Thesis (doctoral)--University of Oulu, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the World Wide Web.

Thesis (M.C.S.)--Regent College, 1989. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 99-103).

Thesis (J.C.L.)--Catholic University of America, Jan., 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-65).

Thesis (M.Ed.)--University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (87-106). Also available in print.

Thesis (D. Ed. Min.)--Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 2008. / Abstract. Description based on Microfiche version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-157).

Thesis (doctoral)--Københavns Universitet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1970. / Typescript. Vita. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references.

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The technological innovation has resulted extraordinary advances to the human life, new expectations, leadership styles developments and ways to reach previously unattachable objectives. One of the consequences of this process is a large increase of resources for the project method and of the number and diversity of new projects and concepts. The projects management has gotten highligth into the administration models and has been the factor to provide speed, robustness, consistency and operational excellency in the achievement of projects. Also, models of maturity in projects management comes getting notoriety and at the same each time efforts to develop organizacionais abilities in the projects management are being doing. In this context, the present research had as objective the of the maturity level evaluation an organization of the national logistic sector. Describing the methodological procedures, the research is classified as quali-quantitative, descriptive, carried through a case study. This method was used to search informations about the company object of this study that had assisted the analysis of the quantitative information, obtained through the application of two models of evaluation of the maturity in projects management: the MMGP - Model of Maturity in Project Management - Sectorial - the Prado (2002) and PMMM - Project Management Maturity Model - 2 Level - Kerzner (2001). Through the combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, it was possible to indicate the level of company maturity, as well as the abilities necessary and possessed to reach the maturity in projects management. / A inovação tecnológica tem resultado em avanços extraordinários em termos de realização humana, novas expectativas, desenvolvimentos de estilos de liderança e meios de alcançar objetivos anteriormente difíceis de serem alcançados. Uma das conseqüências dessa mudança é um gigantesco aumento dos recursos para o método de projeto e do número e diversidade de novos projetos e conceitos. Dessa forma, o gerenciamento de projetos vem ganhando destaque dentro dos modelos de administração e tem-se transformado num fator para prover velocidade, robustez, consistência e excelência operacional na consecução de projetos. Notase também que modelos de maturidade em gerenciamento de projetos vêm obtendo notoriedade e cada vez mais são feitos esforços para desenvolver competências organizacionais nesta área. Neste contexto, a presente pesquisa tem como objetivo a avaliação do nível de maturidade de uma organização do setor logístico nacional. Tendo em vista os procedimentos metodológicos, a pesquisa classifica-se como quali-quantitativa, descritiva, realizada através de um estudo de caso. Em vista das características de um levantamento qualitativo, utilizou-se este método na busca de dados acerca da empresa objeto deste estudo, que por sua vez auxiliaram na construção do arcabouço de informações que são requisitos ao desenvolvimento da análise dos dados posteriormente coletados quantitativamente através da aplicação de dois modelos de avaliação da maturidade em gestão de projetos: o MMGP - Modelo de Maturidade em Gerenciamento de Projeto - Setorial Prado (2002) e PMMM - Project Management Maturity Model Nível 2 Kerzner (2001). Através da combinação dos métodos qualitativo e quantitativo, foi possível obter dados que indicam o nível de maturidade ocupado pela empresa em estudo, bem como as habilidades necessárias e possuídas para atingir a maturidade em gerenciamento de projetos.

This thesis examines debt maturity and trade credit in public and private firms. It consists of three essays that try to answer the following questions: Does the IPO decision affect the debt maturity structure of a firm? Do private firms use more or less trade credit than public firms? Does the supplier's listing status affect its trade credit provision? The first essay investigates the effect of an initial public offering (IPO) on the evolution of debt maturity structure using a sample of U.S. firms that went public during the period 1998-2011. I find that firms decrease their short-term debt by 19% in the first two years after the IPO and decrease it post-IPO, by about 7% relative to the pre-IPO level. These results continue to hold in a sample of new debt issues, in a difference-in-difference regression of IPO and non-IPO firms, in a treatment regression to account for endogeneity of the IPO decision, and in an instrumental variable regression to control for the joint determination of leverage and debt maturity. Further results show that the decline in short-term debt post-IPO is consistent with the asymmetric information and agency costs of equity theories and inconsistent with the agency costs of debt theory. I also find that the IPO effect on debt maturity was magnified during the recent financial crisis. The second essay explores the use of trade credit by public and private firms using a sample of U.S. firms during the period 1995-2012. Evidence shows that private firms use more trade credit by about 40.4% than public firms. This result is robust to models accounting for sample selection and for the endogeneity associated with a firm's decision to go public. In line with the asymmetric information and credit constraints theories, private firms that are young, have more growth opportunities, and fewer tangible assets rely more on trade credit than their public counterparts. Compared to private firms, public firms are faster in adjusting toward their target trade credit due to their lower adjustment costs. I also find that during the recent financial crisis, public firms increased their reliance on trade credit, while, suppliers granted private firms less trade credit. The third essay examines the supply side of trade credit; more specifically, the impact of a supplier's listing status on its trade credit provision using a sample of U.S. firms during the period 1994-2012. The findings show that public firms provide nearly a quarter more trade credit than their private counterparts. I propose that this is because public firms have higher financial capability, better ability in handling the trade credit process, and in enforcing payments and contract terms, than private firms. I rule out that the endogeneity of the listing decision and the observable differences between public and private firms have driven my earlier results. Additional tests show that firm characteristics, industries types, and level of competition, have a significant impact on the level of trade credit provided by public and private firms. The results also indicate that both types of firms provided less trade credit during the recent financial crisis.

O Processo Desenvolvimento de Produtos (PDP) é um processo de negócio cada vez mais influente nos resultados estratégicos das empresas que dele dependem. A gestão deste processo é uma atividade desafiadora e complexa em função das próprias características deste processo. A tarefa de perceber oportunidades de melhoria nesta atividade é intrigante, e isso incentivou vários pesquisadores a propor abordagens para tornar mais racional o esforço de sofisticação da gestão do PDP. Este trabalho tem por objetivo propor um método gerencial aplicável ao diagnóstico da maturidade da gestão do PDP e priorização de melhorias. Neste trabalho, a análise de maturidade é realizada a partir da freqüência de ocorrência de problemas típicos de PDP, e é seguida da priorização de oportunidades de melhoria. O diagnóstico da maturidade é realizado através do relacionamento entre dez áreas do conhecimento da gestão do PDP com problemas típicos do PDP. As áreas do conhecimento são provenientes dos estudos de melhores práticas publicados por: Product Development and Management Association (PDMA), Association of Productivity and Quality Center (APQC), guias de melhores práticas do PDMABoK e do PMBoK, além de modelos de referência. Com esse diagnóstico é possível reconhecer as áreas do conhecimento que mais se relacionam com os problemas, denominadas de áreas críticas. No que diz respeito à priorização, as áreas críticas são desdobradas em melhores práticas que se configuram em oportunidades de melhoria e, a partir de critérios, emprega-se uma matriz MAUT (Multiattribute Utility) para realizar a priorização das oportunidades. Os resultados são um índice de maturidade e a proposição de um portfólio de oportunidades de melhoria a serem realizados pela empresa para sofisticar a sua gestão do PDP. O método foi aplicado, na forma de estudo de caso em quatro empresas, para verificar a aplicação da macro-fase de coleta e análise da maturidade. Após, em uma destas empresas, foi aplicada a segunda macro-fase para verificar a geração do portfólio de oportunidades de melhoria. O resultado deste trabalho é a proposição de um método que analisa a maturidade da gestão do PDP vinculado à freqüência de ocorrência de problemas recorrentes no cotidiano da empresa, e auxilia a priorização das oportunidades de melhoria proporcionando uma adequação da estratégia de melhoria com o seu perfil competitivo. / The Product Development Process (PDP) management is of prime importance for manufacturing business results. The management of this process is a challenging and complex activity due to PDP characteristics that includes: people, tasks, and tools in an interdependent network. The aim in this dissertation is to propose a managerial method for the maturity level of PDP management analysis coupled with the prioritization of PDP opportunities identified. The background basis for maturity analysis, in this research, is the frequency of PDP typical problems incidence. The maturity analysis is accomplished through the relationship among ten knowledge areas of the PDP management with PDP typical problems. The ten knowledge areas is the consolidation of best practices published by: Product Development and Management Association (PDMA), Association of Productivity and Quality Center (APQC), best practices guides like PDMABoK and PMBoK, and as well, from PDP reference models. The developed method is divided in two macro phases (i) data gathering and maturity analysis; (ii) improvement portfolio development. The first macro phase is performed in three stages: typical problems frequency incidence identification; maturity level and development index analysis and improvement opportunities identification. The second macro phase is performed in three stages: prioritization criteria weight definition; managers’ prioritization matrix fulfill and PDP improvement portfolio definition. With the maturity level recognition is possible to identify the knowledge areas that are more associated with the high frequency problems, denominated critical areas. The critical areas consist in the best practices that will minimize the high frequency typical problems. These best practices are considered the PDP improvement opportunities. With reference to the improvement opportunities prioritization the MAUT (Multiattribute Utility) tool is used to support the managerial decision making process. The method was tested in four companies to verify the application of the maturity level diagnosis, the first macro phase. Afterwards, in one of these companies, the second macro phase was applied to verify the prioritization part and the results are a maturity index and an improvement opportunities portfolio to be accomplished by the company to increase its PDP management maturity level.