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Increasing budgets dedicated to sales departments, as well as the need to maintain market shares through relational approaches in addressing the growth of competition in the industrial sectors, has motivated the development of a significant amount of academic literature on Management of human resources in the commercial department. This thesis presents the results of two bibliographic reviews aimed at identifying: (1) the typology of vendor control systems, (2) the direct effects of these systems on results, and (3) the classification of mediators according to Model AMO (Abilities, Motivations, Opportuinities) and its relationship with control systems and performances. For the main review, Business Source Premier (EBSCO), Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar, and "Management Control and Sale * or Control System * and Sale * or Output Control and Behavior Control " were used as search engines and formula respectively, obtaining 114 articles after the filtering process, to which were subsequently added another 28 references from their own calls. The analysis of publications suggests from an academic point of view that behavioral control systems, activity control systems, and capability control systems, generate the best results, both on the individual performance, the sales unit performance and the sales organization effectiveness,both when analyzing the direct effects, and considering the mediators of the AMO model. This set of empirical evidence determines the need to implement vendor capacitation systems through coaching and training, as a key tool to improve their skills and motivation, but also emphasizes the importance of training sales managers on organizational aspects (sales support, elements of the control system, customer orientation, etc.) and others related to setting objectives (congruence, difficulty, participation, etc.) as opportunities to optimize results. / Los cuantiosos presupuestos dedicados a los departamentos de ventas, así como la necesidad de mantener las cuotas de mercado mediante enfoques relacionales al afrontar el crecimiento de la competencia en los sectores industriales, ha motivado el desarrollo de una cantidad importante de literatura académica sobre la dirección de recursos humanos en el departamento comercial. Esta tesis recoge el resultado de dos revisiones bibliográficas orientadas a identificar: (1) la tipología de sistemas de control de los vendedores, (2) los efectos directos de estos sistemas sobre los resultados, y (3) la clasificación de los mediadores según el modelo AMO (Abilities, Motivations, Opportuinities) y su relación con los sistemas de control y los resultados. Para la revisión principal, se utilizaron como motores de búsqueda y fórmula respectivamente: Business Source Premier (EBSCO), Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science y Google Scholar, y "Management Control and Sale* or Control System* and Sale* or Output Control and Behavior Control", obteniendo 114 artículos tras el proceso de filtrado, a los que posteriormente fueron añadidos otros 28 procedentes de sus propias citas. El análisis de las publicaciones sugiere desde un punto de vista académico, que los sistemas de control del comportamiento, la actividad, el proceso o la capacitación (behavioral control systems, activity control systems, process control systems, capability control systems) generan los mejores resultados tanto sobre el vendedor a nivel individual, como sobre el equipo de ventas y la organización (salesperson behavioral performance, salesperson outcome performance, sales unit performance, sales organization effectiveness), tanto al analizar los efectos directos, como al considerar los mediadores del modelo AMO. Este conjunto de evidencias empíricas determina la necesidad de implantar sistemas de capacitación de los vendedores mediante acciones de coaching y formación, como herramienta clave para mejorar sus habilidades y motivación, pero adicionalmente también se subraya la importancia de capacitar a los jefes y directores de ventas, en relación con aspectos organizativos (apoyo a las ventas, elementos del sistema de control, orientación al cliente, etc.) y otros relativos al establecimiento de objetivos (congruencia, dificultad, participación, etc.), como oportunidades para optimizar los resultados. / Els quantiosos pressupostos dedicats als departaments de vendes, així com la necessitat de mantenir les quotes de mercat mitjançant enfocaments relacionals en afrontar el creixement de la competència en els sectors industrials, ha motivat el desenvolupament d'una quantitat important de literatura acadèmica sobre la direcció de recursos humans en el departament comercial. Aquesta tesi recull el resultat de dues revisions bibliogràfiques orientades a identificar: (1) la tipologia dels sistemes de control dels venedors, (2) els efectes directes d'aquests sistemes sobre els resultats, i (3) la classificació dels mediadors segons el model AMO (Abilities, Motivations, Opportuinities) i la seva relació amb els sistemes de control i els resultats. Per a la revisió principal, es van utilitzar com a motors de cerca i fórmula respectivament: Business Source Premier (EBSCO), Science Direct, Scopus, Web of Science i Google Scholar, i "Management Control and Sale* or Control System* and Sale* or Output Control and Behavior Control", obtenint 114 articles després del procés de filtrat, als quals posteriorment van ser afegits altres 28 procedents de les seves pròpies cites. L'anàlisi de les publicacions suggereix des d'un punt de vista acadèmic, que els sistemes de control del comportament, l'activitat, el procés o la capacitació (Behavioral Control Systems, Activity Control Systems, Process Control Systems, Capability Control Systems) generen els millors resultats tant sobre el venedor a nivell individual, com sobre l'equip de vendes i l'organització (Salesperson Behavioral Performance, Salesperson Outcome Performance, Sales Unit Performance, Sales Organization Effectiveness), tant en analitzar els efectes directes, com en considerar els mediadors del model AMO . Aquest conjunt d'evidències empíriques determina la necessitat d'implantar sistemes de capacitació dels venedors mitjançant accions de coaching i formació, com a eina clau per millorar les seves habilitats i motivació, però addicionalment també se subratlla la importància de capacitar els caps i directors de vendes, en relació amb aspectes organitzatius (suport a les vendes, elements del sistema de control, orientació al client, etc.) i altres relatius a l'establiment d'objectius (congruència, dificultat, participació, etc.), com a oportunitats per optimitzar els resultats. / Benet Zepf, AT. (2017). Revisión Sistemática de Literatura del Impacto de los Sistemas de Control Directivos sobre el Resultado Individual y Colectivo en la Fuerza de Ventas: Efectos Directos y Mediadores [Tesis doctoral no publicada]. Universitat Politècnica de València. https://doi.org/10.4995/Thesis/10251/86151 / TESIS

This research focuses on frequency control ancillary services in large interconnected systems. It analyses and assesses possible alternatives for optimal and innovative solutions of major frequency control issues in large interconnected systems within liberalised electricity markets. Possible improvements in the performance of frequency control are identified. A framework of frequency control ancillary services in large interconnected systems by including loads and wind generation is also proposed.The research has been motivated by the paucity of research in power system dynamics focusing on large interconnected systems such as the European synchronous system and the Eastern interconnection which experience important frequency control challenges. These challenges include:- Decline in frequency response in the Eastern interconnection - Deterministic frequency deviations observed at the top of the hours in the European synchronous systemFrequency control issues became critical when electricity markets were deregulated and frequency control became an ancillary service with a decidedly commercial focus. This commercial focus has spawned a lot of work on frequency control markets and economics whereas not much research has been devoted to dynamic simulation of large interconnected systems. Apart from this commercial focus, frequency control in large interconnected systems is still based on historical practices mainly because changes suggested in the literature can be barely applied in large interconnected systems. This is essentially because dynamic simulation studies are uncorrelated with frequency control markets and economics. More specifically, dynamic studies do not take into account the characteristics of each reserve activated and also the way the reserve is activated. With the deregulation of the electricity market, reserve is considered as a product and not necessarily a response provided by a unit. The main objectives of this research therefore are to solve critical frequency control issues in large interconnected deregulated electricity systems, which may present potential economic benefits. To achieve these objectives, frequency control in large interconnected systems is studied by considering on one hand frequency control theory and on the other hand its implementation in practice taking account of frequency control ancillary service markets as well as the economics and practical consequences of frequency control. This approach is necessary to accommodate the future evolution of frequency control in large interconnected systems. The proposed approach is illustrated through a model of frequency control in the European synchronous system, where practices are better known, are clearly standardised and also where frequency data has been obtained.

With the recent advances in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, many applications have been identified. In tasks that require high-payload-to-weight ratios, flight times in the order of days, reduced noise and/or hovering capabilities, lighter-than-air vehicles present themselves as a competitive platform compared to fixed-wing and rotor based vehicles. The limiting factor in their widespread use in autonomous applications comes from the complexity of the control task. The so-called airships are highly-susceptible to aerodynamic forces and pose complex nonlinear system dynamics that complicate their modeling and control. Model-free control lends itself well as a solution to this type of problem, as it derives its control policies using input-output data, and can therefore learn complex dynamics and handle uncertain or unknown parameters and disturbances. In this work, two multi-input multi-output algorithms are presented on the basis of optimal control theory. Leveraging results from reinforcement learning, a single layer, partially connected neural network is formulated as a value function appropriator in accordance with Weierstrass higher-order approximation theorem. The so-called critic-network is updated using gradient descent methods on the mean-squared error of the temporal difference equation. In the single-network controller, the control policy is formulated as a closed form equation that is parameterized on the weights of the critic-network. A second controller is proposed that uses a second single-layer partially connected neural network, the actor-network, to calculate the control action. The actor-network is also updated using gradient descent on the squared error of the temporal difference equation. The controllers are employed in a highly realistic simulation airship model in nominal conditions and in the presence of external disturbances in the form of turbulent wind. To verify the validity and test the sensitivity of the algorithms to design parameters (the initialization of certain terms), ablation studies are carried out with multiple initial parameters. Both of the proposed algorithms are able to track the desired waypoints in both the nominal and disturbed flight tests. Furthermore, the performance of the controllers is compared to a modern, state-of-the-art multi-input multi-output controller. The two proposed controllers outperform the comparison controller in all but one flight test, with up to four fold reduction in the integral absolute error and integral time absolute error metrics. On top of the quantitative improvements seen in the proposed controllers, both controllers demonstrate a reduction in system oscillation and actuator chattering with respect to the comparison algorithm.

<p>This thesis presents a method for the design of a predictive controller with variable step sizes.Predictive methods such as receding horizon control (or model predictive control) use aa fixed sampling frequency when updating the inputs. In the proposed method, the switchingtimes are incorporated into an optimization problem, thus resulting in anadaptive step-size control process. The controller with variable timesteps is shown to require less tuning and to reduce the number of expensive model evaluations.An alternate solution approach had to be developed to accommodate the new problem formulation.The controller's stability is proven in a context that does not require terminal cost or constraints.The thesis presents examples that compare the performance of the variable switching time controllerwith the receding horizon method with a fixed step size. This research opens many roads for futureextension of the theoretical work and practical applications of the controller.</p> / Doctor of Science (PhD)

Controlling systems with uncertain dynamics is crucial in systems theory, especially for unmanned vehicles operating in challenging and unknown environments. One key application involves developing control methods to ensure collision-free trajectory tracking for unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) at sea. Modern control methods for such systems often encounter unwanted high-frequency oscillations, known as chattering, in the control signals. To address this, continuous approximations of discontinuous functions in the control law have proven effective in reducing chattering. This approach is integrated into a prescribed-performance control scheme, which has previously achieved asymptotic tracking for systems with uncertain dynamics. We employ Lyapunov stability analysis to determine if theoretical bounds for error performance can be smaller than the prescribed funnel functions when incorporating continuous approximations in a boundary-layer. For both first- and second-order systems, we show that system trajectories reach an arbitrarily small boundary-layer set in finite time. This allows us to derive a priori known error bounds that are smaller than the prescribed funnels. Simulations support the theoretical results, demonstrating a significant reduction in chattering while achieving asymptotic tracking errors two orders of magnitude smaller than the funnel functions.