No / The article examines how and why a new independent trade union was established in McDonald’s Japan in 2006. We discuss these developments both within the McDonald’s ‘system’ and the broader context of the growth of community unions in the Japanese employment system. The findings suggest that the ‘McUnion’ could be seen as a new form of trade union organizing in Japan; unlike an enterprise union it is independent of the employer and recruits ‘non-regular’ workers, yet unlike most community unions is established in one large employer, on a national rather than regional basis, has largely retained its membership and was established and operates with the direct involvement of the main Japanese Trade Union Confederation, Rengo.

O objetivo primário desta tese é identificar como as empresas multinacionais (EMNs) agem como negociadoras nas relações econômicas internacionais (REI). A hipótese geral a ser verificada é de que as EMNs buscam influenciar os Estados e suas coalizões utilizando-se de seu poder estrutural e de seu poder brando, nacional e transnacionalmente, de modo a afetar os interesses dos Estados e de suas coalizões. A efetividade da defesa de seus interesses depende, basicamente, da confluência dos interesses dos Estados e das empresas e da vulnerabilidade dos Estados em relação às atividades das empresas bem como a capacidade relativa das coalizões que as empresas buscam influenciar. Dentro desse contexto, na parte I deste trabalho, proponho uma breve discussão sobre o papel das EMNs nas Relações Econômicas Internacionais contemporâneas, identificando quatro grandes cortes teóricos: Marxismo, incluindo vertentes neo-marxistas como a Teoria da Dependência e o Sistema Mundial Moderno; Neo-Realismo, incluindo a Teoria da Estabilidade Hegemônica, o Neoliberalismo, incluindo a Interdependência Complexa e; a visão delineada por Susan Strange. Como conclusão desta discussão, justifico o meu corte teórico fundamentalmente ligado à interdependência complexa e ao xadrez de três níveis de Nye (Neoliberalismo), pelo seu desenho teórico que permite ver a ação das EMNs como independente e não submissa à ação dos Estados, ao mesmo tempo que aceita a centralidade da ação dos Estados na regulação do sistema econômico internacional. Em seguida, reconheço a limitação do poder de influência das EMNs através de uma extensão do modelo Frieden-Rogowsky, onde proponho que; (a) os setores prejudicados pelo processo de internacionalização tendem, tanto em nível nacional quanto em nível transnacional, a se opor a ações políticas das EMNs e; (b) regimes autoritários tendem a ser menos vulneráveis em relação à ação política das EMNs. Finalmente, na Parte II, realizamos dois estudos de caso relativos ao nosso modelo de negociações de empresas EMNs no contexto da política internacional: as negociações sobre o estabelecimento de um regime de propriedade intelectual no contexto da Rodada Uruguai do GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) e o Protocolo de Cartagena de Biosegurança , instrumento complementar à Convenção de Biodiversidade (CBD) que regulamenta os organismos geneticamente modificados (OGMs). Uma importante conclusão da tese é que a influência das EMNs nas negociações econômicas internacionais depende largamente das estruturas dos processos de negociação, onde fóruns multilaterais e multitemáticos tendem a favorecer a influência das EMNs em comparação a fóruns monotemáticos. Outra importante contribuição teórica foi explicar as circunstâncias em que as EMNs operam como negociadores das REI, através da influência, se utilizando de poder estrutural e brando, buscando formar coalizões transnacionais e buscando incentivar a formação de coalizões entre Estados que defendam os seus interesses em contextos intergovernamentais. Ou seja, este trabalho explica um pouco da dinâmica da relação do chamado terceiro xadrez (transnacioal) com o segundo xadrez (econômico) das relações internacionais. / The main objective of this thesis is to identify how the multinational companies (MNCs) act as negotiators in the international economic relations (IER). The main hypothesis is that the MNCs try to influence the States and their coalitions, nationally and transnationally, through its structural power as well as its soft power. The defense of their corporate interests depends on the confluence of their interests with those of the states as well as the state\'s vulnerabilities to the corporations activities. Moreover, the MNCs should be able to influence the strongest state\'s coalition in the multilateral process of negotiation. In the first part of this work I propose a brief discussion of the role of the MNCs in the contemporary IER through four theoretical cuts: Marxism, including neo-marxists theories such as the Dependency Theory and the Modern Wold System; Neorealism, including the Hegemonic Stability Theory; neoliberalism, including the Complex Interdependence and; the Susan Strange\'s approach. As a conclusion of this part I justify my theoretical preference related to the Complex Interdependence and the three level chessboard of Nye (Neoliberalism) since its allows us to understand the MNCs preferences as independent of those of the states. At the same time, these models recognize that states still play a central role in the regulation of the international economic system. I recognize the limitations of the MNCs influence power through an extension of the Frieden-Rogowsky model, where I propose that: (a) the sectors damaged by the process of internationalization tend, nationally and transnationally, to oppose to the political actions of the MNCs and; (b) authoritarian regimes tend to be less vulnerable to the political actions of the MNCs. The part II of the thesis shows the role of MNCs in two case studies: the negotiations that led to the creation of an international regime of intellectual property in the Uruguay Round of GATT (General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade) and the negotiations of the Cartagena Protocol of Biosafety, a complementary instrument of the Biodiversity Convention (CBD), which regulates the genetically modified organisms (GMOs). An important conclusion of this thesis is that influence of the MNCs depends on the structure of the negotiation process. Multilateral and multi-issues processes tend to increase their influence in comparison to single-issue negotiations. Another important theoretical contribution was to explain under which circumstances the MNCs are able to act as negotiators in the IRE, through influence, utilizing its structural and soft powers, by forming transnational coalitions and by helping the formation of state\'s coalitions willing to defend their interests in intergovernamental negotiation processes. Therefore, this work partially explains the relationship between the third chessboard (transnational) and the second chessboard (economics) of international relations.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:30:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alessandra Mendes da silva.pdf: 1014784 bytes, checksum: bb524b448b413a5b454e4e27aaf4bd7f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2010-05-17 / The aim of this study was to analyze the problematical situation of Brazilian family owned companies; they are used to running their business in a centralized manner (Family Control System) with the phenomenon of internationalizing their operations they had to change the way of managing their business and adopting the decentralized system so that they can participate in the competitive international market. With internationalization these companies face challenges to adapt to the different cultural, political and socio-economical environment of the countries they want to operate in, making it difficult to maintain the way their family conglomerate managed the business up till now.However, changing the system of management control for these Brazilian companies because of their family story and or origin impacts in the institutional culture of these companies, as well as to bring insecurity to the controlling family that has always been used to centralizing the management of their business. As a mechanism to solve this problem, there has been the rise of the best practices of corporative administration in these companies as a management instrument for these controlling families to run their operations overseas / O objetivo desta pesquisa foi analisar a problemática das Empresas Brasileiras de origem familiar, acostumadas a conduzir seus negócios de forma centralizada (sistema de controle familiar), que com o fenômeno da internacionalização de suas operações, tiveram que alterar seu modo de gestão, adotando sistemas descentralizados, a fim de viabilizar sua participação em mercados internacionalmente competitivos. Com a internacionalização essas empresas enfrentam desafios de adaptação a ambientes culturais, políticos e sócio-econômicos diferentes em cada país que pretendem atuar, dificultando manter a forma de gestão que seus conglomerados familiares adotavam até o momento. Entretanto, alterar o sistema de controle de gestão para essas Empresas Brasileiras, devido a sua história e origem familiar, implica em impactos na cultura institucional dessas empresas, bem como, traz insegurança à família controladora acostumada na centralização da gestão de seus negócios. Como mecanismo para solucionar tal problema, surge a implementação das Melhores Práticas de Governança Corporativa (Brasil) nessas empresas, como instrumento de gestão das famílias controladoras na condução de suas operações no exterior

Este trabalho analisa os fatores do ambiente de negócios que favorecem a formação de centros de excelências (Frost; Birkinshaw; Ensign, 2002). Centros de Excelência são importantes fontes para a criação e desenvolvimento de tecnologia. A presença desses centros no Brasil pode significar um papel importante para o país na economia global do conhecimento, sendo relevante a compreensão dos fatores ambientais que possam levar à decisão das multinacionais estrangeiras em criar tais centros. Em relação aos instrumentos de análise do ambiente de negócios, foram utilizados os modelos do diamante da vantagem competitiva nacional de Porter (1989) e o do diamante duplo generalizado de Moon, Rugman e Verbeke (1998). O diamante nacional já foi utilizado em pesquisa realizada por Frost, Birkinshaw e Ensign, (2002). Esta tese ampliou a análise do ambiente de negócios com a perspectiva do diamante internacional, possibilitada pelo modelo do duplo diamante generalizado, o qual considera relevante o papel das multinacionais. Foi realizado um survey com amostra de 172 questionários respondidos por CEOs de subsidiárias brasileiras pertencentes a multinacionais estrangeiras. Os resultados mostram que os determinantes do diamante nacional são relevantes para o desempenho de 154 das subsidiárias entrevistadas, 89,53% da amostra. E, os determinantes do diamante internacional são relevantes para o desempenho de 118 empresas, ou seja, 68,60% da amostra. Entretanto a análise de regressão apresenta limitações quanto à capacidade do diamante nacional de propiciar a formação de centros de excelência. / This thesis analyzes the factors of business environment that favors the formation of centers of excellence (Frost; Birkinshaw; Ensign, 2002). The centers of excellence have been seen as an important source for the creation and development of technology. The presence of these centers in Brazil could mean an important role for the country in the global knowledge economy, so it is relevant understanding the environmental factors that may lead to the decision of foreign multinationals to establish such centers. In order to analysis the business environment were used the models Porter\'s diamond (1989) of national competitive advantage and the approach by Moon, Rugman and Verbeke, (1998), the generalized double diamond model. The national diamond has been used in research by Frost, Birkinshaw and Ensign (2002). This thesis has extended the analysis of the business environment with the perspective of the international diamond, made possible by the generalized double diamond model, which considers the relevant role of multinational corporations. The research was a survey with a sample of 172 questionnaires sends to CEOs of foreign subsidiaries. The results show that the determinants of national diamond are relevant to performance subsidiaries of 154 respondents, 89.53% of the sample. And, the international diamond determinants are relevant to performance 118 companies, i.e., 68.60% of the sample. However, the regression analysis has limitations as to the capacity of the national diamond propitiate the formation of centers of excellence.

Este estudo de caráter exploratório teve como objetivo a identificação, análise e discussão de teorias e práticas de Recursos Humanos que possam oferecer às empresas brasileiras em processo de internacionalização suporte para o tratamento das questões de gênero na gestão de processos de expatriação. Este estudo originou-se da motivação em se obter uma melhor compreensão quanto à influência do gênero nos processos de expatriação, especialmente em função da constatação de que a participação de mulheres em expatriações ainda é muito menor do que a dos homens, e em função da relevância que a gestão de expatriações passou a ter diante do desafio de internacionalização que empresas brasileiras vêm enfrentando recentemente, o que as caracteriza como entrantes tardios no cenário competitivo global. No desenvolvimento do referencial teórico observou-se que a investigação da influência do gênero nos processos de expatriação representa uma parte menor dos estudos internacionais realizados a respeito dos processos de expatriação, e no âmbito nacional, não foram encontrados estudos específicos sobre a relação entre expatriação e gênero. Considerando tais descobertas iniciais, optou-se então pela realização de duas etapas de pesquisa. Na primeira etapa foi realizado um levantamento bibliográfico das principais pesquisas acadêmicas internacionais que relacionam gênero e processos de expatriação, além da análise de uma pesquisa brasileira sobre percepção de expatriados cujos dados puderam ser tratados a partir de um recorte de gênero. Na segunda etapa foi desenvolvida uma pesquisa empírica através da realização de um estudo de caso na Vale, uma empresa brasileira cujo recente processo de internacionalização a caracteriza como entrante tardia. Para tanto, foram realizadas quinze entrevistas semiestruturadas com profissionais de RH e com expatriados e repatriados brasileiros, homens e mulheres, todos relacionados ao projeto da empresa em Moçambique, além da realização de análises documentais. Os resultados das duas etapas da pesquisa foram submetidos à análise de conteúdo, categorizados e comparados. Os resultados encontrados na análise das pesquisas acadêmicas evidenciaram a inexistência de práticas de RH que suportassem adequadamente os processos de expatriação nas suas diferentes etapas, e que oferecessem suporte específico para os casos de expatriações de mulheres; a principal dificuldade parece encontrar-se na participação da mulher na etapa inicial do processo de expatriação, ou seja, na etapa de seleção. Em contrapartida, o desenvolvimento do estudo de caso na Vale contribuiu para a identificação de processos, políticas e práticas de RH destinadas à gestão das expatriações, porém sem a indicação de tratamento específico para os casos de expatriações de mulheres. Considerando-se as limitações decorrentes da realização de uma pesquisa qualitativa, sobretudo quanto ao método do estudo de caso, e quanto à utilização da técnica de entrevista, pode-se concluir que este foi um estudo inicial a respeito da relação entre gênero e expatriação. Os resultados contribuíram tanto para a indicação da necessidade do desenvolvimento, no âmbito nacional, de maiores estudos sobre o tema, como para o caso de empresas brasileiras que estão se internacionalizando, com a ilustração de políticas e práticas de RH destinadas a tratar estruturadamente os processos de expatriação em suas diferentes fases. / This exploratory research aimed the identification, analysis and discussion of theories and practices of Human Resources that can offer, to the Brazilian companies which are driving their internationalization processes, support for the treatment of gender issues in the management of expatriation processes. This study was originated from the motivation to understand the gender influence in the expatriation process, especially due the fact that womens participation in expatriations is significantly smaller than the mens participation, and also due to the expatriation managements relevance to the recent internationalization of Brazilian companies, which characterizes them as late movers in the global competitive scenario. During the theoretical referential development it was noted that the investigation of gender influence in the expatriation processes consists in a minor part of the international studies regarded to the expatriation processes and, at a national sphere, were not found specific studies about the relation between gender and expatriations. Whereas these initial discoveries, the decision was for the development of a two stages research. The first stage consisted of a literature review of the key international academic researches related to gender and expatriations, as well as the analysis of a Brazilian research about expatriates perceptions whose data could be reorganized from a gender perspective. In the second stage was developed an empirical research through a case study in Vale, a global late mover Brazilian company. Thus, fifteen semi-structured interviews were conducted with HR professionals and with Brazilian expatriates and repatriates, women and men, all related to the companys project in Mozambique, in addition to the realization of documents analysis. The results of these two research stages were subjected to content analysis, and were categorized and compared. The results of literature review stage showed the absence of HR practices to support adequately the expatriation processes in its different phases, and also to provide specific support for womens expatriations; the main difficulty seems to be the participation of women in the expatriation process initial phase the selection phase. In contrast, the case study development in Vale contributed to the identification of HR processes, policies and practices related to the expatriations management, however with no indications about the need for womens expatriations specific treatments. Considering the limitations deriving from qualitative researches, particularly regarding to the case study method, and also to the use of interviews, this study was an initial one about the relationship between gender and expatriations. The results contributed to indicate the need for development, at a national sphere, of broader studies about this subject, and also contributed, in the case of Brazilian companies internationalization processes, with illustration of HR policies and practices to manage, in a structured way, expatriation processes in its different phases.

Submitted by Maicon Juliano Schmidt (maicons) on 2015-04-28T13:13:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Alexandre Ricardo.pdf: 1235702 bytes, checksum: 8d217266e93004d02ecb516fc57035cd (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2015-04-28T13:13:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Alexandre Ricardo.pdf: 1235702 bytes, checksum: 8d217266e93004d02ecb516fc57035cd (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012-01-31 / Nenhuma / A crescente competição por mercados consumidores, impulsionada pela globalização, tem demandado das organizações a implementação de estratégias para suportar estas novas condições comerciais, de forma a manter a sua participação nos negócios, bem como propiciar crescimento. Neste contexto, destaca-se a necessidade de adoção de estratégias e processos eficientes de gestão entre matriz e subsidiárias, em destaque, a gestão de fornecimento de insumos para produção. O presente estudo tem como tema central a gestão de global sourcing. O objetivo geral da pesquisa foi analisar como as subsidiárias de produção de empresas multinacionais estrangeiras, instaladas no Brasil, estão inseridas e participam da estratégia de global sourcing da organização. Para tanto, foi conduzida, inicialmente, uma pesquisa na bibliografia sobre a estratégia de global sourcing, onde se identificou uma lacuna em relação à interação da subsidiária na estratégia global de fornecimento. Os estudos desenvolvidos, até então, possuem foco na matriz, abordando os formatos de gestão a partir destas. A pesquisa de campo foi adotada como método, utilizando-se entrevistas semi-estruturadas em profundidade com gestores locais de fornecimento, além de pesquisas documentais. A amostra foi composta de oito empresas multinacionais estrangeiras com unidades produtivas no Brasil. Foram verificados diferentes estágios da função de compras, conforme modelo proposto por Monczka e Trent (2003a), sendo a maior parte da amostra caracterizada por arranjos organizacionais, formas de gerenciamento e controle classificados na estratégia de global sourcing, e, em menor representatividade, empresas com atuação no nível de compras internacionais. Destaca-se o formato de participação da subsidiária de produção como parcialmente alinhado com a estratégia de global sourcing, reativo às demandas originadas a partir desta com maior representatividade na amostra. O estudo sugere uma revisão do formato de abordagem das subsidiárias de produção, passando a uma gestão mais proativa, alinhada com as estratégias de global sourcing da organização, bem como atendendo, no seu nível de atuação, as melhores práticas referenciadas na bibliografia pesquisada. / The growing competition for consumer markets, driven by globalization, has required organizations to put in practice strategies to support new business conditions in order to keep its market share and provide continuous growing. In this context, we highlight the needs to implement strategies and processes to have efficient management between headquarters and subsidiaries, highlighted the management of supply. This paper is focused on the management of global sourcing. The aim of the research was to perform analysis of how the production subsidiaries of foreign multinationals, operating in Brazil, are embedded and attend to organizations global sourcing strategies. Initially, an extensive literature research on the global sourcing strategy was made, which identified a gap related to the interaction of the subsidiary in the overall supply. Previous studies have been focused on the organization world headquarters, strategies to implement and manage global sourcing. The field research was adopted as a research method, using visits, and semi-structured interview in-depth with local supply managers, and documentary research. Sample was composed of eight foreign multinational companies with production facilities in Brazil. Different stages of the purchasing function have been identified, according to stage model proposed by Monczka e Trent (2003a). Most of them were characterized by organizational arrangements, management and control forms classified in global sourcing strategy, and significantly less, companies operating at the level of international purchases. Noteworthy, it was identified in most of companies visited, that production subsidiary participation is partially aligned with the strategy of global sourcing, reactive to the demands from world headquarters. The study suggests that local production subsidiaries should review its approach related to the global sourcing management, becoming more proactive, aligned with the organization global sourcing strategy, as well as serving in their level of expertise, best practices referenced in the literature.

<p>Background: Stakeholders are expecting companies to take on a broader social responsibility. Swedish MNCs operating in Argentina and working actively with CSR face special challenges when implementing CSR activities in the local context. However, what is important is what the companies are doing in practice, not what they are saying in corporate reports. </p><p>Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to examine how and why Swedish MNCs operating in Argentina and working actively and consciously with CSR on a corporate level, engage in CSR activities aimed at the society in Argentina. </p><p>Results: Ericsson and Tetra Pak engage in strategic business interest activities contributing with their core competences - communication technology and recycling of packages - to the poor and less educated. Astra Zeneca and ABB engage in corporate philanthropic activities, collaborating with children foundations and supporting a farm school respectively. ABB also engages in strategic CSR activities manufacturing an electrical device aimed at the poor. The most decisive motives for engaging in CSR activities is the social sensitivity of the people in the organization (Ericsson), achieving better community relations (ABB), and the demands of the mother companies (Astra Zeneca and Tetra Pak). Marketing benefits are not admitted as motives, but the MNCs are clearly aware of CSR's positive effects on the company image.</p>

No description available.

Background: Stakeholders are expecting companies to take on a broader social responsibility. Swedish MNCs operating in Argentina and working actively with CSR face special challenges when implementing CSR activities in the local context. However, what is important is what the companies are doing in practice, not what they are saying in corporate reports. Purpose: The purpose of the thesis is to examine how and why Swedish MNCs operating in Argentina and working actively and consciously with CSR on a corporate level, engage in CSR activities aimed at the society in Argentina. Results: Ericsson and Tetra Pak engage in strategic business interest activities contributing with their core competences - communication technology and recycling of packages - to the poor and less educated. Astra Zeneca and ABB engage in corporate philanthropic activities, collaborating with children foundations and supporting a farm school respectively. ABB also engages in strategic CSR activities manufacturing an electrical device aimed at the poor. The most decisive motives for engaging in CSR activities is the social sensitivity of the people in the organization (Ericsson), achieving better community relations (ABB), and the demands of the mother companies (Astra Zeneca and Tetra Pak). Marketing benefits are not admitted as motives, but the MNCs are clearly aware of CSR's positive effects on the company image.

International business relationships have been widely researched over the last three decades. Themajor attention of these studies, no matter what their theoretical perspective, concerns the MNCs inthe less developing countries (LDCs). Studies that illustrate how firms in LDCs behave regardinginteraction with MNCs are slim. Therefore, this study focuses on firms in LDCs, namely Libyan firms,and their relationships with MNCs. The study reflects not only on the relationships between the localfirms with MNCs but also the impacts of other interrelated business and non-business units on theserelationships. The study employs business network theory for industrial marketing and develops amodel applicable for studying such a market.The empirical study employs a survey method which examines 60 Libyan firms’ relationships withforeign suppliers containing more than 300 questions. In the empirical part, the study shows that therelationships like technological adaptation, technological cooperation and information exchange wereawarded low values. The measures on the other hand show a high value of impact from the politicalactors and even activities in the contextual environment. The study shows in detail where and howthe political actions influence business relationships. These impacts from the local environment affectlocal firms more than the foreign suppliers, and thus have some bearing on the MNCs and local firms’relationship weaknesses and strengths.The thesis’ conceptual contribution stands on development of new notions in business network theoryby integration of the contextual environment, in other words, network environment, and examinationof their impact on the strength of the focal business relationship. The study further contributesknowledge, not only for firms and politicians in LDCs to understand the consequence of their actions,but also provides deep information for MNCs to understand issues like why firms in LDCs behave ina specific way. Such understandings facilitate the development of cooperation. The study providesinformation about a number of characteristics which are specific for the business networks of such amarket which is dependent on only one resource like oil. While most studies in the field ofinternational business regard the business activities of MNCs, more research is needed to also observethe behaviour of firms from LDCs to gain deeper knowledge on the relationship between the MNCsand local firms from LDCs. The role of political actors and the influence of dependency on one soletype of resources and aspects like change in the prices of this resource seem to be important, but arequite neglected in research in international business.