<p><strong>Introduction:</strong> Research has shown that family firms play an important role in modern economies and that they maintain special characteristics and features in comparison to non-family businesses. Furthermore, it is evident in literature and practice that internationalization is a crucial process and strategy in the present global business environment.</p><p><strong>Problem:</strong> These findings however, have not led to a family business internationalization strategy. Only some studies have been conducted concerning the influence of the special features of family firms on the process of internationalization. This means that there is a gap between theory and practice.</p><p><strong>Purpose:</strong> To increase the academic understanding of the phenomenon internationalization of family businesses, through the use of both theoretical and empirical findings.</p><p><strong>Research questions:</strong> This study attempted to fulfill the purpose by providing answers to several research questions. The main research questions are: What is the current state of knowledge about internationalization, family business features and previous research in internationalization of family firms? How do the family business features theoretically influence the internationalization process? How do the family business features empirically influence the internationalization process? What are the theoretical contributions and practical managerial implications of these findings?</p><p><strong>Method:</strong> A solid literature research has been conducted in order to determine the theoretical influences of family business features on internationalization. The empirical testing of the expectations was conducted through a qualitative approach by taking personal interviews at eight companies, four in The Netherlands and four in Sweden, and studying secondary documentation.</p><p><strong>Findings:</strong> The study shows that it is difficult to decisively determine the either facilitating or constraining influence of family business features on internationalization. The results show that the 23 features which have been studied in the sample are facilitating or constraining under certain conditions (see table 5, p. 108). This implies that managers, researchers and consultants will be required to study these conditions first in order to determine the facilitating or constraining effects in a company. In addition, a model has been constructed illustrating the empirical findings concerning the internationalization process (see figure 8, p.112). Finally, concerning internationalization theories, it is determined that family businesses tend to use the Network approach in starting their internationalization process, the Stage approaches in further developing the international operations and support their process through the Resource-based view and the Knowledge-based view.</p>

The interaction of radiation with integrated circuits can provoke transient faults due to the deposit of charge in sensitive nodes of transistors. Because of the decrease the size in the process technology, charge sharing between transistors placed close to each other has been more and more observed. This phenomenon can lead to multiple transient faults. Therefore, it is important to analyze the effect of multiple transient faults in integrated circuits and investigate mitigation techniques able to cope with multiple faults. This work investigates the effect known as single-event-induced charge sharing in integrated circuits. Two main techniques are analyzed to cope with this effect. First, a placement constraint methodology is proposed. This technique uses placement constraints in standard cell based circuits. The objective is to achieve a layout for which the Soft-Error Rate (SER) due charge shared at adjacent cell is reduced. A set of fault injection was performed and the results show that the SER can be minimized due to single-event-induced charge sharing in according to the layout structure. Results show that by using placement constraint, it is possible to reduce the error rate from 12.85% to 10.63% due double faults. Second, Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) schemes with different levels of granularities limited by majority voters are analyzed under multiple faults. The TMR versions are implemented using a standard design flow based on a traditional commercial standard cell library. An extensive fault injection campaign is then performed in order to verify the softerror rate due to single-event-induced charge sharing in multiple nodes. Results show that the proposed methodology becomes crucial to find the best trade-off in area, performance and soft-error rate when TMR designs are considered under multiple upsets. Results have been evaluated in a case-study circuit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), synthesized to 90nm Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) library, and they show that combining the two techniques, the error rate resulted from multiple faults can be minimized or masked. By using TMR with different granularities and placement constraint methodology, it is possible to reduce the error rate from 11.06% to 0.00% for double faults. A detailed study of triple, four and five multiple faults combining both techniques are also described. We also tested the TMR with different granularities in SRAM-based FPGA platform. Results show that the versions with a fine grain scheme (FGTMR) were more effectiveness in masking multiple faults, similarly to results observed in the ASICs. In summary, the main contribution of this master thesis is the investigation of charge sharing effects in ASICs and the use of a combination of techniques based on TMR redundancy and placement to improve the tolerance under multiple faults.

Introduction: Research has shown that family firms play an important role in modern economies and that they maintain special characteristics and features in comparison to non-family businesses. Furthermore, it is evident in literature and practice that internationalization is a crucial process and strategy in the present global business environment. Problem: These findings however, have not led to a family business internationalization strategy. Only some studies have been conducted concerning the influence of the special features of family firms on the process of internationalization. This means that there is a gap between theory and practice. Purpose: To increase the academic understanding of the phenomenon internationalization of family businesses, through the use of both theoretical and empirical findings. Research questions: This study attempted to fulfill the purpose by providing answers to several research questions. The main research questions are: What is the current state of knowledge about internationalization, family business features and previous research in internationalization of family firms? How do the family business features theoretically influence the internationalization process? How do the family business features empirically influence the internationalization process? What are the theoretical contributions and practical managerial implications of these findings? Method: A solid literature research has been conducted in order to determine the theoretical influences of family business features on internationalization. The empirical testing of the expectations was conducted through a qualitative approach by taking personal interviews at eight companies, four in The Netherlands and four in Sweden, and studying secondary documentation. Findings: The study shows that it is difficult to decisively determine the either facilitating or constraining influence of family business features on internationalization. The results show that the 23 features which have been studied in the sample are facilitating or constraining under certain conditions (see table 5, p. 108). This implies that managers, researchers and consultants will be required to study these conditions first in order to determine the facilitating or constraining effects in a company. In addition, a model has been constructed illustrating the empirical findings concerning the internationalization process (see figure 8, p.112). Finally, concerning internationalization theories, it is determined that family businesses tend to use the Network approach in starting their internationalization process, the Stage approaches in further developing the international operations and support their process through the Resource-based view and the Knowledge-based view.

Distributed rainfall runoff hydrologic models can be highly effective in improving flood forecasting capabilities at ungauged, interior locations of the watershed. However, their implementation in operational decision-making is hindered by the high dimensionality of the state-parameter space and by lack of methods/understanding on how to properly exploit and incorporate available spatio-temporal information about the system. This dissertation is composed of a sequence of five studies, whose overall goal is to improve understanding on problems relating to parameter identifiability in distributed models and to develop methodologies for their calibration.The first study proposes and investigates an approach for calibrating catchment scale distributed rainfall-runoff models using conventionally available data. The process, called regularization, uses spatial information about soils and land-use that is embedded in prior parameter estimates (Koren et al. 2000) and knowledge of watershed characteristics, to constrain and reduce the dimensionality of the feasible parameter space.The methodology is further extended in the second and third studies to improve extraction of `hydrologically relevant' information from the observed streamflow hydrograph. Hydrological relevance is provided by using signature measures (Yilmaz et al 2008) that correspond to major watershed functions. While the second study applies a manual selection procedure to constrain parameter sets from the subset of post calibrated solutions, the third develops an automatic procedure based on a penalty function optimization approach.The fourth paper investigates the relative impact of using the commonly used multiplier approach to distributed model calibration, in comparison with other spatial regularization strategies and also includes investigations on whether calibration to data at the catchment outlet can provide improved performance at interior locations. The model calibration study conducted for three mid sized catchments in the US led to the important finding that basin outlet hydrographs might not generally contain information regarding spatial variability of the parameters, and that calibration of the overall mean of the spatially distributed parameter fields may be sufficient for flow forecasting at the outlet. This then was the motivation for the fifth paper which investigates to what degree the spatial characteristics of parameter and rainfall fields can be observable in catchment outlet hydrographs.

The interaction of radiation with integrated circuits can provoke transient faults due to the deposit of charge in sensitive nodes of transistors. Because of the decrease the size in the process technology, charge sharing between transistors placed close to each other has been more and more observed. This phenomenon can lead to multiple transient faults. Therefore, it is important to analyze the effect of multiple transient faults in integrated circuits and investigate mitigation techniques able to cope with multiple faults. This work investigates the effect known as single-event-induced charge sharing in integrated circuits. Two main techniques are analyzed to cope with this effect. First, a placement constraint methodology is proposed. This technique uses placement constraints in standard cell based circuits. The objective is to achieve a layout for which the Soft-Error Rate (SER) due charge shared at adjacent cell is reduced. A set of fault injection was performed and the results show that the SER can be minimized due to single-event-induced charge sharing in according to the layout structure. Results show that by using placement constraint, it is possible to reduce the error rate from 12.85% to 10.63% due double faults. Second, Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) schemes with different levels of granularities limited by majority voters are analyzed under multiple faults. The TMR versions are implemented using a standard design flow based on a traditional commercial standard cell library. An extensive fault injection campaign is then performed in order to verify the softerror rate due to single-event-induced charge sharing in multiple nodes. Results show that the proposed methodology becomes crucial to find the best trade-off in area, performance and soft-error rate when TMR designs are considered under multiple upsets. Results have been evaluated in a case-study circuit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), synthesized to 90nm Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) library, and they show that combining the two techniques, the error rate resulted from multiple faults can be minimized or masked. By using TMR with different granularities and placement constraint methodology, it is possible to reduce the error rate from 11.06% to 0.00% for double faults. A detailed study of triple, four and five multiple faults combining both techniques are also described. We also tested the TMR with different granularities in SRAM-based FPGA platform. Results show that the versions with a fine grain scheme (FGTMR) were more effectiveness in masking multiple faults, similarly to results observed in the ASICs. In summary, the main contribution of this master thesis is the investigation of charge sharing effects in ASICs and the use of a combination of techniques based on TMR redundancy and placement to improve the tolerance under multiple faults.

The interaction of radiation with integrated circuits can provoke transient faults due to the deposit of charge in sensitive nodes of transistors. Because of the decrease the size in the process technology, charge sharing between transistors placed close to each other has been more and more observed. This phenomenon can lead to multiple transient faults. Therefore, it is important to analyze the effect of multiple transient faults in integrated circuits and investigate mitigation techniques able to cope with multiple faults. This work investigates the effect known as single-event-induced charge sharing in integrated circuits. Two main techniques are analyzed to cope with this effect. First, a placement constraint methodology is proposed. This technique uses placement constraints in standard cell based circuits. The objective is to achieve a layout for which the Soft-Error Rate (SER) due charge shared at adjacent cell is reduced. A set of fault injection was performed and the results show that the SER can be minimized due to single-event-induced charge sharing in according to the layout structure. Results show that by using placement constraint, it is possible to reduce the error rate from 12.85% to 10.63% due double faults. Second, Triple Modular Redundancy (TMR) schemes with different levels of granularities limited by majority voters are analyzed under multiple faults. The TMR versions are implemented using a standard design flow based on a traditional commercial standard cell library. An extensive fault injection campaign is then performed in order to verify the softerror rate due to single-event-induced charge sharing in multiple nodes. Results show that the proposed methodology becomes crucial to find the best trade-off in area, performance and soft-error rate when TMR designs are considered under multiple upsets. Results have been evaluated in a case-study circuit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), synthesized to 90nm Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) library, and they show that combining the two techniques, the error rate resulted from multiple faults can be minimized or masked. By using TMR with different granularities and placement constraint methodology, it is possible to reduce the error rate from 11.06% to 0.00% for double faults. A detailed study of triple, four and five multiple faults combining both techniques are also described. We also tested the TMR with different granularities in SRAM-based FPGA platform. Results show that the versions with a fine grain scheme (FGTMR) were more effectiveness in masking multiple faults, similarly to results observed in the ASICs. In summary, the main contribution of this master thesis is the investigation of charge sharing effects in ASICs and the use of a combination of techniques based on TMR redundancy and placement to improve the tolerance under multiple faults.

Submitted by Renata Lopes (renatasil82@gmail.com) on 2017-06-06T13:21:41Z No. of bitstreams: 1 joaovitordesahauck.pdf: 33226275 bytes, checksum: b7a8ed469369e9bbccd22738ced13ab0 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Oliveira (adriana.oliveira@ufjf.edu.br) on 2017-06-06T14:07:12Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 joaovitordesahauck.pdf: 33226275 bytes, checksum: b7a8ed469369e9bbccd22738ced13ab0 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-06T14:07:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 joaovitordesahauck.pdf: 33226275 bytes, checksum: b7a8ed469369e9bbccd22738ced13ab0 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / CAPES - Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Malhas com restrições no comprimento das arestas são úteis para diversas aplicações, especialmente para simulações de processos químicos e físicos. Este trabalho apresenta um método iterativo para remalhar uma malha triangular arbitraria de variedade 2 em uma malha com o comprimento de todas as arestas dentro de um intervalo de restrição definido pelo usuário. O método usa operações estelares para ajustar a quantidade de vértices e triângulos no modelo e para melhorar a valência dos vértices. Ele também aplica o operador Laplaciano em um espaço paramétrico local para melhorar a distribuição de vértices sobre a superfície. Propõe-se, uma otimização não linear, aplicada localmente, para os casos em que a malha é praticamente regular. Perdas geométricas são evitadas pela realização de uma projeção sobre a superfície original. O método proposto resulta em uma malha praticamente regular, com os vértices distribuídos uniformemente sobre a superfície. A dual da malha é usada em simulações de nano estruturas de carbono como uma aplicação do método. A principal contribuição deste trabalho é uma nova abordagem para restringir explicitamente o comprimento das arestas em um intervalo dado. Nosso método ainda garante baixa perda global de geometria e baixo custo de memória em comparação com métodos disponíveis na literatura. / Meshes with constraints in the edge length are useful for several applications, spe-cially for chemical and physical simulations. This work presents an iterative method for remeshing an arbitrary triangular 2-manifold mesh into a mesh with all edge lengths within an user-defined constraining interval. The method uses stellar operations to adjust the amount of vertices and triangles in the model and for improving the valence of the vertices. It also applies the Laplacian operator in a local parametric space to improve the distribution of the vertices over the surface. We propose a nonlinear optimization, locally applied, for cases in which the mesh is almost regular. Geometric losses are prevented by performing a projection over the original surface. Our method results in a nearly regu-lar mesh, with vertices uniformly distributed over the surface. The dual of the mesh is used in simulations of carbon nanostructures as an application of the method. The main contribution of this work is a new approach for constraining the edge length within an explicitly given interval. Our method also ensures lower global geometry losses and lower memory cost in comparison to methods available in the literature.

”Jag tror ju att det mesta är vilja, vill du tillräckligt mycket då kan du alltid lära dig” - En kvalitativ studie om kunskapsdelningens förutsättningar i svensk tillverkningsindustri. Vår kandidatuppsats syftar till att bidra med ökad kunskap och förståelse om vilka förutsättningar och hinder som påverkar kunskapsdelningsprocessen.    Studiens teoretiska referensram baseras på teorier och tidigare forskning gällande kunskap som begrepp, förutsättningar och faktorer som påverkar kunskapsdelning samt Knowledge Management. Den teoretiska referensramen har utvecklats och omarbetats under studiens gång baserat på det empiriska materialet likt det abduktiva förhållningssättet. Metoden för studien var av kvalitativ karaktär med semi-strukturerande intervjuer som insamlingsmetod, där sex (6) av elva (11) anställda från en avdelning i den undersökta verksamheten deltog.   Studiens resultat visar att organisatoriska förutsättningar,  relationer samt organisationskulturen har påtaglig inverkan på möjligheterna att dela kunskap och i de fall förutsättningarna inte är gynnsamma hindras processen avsevärt. Studien visar på att kunskapsdelning tydligt påverkas av sociala faktorer kopplade till medarbetarnas relationer och att den interpersonella kontexten är av central betydelse. Vidare framkommer att avsaknad av Knowledge Management är ett tydligt hinder för kunskapsdelning vilket synliggör behovet av att kunskapsdelning leds genom ett aktivt Knowledge Management. / "I think most of it are will, if you want enough then you can always learn" - A qualitative study on the conditions of knowledge sharing in the Swedish manufacturing industry. Our bachelor's thesis aims to contribute with increased knowledge and understanding about the conditions and obstacles that affect the knowledge sharing process.  The theoretical frame of reference of the study is based on theories and previous research regarding knowledge as a concepts, conditions and factors that influence knowledge sharing and Knowledge Management. The theoretical frame of reference has been developed and revised during the study based on the empirical material similar to the abductive approach. The method of the study was of a qualitative nature with semi-structured interviews as a method of data-collection in which six (6) out of eleven (11) respondents from a department in the studied organization participated.  The results of the study show that organizational conditions, relationships, and organizational culture have a strong impact on the ability to share knowledge and in cases where the conditions are not favorable, the process is significantly hindered. The study shows that knowledge sharing is strongly influenced by social factors linked to employees' relationships and that the interpersonal context is of central importance. Furthermore, it emerges that the absence of Knowledge Management is a clear barrier to knowledge sharing, which highlights the need for knowledge sharing to be led through active Knowledge Management.

The phenomenon of strategy implementation is crucial to the improvement of learner performance, and to the effectiveness of schools. Literature reveals that research on strategy implementation has received much attention in business studies. However, little attention has been given to it in schools. It is this gap which this study endeavours to fill. The key research questions for this study aimed at garnering evidence on factors that influence strategic plan implementation. In the empirical study, two secondary schools and three education offices were purposively selected. A mixed methods research design was adopted, and in this regard, data was collected using interviews, focus group discussions, document analysis, participant observation and questionnaires. Data was analysed by means of organising, coding and categorising. The main findings of the study are that the factors that affect School Strategic Plans (SSPs) implementation are largely related to education management at all levels. There is also anecdotal evidence that teacher, learner and external stakeholder factors affect the implementation of SSPs. In all these factors, monitoring was the major factor. One recommendation proposes that the education managers at provincial and district levels and implementers at school levels should all be empowered with skills and knowledge on effective strategy implementation. / Educational Management and Leadership / M. Ed (Education Management)

A investigação dos reflexos condicionantes da Parte Geral da Lei 8.078/90 na formatação do direito material positivo das relações de consumo se vincula diretamente à sistemática legislativa empregada na confecção do CDC, notadamente quanto aos seus dez primeiros artigos e à opção de neles se inscreverem as vigas mestras estruturantes de todo o seu sistema protetivo. É dizer: o direito material positivo das relações de consumo não pode ser visto de forma dissociada da Parte Geral da Lei 8.078/90, lídima regra de interpretação dirigida a fixar o alcance e a profundidade desse arcabouço jurídico instituído, por determinação constitucional, para amparar esse específico sujeito que é o consumidor; mais que isso, inclinado a buscar a materialização do equilíbrio nas relações obrigacionais que gravitam em torno do mercado. A ideia é visusalizar a Parte Geral do Código como um fator condicionante das regras de direito material privado criadas no intuito de concretizar a vontade do Poder Constituinte originário de defender o consumidor, operando uma espécie de justiça distributiva em uma relação jurídica historicamente desequilibrada, relegando-se às demais regras da parte especial função meramente explicativa. Nessa linha de raciocínio, foram examinados a dogmática positiva, as balizas de incidência do Código, a política nacional das relações de consumo, a boa-fé objetiva como mínimo ético exigível, os direitos básicos do consumidor e o risco como elemento de responsabilidade civil. Arremata-se com um resumo analítico da proposta, a identificar conclusões diretas sobre os problemas teóricos e práticos examinados. Torna-se imprescindível, assim, compreender a real amplitude dos direitos materiais outorgados aos consumidores e, para tanto, só há um caminho: investigar profundamente os reflexos condicionantes da Parte Geral da Lei 8.078/90 na formatação daquilo que de melhor se pensou, em termos legislativos, para promover a defesa do consumidor. / The investigation of constraining reflexes of the General Part of Act 8.078/90 in formatting the positive substantive law of consumption relationship is directly related to the legal systematic employed in the CDC confection, especially regarding the first ten articles and the option to enroll in them the main structuring foundations of the whole protective system. Indeed, the positive substantive law of consumption relationship cannot be dissociated of the General Part of Act 8.078/90, true interpretation rule aimed at setting the range and depth of this legal framework, established by constitutional determination to support this specific subject, the consumer, beyond that, inclined to search the real balance in the obligational relations focused on the consumption market. The main purpose is to visualize the Codes General Part as a constraining factor of substantive private law rules created in order to materialize the Congress originary will to protect the consumer, working as a distributive justice in a historically unbalanced legal relation, demoting the remaining special part rules to a purely explanatory function. Moreover, the positive dogmatic, the Code applicability limits, the Consumption Relationships National Policy, the objective good-faith as a minimum ethical demandable, the consumers basic rights and the risk as an element of civil liability were examined. At the end, a purpose analytical summary is presented, identifying direct conclusions concerning the theoretical and practical problems examined. It becomes imperative to comprehend the real dimension of the substantive rights granted to consumers and therefore, the only path is to deeply investigate the constraining reflexes of the General Part of Act 8.078/90 in structuring the best consideration in legal terms to promote consumer protection.