O gerenciamento produtivo através da implementação de sistemas de certificação pode trazer melhorias significativas do desempenho organizacional. Neste estudo é apresentada uma revisão bibliográfica sobre o conceito de qualidade em alimentos, bem como são abordadas as particularidades de alguns sistemas de certificação de alimentos. O comportamento do consumidor de alimentos e atributos relacionados à percepção de qualidade em vinhos também faz parte da literatura pesquisada. Como método, realizou-se uma survey entre consumidores participantes de confrarias brasileiras de vinhos buscando avaliar a percepção atribuída por estes consumidores aos sistemas de certificação ISO 22000, APPCC, ISO 14001, produção orgânica e indicação geográfica para vinhos finos. Como resultado da análise de dados constata-se que a valorização aos sistemas de certificação abordados não se dá de forma igualitária, sendo a indicação geográfica de origem o sistema de certificação mais valorizado e mais conhecido para os consumidores confrades brasileiros, sobressaindo-se dos demais sistemas de certificação abordados. / Productive management through certification systems implementation may bring significant organizational performance improvements. This study is going to present a literature review based on the concept of food quality as well as the particularities of some food certification systems. Food consumer behavior and attributes regarding perception of quality in wines is also part of the studied literature. As a work method, a survey among consumers that participate in Brazilian fraternities of wines was carried out in order to evaluate the perception these consumers give to ISO 22000, HACCP and ISO 14000 certification systems, organic production and geographical indications for quality wines. A result of the data analysis reveals that the valuation certification systems do not get addressed equally, with the geographical indication of origin certification system more valued and better known to Brazilian consumer of wines of fraternities, standing out from the others certification systems addressed.

Consideramos quatro modelos de branas, a saber, o modelo de Binétruy, Deffayet e Langlois com uma brana estática em um bulk dinâmico, o modelo de Chamblin e Reall para paredes de domínio dinâmicas, o modelo de brana estática em um espaço-tempo AdS contendo uma singularidade, e a generalização do último caso, isto é, o modelo de brana dinâmica em um bulk AdS ou dS contendo uma singularidade nua ou protegida. Das equações de Einstein e das condições de Darmois-Israel, estudamos a dinâmica da 4-brana nos casos pertinentes. Usando o formalismo de Euler-Lagrange, derivamos uma equação para o caminho mais curto em 5 e 6 dimensões. Aplicando esta equação, investigamos a possibilidade de se ter atalhos, verificando sua existência nos três últimos modelos. Calculamos os atrasos relevantes entre os sinais de gráviton e do fóton e a razão dos horizontes subentendidos correspondentes. As consequências são discutidas. / We consider four brane world models, namely, the modelo f Binétruy, Deffayet and Langlois with a static brane in a dynamical bulk, the modelo f Chamblin and Reall for dynamic domain dilatonic domain walls, the static brane model in na AdS spacetime containing a shielded singularity, and the generalization of the latter case, i.e., the dynamic brane model in na AdS or dS bulk containing a naked or shielded singularity. From the Einstein equations and the Darmois-Israel conditions we study the 4-brane dynamics in the pertinent cases. Using the Euler-Lagrange formalism we derive na equation for the shortest path in 5 and 6 dimensions. Applying this equation we investigate the possibility of having shortcuts verifying its existence in the three last models. We calculate the relevant delay between gráviton and photon sinals and the ratio of the corresponding subtended horizons. Consequences are discussed.

Enligt tidigare studier värderar politiker jämlikhet och frihet olika beroende på sin politiska ideologi. Med detta som bakgrund var studiens huvudsyfte att studera eventuella skillnader mellan hur svenska politiker med olika ideologiska bakgrunder upplevde empati när en person utsattes för orättvisa samt när en person utsattes för ofrihet. En vinjettstudie genomfördes där deltagarna (n = 96) fick skatta de känslor som uppstod vid vardera situationen. Deltagarna delades upp i grupperna vänster- och högeranhängare utifrån subjektiva skattningar. Vänsteranhängare tenderade att känna mer empati än högeranhängare när en målperson utsattes för orättvisa. Ingen effekt av ideologisk tillhörighet i berättelsen om ofrihet visades. En tydlig könseffekt framgick där kvinnor både upplevde och gav upphov till mer empati än män. Att föreliggande studie inte fick något stöd angående ofrihet kan bero på flera olika anledningar, vilket tas upp i diskussionen. Vidare forskning behövs inom området empati relaterat till svensk politik där fler partier och anhängare studeras.

Culture plays a key role in international business. This work-based thesis undertakes a case-study research of an information management software introduction process from Sweden to China. To design interview questions, the author used Prof. Hofstede’s cultural dimensions as the base theory and reviewed a number of literatures which apply this theory in the IT area. After interviews with both Swedish and Chinese sites, the results were analyzed with the theoretical data to examine how cultural differences influence people in a software introduction process. The author also applied software culturalization from Marble and Lu. Compared to the author’s own experiences and interview data, a recommendation list is stated as a guide of how to succeed in software introduction under different cultural backgrounds.

Light scalar fields such as axions and string moduli can play an important role in early-universe cosmology. However, many factors can significantly impact their late-time cosmological abundances. For example, in cases where the potentials for these fields are generated dynamically --- such as during cosmological mass-generating phase transitions --- the duration of the time interval required for these potentials to fully develop can have significant repercussions. Likewise, in scenarios with multiple scalars, mixing amongst the fields can also give rise to an effective timescale that modifies the resulting late-time abundances. Previous studies have focused on the effects of either the first or the second timescale in isolation. In this thesis, by contrast, we examine the new features that arise from the interplay between these two timescales when both mixing and time-dependent phase transitions are introduced together. First, we find that the effects of these timescales can conspire to alter not only the total late-time abundance of the system --- often by many orders of magnitude --- but also its distribution across the different fields. Second, we find that these effects can produce large parametric resonances which render the energy densities of the fields highly sensitive to the degree of mixing as well as the duration of the time interval over which the phase transition unfolds. Finally, we find that these effects can even give rise to a "re-overdamping" phenomenon which causes the total energy density of the system to behave in novel ways that differ from those exhibited by pure dark matter or vacuum energy. All of these features therefore give rise to new possibilities for early-universe phenomenology and cosmological evolution. They also highlight the importance of taking into account the time dependence associated with phase transitions in cosmological settings. In the second part of this thesis, we proceed to study the early-universe cosmology of a Kaluza-Klein (KK) tower of scalar fields in the presence of a mass-generating phase transition, focusing on the time-development of the total tower energy density (or relic abundance) as well as its distribution across the different KK modes. We find that both of these features are extremely sensitive to the details of the phase transition and can behave in a variety of ways significant for late-time cosmology. In particular, we find that the interplay between the temporal properties of the phase transition and the mixing it generates are responsible for both enhancements and suppressions in the late-time abundances, sometimes by many orders of magnitude. We map out the complete model parameter space and determine where traditional analytical approximations are valid and where they fail. In the latter cases we also provide new analytical approximations which successfully model our results. Finally, we apply this machinery to the example of an axion-like field in the bulk, mapping these phenomena over an enlarged axion parameter space that extends beyond those accessible to standard treatments. An important by-product of our analysis is the development of an alternate "UV-based" effective truncation of KK theories which has a number of interesting theoretical properties that distinguish it from the more traditional "IR-based" truncation typically used in the literature.

Read the summary in the section 00front of this document. / Dissertation (MA (Human Movement Science))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences / unrestricted

The objective of this thesis is to identify Japanese cultural standards from the Czech perspective. These cultural standards enable us to disclose and understand the specific features of Japanese people, their norms and ways of thinking, feeling and acting. In today's context of globalization and the rising importance of international cooperation, the knowledge of Japanese cultural standards is essential for successful communication with Japanese partners. This thesis is divided into three parts. The first one is a theoretical introduction to the issue of culture in general, as well as culture describing methods - cultural dimensions and cultural standards. The second part of this thesis deals with Japanese culture, its characteristic features and specifics of Japanese mentality. The closing part, which is based on empirical research, puts objective on defining Japanese cultural standards from the Czech perspective, as well as identifying the main cultural differences between these two nations.

Purpose of my thesis is explication of notion corporate culture. Theoretical part is focused on culture in general and on various aspects of corporate culture. Practical part is concentred on corporate culture of unnamed American company and Swiss company Nestle and reader can find there also comparison of corporate culture of both companies.

This thesis deals with relationships of culture and media which are used by people of definite culture. In the research there is the most widespread media of present. It includes newspaper, radio, television and internet. The culture is assessed from the viewpoint of Hofstede's cultural dimensions theory. In this theory there are five dimensions which are Power distance, Individualism, Uncertainty avoidance, Masculinity, and Long Term Orientation. The methods, which were used for results, were chi-square and Pearson's adjusted residuals. The researched dates of quanti-tative research originate in Mindreader project of the company Mindshare which was taking place in year 2012.

This thesis is focused on cultural differences and their influence on the usage of marketing tools of specific companies in various markets. The thesis evaluates the effect of the cultural environment on companies' communications with consumers. There are analyzed American, Indian and Chinese websites of cosmetics company L'Oréal and websites of selected brands of consumer cosmetics that come under L'Oréal. In the second part the German, Indian and Chinese catalogues of cosmetics company Oriflame are analyzed. Analysis of selected marketing tools of both companies is mainly based on findings of Geert Hofstede and the studies that follow-up his work and also on findings of Edward. T. Hall. The analysis revealed that both companies have shortages in the adaptation of usage of marketing tools in different cultural environment. Therefore, a proposal of conception that could help to eliminate the shortages and provide a better adaptation of marketing tools in different cultural environment was recommended.