O uso inadequado dos recursos naturais vem causando grandes impactos ambientais, em especial a partir do século XVII, quando a natureza passa a ser vista como um bem de mercado. Instaura-se, a partir deste momento, a crise ambiental, tendo em vista a escassez dos recursos ecossistêmicos e o crescente aumento da população mundial. A não renovação dos recursos naturais, ou a sua limitação, acabam causando grandes impactos, gerando desigualdades econômicas, culturais, sociais e ambientais entre os povos. Surge a necessidade de harmonizar o desenvolvimento sustentável e o crescimento econômico, como forma de garantir o direito fundamental ao meio ambiente digno e saudável, tanto às gerações presentes como para as futuras. Nesta seara, o presente estudo aborda os serviços ambientais como estratégia na busca de uma nova civilização, de forma onde natureza e homem consigam sobreviver em simetria. A valorização dos serviços ambientais que ocorre por meio do pagamento por serviços ambientais, que é mote do estudo, sendo que a sua efetivação jurídica somente é possível por meio de implementação de políticas ambientais, não só de comando e controle, como também de motivação. O Pagamento por Serviços Ambientais surge como fator de crescimento na questão da preservação ambiental, apaziguando a dicotomia crescimento econômico e desenvolvimento sustentável e apresentando-se como nova saída para a preservação dos recursos naturais, visando o comprometimento da população de forma participativa e retributiva. / The inappropriate use of natural resources has been causing considerable environmental impacts, in particular since the seventeenth century, when nature has turned out to been seen as a market commodity. It has been established from that time on, the environmental crisis, in view of the scarcity of ecosystem resources and the increasing of the world population. The non-renewal of natural resources, or its limitation, ends up causing major impacts, generating economic, cultural, social and environmental inequalities among the peoples. It has arisen the necessity to harmonize the sustainable development and the economic growth as a way of ensuring the fundamental right to a dignified and healthy environment for both current and future generations. In this area, the present study addresses environmental services as a strategy in search of a new civilization, so where nature and man can survive in symmetry. The appreciation of environmental services which occurs through the payment for environmental services, that is a topic of the study, and its legal effectiveness, is only possible through the implementation of environmental policies not only command and control, but also as motivation. The Payment for Environmental Services comes as an element of growth in the issue of environmental preservation, appeasing the dichotomy between economic growth and sustainable development, presenting itself as a new way out for the preservation of natural resources, aiming the commitment of the population in a participatory and retributive way.

Thesis (MBA (Business Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2010. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Despite growth being the target of all business operations, there is a concrete limit to growth. The concept of a sustainable cash flow growth rate is an important consideration, since it alerts management to cash flow shortfalls caused by a too-high growth rate. The company Homechoice Holdings Limited was chosen as the subject of this research report as it exhibited unusually high revenue growth, linked to a high share price and a subsequent cash shortfall. The tool of a sustainable growth rate model was employed to investigate whether the shortfall in cash could have been averted if the cash flow sustainable growth rate (CFSGR) had been adhered to. A selection of existing sustainable growth rate models is presented and their different emphases are discussed. This is followed by the development of a sustainable growth rate formula, which is applied to five general cases. In case 1, there is a dividend, depreciation, fixed expenses as well as a change in the working capital cycle (WCC). In case 2, depreciation, fixed expenses and a change in WCC are evident, but the dividend is zero. In case 3, depreciation and a change in WCC are evident, but dividend and fixed expenses are zero. In case 4, all items are zero excepting a change in WCC. In the final case, 5, all items are zero. The published financials of the years 1996-2000 are analysed in detail and the market reaction (share price and press reaction) is portrayed. Lastly the actual developments of the profits and the share price are compared with a hypothetical case in which the previously defined CFSGR would have been used. In conclusion the issue of the CFSGR is contextualised with other information which contributed to the decline of this company. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hoewel groei die teiken van alle sakebedrywighede is, het groei ’n konkrete limiet. Die konsep van ’n volhoubare kontantvloei-groeikoers is ’n belangrike oorweging omdat dit bestuur waarsku wanneer daar kontantvloeitekorte is wat veroorsaak word deur ’n groeikoers wat te hoog is. Die maatskappy Homechoice Holdings Beperk is as onderwerp van hierdie navorsingsverslag gekies as gevolg van sy buitengewoon hoë inkomstegroei wat aan ’n hoë aandeelprys en ’n gevolglike kontanttekort gekoppel is. ’n Volhoubare groeikoersmodel word as hulpmiddel gebruik om ondersoek in te stel of die kontanttekort verhoed kon word indien die maatskappy die kontantvloei volhoubare groeikoers (CFSGR) gebruik het. ’n Seleksie van bestaande volhoubare groeikoersmodelle word aangebied en die verskillende elemente wat hulle beklemtoon word bespreek. Dit word gevolg deur die ontwikkeling van ’n volhoubare groeikoersformule wat op vyf algemene gevalle toegepas word. In geval 1 is daar ’n dividend, depresiasie, vaste koste sowel as ’n verandering in die bedryfskapitaalsiklus. In geval 2 is depresiasie, vaste koste en ’n verandering in die bedryfskapitaalsiklus voor die hand liggend, maar die dividend is nul. In geval 3 is depresiasie en ’n verandering in die bedryfskapitaalsiklus voor die hand liggend, maar dividende en vaste koste is nul. In geval 4 is alle items nul buiten ’n verandering in die bedryfskapitaalsiklus. Laastens, in geval 5, is alle items nul. Die gepubliseerde finansiële jaarstate van 1996 tot 2000 word breedvoerig ontleed en die markreaksie (aandeleprys en mediareaksie) word aangetoon. Laastens word die werklike ontwikkeling van die winste en die aandeleprys met ’n hipotetiese geval vergelyk waarin die CFSGR, wat vroeër gedefinieer is, gebruik is. Die kwessie van die CFSGR word ook in ’n konteks geplaas saam met ander inligting wat tot die agteruitgang van hierdie maatskappy bygedra het.

Submitted by Maria Medeiros (maria.dilva1@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-06-08T10:50:51Z No. of bitstreams: 1 LÁZARO AVELINO DE SOUSA - DISSERTAÇÃO (PPGRN) 2016.pdf: 3247066 bytes, checksum: e582088b0cdecdad1bb01707be66b12b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-06-08T10:50:51Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LÁZARO AVELINO DE SOUSA - DISSERTAÇÃO (PPGRN) 2016.pdf: 3247066 bytes, checksum: e582088b0cdecdad1bb01707be66b12b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-08-30 / Capes / O presente estudo teve como objetivo principal analisar a evolução do processo regenerativo de uma área degradada de caatinga em estágio de recuperação (no período de 2008 a 2015) na Fazenda Barra, município de Santa Luzia-PB, na microrregião do Seridó Ocidental. A referida área mede 1,88 ha e encontra-se em estado de pousio há aproximadamente oito anos, quando teve início a implantação do projeto original de recuperação, através do qual foi implantado no interior da área um experimento pioneiro com plantio de mudas de espécies nativas em solo preparado com nanobacias hidrográficas. Para analisar a regeneração foi feito um levantamento florístico e fitossociológico para verificar a composição, a estrutura e a distribuição diamétrica das espécies vegetais existentes na referida área, com fins de comparar esses parâmetros com os do primeiro estudo realizado no local. Os parâmetros fitossociológicos analisados foram: Densidade e Dominância Absoluta e Relativa, Área Basal, Valor de Cobertura e os índices de Diversidade e Riqueza das espécies. Também foi feita a análise de amostras do solo para a devida classificação e verificação dos índices de fertilidade, e analisou-se a sobrevivência e o crescimento de espécies nativas que foram transplantadas no experimento supracitado. Na composição florística foram encontradas 28 espécies incluídas em 27 gêneros e 15 famílias dentre os 12.258 indivíduos registrados na área geral. No ambiente experimental, o percentual de sobrevivência das espécies caiu entre os anos de 2012 e 2015 para todas as espécies transplantadas, tanto no solo preparado com nanobacias, quanto no ambiente de plantio direto. Os índices de fertilidade do solo na área experimental também caíram em relação a 2012, sendo que os números do ambiente preparado com nanobacias permaneceram mais altos que os do plantio direto. Na área geral estudada, concluiu-se que houve significativa recuperação, tanto da vegetação, quanto do solo no período considerado. O isolamento da área se mostrou mais eficaz no processo de regeneração natural do que as demais técnicas de recuperação empregadas no local. Apesar da técnica de preparo do solo com nanobacias ter garantido maiores índices de fertilidade do solo e de sobrevivência e crescimento das mudas transplantadas, foi o isolamento da área combinado com os níveis de chuvas acumuladas no período considerado que garantiram a recuperação verificada na área geral. / The main aim proposed by this study has been analyze the evolution of the regenerative process of degraded caatinga’s area in a leg of recovery (from 2008 to 2015) in the Fazenda Barra, Santa Luzia – PB’s countryside, in the microregion of Ocidental Serido. The area measures 1,88 ha, and it has been isolated for eight years, when it has begun the original project’s recuperation of this area. Its recuperation has been implemented in the interior of the area a pioneer experiment through the direct planting of native species in prepared soil, with hydrographic Nanobacias. To analyze the soil’s regeneration it has been done a floristic and phytosociological survey to check the composition, structure and diameter distribution of plant species in that area, for purposes of comparing these parameters with the first study conducted on the place. The analyzed phytosociological parameters were: Density and Dominance Absolute and Relative, Basal Area, covering value and contents diversity and richness of species. It also has been done soil samples analysis to proper classification and verification of fertility rates was taken. And, It has been analyzed the survival and growth of native species were transplanted in the mentioned experiment. In the floristic composition has been found 28 species included in 27 gender and 15 families among the 12,258 individuals registered in the general area. In the experimental environment, the percentage of the species’ survival fell down between the years 2012 and 2015 for all transplanted species, both in the prepared soil with nanobacias, as in the environment of direct planting. Soil fertility rates in the experimental area also has been fell compared to 2012, and the numbers of the prepared environment with nanobacias remained higher than the direct planting. In the overall study area, it has been concluded that there was a significant recovery as in the vegetation as in the soil in the considered period. The isolation of the area was more efficient in the natural regeneration process than other recovery techniques employed in the place. Despite the technique of soil’s preparation with nanobacias have secured higher rates of soil’s fertility, survival and growth of transplanted seedlings, it was the isolation of the area combined to the levels of accumulated rainfall during the period considered that has been ensured the recovery, which has been seen in the general area.

The rapid advances in technology and increase of tech investments across all the industries have promoted the emergence of several startups. Unfortunately, not all startups succeed despite of having good initial ideas. One reason to the poor business performance could be a lack of managerial control. Researchers and industry experts believe that performance management could support tech entrepreneurs to monitor and control the drivers that promote growth and their success. However, there is a lack of studies that could support these thoughts about its suitability for tech startups. Therefore, this study gathers empirical findings from Swedish tech startups as well as industry experts to discuss this issue. The findings show that a performance measurement system such as the Balanced Scorecard is a suitable practice for tech entrepreneurs. It also brings some insights about how the performance measurements evolve as the firms mature.

Cette thèse est un ensemble de quatre essais indépendants sur la réforme du compte capital dans les pays en développement. Le premier essai analyse théoriquement les effets de la libéralisation du compte capital sur la croissance à long terme en présence de corruption dans le secteur public. Le résultat principal est que la corruption réduit la croissance, en présence d’ouverture financière, à cause de son effet négatif sur l'épargne étrangère. Le deuxième essai examine le lien entre le développement financier et la libéralisation des flux de capitaux pour un échantillon de 90 pays développés et en développement durant la période 1980-2009. Les résultats mettent en évidence le rôle des institutions et l'importance du secteur privé comme conditions pré-requises pour un effet positif de la réforme du compte capital sur le secteur financier. Le troisième essai s’intéresse à la causalité entre la libéralisation des flux de capitaux et la croissance, en utilisant l'approche de Toda et Yamamoto, pour un échantillon de six pays émergents durant la période 1975-2011. Les résultats indiquent une causalité directe allant de la libéralisation du compte capital à la croissance, surtout dans les pays qui ont mis en œuvre des réformes macroéconomiques profondes. Le dernier essai étudie les effets de la libéralisation financière externe sur les variables macroéconomiques en Turquie au cours de la période 1989-2009, en utilisant des données trimestrielles et un modèle VAR. Les résultats indiquent que les flux de capitaux ont des effets variables sur l'économie turque avant et après la crise de 2001, avec surtout des effets positifs sur l’environnement macroéconomique après la crise. / This thesis is a set of four independent essays on the reforms of capital accounts in developing countries. The first essay analyses theoretically the effects of capital account liberalization on long run growth in presence of corruption in the public sector. The main result is that corruption lowers growth opportunities, when the capital account is open, because of its negative effect on foreign savings. The second essay investigates empirically the nexus between financial development and free capital flows using a sample of 90 developed and developing countries over the period 1980-2009. The findings highlight the role of institutional framework and the importance of the private sector as pre-requisites for a significant effect of capital account reform on the financial sector. The third essay sheds light on the causal relationship between free capital movements and economic growth, using the Toda and Yamamoto’s approach, for a selected sample of six emerging countries over the period 1975-2011. The results point out a direct causal relationship going from capital account liberalization to economic growth especially in countries that have implemented deep macroeconomic reforms. The last essay investigates the effects of external financial liberalization on macroeconomic variables in Turkey during the period 1989-2009 using quarterly data within a VAR framework. The findings indicate that capital flows have varying effects on the Turkish economy before and after the crisis of 2001. The evidence supports, particularly, significant effects of freeing financial flows on macroeconomic performance, during the post-crisis period.

Social, cultural and technological changes of recent decades led to a new dominant feature of the world economy in the form of globalization. This coincided with the extraordinary growth of international political institutions that seem unable to control the process of globalization and its effects. Multinational corporations have become drivers of economic growth in the world. They have outsourced production to developing countries with low standards and weak legislation, particularly to China, where violation of Chinese and international law occurs frequently. No one assumes responsibility for this situation. The question therefore arises whether such economic growth can be legitimate and sustainable. The master thesis focuses on working conditions related to the production of goods in China. The aim of this master thesis is to try to determine to what extent the concept of corporate social responsibility can contribute to sustainable growth and improve working conditions in China. The thesis is divided into six chapters. The first chapter contains a theoretical introduction to social responsibility, the second chapter shows the influx of foreign businesses into China and its impacts on society. The third to the fifth chapter introduce attempts by various authorities and corporations to address the problem of harsh working conditions and violations of legal norms. The sixth chapter encourages consumer to take responsibility. The work is exclusively focused on the social pillar of corporate social responsibility.

A nivel global, las empresas con alto crecimiento son generadores directos de nuevos puestos de trabajo, pero ¿Qué tan bien mantienen este crecimiento sostenido a lo largo del tiempo? En la literatura, existen varios modelos de tasa de crecimiento sostenible (TCS) propuestos por Higgins (1977) y Van Horne (1987), el primero indicó que el crecimiento rápido puede ejercer una gran presión sobre los recursos de la empresa, e incluso, llevarla a la quiebra, debido a que un aumento en las ventas requiere un incremento de los activos que genera nuevas necesidades financieras, asimismo, el segundo colocó mayor énfasis al desarrollar un modelo en el que incluyó el margen de beneficio neto, la rotación de activos, la tasa de retención de rendimiento y el patrimonio. Sin embargo, el tema de la TCS ha tomado mayor relevancia en los últimos años, pues las variables señalas no serían suficientes para determinar un adecuado índice de crecimiento que sea perdurable a través de los años. Por ello, el presente trabajo se centra en la TCS y las diversas variables que influyen en su comportamiento, esto a partir de la literatura y las investigaciones encontradas. / Globally, high-growth companies are direct generators of new jobs but how well they maintain this sustained growth over time. In the literature, there are several models of sustainable growth rate proposed by Higgins (1977) and Van Horne (1987) to mention the most relevant. The first indicated that rapid growth can put great pressure on the resources of the company and can even lead to bankruptcy because an increase in sales requires an increase in assets that generates new financial needs. The second placed greater emphasis on developing a model that included profit margin, asset turnover, retention rate of return, and equity. However, the issue of the sustainable growth rate has taken on greater relevance in recent years because the variables mentioned above would not be sufficient to determine an adequate growth rate that lasts over the years. This work focuses on the sustainable growth rate and the various variables that influence its behavior based on the literature and research found. / Trabajo de Suficiencia Profesional

The study focuses on key characteristics that affect diversity management (DM) in the United States. Developing effective strategies to support and enhance workforce diversity is a competitive business advantage as diverse workforce economic and social contributions outpace homogeneous workgroups. The purpose of this multiple case study was to explore the strategies that service organization leaders (diversity practitioner-leaders) use to develop DM programs to support competitive business advantage and sustainable growth. The general systems theory and DM framework were the lens that guided the study. Five diversity practitioner-leaders from service organizations with business operations in the northwestern region of United States were interviewed. Participants responded to open-ended interview questions. Data collection processes included validating and triangulating the information gathered from participants via transcript review and use of archival business documents and peer-reviewed sources. Following the thematic data analysis, major themes emerged that include linking diversity programs to business goals, educating and creating diversity awareness, and implementing diversity reporting and accountability. Findings revealed strategies that diversity practitioner-leaders could use to enhance workplace DM practices and support sustainable business growth. The study findings could help organizational leaders to affect positive social change by building diverse, welcoming, and all-inclusive workplace cultures, whereby all employees can strive to achieve their full potential, thus improving employee engagement and productivity. As workplace diversity improves, employees' engagement and productivity increases as well as their socioeconomic contributions.

The literature falls short in examining talent management (TM) and knowledge management (KM) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). In response to this research gap, a case study was motivated to explore how SMEs perform TM and KM activities. As this master thesis had the rare opportunity of conducting interviewees with all the employees and the CEO of a mature small firm located in Sweden, the purpose of this study became to investigate the applicability of existing TM and KM frameworks and identify additional perspectives to adapt the frameworks to the context of mature small firms. The methodology of this case study involved interviews with the CEO and employees of the mature small firm (the case company) and utilised existing TM and KM frameworks as the underlying structure for the interview questions and analysis. The empirical findings were presented in terms of themes, strengths and weaknesses, and issues with respect to TM and KM. The findings were further analysed and compared to previous research in the discussion, as well as recommended focus areas were derived to create a more holistic guidance of TM and KM for mature small firms. In conclusion, the findings of this master thesis corroborated existing literature and did not refute any previous research directly. However, as the empirical findings presented aspects of TM and KM not previously mentioned in literature, additional TM and KM perspectives for mature small firms were suggested to expand and refine the TM and KM frameworks utilised in this study. Additionally, this study has provided more exploration to TM and KM issues in SMEs, which is largely absent in previous research. This master thesis has also contributed guidance for firms (in particular mature small firms) to approach challenges with respect to TM and KM, as well as contributed to the literature with empirical research about TM and KM in SMEs. / Den befintliga litteraturen brister i att undersöka talanghantering (eng. "talent management", TM) och kunskapshantering (eng. "knowledge management", KM) i små och medelstora företag (eng. "small and medium-sized enterprises", SMEs). Som svar på denna forskningslucka motiverades en fallstudie för att undersöka hur SMEs genomför TM- och KM-aktiviteter. Eftersom denna master uppsats hade den sällsynta möjligheten att genomföra intervjuer med samtliga anställda och VD:n för ett moget småföretag beläget i Sverige, blev syftet med denna studie att undersöka tillämpligheten hos befintliga TM- och KM-ramverk samt identifiera ytterligare perspektiv för att anpassa ramverken till kontexten för mogna småföretag. Metodologin för denna fallstudie involverade intervjuer med VD:n och de anställda på det mogna småföretaget (fallföretaget) och utnyttjade befintliga TM- och KM-ramverk som underliggande struktur för intervjufrågor och analys. De empiriska resultaten presenterades med avseende på teman, styrkor och svagheter, samt utmaningar relaterade till TM och KM. Resultaten analyserades vidare och jämfördes med tidigareforskning i diskussionen, och rekommenderade fokusområden identifierades för att skapa en mer holistisk vägledning i TM och KM för mogna småföretag. Sammanfattningsvis bekräftade resultaten av denna master uppsats befintlig litteratur och motsade inte direkt någon tidigare forskning. Dock presenterade de empiriska resultaten aspekter av TM och KM som inte tidigare nämnts i litteraturen, vilket ledde till att ytterligare TM- och KM-perspektiv för mogna småföretag föreslogs för att utvidga och förbättra de TM- och KM-ramverk som använts i denna studie. Dessutom har denna studie bidragit med ytterligare forskning av TM- och KM-utmaningar i SMEs, vilket i stor utsträckning saknas i tidigare forskning. Denna uppsats har också bidragit med vägledning för företag (särskilt mogna småföretag) i att hantera utmaningar med avseende på TM och KM, samt bidragit till litteraturen med empirisk forskning om TM och KM i SMEs.

We use new migration modelling and projection techniques in order to quantify the effect of migration in the context of ageing societies in Europe over the forthcoming decades. Using new empirical results, data and projections of migration flows developed in the framework of the WWWforEUROPE project, we inform the policy discussion concerning the role of demographic change, inequality dynamics, labour market integration of migrants and the sustainability of public finances in the continent. / Series: WWWforEurope