O trabalho propõe uma Metodologia para implantação de tecnologias construtivas racionalizadas na produção de edifícios pelo processo construtivo tradicional, objetivando a evolução tecnológica do processo de produção. Inicialmente, os conceitos relacionados ao desenvolvimento e a implantação de tecnologias construtivas racionalizadas são apresentados e discutidos. Na seqüência, discutem-se as estratégias que as empresas tem utilizado para atuarem num mercado altamente competitivo. E, completando os fundamentos do trabalho, apresentam-se e analisam-se os modelos para implantação de inovações tecnológicas na indústria seriada e da construção civil. A partir desse quadro referencial, propõe-se uma metodologia para implantação de tecnologias construtivas racionalizadas, fundamentada em um conjunto de diretrizes balizadoras e numa estratégia de ação. As diretrizes contemplam a organização da empresa, o processo de projeto, a documentação, os recursos humanos e o controle do processo de produção; enquanto a estratégia de ação contém uma sugestão de como conduzir o processo de implantação no interior da organização. Finalmente, realiza-se uma análise das ações de empresas de construção ao introduzirem mudanças tecnológicas na construção de edifícios, concluindo-se pela importância de se empregar uma adequada metodologia para a condução do processo de implantação de Tecnologias Construtivas Racionalizadas. / This thesis proposes a model to introduce innovative Technologies into the traditional building construction with the purpose of achieving the continuous improvement in building construction. Firstly, the main concepts related to development and introduction of innovative technologies are presented and discussed. Then, the building construction companies organization and the majors strategies to increase their effectiveness are presented and analysed. The work discusses available models used for introducing innovation processes in the manufacturing and the construction industries in order to identify the barriers and key factors to introduce the innovative technologies. Based on this framework, it is proposed a model including guidelines related to companies organization, design process, process of documentation, human resources development and the control of production process. Finally, the companies actions about the introduction of innovative technologies are analysed. This shows that the correct development and use of a capable formal approach does help introducing innovative technologies into the building construction.

A FINEP é uma empresa pública vinculada ao Ministério de Ciência e Tecnologia (MCT), que tem a missão de promover e financiar a inovação e a pesquisa científica e tecnológica. A partir de 1999, foram criados os Fundos Setoriais de Ciência e Tecnologia, administrados pela FINEP, que são instrumentos de financiamento de projetos de pesquisa, desenvolvimento e inovação no País. Há 16 Fundos Setoriais, sendo 14 relativos a setores específicos e dois transversais. Dentre esses, há o Fundo Verde Amarelo (FVA), que tem por objetivo promover o desenvolvimento tecnológico a partir da interação universidade-empresa. O presente estudo identificou as contribuições e impactos do FVA sobre as empresas usuárias do fundo, por meio de um levantamento (survey) junto a essas empresas, considerando as que tiveram os projetos finalizados até abril de 2008. Foram identificados os perfis das empresas contempladas pelo FVA e também as vantagens competitivas auferidas pelas empresas em virtude do desenvolvimento de projeto em cooperação com ICTs, por meio do financiamento realizado pelo FVA. O interesse do trabalho é a disseminação dos resultados para incentivo a adesão de um volume maior de empresas em projetos cooperativos para seus produtos e processos voltados para a inovação tecnológica, podendo inclusive fornecer informações adicionais para os gestores do FVA a fim de melhorar a política de gestão do fundo. / FINEP is a Brazilian public company connected to the Ministério da Ciência e Tecnologia (Technology and Sciences Ministry), which aims at promoting and financing the innovation and the scientific and technological research. From 1999 on, Science and Technology Sectorial Funds have been created, managed by FINEP, which are instruments of financing of research projects, development and innovation in the Country. There are 16 Sectorial Funds, where 14 are related to specific sectors and two are transversal lines. Of these, one is aimed at the university-company interaction (FVA - Fundo Verde-Amarelo). The present study identified the contributions from FVA over the companies, through a survey together companies that received contributions from FVA, considering those companies that finished their projects before April 2008. It was analyzed the profile of these companies and the competitive advantages got through developed project in cooperation with universities and research institutes, with financial from FVA. The idea of this study is the dissemination of results to incentivate the adhesion by a greater number of companies in cooperative projects for their products and processes on focus to innovation technology. This study hopes to contribute supplying additional information to the managers of FVA, that able to get better the fund management politic.

As a result of the convergence of online and offline retailers, and due to the notoriously low margins in the retail environment, innovation and technology have become more and more competitive differentiators. The purpose of this cumulative dissertation is to explore consumers’ behavioral reactions towards those technological innovations in brick and mortar retailing. As it is not feasible to consider every available technology in its own right, the focus of this dissertation is limited to the following three recent technologies: mobile payment, electronic shelf labels, and electric vehicle charging stations. By conducting experiments (Paper 1 and Paper 3) and leveraging real transaction data from a retailer (Paper 2), the author was able to formulate and investigate various research hypotheses, including a positive influence of new technology on the willingness to pay (Paper 1), mere revenue effect (Paper 2), and shopping intentions (Paper 3).:1 Introduction 2 Theoretical foundations 3 Purpose and focus of the dissertation 4 Article summary 4.1 Overview of dissertation articles 4.2 Summary of first article 4.3 Summary of second article 4.4 Summary of third article 5 General contributions and implications of this dissertation 6 Limitations and future research 7 Outlook References Appendix I: The effect of credit card versus mobile payment on convenience and consumers’ willingness to pay Appendix II: Behavioral consequences from converging channel capabilities: the effect of mere electronic shelf label presence on store revenue Appendix III: Recharge while you shop: the impact of free electric vehicle charging on shopping intention and shopping duration

Innovation and ‘creative destruction’ should thrive in the competitive, high risk and high cost environment of the North Sea. Paradoxically, uptake of new technology is slow. The focus of this research was to understand how new technology is developed and how end users make decisions about innovation. Innovation process in the literature can sometimes come across like a ‘black box’ without much explanation of what happens inside the box. This study seeks to explicate what transpires inside the ‘black box’ to improve our understanding of the innovation process. The linear models of technology-push and market-pull are too simplistic to account for the complexity of relationships and engagements that affect innovation at small and medium enterprises’ (SMEs) level. Subsequent models of innovation are suited to how large corporations manage innovation but neglect patterns of social interactions at the micro level where SMEs operate. These innovation models are incomplete because they relegate the importance of context and how it shapes understanding, action and outcome. This study, rooted in a social constructionist paradigm, takes a process-relational stance on entrepreneurship and innovation, recognising the dynamic relationships between social actors and context. Taking Heidegger’s explication of how we relate to the world, this thesis submits that innovation occurs when actors move into the ‘occurrent’ mode. The happenings and doings in the innovation process are treated as the results of perpetual social constructions. This study is based on extended interviews with eleven individuals in relevant roles and with direct experiences of the technical innovation construction in the oil and gas industry. The purposeful sample of research encompasses a variety of roles including technology entrepreneurs, end users of technology and venture capitalists. This study makes a number of contributions. Firstly, the research improves our understanding of how different social constructions are welded together to develop shared understanding. Secondly, a conceptual framework is presented that bridges a number of theoretical concepts, which allows us to see that innovation cannot be properly understood using simplistic models that ignores the social constructions human actors instantiate. Thirdly, the research claims that problem framing is foundational to innovation construction, where social actors collaborate to develop shared understanding, and mentally represent in the present a future that is not totally knowable. Fourthly, an alternative model of innovation construction is presented that is relational and accounts for the social constructions of process participants. Finally, a number of research implications for academics and insights for practitioners engaged in the technical innovation construction are offered.

This thesis is an analysis of technology diffusion and the long-run institutional impact of the nature of that diffusion. It examines how a growing commercial trading relationship with Lancashire-based millwrights enabled textile industrialisation in late 19th century Bombay, and reflects upon the evolving character of Indian manufacturing and organisational behaviour within and beyond the colonial context, and into 21st century industrial strategy. Drawing upon primary archival material from sources in Britain and India (including historical company records, trade association records, transactional correspondence between Lancashire and Bombay, and administrative records of the India Office in Whitehall), and upon 27 elite interviews with prominent Mumbai-based businessmen and their families, a technological and cultural dependence by manufacturing elites upon the commercial agent is identified. The emplacement of colonial business norms and particularly the use of informal networks, in turn bolstered by a culture for clubbability, appears to influence the distinctly tight-knit, ‘gentlemanly’ character of Indian family business houses established during the late 19th and early 20th century. Applying a mixed-methods approach to technology theory and analysis, the data chapters are split into two parts, respectively concerning info rmation flows and knowledge flows from the UK to Western India. The former explores patterns in technological transactions and decisions governing the diffusion of textile technology that enabled industrial establishment. The latter focuses on the replication of managerial, cultural and business practices following and reflecting upon Bombay’s textile industrialisation; this establishes the observed presence of British ideals of gentlemanly business conduct within informal networks, familial and community ties. Overall, this research highlights how business history may be used as a lens to understand the process of technology diffusion and analyse the reinforcement of culturally-hybrid social norms in peripheral regions via technical or commercial links. In terms of developmental trajectory, moreover, this case study considers how given limited capacity for innovation or capital goods production, strategic supply-side decisions may garner early cumulative value by replicating industrial production, albeit with long-term institutional consequences. This research has implications for future understanding of the development of UK-Commonwealth trading relationships, and how these might foster structural transformation in the so-called Fourth Industrial Revolution. While this thesis focuses on the diffusion of physical capital and technology-driven industry, such a narrative exploration of networks and business norms surrounding structural transformation might be pursued based on alternative factors of production including capital investment and flow, or else feasibly extend into other post-colonial regions.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-03-15T19:32:26Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Andreos Henrique Kuroki.pdf: 1058718 bytes, checksum: 60d2832e634aca46fb886c0b7b4eb0a5 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-02-10 / Fundo Mackenzie de Pesquisa / Despite all the positive factors that technological innovation can provide companies, since the creation of Tax Incentives for Technology Innovation Act of 2005 until 2009, only 1432 (thousand four hundred and thirty-two) companies have been benefited with this incentive, a very low volume compared with the number of companies considered innovative. It is estimated that only 14.5% of all enterprises that perform activities of Research and Development - R & D in the country are enjoying the benefits of Lei do Bem. The aim of this study is to identify the most relevant factors that motivate and hinder companies to use the tax incentive for technological innovation. This study is classified according to type as exploratory and descriptive. Regarding the method, this research is classified as qualitative. The population was composed of eleven companies that operate in different economic segments and the sample was represented by two groups of companies: those who have invested in innovation and technology research and were benefited with tax incentives for technological innovation and those who invested in innovation and technology research, however, not used this tax incentive. Data were collected through interviews with executives of these companies and the results were analyzed using the technique of content analysis. The main results of the study found that Brazilian companies are investing in technological innovation: to get competitive advantage over their competitors, keep the products current and competitive in domestic and international markets, reduce the number of complaints from its customers, maintaining its position in market, reduce costs and survive in the competitive market. The main factors that may hinder or prevent the Brazilian companies to invest in technological innovation are related: the uncertainty regarding the economic outlook and global crises, budget available to invest in technological innovation, lack of legislation to protect companies that invested in technological innovation , lack of skilled labor; rigidity of the organizational structure of businesses, reduction in profitability due to investment in innovation or due to restrictions of the headquarters. The main factors that prevent companies from using the Tax Incentive Technological Innovation are: requirement for regular tax; obligation to determine the Income Tax and Social Contribution on Real Profit; need to implement controls for the control of spending on technological innovation, unawareness of the benefits of the Good Law, the lack of clarity in the definition of projects that can be included in the incentive and the requirement that investments in innovation are made in the country. / Desde a criação do Incentivo Fiscal da Inovação Tecnológica pela Lei do Bem, em 2005 até o ano de 2009, apenas 1432 empresas foram beneficiadas pelo referido incentivo, um volume muito baixo quando comparado com a quantidade de empresas consideradas inovadoras. Estima-se que apenas 14,5% do total das empresas que realizam atividades de Pesquisa e Desenvolvimento (P&D) no país estejam usufruindo dos benefícios da Lei do Bem. Este estudo objetivou identificar os fatores mais relevantes que motivam e dificultam as empresas a utilizarem o incentivo fiscal da inovação tecnológica, segundo a percepção dos gestores das empresas. Quanto ao tipo, este estudo é classificado como exploratório e descritivo. Quanto ao método, esta pesquisa é classificada como qualitativa. No córpus analisado, a população foi composta por 11 empresas que atuam em diversos segmentos e a amostra foi representada por dois grupos de empresas: aquelas que investiram em inovação e pesquisa tecnológica e que usufruíram do incentivo fiscal da inovação tecnológica e aquelas que investiram em inovação e pesquisa tecnológica, mas que não utilizaram o referido incentivo fiscal. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas realizadas com executivos dessas empresas e os resultados foram analisados por meio da técnica de análise de conteúdo. A partir dos principais resultados do estudo, verifica-se que as empresas brasileiras investem em inovação tecnológica para: obter vantagens competitivas em relação a seus concorrentes, manter os produtos atualizados e competitivos no mercado nacional e internacional, reduzir o número de reclamações de seus clientes, manter sua posição no mercado, reduzir custos e sobreviver no mercado competitivo. Por outro lado, as empresas deixam de investir em inovação tecnológica devido: às incertezas quanto ao cenário econômico e às crises mundiais, ao orçamento disponível para investir em inovação tecnológica, à falta de uma legislação para proteção das empresas que investem em inovação tecnológica, à ausência de mão-de-obra especializada, à rigidez da estrutura organizacional das empresas, à redução da lucratividade em virtude dos investimentos em inovação e de burocracias e restrições de sua matriz. Os principais fatores que impedem as empresas de utilizar o Incentivo Fiscal da Inovação Tecnológica são: a exigência de regularidade fiscal, a obrigatoriedade de apurar o Imposto de Renda e a Contribuição Social sobre o Lucro Líquido com base no Lucro Real, a necessidade da implementação de controles para contenção dos gastos com inovação tecnológica, o desconhecimento dos benefícios da Lei do Bem, a falta de clareza na definição dos projetos que podem ser incluídos no incentivo e a exigência de que os investimentos em inovação sejam realizados no país.

Förord Gruppen vill börja med att tacka alla människor som har varit inblandade och stöttat oss med denna studie. Utan dessa personer hade det inte varit möjligt eftersom vi fick stöd från alla som varit inblandade och deras bidrag med studien. Därefter vill vi tacka vår handledare Erik Bjurström för hans hjälp och rådgivning under studiens gång. Utan honom hade denna studie inte varit möjlig att genomföra så han var till stor hjälp och stötta oss under studiens gång. Dessutom gav han oss bra feedback och konstruktiv kritik som vi bearbetade hädanefter. Utöver det vill vi skänka vår tacksamhet till Västerås Stad för att vi fick chansen att skriva om deras digitalisering av nyckelkvittens. Vill även tacka samtliga respondenter för att de erbjöd oss möjligheten att inspektera deras kommunala verksamhet inom vård och omsorg, för att diskutera innovationsmöjligheter samt innovationsbidrag. Vi vill också tacka de anställda i Västerås Stad för att de ställde upp på intervjuerna och kunde ge oss information som vi hade nytta av, genom att använda insamlad empiri till analys och empiriska material som därefter jämfördes med teorier. Det gav oss en inblick i att se behovet utifrån deras perspektiv. Samtidigt har deras engagemang och öppenhet varit till stor hjälp och avgörande för att denna studie ska bli fullgjort.  I slutändan vill vi tacka våra familjer,vänner och klasskamrater för deras stöd, förståelse, rådgivning, tips och stöttande under denna studie. Utan dem hade det varit omöjligt eftersom vi fick mycket stöd från dem samt inspiration.  Detta har bidragit till lärande för hur användningen av nyckelkvittenser ser ut i Västerås Stad. Det gav oss även en ökad förståelse för vilka nyttor som ökad tillämpning av digitalisering kan vara till nytta för vårdverksamheter. Det bildar en djupare förståelse för hur digitala verktyg kan vara användbara till att tillgodose patienters behov. Analysen och diskussionen indikerar på ett behov av digitala verktyg, vars personal har en positiv inställning till implementering av resultatet. / This study examines the digitalization of key receipts in the care and home care sector in the city of Västerås to increase efficiency and security. The focus is on improving the management of key receipts to address challenges with the current paper-based system. Through a qualitative analysis with interviews of relevant respondents, the study identifies the benefits and challenges of introducing digital key receipts. The results show that digitalization can improve operational efficiency, data security and overall security for both customers and staff. The research concludes with recommendations for developing and implementing a digital system for key receipts that is consistent with the needs and capacities within Västerås city's care services regarding security.