication.

Digital marketing involves several channels that represent important touchpoints across the customer journey which SMEs must prioritize and invest in effectively. However, SMEs can struggle with limited resources of time, budget and knowledge which makes successful implementation of digital marketing and conversion rate optimization difficult. The challenges are even more severe when adding information overload to the context and how this affects consumers behavior along the increasingly complex nature of the customer journey. Thereby, the purpose of this study is to explore what Swedish SMEs should prioritize when it comes to digital marketing touchpoints to increase conversions, especially emphasizing how consumers’ behaviors may be affected by information overload across the customer journey. This was carried out by using a qualitative approach with an exploratory nature and by conducting in-depth interviews with consumers and experts in the digital marketing field. The main findings of this study suggest that online advertising, SEO, social media, web pages and customer reviews are of highest priority for SMEs to increase conversions. Further, information overload has a significant role in the customer journey in terms of large quantities of information, wrong characteristics, information disorganization, complex task and process parameters and lacking quality of content. Lastly, information overload is also shown as a conflict between marketers and consumers.

A vida de um jovem e seu percurso pelo mundo em busca de sua identidade é o mote do romance de formação, subgênero que teve seu auge entre os séculos XVIII e XIX. Franco Moretti e Esther Labovitz, entre outros críticos por nós considerados, estudaram a fundo o romance de formação o Bildungsroman , sendo que esta última autora focalizou a variante feminina no Bildungsroman do século XX. O presente trabalho tem como objetivo analisar o romance da escritora italiana Melania Mazzucco Lei così amata. O romance recorta e focaliza uma parte da vida da escritora suíça Annemarie Schwarzenbach, portanto possui as características do romance biográfico. Contudo, pretendemos, neste estudo, evidenciar principalmente as características que fazem dessa obra um romance de formação. Por meio da conturbada trajetória vivida pela protagonista, buscamos reconhecer, nas viagens empreendidas por ela, ao redor do mundo, as características fundamentais do romance de formação. Em particular, com base nos estudos de Mikhail Bakhtin sobre o cronotopo, analisamos as formas com que o tempo vivido nos diferentes continentes Ásia, América e África marcam o percurso formativo da heroína. / The life of a young man and his way through the world in search of his own identity is the motto of the formation novel, subgenre which had its climax between the 18th and the 19th centuries. Franco Moretti and Esther Labovitz, among other critics considered by us, studied the formation novel in depth the Bildungsroman , this last author focusing on the feminine variant in the Bildungsroman of the 20th century. This study aims at analyzing the novel of the Italian writer Melania Mazzucco Lei così amata. The novel focuses on part of the life of the Swiss writer Annemarie Schwarzenbach, therefore it presents all the characteristics of the biographical novel. However, in this study, our main intention is to demonstrate all the features that make this work a formation novel. Through the troubled trajectory lived by the protagonist, we try to recognize, in her journeys around the world, the fundamental features of the formation novel. In particular, based on the Mikhail Bakhtins studies of the chronotope, we analyze the forms in which the time lived in the different continents Asia, America and Africa determine the heroines formative course.

No Brasil, muitas crianças e jovens têm a oportunidade de conhecer diferentes modalidades esportivas. Por vezes esse contato desperta um encanto pelo esporte, sendo a ele dada uma importância e um significado tão grande que faz com que eles prefiram-no às atividades comuns para outras pessoas da mesma idade, como brincadeiras, convívio familiar ou escolar. Em busca de melhores condições de treinamento e desenvolvimento, esses futuros atletas, muitas vezes tem que se distanciar de seu núcleo familiar ainda de forma precoce. Este trabalho buscou investigar como as mulheres olímpicas brasileiras, medalhistas de modalidades coletivas, reconhecem o momento que marca o início de sua especialização esportiva, exclusivamente aquelas que em sua história consta a marca do distanciamento familiar e da saída de casa. A metodologia do trabalho se ancora nas narrativas biográficas, considerada uma modalidade de história oral. Para tanto, a partir das narrativas biográficas, relacionamos esta marca do início com a figura mítica de Kairós, o deus do tempo oportuno / In Brazil, many children have the opportunity to learn about different sports. This contact often awakens an attraction for it practice and it\'s given a great importance that makes them choose sport over others activities common to other people of the same age, such as child\'s plays, family and school contact. As they search for better conditions for sport development, these new athletes often have to distance themselves from their family at an early age. This work sought to investigate how Brazilian Olympic women, medalists of collective modalities, recognized the moment that marks the beginning of hers sporting career, especially those athletes that had to leave their homes. The methodology is anchored in the biographical narratives, considered a modality of oral history. From the biographical narratives of these women, we relate the beginning of the their sporting careers with the mythical figure of Kairos, the god of opportune time

L’Europe de la fin du XVIIIe siècle et du début du XIXe siècle est un espace de mouvements et d’échanges de savoirs. En cette période, de nombreux savants parcouraient l’espace européen pour découvrir de nouveaux horizons et faire l’expérience du voyage. Un rite de passage presque obligatoire que le chevalier de Jaucourt, dans l’Encyclopédie, jugeait nécessaire. Les savants alors commençaient à élaborer de nouveaux savoirs et peu à peu à se spécialiser. Mais de son côté la vie littéraire était en train de passer des Lumières au Romantisme et certains de ces savants préféraient encore se définir comme des lettrés plutôt que comme des scientifiques.Dans cet espace et dans ce temps de transitions, nous nous arrêterons sur un homme qui rêve de sciences, de voyages et de gloire. Il s’agit du géologue drômois Faujas de Saint-Fond, né à Montélimar en 1741 et mort en 1819 à Saint-Fond, non loin de Loriol. Ce Dauphinois, formé à Lyon, puis Avocat à Grenoble et Juge de 1ère instance à Montélimar devient dans les années 1780 un des minéralogistes les plus en vue de la capitale. Disciple de Buffon - qui est alors le maître incontesté de l’Histoire naturelle de l’époque – et ami de l’Isérois Dolomieu, il gravit peu à peu les échelons du monde scientifique. / Europe of the end of the XVIIIth century and of the beginning of the XIXth century is a space of movements and exchanges of knowledges. In this period, numerous scholars crossed the European space to discover new horizons and experience the journey. An almost compulsory rite of passage which the knight of Jaucourt, in the Encyclopedia, considered necessary. The scholars then began to elaborate new knowledges and little by little to specialize. But from his/her part the literary life was crossing Lights in the romanticism and some of these scholars again preferred to define themselves as men of letters rather than as scientists.In this space and in this time of transitions we shall arrest on a man who dreams about sciences, about journeys and about glory. It is about the geologist drômois Faujas de Saint-Fons, born in Montélimar in 1741 and died in 1819 to Saint-Fons, not far from Loriol. It Dauphiné,,formed in Lyon, then Lawyer in Grenoble and Judge of 1re authority to Montélimar,one of the foremost mineralogists of the capital becomes in the 1780s. Follower of Buffon - Who is then the undisputed master of the Natural History of period - and friend of the isérois Dolomieu, he climbs little by little the levels of the scientific world.

O presente trabalho propõe a análise da trajetória do protagonista do mangá Angel Sanctuary, da autora Yuki Kaori, publicado originalmente no Japão entre 1994 e 2000, sob a luz da jornada do herói de Joseph Campbell, a fim de traçar seu perfil como herói japonês contemporâneo de mangá. Propõe-se juntamente a análise do diálogo da obra com a mitologia judaico-cristã, principal fonte de inspiração e referências da autora para a confecção de sua história. Para tanto, é feita uma apresentação dos elementos próprios das histórias em quadrinhos e da jornada do herói, para que depois sejam aplicadas ao mangá Angel Sanctuary, no qual são apontadas as etapas da jornada e seus arquétipos, assim como suas relações com as mitologias nas quais são baseados. A análise aponta para uma diferença entre o pensamento tipicamente japonês, que tende a encarar com naturalidade a presença de forças opostas num mesmo ser e na natureza, em contraste com a forte separação entre Bem e Mal presente nas religiões judaico-cristãs. / This dissertation thesis proposes the analysis of the trajectory of the manga Angel Sanctuarys protagonist, from author Yuki Kaori, originally published in Japan between 1994 and 2000, considering Joseph Campbells Heros Journey, in order to trace his profile as a contemporary Japanese manga hero. It also proposes the analysis of the mangas dialog with the Judeo-Christian mythology, main source of the authors inspiration and references for the confection of her story. To do so, the characteristic elements of comic books and the Heros Journey are presented, so that they can be applied to Angel Sanctuary, in which the journeys steps and archetypes are indicated, as well as their relations to the mythologies in which they are based. The analysis points to a difference between typical Japanese thinking, that tends to face the presence of opposing forces inside a single being and in nature with naturality, in contrast with the well-defined separation between Good and Evil existent in Judeo-Christian religions.

Submitted by Rosivalda Pereira (mrs.pereira@ufma.br) on 2017-05-24T20:52:34Z No. of bitstreams: 1 AlexandreBrunoCosta.pdf: 1706287 bytes, checksum: 26afdd10399a7c0b581420813a86df96 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-05-24T20:52:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 AlexandreBrunoCosta.pdf: 1706287 bytes, checksum: 26afdd10399a7c0b581420813a86df96 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-10-26 / This dissertation results of research on the Maranhão audiovisual production comprising the late 70's and part of the 80s, for we include production in Super-8 and 16mm, respectively: Periquito Sujo (1979), Greve da meia passagem (1979-1980), Quem matou Elias Zí? (1986), Bandeiras Verdes (1988) in order to investigate the potential for communicability and representativeness of these works to maintain a cinematic identify from the methodology based on the triple mimesis and construction of narrative identities. Empirical research framework Maranhão film works are awarded on the issues of cinematrographic Days, important movement for the construction and maintenance of Maranhão cinematic narrative identify. From the triple mimesis concept endorsed by Paul Ricoeur (2012), you can understand how filmic narratives that pass for ethical reasons, begin in broader terms of social and cultural environment insertion of the events narrated and only complete in the times of reading, this visual event, with effective participation of the viewer. / Essa dissertação resulta da pesquisa sobre a produção audiovisual maranhense que compreende o final da década de 70 e parte da década de 80, por incluirmos produções em Super-8 e em 16mm, respectivamente: Periquito Sujo (1979), Greve da meia passagem (1979-1980) e Quem matou Elias Zí? (1986), Bandeiras Verdes (1988) com o objetivo de investigar o potencial de comunicabilidade e de representatividade destas obras para a manutenção de uma identidade cinematográfica a partir da metodologia com base na tríplice mímesis e na construção das identidades narrativas. O referencial empírico da pesquisa são obras fílmicas maranhenses premiadas nas edições das Jornadas cinematográficas, movimento importante para a construção e manutenção da identidade narrativa cinematográfica maranhense. A partir da tríplice mímesis, conceito referendado por Paul Ricoeur (2012), será possível compreender como as narrativas fílmicas, que passam por questões éticas, têm início nas condições mais amplas do entorno social e cultural de inserção dos acontecimentos narrados e somente se completam no momento da leitura, neste caso visual, com a participação efetiva do espectador.

No Brasil, muitas crianças e jovens têm a oportunidade de conhecer diferentes modalidades esportivas. Por vezes esse contato desperta um encanto pelo esporte, sendo a ele dada uma importância e um significado tão grande que faz com que eles prefiram-no às atividades comuns para outras pessoas da mesma idade, como brincadeiras, convívio familiar ou escolar. Em busca de melhores condições de treinamento e desenvolvimento, esses futuros atletas, muitas vezes tem que se distanciar de seu núcleo familiar ainda de forma precoce. Este trabalho buscou investigar como as mulheres olímpicas brasileiras, medalhistas de modalidades coletivas, reconhecem o momento que marca o início de sua especialização esportiva, exclusivamente aquelas que em sua história consta a marca do distanciamento familiar e da saída de casa. A metodologia do trabalho se ancora nas narrativas biográficas, considerada uma modalidade de história oral. Para tanto, a partir das narrativas biográficas, relacionamos esta marca do início com a figura mítica de Kairós, o deus do tempo oportuno / In Brazil, many children have the opportunity to learn about different sports. This contact often awakens an attraction for it practice and it\'s given a great importance that makes them choose sport over others activities common to other people of the same age, such as child\'s plays, family and school contact. As they search for better conditions for sport development, these new athletes often have to distance themselves from their family at an early age. This work sought to investigate how Brazilian Olympic women, medalists of collective modalities, recognized the moment that marks the beginning of hers sporting career, especially those athletes that had to leave their homes. The methodology is anchored in the biographical narratives, considered a modality of oral history. From the biographical narratives of these women, we relate the beginning of the their sporting careers with the mythical figure of Kairos, the god of opportune time

The travel distribution industry is growing. While traditional distribution channels such as online travel agencies and physical stores are decreasing in revenues, metasearch companies are receiving greater attention from consumers. However, metasearch companies face challenges even with an increasing market. Offering a proposition with a business model that revolves around pay per click and advertisements, you are in need of large amount of traffic. To understand the consumer behaviour has never been more critical. It is about increasing the ability to create a rich customer experience. In order to do so, companies are in need of understanding how to interact with consumers. The interaction is mainly occurring through touchpoints. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to investigate how the current identified most relevant digital touchpoints are having impact on the consumers opinion of metasearch websites in the travel distribution industry. By doing so, we contribute to marketing theory, method and practices. The importance of certain touchpoints and to find out if they have the same relevance when the purchase itself is excluded. Focus is being towards factors that metasearch companies see as undiscovered. A quantitative study was conducted with a sample of 148 respondents. The result not only gave new insight in terms of touchpoints relevance in metasearch industries but also a theoretical ground for future research.

Everest is a creative writing project and an analysis of that project that focuses on the creative writing experience. The creative project is composed of two individual short stories focusing on themes of journeying and personal development. The stories are entitled, “Everest,” and “Shenyang.” They are based on personal experience and important life questions.