Submitted by Fernanda Concatto (nandaconcatto@gmail.com) on 2017-05-23T19:23:18Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Concatto_Vanity Fair(2017).pdf: 1200204 bytes, checksum: 5b670e3a2f466721e8be1d436c34f874 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by ÁUREA CORRÊA DA FONSECA CORRÊA DA FONSECA (aurea.fonseca@fgv.br) on 2017-05-30T19:47:00Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 Concatto_Vanity Fair(2017).pdf: 1200204 bytes, checksum: 5b670e3a2f466721e8be1d436c34f874 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-06-23T12:41:09Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Concatto_Vanity Fair(2017).pdf: 1200204 bytes, checksum: 5b670e3a2f466721e8be1d436c34f874 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-09-19 / Achievements is a common aspiration for individuals, organizations, and societies. Have you ever wondered why is that? Extant literature shows how narcissism impact on performance. Here, however, we examined the influence of vanity on work environment. Accordingly, we conducted 3 studies, with different approaches (survey, field, and experiment). We find a positive relationship between educational level and vanity’ sub-dimension achievement view, and also a positive relation regarding age and self-esteem, for men and women (Study 1). In addition, the data collected from workers of a high performance team, yielded that respondents with higher tenure reported higher scores on achievement sub-dimensions of vanity (Study 2). Finally, results an experiment with 95 women, highlights a peer effect regarding vanity achievement dimensions and supports the positive relationship between age and self-esteem (Study 3). These approaches to the study of vanity and professional life will nurture new empirical work, and encourage interest in exploring a broader set of vanity studies.

Purpose This paper analyses the use of marketing metrics and marketing information and metrics contained in 2006/7 annual reports of companies listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange. The assumption is that the annual reports are the vehicle whereby listed companies communicate to their shareholders and other stakeholder constituencies. Methodology The assessment criteria is based on Ambler’s (2003) suggested marketing metrics and qualitative data is based on a checklist compiled from various academic sources. The elements which are assessed pertain to brand equity, other customer metrics, segmentation, competition, innovation and environmental and strategic aspects. The information obtained is compared to information required by investors and rating is done based on a grand total maturity. Findings Research results indicate that the use of quantitative metrics and qualitative data is very limited. The majority of companies display a lack of information pertaining to marketing. The results reflect a bi-modal tendency. Half (53%) of the companies do not provide any or poor information on their brand whereas 26% of companies supplied good and excellent information. The grand total score indicates that nearly two thirds (60%) of companies obtain a score of less than 50%, providing insufficient information. On the other hand, 27% of companies provide good and excellent information. Segmentation metrics are generally not reflected in annual reports, neither are competitors. Innovation and environmental aspects influencing market trends are covered by two thirds, however a third provides insufficient information. Other findings include that no standard reporting format exists. Information pertaining to marketing is spread throughout the annual reports. None of the companies provide a glossary of marketing definition or brand terminology. Research implications More in-depth research needs to be conducted on various industry sectors and amongst investors as to their needs. Originality/ value The paper is of value to corporate executives, marketing and communication practitioners who seek to improve communication and to convey optimal information for the investment community. The aim is to stimulate executive management to revise their relationship towards customers, the brand, marketing strategy and investors. / Graduate School of Business Leadership / MBL

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / This paper proposes a comparative analysis of optimization models through different investment horizons in the Brazilian market. The use of models is based on modifications of the sample covariance matrix (such as shrinkage methods and detection of outliers models) and the replacement as measure of risk of the variance by the Value at Risk (VaR) and Expected Loss (ES). The analysis separates in two different times: in-sample, understood in daily returns between January 2003 and December 2010; and another out-of-sample on a daily basis of returns from January 2010 to December 2013. As results, this paper observe that both, in-sample as the investment horizon out-of-sample long-term, models involved in risk measures presented better performance, especially in case of market crash. In short-term and medium-term investment horizons, models of minimum-variance and mean-variance obtained the best results. Economically, the investor can use the models for increased safety in the allocation assets in turbulent periods. In theoretical implications, there is the importance of not using excessively a single optimization model for the management of portfolios. / O presente trabalho propõe uma análise comparativa dos modelos de otimização por meio de diferentes horizontes de investimento no mercado brasileiro. A utilização dos modelos é baseada nas modificações da matriz de covariância amostral (como os métodos de encolhimento e modelos de detecção de observações extremas) e na substituição da variância pelo Valor em Risco (VaR) e a Perda Esperada (ES) como medida de risco. A análise separa em dois momentos distintos: um dentro da amostra, em retornos diários compreendidos entre janeiro de 2003 a dezembro de 2010; e outro fora da amostra, numa periodicidade diária de retornos de janeiro de 2010 a dezembro de 2013. Como resultados, observa-se que tanto dentro da amostra como no horizonte de investimento de longo prazo fora da amostra, modelos ligados às medidas de risco apresentaram melhores desempenhos, sobretudo em caso de quebra do mercado. No curto e médio prazos de investimento, as estratégias de mínima-variância e média-variância obtiveram os melhores resultados. Economicamente, o investidor pode se utilizar dos modelos para maior segurança na alocação de seus ativos em períodos turbulentos. Em implicações teóricas, verifica-se a importância da não utilizar excessivamente apenas um único modelo de otimização para a gestão de portfólios.

Face à l'ampleur de la crise financière de 2007-2008, comprendre la prise de risques des banques et ses déterminants est devenu une question centrale aussi bien pour les académiques en finance que pour les régulateurs. Dans cette thèse, nous analysons le rôle joué par l'objectif de maximisation de la rentabilité des fonds propres (RoE), omniprésent dans les banques, au regard de la prise de risques. A travers de nombreux tests empiriques, nous mettons en évidence que le RoE est associé à des prises de risques extrêmes et que des incitations monétaires à maximiser cette mesure existaient pour les dirigeants de banques dans les années précédant la crise. Le RoE, utilisé comme principale mesure de performance dans les banques, s'avère en réalité être un indicateur avancé de leur risque et de leur vulnérabilité dans les crises. Afin de mieux comprendre l'attachement des banques au RoE. nous avons également étudié la légitimité de cette mesure en temps normal, c'est-à-dire hors périodes de crise. Les résultats indiquent qu'avant la crise, les risques latents associés au RoE n'étaient que partiellement pris en compte et que la maximisation du RoE n'a pas bénéficié aux actionnaires des banques. A la lumière de ces résultats, la validité du RoE comme mesure de performance apparait d'autant plus surprenante. Enfin, dans une troisième partie, nous questionnons l'approche générale en matière de régulation qui a été de considérer que plus de capital était souhaitable, et ce quelle que soit la nature des investisseurs qui l'apportent. Nous montrons que l'horizon des actionnaires joue un rôle central puisque les banques qui avaient plus d'investisseurs court-terme ont moins résisté (moins bonne performance et plus faible probabilité de survie) pendant la crise. / The 2007-2008 financial crisis prompted much handwringing among academics and regulators as to why banks had taker on so much risks and what factors drove risk-taking. In this thesis, we focus on the responsibility of the focalization on RoE as main performance measure in inducing risk-taking in banks. Our empirical tests show that RoE is associated with strategies of excessive risk-taking and that bank managers had monetary incentives to maximize RoE in the years leading up to the crisis. While RoE is used as a key performance measure in banks, it proves to be a leading indicator of a bank's risk and vulnerability during crises. To better understand the reluctance of banks to abandon RoE despite its perverse effects on risk-taking, we assess in the second article, the validity of RoE as a performance measure outs ide of financial crises. Results indicate that in the pre-crisis period, the information conveyed by RoE on bank risk was only partially taken into account and that RoE did not guarantee a superior performance for bank shareholders in normal periods. Giver these results, the enduring reliance on RoE in banks is even more surprising and questionable. In the third article, we challenge the general view in the area of bank regulation which is that more capital is better, irrespective of who provided it. We show that the investment horizon of bank capital providers plays a crucial role since banks with more short-term investors performed worse and had a lower survival probability during the crisis.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / This research study investigates optimization of IRS to individual information needs in order of relevance. The research addressed development of algorithms that optimize the ranking of documents retrieved from IRS. In this thesis, we present two aspects of context-awareness in IR. Firstly, the design of context of information. The context of a query determines retrieved information relevance. Thus, executing the same query in diverse contexts often leads to diverse result rankings. Secondly, the relevant context aspects should be incorporated in a way that supports the knowledge domain representing users’ interests. In this thesis, the use of evolutionary algorithms is incorporated to improve the effectiveness of IRS. A context-based information retrieval system is developed whose retrieval effectiveness is evaluated using precision and recall metrics. The results demonstrate how to use attributes from user interaction behaviour to improve the IR effectiveness

Purpose: As service organizations move toward the open system strategic customer orientation, they need to ensure consistency among competitive methods, performance measures and strategies utilized. This paper aims to examine the relationships among these important facets of today’s service organizations. The study at hand examines the relationship among competitive methods, implicit strategy and performance measures used by Portuguese service organizations. Design/methodology/approach: This research uses a survey-based methodology. Factor analysis, cluster analysis and regression analysis procedures are used to analyze the collected data from Portuguese service organizations. Findings: Based on the results of this study, it appears that some of the studied service organizations are steadily moving toward the open system mode of strategy, competitive methods and performance measurement. However, the majority of the service organizations examined appeared to be in a state of strategic confusion, as they appear to lack the consistency among competitive methods, performance measures and desired strategic orientations. Research limitations/implications: The sample used in this study is specific in nature, as it includes only Portuguese service organizations. Therefore, the results of this study should be interpreted with caution. Future research in other cultural service settings is recommended. Such research should emphasize the exploration of theoretical frameworks, which tend to practically integrate competitive methods, performance measures and strategic orientation. Practical implications: This study has direct practical implications for service managers, as they attempt to integrate their organizational systems. As such, the research in this study paves the way toward the practical integration and consistency among competitive methods, performance measures and strategic orientations needed to enhance the customer orientation. In this context, such integration and consistency are essential to enhance the strategic competitiveness of today’s service organizations operating in a dynamic marketplace. Originality/value: This research combines bodies of knowledge dealing with competitive methods, performance measures and their impact on strategic orientations. The conceptual framework offered in this research attempts to facilitate the understanding for consistent practice pertaining to the competitiveness of the open system service organization in a dynamic environment. Such consistency is essential to the competitiveness of the organization in a dynamic environment.

The aim of this study is to examine the predictors of effective performance measurement in the context of Turkish municipalities. In the study, mainly the theoretical guidance of context-design-performance model has been utilized to examine the contextual and design factors which have influenced the effective use of performance measurement systems in Turkish municipalities. The following research questions were examined in this study: To what extent do Turkish municipalities implement performance measurement systems effectively?, What are the predictors of effective performance measurement in Turkish municipalities?, and whether or to what extent do quality of performance measures, technical capacity of the municipality for performance measurement, organizational support, and external support for the use of performance measurement have influence on the effectiveness level of performance measurement systems in Turkish municipalities? In the study, the data were collected from Turkish municipalities by a self-administered online survey and were analyzed by using the structural equation modeling (SEM). It is hypothesized in the study that external support and organizational support for the use performance measurement, and technical capacity for the performance measurement are associated with quality of performance measures and effectiveness of performance measurement systems in general. The results of the study supported the hypotheses of the study regarding the relationships among organizational support, technical capacity, quality of performance measures, and effectiveness of performance measurement. Although the results confirmed that external support has an indirect effect on effectiveness of performance measurement via technical capacity and quality of performance measures, the hypothesis regarding the direct effect of it on effectiveness of performance measurement was not supported. Moreover, the study found that support of employees and citizens for the use of performance measurement in Turkish municipalities are relatively low, the municipalities have deficiencies both in the quantity and the quality of staff that are responsible for performance measurement activities, and the level of employee involvement in the development of performance measures is low.

The purpose of this dissertation was to determine the preferences of clients of programs administered by selected federal agencies and the preferences of the federal managers who administer the programs in assessing performance measurement systems. Using the general progression of previous budgetary models used in the public sector, the researcher developed the Modified Balance Scorecard (MBSC), a performance measurement model designed specifically for use within the public sector. Surveys based on the MBSC were administered to public managers and to clients of those managers in order to determine their preferences. The results showed that managers preferred public good measures and clients preferred financial measures. Both groups' second preferred index of measures was internal management process measures. This research is important in policy formulation and provides many implications regarding the effective presentation of policies. These results can be used to help craft policies for maximum effectiveness, based on the preferences of the respective groups.

Dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) systems, a form of vehicle-to-everything (V2X) systems, were placed on Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) snowplows to request signal preemption. The study took place along five state routes in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. Snowplows and intersections were equipped with the technology to communicate and process requests for signal preemption. Signal performance and vehicle performance analysis were performed to understand the impacts that snowplows requesting signal preemption had. Signal performance analysis was done to determine how snowplows with V2X systems using DSRC affected signals. Vehicle performance analysis was done to see if plowing and traffic efficiency and performance were improved, as well as evaluating safety implications of signal preemption. To perform the signal performance analysis, V2X data were collected to understand how often signal preemption was requested by snowplows, how often it was granted by signal controllers, and how long preemption requests affected signal controller timing. Snowplows requested preemption over 50 percent of the time they approached a signalized intersection. Of messages that requested signal preemption, over 80 percent were granted. On average, signal controllers are affected by preemption processing for less than 5 minutes. This shows that the system works as designed, is used often, and does not have adverse effects on signal controller. Data for vehicle performance analysis included analysis of snowplow speed data, general travel speed data, and crash data. These were collected to analyze the effects of snowplows requesting signal preemption on vehicle performance. The analysis showed that snowplow speeds are not changed due to the signal preemption system, but the number of times snowplows stopped was reduced. General travel speeds on equipped routes were more consistently closer to the speed limits than not equipped routes. Crash data showed a greater negative decrease on equipped routes than on not equipped routes. These findings showed minimal changes or impacts to vehicle performance, but anecdotal evidence from snowplow drivers indicates benefits from the system overall. There were various limitations in the analysis. Data granularity differed among datasets, making comparison between the different datasets difficult without reducing data integrity. Some datasets did not have much data, making statistical significance unclear. With these data limitations, conclusions were drawn, but do not fully describe all the potential benefits and impacts of snowplows with V2X systems that use DSRC to request signal preemption. Additional research is needed to better understand the impacts that snowplows requesting signal preemption has on different maintenance metrics, such as fuel usage and time spent plowing. It is also recommended that data used is explored for ways to improve the granularity.

<p>Road networks are significantly affected by traffic signal operations, which contribute from 5% to 10% of all traffic delay in the United States. It is therefore important for agencies to systematically monitor signal performance to identify locations where operations do not function as desired and where mobility could be improved.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Currently, most signal performance evaluations are derived from infrastructure-based Automated Traffic Signal Performance Measures (ATSPMs). These performance measures rely on high-resolution detector and phase information that is collected at 10 Hz and reported via TCP/IP connections. Even though ATSPMs have proven to be a valid approach to estimate signal performance, significant initial capital investment required for infrastructure deployment can represent an obstacle for agencies attempting to scale these techniques. Further, fixed vehicle detection zones can create challenges in the accuracy and extent of the calculated performance measures.</p> <p><br></p> <p>High-resolution connected vehicle (CV) trajectory data has recently become commercially available. With over 500 billion vehicle position records generated each month in the United States, this data set provides unique opportunities to derive accurate signal performance measures without the need for infrastructure upgrades. This dissertation provides a comprehensive suite of CV-based techniques to generate actionable and scalable traffic signal performance measures.</p> <p><br></p> <p>Turning movements of vehicles at intersections are automatically identified from attributes included in the commercial CV data set to facilitate movement-level analyses. Then, a trajectory-based visualization from which relevant performance measures can be extracted is presented. Subsequently, methodologies to identify signal retiming opportunities are discussed. An approach to evaluate closely-coupled intersections, which is particularly challenging with detector-based techniques, is then presented. Finally, a data-driven methodology to enhance the scalability of trajectory-based traffic signal performance estimations by automatically mapping relevant intersection geometry components is provided.</p> <p><br></p> <p>The trajectory data processing procedures provided in this dissertation can aid agencies make data-driven decisions on resource allocation and signal system modifications. The presented techniques are transferable to any location where CV data is available, and the scope of analysis can be easily varied from the movement to intersection, corridor, region, and state level.</p>