Orientador: Orlando Fontes Lima Junior / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Engenharia Civil, Arquitetura e Urbanismo / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-22T04:57:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jacintho_JoseCarvalhodeAvila_M.pdf: 7956840 bytes, checksum: 0aa1cffc17d2306554eb42e2c860fba8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013 / Resumo: O objetivo desta dissertação é apresentar um estudo de casos referente a um Sistema de Auditorias em Operações Logísticas internas, implantado em um Operador Logístico brasileiro em suas atividades de movimentação e armazenagem de materiais em indústrias, armazéns e centros de distribuição. Porém, por utilizar conceitos gerais, o sistema pode ser aplicado também em atividades industriais ou de serviços. O Sistema de Auditorias abrange a verificação da gestão dos 10 seguintes processos operacionais, diretos e indiretos, fundamentais para a eficiência e eficácia das operações: pessoas, equipamentos, controle de processos, segurança e saúde ocupacional, engenharia logística, relacionamento com os clientes, contrato com fornecedores, análise crítica de resultados, meio ambiente e organização e limpeza. É chamado de Sistema de Auditorias Operacionais Logísticas, pois vai além da proposição e aplicação da auditoria propriamente dita, tratando-se de uma abordagem sistemática, que visa à melhoria contínua das operações, através dos seguintes passos complementares: elaboração de planos de ação para a correção dos problemas apontados nas auditorias; incentivo ao uso das tradicionais ferramentas da qualidade; repetição periódica das auditorias e a aplicação de Indicadores Chave de Desempenho (KPI) para se acompanhar a evolução dos 10 processos auditados. Neste estudo de casos, para se verificar se a metodologia implantada foi bem-sucedida, foram analisados os resultados obtidos em 6 unidades de trabalho do Operador Logístico, sendo 3 unidades onde o método foi implantado e 3 onde não foi. Estes resultados obtidos foram analisados através de alguns KPI escolhidos que, por ser padrão do Operador Logístico, existem também nas unidades de trabalho onde o Sistema de Auditorias não foi implantado. Foi feita, então, uma síntese cruzada dos KPI, em um período de 5 anos, com os resultados comparados de 2 formas: primeiro, foi verificado a evolução dos KPI nas unidades de trabalho onde o Sistema de Auditorias foi implantado, para se souber se houve melhoria dos processos após a implantação do procedimento e, segundo, foi feito a comparação da evolução dos KPI entre os 2 grupos de estudo (unidades onde o sistema foi implantado com aquelas onde não foi), para se verificar qual foi o impacto da implantação do Sistema de Auditorias. Ao final deste trabalho são apresentadas conclusões e recomendações para aprimoramento do Sistema de Auditorias Operacionais Logísticas, dentro da filosofia de melhoria contínua praticada pelo Operador Logístico foco deste estudo / Abstract: The object of this dissertation is to present a case study about a Logistics Operations Audits System, implanted in a brazilian third-part logistic (3PL), in its material handling and warehousing operations, in industries, warehouses and distribution centers. However, as the system uses general concepts, it can be applied also in industrial or services activities. The audit system includes the management check of the 10 following, direct and indirect, process, those are critical for the operational efficiency and effectiveness: people, equipment, process control, occupational health and security, logistics engineering, consumer's relationship, supplier's contracts, critical analysis of results, environment and housekeeping. It is called Audits System because goes beyond the proposal and application of the audit strictly speaking, being a systematic approach that intends the operations continuous improvement, through the complementary following steps: development of action planes to correct the problems showed in the audits; stimulus to the use of the traditional quality tools; periodic repetition of the audits and the use of Key Performance Indicators (KPI), in order to follow the 10 audited process evolution. In the present case study, in order to see if the introduced methodology was successful, the reached results in 6 work units of this 3PL was analyzed, being 3 units were the methodology was applied and 3 were not. These reached results were analyzed through some chosen KPI that, because they are standard of the 3PL, there are also in the work units where the audit system was not introduced. So, it was done at 5 years KPI cross analysis, with the results compared in 2 ways: first, the indicators evolution in the units where the audit system was introduced, in order to verify if there was process improvement after the implantation of the procedure and, second, it was done the KPI evolution comparison between the 2 groups studied (units were the system was and was not introduced), in order to verify the impact of the audit system introduction. In the end of this dissertation conclusions and the audits system improvement proposals are presented, according to the continuous improvement philosophy used by the 3PL focused in this case study / Mestrado / Transportes / Mestre em Engenharia Civil

Retention issues have been a challenge for human resources (HR) leaders for years. Organization HR leaders face employee retention challenges that lead to the loss of talented employees and a decline in the organization's quality of service, which negatively affects profitability. Based on Schultz's human capital theory, the purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies HR leaders used to retain employees. Data collection included company archival documentation review and face-to-face semistructured interviews with 11 purposefully selected HR leaders from 3 banks in the northern region of St. Lucia. Data analysis included using Yin's 5-step method, coding the transcribed interviews to identify relevant themes, member checking to strengthen the reliability and validity of the interpretations of participants' responses, and review of company documents. The 5 main themes revealed were strategies of employee retention, human capital development, culture of engagement, succession planning, and leader-member exchange, which affects employees' commitment and organizational profitability. Human resources leaders in organizations may use the findings of this study to develop effective strategies to retain employees, which could lead to individual achievement. Social change implications include the importance of investing in human capital that may lead to succession planning to promote business sustainability and economic growth in St. Lucia and other countries.

In the United States, 41% of small retail businesses fail to succeed for longer than 5 years. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore strategies small retail business owners used to remain sustainable for more than 5 years. The conceptual framework that grounded this study was Schumpeter's innovation theory. The sample size of this research included 4 successful retail business owners located in the southeastern region of the United States who have successfully started and managed their business activities for more than 5 years. Data were collected using semistructured face-to-face interviews with successful owners of small retail businesses and reviews of the organizations' internal documents. Data were coded, categorized, and labeled using coding techniques, and then validated using member checking. Data analysis processes included a thematic analysis method to identify emerging themes. The results of data analysis revealed 3 significant themes: passion and determination for doing business, market development and customer satisfaction, and business model innovation. The results indicated that the use of innovation theory enabled small retail business owners to develop innovative strategies to sustain the business for more than 5 years. The results also showed that innovation increases sales and profits for the longer term. The implications of this study for positive social change include the potential to create new jobs, enhance tax revenues and growth for governments, and improve social environments from revenue generated by employment.

As the primary drivers of Nigeria's economy, small and medium scale enterprise (SME) leaders rely on standby generators for sustainable business operation. Because of this reliance, over 56% of the SMEs operate far below capacity from the effects of power shortages. Guided by the strategic contingency theory, this study explored the profitability strategies of business leaders faced with electricity disruptions within Abuja Federal Capital Territory while adopting corporate social responsibility (CSR) and green practices. Data collection was through face-to-face semistructured interviews using open-ended questions. Participants consisted of 12 business leaders selected from 4 SME categories within Abuja that have imbibed CSR and green practices successfully or were in the process of doing so. The data analysis process involved labeling and coding all data that arose from participant interviews using the modified van Kaam method to identify dominant themes. Data coding and analysis led to the identification of 12 predominant meta-themes, including innovativeness for sustainable green business, strategy challenges and how they were addressed, and the power disruption impact on the effectiveness of CSR and organizational profitability. Findings from this study might contribute to new knowledge and success insights for SME business leaders faced with power shortages, CSR shortages, and losses in Abuja. Social change might result as SME business leaders embrace CSR practices with new environmentally friendly tenets, make sustainable profits, employ more people, and dedicate part of the profits to social services to benefit citizens of Abuja and Nigeria.

With the rise of digital technologies, consumers can stream music content, which has made it more difficult for music companies to be profitable. Small business owners in the music recording industry in the West Indies have found this trend particularly challenging, affecting their profitability. This multiple case study explored the adoption of disruptive technologies by small business owners in the music recording industry to increase profitability. The research population included 5 small business owners in the music recording industry in the West Indies who successfully adapted to the changes in the industry's business model and whose businesses are profitable. Christensen's theory of disruptive innovation served as the conceptual framework for this study. Data from face-to-face, semistructured, in-depth interviews, observations, and analysis of internal company documents were collected and triangulated. Within-case analysis was used to understand the general meaning of the participants' responses. Each case was described and themes were identified. Cross-case analysis was used to compare the 5 case descriptions and identify 5 cross-cutting themes. These 5 themes included focus on live performances, focus on marketing and building a brand, adopt innovations in all functions of the business, diversify income streams, and adopt vertical integration strategies. The implications for positive social change include the potential to increase the profitability of small businesses in the recording industry in the West Indies by sharing the strategies emerging from the study. Profitable businesses can lead to improved livelihoods of the small business owners and their families.

Working capital optimization, as an act of balancing liquidity and profitability, presents significant challenges when small businesses lack managerial expertise and access to affordable capital and credit facilities. To remain successful through efficient utilization of working capital, small business leaders need to understand the association between working capital management (WCM), working capital policy (WCP), and business profitability (PFT). Anchored in the cash conversion cycle theory, the purpose of this correlational study was to examine the relationship between WCM, WCP, and PFT. The study employed a retrospective secondary analysis of financial data from 2004 to 2013 from a random sample of 176 publicly traded small U.S. manufacturing companies. The regression results incorporating 3 models were significant in predicting profitability in terms of gross operating profit (GOP), return on asset (ROA), and Tobin's q (TBQ). The regression results showed that WCM and WCP were significant predictors of GOP, F (5, 170) = 8.580, p < .000, R2 = .201; ROA, F (5, 170) = 4.079, p < .002, R2 = .107; and TBQ, F (5, 170) = 6.231, p < .000, R2 = .155. The overall result confirmed that WCM and WCP predicted PFT significantly (p < .05). Small business leaders may incorporate working capital optimization practices into overall corporate strategy, thereby aligning working capital needs with the changing business requirements. The implications for positive social change included the potential to provide small business leaders with knowledge of WCM and WCP as drivers of PFT. Profitable businesses may provide employees and communities with better jobs; stock ownership; and development infrastructures such as road, healthcare, and educational facilities.