Il est généralement admis que le cancer du sein représente un ensemble de plusieurs maladies, définies comme des sous-types ayant des caractéristiques moléculaires et cliniques qui leurs sont propres. Une meilleure compréhension des mécanismes qui sous-tendent l'hétérogénéité du cancer du sein est essentielle au développement de thérapies mieux ajustées. Le concept de cellules souches cancéreuses (CSC) pourrait être un des clés de cette compréhension. A ce jour, un certain nombre de marqueurs ont été proposés pour isoler et caractériser les cellules souches dans le cancer du sein, mais aucun ne semble totalement satisfaisant.Le but de mon travail était de déterminer un marqueur ou une combinaison de marqueurs avec lesquels les fractions enrichies en CSC pourraient être isolées de manière reproductible dans le cancer du sein de sous-types basal (BLBC). En effet, les tumeurs basales représentent 15% de toutes les tumeurs mammaires, mais constituent le sous-type le plus agressif. À cet effet, j'ai analysé un certain nombre de marqueurs par analyse FACS et tri cellulaire et utilisé la capacité de formation de mammosphères (MS) comme critère de validation pour la présence de CSC. Les lignées cellulaires utilisées comme modèles étaient les SUM 159, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-436, HCC1143, MDA-MB-468, Hs578T et BT-549 correspondant aux modèles basal-A et B. J'ai également testé trois lignées luminales les MCF7, T47D et BT474.De tous les marqueurs testés, seules, la combinaison des protéines de surface cellulaire CD44/CD24/EpCAM et l’activité enzymatique ALDH élevée ont permis d’obtenir un enrichissement significatif en CSC. Toutefois, le niveau de l'activité ALDH est apparu inconstant d’une lignée cellulaire à une autre et selon le type de tumeurs. D'autres marqueurs membranaires ont donné des résultats mitigés dans le cancer du sein ER-. En effet, la plupart des lignées basales ont montré des profils FACS assez homogènes avec des proportions élevées de cellules CD44+. Cependant, l'association de la positivité de CD44 avec l'EMT et la souchitude, ainsi que la bonne corrélation observée dans les modèles luminaux de la population de cellules CD44+/CD24- avec l’enrichissement en CSC, nous a incité à déterminer si le niveau d'expression en CD44 faisait une différence dans les tumeurs basales. Sur cette base, j’ai montré que les cellules CD44 high présentent une forte capacité à former des MS dans toutes les lignées cellulaires testées. Cette constatation nous a incités à utiliser CD44high vs. CD44low comme critère de tri cellulaire et à utiliser ces fractions pour effectuer une analyse du transcriptome afin d'identifier d'autres marqueurs non encore déterminés, pouvant isoler des fractions cellulaires plus faibles avec un enrichissement plus élevé en CSC. / It is now accepted that breast cancer is a compendium of several diseases defined as subtypesthat are associated with different clinical outcomes and molecular characteristics. A betterunderstanding of the mechanisms underlying breast cancer heterogeneity is critical to the development of better adjusted therapies. One of the keys to breast cancer heterogeneity may be explained by cancer stem cells (CSC). A number of markers have been proposed to isolate and characterize breast cancer stem cells, but none appears totally satisfactory.The purpose of my work was determine a marker or combination of markers with which CSC enriched fractions could be reproducibly isolated in basal like breast cancer (BLBC). BLBC represent 15% of all breast tumors, but are the most aggressive subtype. To this aim, I have analyzed a number of markers by FACS analysis and cell sorting and used the capacity to form mammospheres (MS) as a validation criterion for the presence of CSCs. The cell lines used as models were SUM 159, MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-436, HCC1143, MDA-MB-468, Hs578T and BT-549 comprising both Basal A and Basal B models. I also tested three luminal models MCF7, T47D and BT474.Of all the markers tested those that most consistently allowed enrichment of CSCs were the combination of cell surface proteins CD44/CD24/EpCAM and elevated ALDH enzyme activity. However, ALDH activity appeared irregular, ranging from good to inconsistent according to the cell line. Other cell surface markers gave mixed results in ER- breast cancer because the elevated fraction of CD44+ cells found in most of basal breast cancer cell lines and their propensity to show rather homogenous FACS labeling patterns. However, the association of CD44 positivity with EMT and stemness, as well as the good correlation, we observed in luminal models, of CD44+/CD24- cell population with CSC enrichment incited us to determine whether the level of expression of CD44 could make a difference in basal like models. I show that CD44high cells present higher capacity to form MS in all cell line models tested. This prompted us to use CD44high vs. CD44low as a cell sorting criterion and use these fractions to perform transcriptome analysis in order to identify other markers yet not determined, that may point to smaller cell fractions with a higher CSC enrichment.

Problem: Corporate social responsibility is said to result in strategic and reputational benefits, however, broadcasting it publicly has been proven to be a delicate matter. While stakeholders expect companies to engage in CSR, they do not appreciate if companies communicate their CSR-activities too loudly. Prior research instead suggests that communicating too extensively could cause skepticism from stakeholders. Purpose: This thesis is set to investigate how companies view and handle the challenge of communicating their good deeds, in the specific context of cross-sector collaborations, and how companies balance the need to increase awareness of their social engagements with the risk of inducing skepticism. Method: Primary data has been collected from semi-structured interviews within six case companies from different industries. Conclusion: Our results show that skepticism per se was not perceived as a problem – one reason could be that most companies chose to avoid communicating extensively. While all companies argued for the importance of doing rather than talking, controversial companies in particular expressed an aversion towards bragging about their collaborations. A difference between controversial and neutral industries could be seen in the way they valued communication. Having the right level of communication, demonstrating authenticity by linking cross-sector collaborations to company characteristics, together with the choice of partners and communicating “through” NPOs were seen as important aspects that could help companies to find the balance.

A presente pesquisa procura estudar uma mudança organizacional de larga escala em uma rede hoteleira multinacional. Esta mudança tem como foco a implementação de um Centro de Serviços Compartilhados (CSC) que passa a realizar de forma centralizada as rotinas e processos administrativos, contábeis e financeiros de mais de quarenta unidades hoteleiras do grupo. Na implementação de mudanças desta magnitude, é necessário lidar com as resistências internas da organização que se apresentam no decorrer do processo. Neste sentido, esta pesquisa objetiva estudar quais são as principais resistências que envolvem um processo de mudança, tomando como ponto base os elementos da resistência apontados por Burns e Scapens (2000). Este construto foi desenvolvido para dar um foco intraorganizacional aos processos de mudança, sendo influenciado pela Old Institutional Economics (OIE), e procura sanar algumas críticas postas às primeiras pesquisas da New Institutional Sociology (NIS) pelas quais esta última estaria descrevendo os processos de mudança como lineares e inevitáveis, nos quais os atores se tornavam voluntariamente isomórficos às instituições. Com base neste construto, este trabalho procura analisar os elementos de resistência (i) por existência de conflito de interesses; (ii) por falta de competência (conhecimento e / ou experiência); e (iii) por apego às instituições postas no ambiente, identificando quais são as mais importantes e como estas resistências se relacionam ao processo de institucionalização posto por Burns e Scapens (2000), no processo de codificação, incorporação, repetição e institucionalização. Assim, por meio de um estudo descritivo, com o uso de técnicas qualitativas e quantitativas, entrevistas, questionários e das ferramentas multivariadas Análise de Conglomerados, Análise de Correspondência (ANACOR), análise de homogeneidade (HOMALS) e da Categorical Principal Component Analysys (CAPTCA), procura-se analisar e observar como os gestores operacionais (gerentes gerais e subgerentes das unidades hoteleiras) e os gestores corporativos (alta diretoria e condutores da mudança) assimilam e percebem a mudança promovida pela implementação de um CSC. O CSC, por sua vez um modelo recente nas organizações, foi implementado para 42 unidades hoteleiras do grupo, distribuídas em cinco marcas com características distintas, através de um cronograma de migração de dezoito meses de duração. Os achados permitem concluir que as principais resistências existentes ao processo estão relacionadas com a resistência por falta de competência e por apego às instituições existentes. É preciso considerar que os elementos da resistência estão todos eles entrelaçados e todos devem ser analisados em planos de ação que visem à institucionalização completa no novo modelo do CSC. Os resultados desta pesquisa levantam insumos para considerar que a identificação das principais resistências em um processo de institucionalização, dentro do construto descrito por Burns e Scapens (2000), é bastante útil para direcionar ações e estratégias que visem à completa institucionalização do modelo. Nestes estudo, a análise dos elementos da resistência lança luz sobre as possíveis causas da resistência dos gestores operacionais pela falta de conhecimento principalmente com os temas essenciais relacionados à análise das informações contábeis e financeiras. Adicionalmente, levantam-se argumentos sobre as possíveis causas da resistência destes mesmos gestores por apego às instituições, especificamente nas marcas superiores, onde se demandam informações específicas e diferenciadas em função da complexidade maior destas unidades. Ambas as conclusões servem como um importante direcionador, tanto para a organização foco de estudo como para outras organizações que passem por processos de mudança similares ou que estejam procurando implementar um centro de serviços compartilhados, solução recente e em franca expansão no Brasil. / The following research brings a study on a large-scale organizational change in an international hotel chain. The change has as its focus the implementation of a Shared Service Center (SSC) that accomplishes the administrative, accounting and financial processes in a centralized way in more than forty hotel unities of the group. In order to implement changes of such magnitude, it is necessary to deal with internal resistances within the organization that appear during the process. In this sense, this research aims to study which are the main resistances involved in a change process, based on the resistance elements indicated by Burns and Scapens (2000). Influenced by the Old Institutional Economics (OIE), the present research has been developed to bring an intra-organizational focus to the change processes, and it intends to solve some criticism brought toward the first researches developed by the New Institutional Sociology (NIS). Those researches would describe the change processes as being linear and unavoidable, and, through such processes, the actors supposedly became voluntarily isomorphic to the institutions. Based on those ideas, this paper intends to analyze the following elements of resistance: (i) formal and overt due to competing interests; (ii) by lack of capability (knowledge and experience); and (iii) by attachment to the institutions set in the environment, identifying which are the most important resistances and how they would relate to the process of institutionalization considered by Burns and Scapens (2000) in the encoding, enacting, reproduction and institutionalization process. Thus, through descriptive research, using qualitative and quantitative techniques, interviews, surveys and through multivariate analysis such as Conglomerate Analysis, Correspondence Analysis (ANACOR), Homogeneity Analysis (HOMALS) and Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CAPTCA), the research aims to analyze and observe how operational managers (general managers and assistant managers of the hotel unities) and corporative managers (board members) assimilate and realize the change promoted by the implementation of a SSC. On its turn, the SSC, being a recent model on the organizations, was implemented in 42 hotel unities of the group, distributed in five brands with distinct characteristics, through a migration chronogram lasting 18 months. The findings led to the conclusion that the main resistances to the process are related to the resistance by lack of capability and by attachment to the existing institutions. It is necessary to consider that the elements of the resistance are interconnected, and they should be analyzed in action plans aiming the complete institutionalization within the new model of the SSC. The results of this research bring inputs to consider that the identification of the main resistances in an institutionalization process, as described by Burns and Scarpens (2000). Those inputs are very useful to lead actions and strategies, in order to guide the complete institutionalization of the model. In this specific case observed, the analysis of the elements of resistance illuminates the possible reasons for which there is, by the operational managers, resistance by lack of knowledge, resistance which is mainly connected to the essential subjects related to the analysis of accounting and financial information. Additionally, the research raises arguments on the possible causes of the resistance of such operational managers, caused by attachment to the institutions, specifically on the superior brands, in which there is a demand for specific and different information because of the complexity of those unities when compared to the economical brands. The conclusions work as an important guide, both to the organization focused in this study and to the ones that possibly may go through similar change processes or that may be trying to implement a center of shared services, a recent solution that is in expansion in Brazil.

Tesis para optar al grado de Mag?ster en Gesti?n y Direcci?n de Empresas / En la actualidad, el modelo de Centro de Servicios Compartidos (CSC) brinda a las empresas la posibilidad de ejecutar sus procesos administrativos de manera eficiente y homog?nea para toda la organizaci?n, cubriendo adecuadamente las necesidades de los distintos negocios y geograf?as. Esto les permite generar econom?as de escala mediante la consolidaci?n de la operaci?n y mejorar el desempe?o de los servicios de todas las unidades de negocio con un claro ?nfasis en la calidad y en la eficiencia. Es as? como, las organizaciones han incorporado diversos procesos de RRHH en CSC, en especial funciones administrativas, adem?s de informaci?n y de asesor?a. En este trabajo se realiza un an?lisis te?rico de un CSC y se eval?a un caso pr?ctico de implementaci?n en Anglo American identificando alternativas de mejorar su rendimiento. Dichas alternativas analizadas para el caso de Anglo American son: Alternativa A: Potenciar Sistema Actual Alternativa B: Redise?o de Sistema Actual Alternativa C: Contrataci?n de Servicios Externos Alternativa D: Implementar CSC para Chile y Per?. Alternativa E: Cierre de CSC De las 5 alternativas analizadas, la alternativa E, cierre de CSC depender? de la estrategia corporativa de Anglo American. Al igual que alternativa D, ya que esto implicar?a 2 CSC en Latino Am?rica. La alternativa C, de externalizar servicios, podr?a ser considerada, tomando precauci?n de las externalidades negativas que esto podr?a acarrear. Las alternativas A y B, son factibles de implementar y pueden ser complementarias. Con ello se podr?a mejorar el funcionamiento del CSC, logrando los objetivos en los cuales se basa esta implementaci?n. Por ?ltimo, puedo concluir que para una buena implementaci?n de un CSC se debe tener presente los siguientes aspectos claves: 1. Alineamiento de objetivo del CSC con Estrategia Corporativa 2. Alineamiento Ejecutivo 3. Modelo de Gobierno 4. Organizaci?n 5. Personas 6. Procesos 7. Tecnolog?a

OFFSHORE wind farms need to develop technologies that fulfill three main objectives:Efficiency, power density and reliability. The purpose of this thesisis to study an HVDC transmission system based on series connection of the turbineswhich theoretically meet these three objectives. A new topology of matrixconverter operated at high frequency is proposed. This converter is studied usingdifferent modulation algorithms. Simulation and experimental results demonstratedthat the converter can be operated as a current source converter with highefficiency. An optimal control based on a linear quadratic regulator is proposedto control the matrix converter as well as the converter placed on shore. Resultsdemonstrated the high performance of this type of control and its simplicity forimplementation. An stationary state study based on non-linear programming andMontecarlo simulation was carried out to determine the performance of the conceptfor long-term operation. Series connection is an efficient technology if and only ifthe differences in the effective wind velocity are small. This aspect limits the numberof wind turbines that can be connected in series, since a numerous number ofturbines will lead to high covariances in the distribution of the wind. A complementarystudy about active filter and reactive power compensation was carried outusing an optimization-based algorithm.

In the present climate of deregulation and privatisation, theutilities are often separated into generation, transmission anddistribution companies so as to help promote economic efficiencyand encourage competition. Also, environmental concerns,right-of-way and cost problems have delayed the construction ofboth generation facilities and new transmission lines while thedemand for electric power has continued to grow, which must bemet by increased loading of available lines. A consequence isthat power system damping is often reduced which leads to a poordamping of electromechanical power oscillations and/or impairmentof transient stability. The aim of this thesis is to examine theability of Controllable Series Devices (CSDs), such as Unified Power Flow Controller (UPFC)   Controllable Series Capacitor (CSC)   Quadrature Boosting Transformer (QBT)   for improving transient stability and damping ofelectromechanical oscillations in a power system. For these devices, a general model is used in power systemanalysis. This model is referred to as injection model which isvalid for load flow and angle stability analysis. The model isalso helpful for understanding the impact of the CSDs on powersystem stability. A control strategy for damping of electromechanical poweroscillations is also derived based on Lyapunov theory. Lyapunovtheory deals with dynamical systems without input. For thisreason, it has traditionally been applied only to closed-loopcontrol systems, that is, systems for which the input has beeneliminated through the substitution of a predetermined feedbackcontrol. However, in this thesis, Lyapunov function candidatesare used in feedback design itself by making the Lyapunovderivative negative when choosing the control. This controlstrategy is called Control Lyapunov Function (CLF) for systemswith control input. / QC 20100609

China Steel Corporation (CSC) has introduced OHSAS 18001 system since 2000, and has acquired good performance and credits, but it seems hard to get further progress in performance. One of the major reasons is that industrial safety awareness does not take root in every employer¡¦s mind. So it is important to make an all-purpose safety concept environment. In 2011, Safety-Caring program was put into action plant widely to build safety culture. This study focuses on the effect of safety management by promoting safety caring activities in steel-making plant. It hopefully improves the safety performance through verification of practical experiment according to theoretical analysis. The study processes and conclusion are as followings: 1. Two rounds of questionnaires were issued; the first one was done about one year later of safety caring project started, this questionnaire was to understand the effect of safety caring program in steel plant. The second one was to evaluate the key factors of success to run safety caring program, and the later questionnaire was issued about five months later following the first one. 2. The culture of CSC is based on the kindheartedness and humanity priority. So safety caring program is suitable to build an all-purpose safety culture in CSC. 3. The results from the two rounds of questionnaires show the highly approval of safety caring program. The successive safety education, the promise of the authority, the proclamation of the labor union and steel plant, and the safety knowledge sharing consistently promoted, therefore, the safety performance is getting higher. 4. The major factors of running safety program are: active safety caring, the promise of the authority, personal safety knowledge, the proclamation and the support of the labor union, and the notification performance of steel-making plant. The factor of the promise of the authority is the most outstanding. On the other hand, the following factors are not so obvious, such as: safety management system, safety feeling, service leading, commanding leading, rewards and punishments, working pressure, and income satisfaction. 5. The more the safety caring is done, the more approval of safety program, and the more willingness to obey the safety rules. It is evident that keeping the promotion of safety activities can lower the industrial accidents.

Today, issues such as climate change and increased competition for scarce resources puts pressure on society and firms to transform. Change is not easily managed though, especially not when relating to production or consumption of energy carriers such as district heating or electric power. These systems do not only have strong dynamics internally, but dynamics between multiple technological systems must sometimes be considered to effectively manage response and strategies in relation to change. During the early 1980s, an optimisation model founded on an expert-based approach was developed based on the partial equilibrium model to enable the evaluation of different actions to reach a target. This model — often referred to as marginal abatement cost curve (MACC) or conservation supply curve (CSC) — is used by academia, industry and policymakers globally. The model is applied for causes such as energy conservation and waste management, but also within the climate change context for optimising CO2 reductions and governmental policy. In this context, the model is used by actors such as the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), International Energy Agency (IEA) and World Bank, and by the consultancy firm McKinsey &amp; Company, who use it extensively in different analysis. This model has many drawbacks in relation to managing interdependencies between different options, but more specifically the metric used for ranking options with a negative marginal cost has a design flaw leading to biased results. As a solution Pareto optimisation has been suggested, but is problematic given the dynamics within and between energy systems. The purpose of this compilation dissertation is to improve the ability for industry and policymakers to effectively manage change and reach set targets. In particular it develops our knowledge of how to account for option interdependency within and between technological systems. Furthermore, the ranking problem relating to expert-based least cost integrated planning is addressed. This dissertation also provides policy and managerial implications relating to the issues of energy conservation, CO2 abatement, and SOx and NOx reduction in relation to the district heating system in Stockholm. Implications are also provided for the interaction with other systems such as the Nordic electric power system. / Klimatfrågan och konkurrens om knappa resurser medför ett förändringstryck på nationer och företag. Att hantera förändringar har aldrig varit enkelt, vilket är tydligt bland företag inom energisektorn såsom el och fjärrvärmeproducenter. Energisystemen dessa företag är del av har stark intern dynamik, men även dynamik mellan olika energisystem är vanligt. Detta måste tas i beaktande när strategier och planer för att hantera förändring utformas. Under början av 1980-talet skapades en optimeringsmodell baserad på den nationalekonomiska jämviktsmodellen för att kunna utvärdera olika specifika möjligheter att nå ett mål, t.ex. energibesparingar. Denna modell, som idag ofta benämns MACC (Marginal Abatement Cost Curves) eller CSC (Concervation Supply Curves), används idag av akademin, industrin och myndigheter inom områden så som energibesparingar, minskade CO2-utsläpp, sophantering och design av ekonomiska policyinstrument. De icke-akademiska användarna inkluderar FNs klimatorgan IPCC, IEA och Världsbanken. Även konsultfirman McKinsey&amp;Company använder modellen regelbundet i olika studier. Tyvärr har modellen många begräsningar när det kommer till att hantera dynamiker mellan de specifika åtgärder som identifierats för att nå ett mål. Den allvarligast begränsningen utgörs dock av ett optimeringsfel som leder till felaktiga slutsatser om prioriteringen mellan de åtgärder som har en negativ marginalkostnad. Som en lösning på detta problem har pareto-optimering föreslagits, vilket denna avhandling dock visar är problematiskt på grund av de dynamiker som finns inom och mellan energisystem. Det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling är att förbättra möjligheten att hantera förändringar och nå uppsatta mål. Specifikt diskuteras hur beroenden mellan olika åtgärder för att nå det satta målet kan hanteras. Avhandlingen adresser även problemet att prioritera mellan åtgärder med negativ marginalkostnad. Utöver detta bidrar avhandlingen med praktiska implikationer för politiker, myndigheter och företag involverade i fjärrvärmeproduktion i Stockholm. Slutsatser dras kring energibesparingar och minskade utsläpp av CO2, SOx och NOx. Praktiska implikationer ges även för hur system som detta fjärrvärmesystem samverkar och interagerar med det nordiska elsystemet. / <p>QC 20150414</p> / Investments in energy efficiency and climate change abatement: revising marginal cost curves as an optimization model

O objetivo deste trabalho é estudar a influência dos parâmetros do processo de soldagem MAG com transferência do metal do tipo Curto-circuito Controlado (CCC) sobre a geometria do cordão de solda. Foi utilizado um dispositivo de soldagem automatizado para realização dos testes de simples deposição sobre um tubo de aço API 5L X65 diâmetro interno 204 mm e espessura 8 mm. Os parâmetros do processo analisados foram a corrente de pico de arco (Ia1), o tempo de atuação desta corrente (ta1), o tempo de atuação da corrente Ia2 (ta2), a velocidade de alimentação do arame (W) e a velocidade de soldagem (v). Tais parâmetros foram ajustados na interface homem-máquina (IHM) de uma fonte de potência microprocessada e do dispositivo de soldagem automatizado. As características geométricas do cordão de solda analisadas foram a largura, a altura do reforço e a penetração. Foi utilizado um Projeto de Experimento Composto de Segunda Ordem para obter a relação entre os parâmetros do processo e as características geométricas do cordão. Os modelos matemáticos obtidos foram considerados adequados, sendo possível determinar estatisticamente o nível de significância de cada um dos parâmetros controláveis – e de suas interações – sobre as respostas analisadas. Foram encontradas sobreposição e falta de fusão lateral em 60% dos corpos de prova avaliados, sendo levantada a hipótese de que a combinação de altos valores da corrente de pico de arco Ia1 com baixos valores do tempo de atuação deste parâmetro – ta1, aliada à utilização de gases de proteção com alta porcentagem de Ar, pode comprometer a eficiência de fusão nas laterais do cordão de solda. Os cordões de solda foram produzidos com quantidade reduzida de salpicos, representando um avanço do processo CCC quando comparado ao processo com transferência do metal por curto-circuito convencional. Os parâmetros controláveis Ia1 e ta1 produziram efeitos muito similares nas respostas de largura e penetração, quando considerados de forma isolada e também quando da interação destes com os demais parâmetros controláveis. A análise dos efeitos das interações principais revelou que Ia1 e ta1 são os parâmetros de maior influência nas respostas da geometria do cordão de solda, porém, com elevada dependência de um ajuste adequado da velocidade de alimentação do arame W para a obtenção de estabilidade do processo. / This work aims to study the influence of MAG welding process parameters with controlled short-circuit (CSC) metal transfer mode on weld bead geometry. The simple deposition weld tests were performed using a micro controlled power supply and an automatized device which enabled achievement of weld beads with standard conditions on API 5L X65 steel pipe whose inner diameter is 204 mm and thickness is 8 mm. The welding process parameters analyzed were the peak arcing current (Ia1), times (ta1) and (ta2), wire feed speed (W) and welding speed (v). Such parameters were set on Human-Machine Interface (HMI) of the micro controlled power supply and automatized welding device. The weld bead geometric features evaluated were width, reinforcement height and penetration depth. A Central Composite Face- Centred Design of Experiment was performed to obtain the relationship between the process parameters and the weld bead geometric features. Statistical analysis allowed development of mathematical models and they were found appropriate to determine the significance level of the process parameters – and their interactions – on output responses analyzed. Overlap and lack of fusion was detected on weld beads side in 60% of all specimens evaluated. The hypothesis formulated states that the origin of these discontinuities is from specific combination of parameters – high values of Ia1 and low values of ta1 together with usage of a shielding gas with high percentage of Ar – which would lead to lower fusion efficiency on weld bead side. The weld beads were produced with low spatter rates so it can be considered an improvement of the CSC process if compared with conventional short-circuit metal transfer mode. The peak arcing current Ia1 and time ta1 yielded similar effects on width and penetration depth, and it was valid when that parameters were taken both isolated and on interactions with other welding process parameters. The present study also revealed that Ia1 and ta1 are the most important parameters on influencing weld bead geometry, however, there is also strong dependence on a proper adjustment of wire feed speed W to obtain process stability.

A presente pesquisa procura estudar uma mudança organizacional de larga escala em uma rede hoteleira multinacional. Esta mudança tem como foco a implementação de um Centro de Serviços Compartilhados (CSC) que passa a realizar de forma centralizada as rotinas e processos administrativos, contábeis e financeiros de mais de quarenta unidades hoteleiras do grupo. Na implementação de mudanças desta magnitude, é necessário lidar com as resistências internas da organização que se apresentam no decorrer do processo. Neste sentido, esta pesquisa objetiva estudar quais são as principais resistências que envolvem um processo de mudança, tomando como ponto base os elementos da resistência apontados por Burns e Scapens (2000). Este construto foi desenvolvido para dar um foco intraorganizacional aos processos de mudança, sendo influenciado pela Old Institutional Economics (OIE), e procura sanar algumas críticas postas às primeiras pesquisas da New Institutional Sociology (NIS) pelas quais esta última estaria descrevendo os processos de mudança como lineares e inevitáveis, nos quais os atores se tornavam voluntariamente isomórficos às instituições. Com base neste construto, este trabalho procura analisar os elementos de resistência (i) por existência de conflito de interesses; (ii) por falta de competência (conhecimento e / ou experiência); e (iii) por apego às instituições postas no ambiente, identificando quais são as mais importantes e como estas resistências se relacionam ao processo de institucionalização posto por Burns e Scapens (2000), no processo de codificação, incorporação, repetição e institucionalização. Assim, por meio de um estudo descritivo, com o uso de técnicas qualitativas e quantitativas, entrevistas, questionários e das ferramentas multivariadas Análise de Conglomerados, Análise de Correspondência (ANACOR), análise de homogeneidade (HOMALS) e da Categorical Principal Component Analysys (CAPTCA), procura-se analisar e observar como os gestores operacionais (gerentes gerais e subgerentes das unidades hoteleiras) e os gestores corporativos (alta diretoria e condutores da mudança) assimilam e percebem a mudança promovida pela implementação de um CSC. O CSC, por sua vez um modelo recente nas organizações, foi implementado para 42 unidades hoteleiras do grupo, distribuídas em cinco marcas com características distintas, através de um cronograma de migração de dezoito meses de duração. Os achados permitem concluir que as principais resistências existentes ao processo estão relacionadas com a resistência por falta de competência e por apego às instituições existentes. É preciso considerar que os elementos da resistência estão todos eles entrelaçados e todos devem ser analisados em planos de ação que visem à institucionalização completa no novo modelo do CSC. Os resultados desta pesquisa levantam insumos para considerar que a identificação das principais resistências em um processo de institucionalização, dentro do construto descrito por Burns e Scapens (2000), é bastante útil para direcionar ações e estratégias que visem à completa institucionalização do modelo. Nestes estudo, a análise dos elementos da resistência lança luz sobre as possíveis causas da resistência dos gestores operacionais pela falta de conhecimento principalmente com os temas essenciais relacionados à análise das informações contábeis e financeiras. Adicionalmente, levantam-se argumentos sobre as possíveis causas da resistência destes mesmos gestores por apego às instituições, especificamente nas marcas superiores, onde se demandam informações específicas e diferenciadas em função da complexidade maior destas unidades. Ambas as conclusões servem como um importante direcionador, tanto para a organização foco de estudo como para outras organizações que passem por processos de mudança similares ou que estejam procurando implementar um centro de serviços compartilhados, solução recente e em franca expansão no Brasil. / The following research brings a study on a large-scale organizational change in an international hotel chain. The change has as its focus the implementation of a Shared Service Center (SSC) that accomplishes the administrative, accounting and financial processes in a centralized way in more than forty hotel unities of the group. In order to implement changes of such magnitude, it is necessary to deal with internal resistances within the organization that appear during the process. In this sense, this research aims to study which are the main resistances involved in a change process, based on the resistance elements indicated by Burns and Scapens (2000). Influenced by the Old Institutional Economics (OIE), the present research has been developed to bring an intra-organizational focus to the change processes, and it intends to solve some criticism brought toward the first researches developed by the New Institutional Sociology (NIS). Those researches would describe the change processes as being linear and unavoidable, and, through such processes, the actors supposedly became voluntarily isomorphic to the institutions. Based on those ideas, this paper intends to analyze the following elements of resistance: (i) formal and overt due to competing interests; (ii) by lack of capability (knowledge and experience); and (iii) by attachment to the institutions set in the environment, identifying which are the most important resistances and how they would relate to the process of institutionalization considered by Burns and Scapens (2000) in the encoding, enacting, reproduction and institutionalization process. Thus, through descriptive research, using qualitative and quantitative techniques, interviews, surveys and through multivariate analysis such as Conglomerate Analysis, Correspondence Analysis (ANACOR), Homogeneity Analysis (HOMALS) and Categorical Principal Component Analysis (CAPTCA), the research aims to analyze and observe how operational managers (general managers and assistant managers of the hotel unities) and corporative managers (board members) assimilate and realize the change promoted by the implementation of a SSC. On its turn, the SSC, being a recent model on the organizations, was implemented in 42 hotel unities of the group, distributed in five brands with distinct characteristics, through a migration chronogram lasting 18 months. The findings led to the conclusion that the main resistances to the process are related to the resistance by lack of capability and by attachment to the existing institutions. It is necessary to consider that the elements of the resistance are interconnected, and they should be analyzed in action plans aiming the complete institutionalization within the new model of the SSC. The results of this research bring inputs to consider that the identification of the main resistances in an institutionalization process, as described by Burns and Scarpens (2000). Those inputs are very useful to lead actions and strategies, in order to guide the complete institutionalization of the model. In this specific case observed, the analysis of the elements of resistance illuminates the possible reasons for which there is, by the operational managers, resistance by lack of knowledge, resistance which is mainly connected to the essential subjects related to the analysis of accounting and financial information. Additionally, the research raises arguments on the possible causes of the resistance of such operational managers, caused by attachment to the institutions, specifically on the superior brands, in which there is a demand for specific and different information because of the complexity of those unities when compared to the economical brands. The conclusions work as an important guide, both to the organization focused in this study and to the ones that possibly may go through similar change processes or that may be trying to implement a center of shared services, a recent solution that is in expansion in Brazil.