Large-scale geological storage of CO₂ is likely to bring CO₂ plumes into contact with existing wellbores and faults, which can act as pathways for leakage of stored CO₂ Modeling the flux of CO₂ along a leaky pathway requires transport properties along the pathway. We provide an approach based on the analogy between the leakage pathway in wells that exhibit sustained casing pressure (SCP) and the rate-limiting part of the leakage pathway in any wellbore that CO₂ might encounter. By using field observations of SCP to estimate transport properties of a CO₂ leakage pathway, we obtain a range of CO₂ fluxes for the cases of buoyancy-driven (post-injection) and pressure-driven (during injection) leakage. The fluxes in example wells range from background levels to three orders of magnitude higher than flux at the natural CO₂ seep in Crystal Geyser, Utah. We estimate a plausible range of fault properties from field data in the Mahogany Field using a shale gouge ratio correlation. The estimated worst-case CO₂ flux is slightly above background range. The flux along fault could be attenuated to zero by permeable layers that intersect the fault. The attenuation is temporary if layers are sealed at other end. Counterintuitively, greater elevation in pressure at the base of the fault can result in less CO₂ leakage at the top of the fault, because the capillary entry pressure is exceeded for more permeable layers. Since non-negligible leakage rates are possible along wellbores, it is important to be able to diagnose whether leakage is occurring. Concurrent pressure and temperature measurements are especially valuable because they independently constrain the effective permeability of a leakage path along wellbore. We describe a simple set of coupled analytical models that enable diagnosis of above-zone monitoring data. Application to data from a monitoring well during two years of steady CO₂ injection shows that the observed pressure elevation requires a model with an extremely large leakage rate, while the temperature model shows that this rate would be large enough to raise the temperature in the monitoring zone significantly, which is not observed. The observation well is unlikely to be leaking. Extraction of brine from the aquifer offers advantage over standard storage procedure by greatly mitigating pressure elevation during CO₂ injection. A proper management of the injection process helps reduce the risk of leakage associated with wellbores and faults. We provide strategies that optimize the injection of CO₂ which involve extraction of brine in two scenarios, namely injecting dissolved CO₂ and supercritical CO₂. For surface dissolution case we are concerned with bubble point contour, while for supercritical CO₂ injection we are concerned with breakthrough of CO₂ at extractors. In a surface dissolution project, the CO₂ concentration front shape when it reaches the saturation pressure contour defines the maximum areal extent of CO₂-saturated brine and hence the aquifer utilization efficiency. We illustrate the reduction of utilization efficiency due to heterogeneity of the aquifer. We develop an optimal control strategy of the injection/extraction rates to maximize the utilization efficiency. We further propose an optimal well pattern orientation strategy. Results show that the approach nearly compensates the reduction of utilization efficiency due to heterogeneity. In a supercritical CO₂ injection that involves brine extraction, the problem of avoiding breakthrough of CO₂ at extraction wells can be addressed by optimizing flow rates at each extractor and injector to delay breakthrough as long as possible. We use the Capacitance-Resistive Model (CRM) to conduct the optimization. CRM runs rapidly and requires no prior geologic model. Fitting the model to data recorded during early stages of CO₂ injection characterizes the connectivities between injection and brine-extraction wells. The fitted model parameters are used to optimize subsequent CO₂ injection in the formation. Field illustration shows a significant improvement in CO₂ storage efficiency. / text

Fibre-reinforced polymers (FRPs) are becoming increasingly accepted in structural engineering applications. In particular, Carbon-FRP (CFRP) tendons are proving to be promising as prestressing reinforcement for concrete structures. While several studies have been conducted on CFRP-prestressed concrete beams, very little attention has been given to their long-term behaviour at low temperatures. This thesis investigates the behaviour of CFRP prestressed concrete beams in two studies: (a) under sustained loading at low temperature, and (b) under high-cycle fatigue at low temperature. Seven 13 year old, 4.4 m long precast concrete T beams were tested, of which five were prestressed to various levels with CFRP tendons and two with conventional steel strands. In the first study, three beams were exposed to −27 °C while being subjected to a sustained load of 25% of their flexural capacity for 163 days. The sustained load produced cracking in two beams with lower prestress levels. Results were compared to those obtained from three similar beams subjected to the same sustained load at room temperature. Deflection increase under sustained load at low temperature was generally small and similar to that at room temperature. Prestressing strain had a direct relationship with temperature in the CFRP prestressed beams. After being subjected to sustained loading, all seven beams were tested in the second study. Only three of the five CFRP prestressed beams were subjected to cyclic loading, one at −28 °C and two at room temperature, while only one of the two steel prestressed beams was subjected to cyclic loading, at −28 °C. Cyclic loading consisted of 3 million cycles at a frequency of 0.85 Hz. The load range represented 21 to 42% of the flexural capacity of the CFRP prestressed beams and 30 to 60% of that of the steel-prestressed beam. Monotonic tests were run every 1 million cycles. Finally, all seven beams were monotonically loaded to failure. All CFRP prestressed beams survived the 3 million cycles but the steel prestressed beam failed after 185,000 cycles. However, the CFRP concrete bond was weakened by high prestress levels, cyclic loading, and low temperature during sustained loading and loading to failure. This resulted in bond failure at loads ranging from 69 to 91% of the full flexural capacity. Stiffness and camber gradually decreased during cyclic loading. / Thesis (Master, Civil Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2009-12-21 15:16:33.381

Fibre reinforced polymers (FRP’s) are considered an alternative to steel reinforcement in concrete structures because of their noncorrosive nature and nonmagnetic properties. FRP materials are, however, brittle and have a lower stiffness compared to steel. The latter property can lead to deflection and crack control problems in FRP-reinforced concrete flexural members under service loads. A considerable amount of information is available for short-term deflection of FRP-reinforced concrete members, but data on long-term deflections are scarce. This study presents the results of monotonic (short-term) and sustained (long-term) loading tests of 12 concrete shallow beams reinforced with either steel or glass FRP (GFRP) bars. The short-term load-deflection responses of the members are evaluated using existing deflection prediction models (Branson’s and Bischoff’s), and the long-term deflection results (monitored over a period of one year) are used to evaluate the existing ACI code and CSA standard approaches for estimating long-term deflection. The GFRP-reinforced concrete beams exhibited greater amounts of both immediate deflection (under sustained load) and long-term deflections over time, than the steel-reinforced concrete beams. The long-term deflections of both the steel- and GFRP-reinforced concrete beams are overestimated when using the ACI and CSA approaches. Although ACI Committee 440 recommends use of lower values of the long-term deflection multiplier for GFRP-reinforced concrete beams, results obtained from this study suggest that the same longterm multiplier values may be used for GFRP- and steel-reinforced concrete beams loaded at between 115 to 157 days of concrete age.

A informação vem sendo apontada como a base da competitividade. A maior parte das pesquisas, no entanto, têm focado em estudar o impacto dos recursos eminentemente tecnológicos. Com as transformações no fluxo informacional, desenvolver novas capacidades é apontado como um imperativo competitivo para as organizações. Mais do que a análise dos recursos isoladamente, a análise das capacidades enquanto um conjunto de habilidades para ganhar, integrar e gerir recursos vem ganhando um papel importante na área de SI. As capacidades são particularmente úteis para as organizações em ambientes que mudam rapidamente. Considerando essa oportunidade de pesquisa, avaliou-se relevante analisar, nesse trabalho, a influência da Capacidade de Gestão da Informação (CGI) na Vantagem Competitiva da firma. Nesse sentido, estendeu-se o conceito de CGI para o conjunto de habilidades da firma para acessar dados e informações dos ambientes interno e externo, assim como mapear e distribuir essas informações para que possam ser processadas, permitindo o ajuste organizacional para responder às necessidades e direções do mercado. Para que CGI possa se configurar em uma importante fonte de vantagem competitiva para as organizações no atual contexto informacional, a literatura indica que é necessária uma complexa articulação com outras capacidades organizacionais. Valendo-se da perspectiva teórica das Capacidades Dinâmicas (CD), esse trabalho propôs modelo pelo qual a CGI articula-se com outras capacidades (nomeadamente Capacidade de Integração de SI, Flexibilidade, Capacidade de Reconfiguração e Agilidade) que intermediam o impacto da CGI enquanto fonte de VCS. Esse modelo, baseado na literatura existente, foi avaliado em uma perspectiva de Métodos Mistos, preliminarmente - em uma etapa qualitativa exploratória -, por quatro CIOs de companhias identificadas pelo uso extensivo de informação em suas operações e reconhecidas pela excelência na gestão desse uso. Após esse refinamento, a pesquisa foi realizada por meio de dois métodos. A análise das relações entre as variáveis propostas na pesquisa foi realizada, primeiramente, a partir de um estudo de casos múltiplos de natureza explanatória, realizado em três organizações líderes nacionais em seus segmentos de mercado (uma cooperativa de crédito, uma rede de varejo de moda e uma indústria de móveis planejados). A essa etapa, seguiu-se uma Survey com 180 gestores de TI e não-TI, pela qual foi possível quantificar a influência do caminho proposto da CGI até a VCS. A etapa quantitativa foi efetuada utilizando-se da análise de modelagem de equações estruturais baseada em Partial Least Square-Path Modeling (PLS-SEM). Os resultados foram analisados separadamente em cada etapa (Estudos de Casos Múltiplos e levantamento Survey), e a discussão, realizada por abordagem conjunta de métodos mistos com propósito de corroboração e confirmação integrada. Os resultados demonstram que a CGI influencia a VCS principalmente de forma indireta, mediada por outras capacidades organizacionais. Mais especificamente, a análise aponta para dois caminhos partindo da complementaridade da CGI com as capacidades de integração de SI. No mais consistente deles, o caminho que se origina na CGI é mediado pela Capacidade de Integração Interna de SI, Flexibilidade e Agilidade para influenciar positivamente a VCS. O caminho mediado pela integração externa vale-se da Capacidade de Reconfiguração ao invés da Flexibilidade. Dentre as implicações acadêmicas a pesquisa estão a extensão do conceito de CGI a partir das pesquisas estratégicas e a evidenciação da influência dessa capacidade na variável dependente natural das capacidades, a VCS. Como implicação gerencial, apresentou-se dois caminhos pelo qual o desenvolvimento de habilidade para o gerenciamento da informação pode levar a VCS. A indicação desses caminhos atende a uma lacuna do mercado que estima que 85% das organizações ainda não foram capazes de extrair diferenciação estratégica dos novos dados disponíveis. / Information has been indicated as the basis of competitiveness. Most research, however, has focused on studying the impact of eminently technological resources. With transformations in informational flow, developing new capabilities is indicated as a competitive imperative for organizations. More so than the isolated analyses of resources, analysis of capabilities as a set of abilities to gain, integrate, and manage resources has been acquiring an important role in the area of IS. Capabilities are particularly useful for organizations in environments that change rapidly. Considering this research opportunity, it was deemed relevant to analyze, in this work, the influence of Information Management Capability (IMC) on the firm’s Sustained Competitive Advantage (SCA). In this sense, the concept of IMC was extended to the firm’s set of abilities to access data and information from internal and external environments as well as to map and distribute this information for processing, thereby permitting organizational adjustment to respond to market needs and directions. For IMC to configure into an important source of competitive advantage for organizations in the current informational context, the literature recommends that a complex articulation with other organizational capabilities is necessary. With the theoretical perspective of Dynamic Capabilities (DC), this work proposes a model in which IMC articulates with other capabilities (namely IS Integration Capability, Flexibility, Reconfiguration Capability, and Agility), which intermediates the impact of IMC as a source of SCA. This model, based on the existing literature, was evaluated by a Mix Methods approach, preliminarily – in an exploratory qualitative stage – by four CIOs from companies identified by their extensive use of information in their operations and recognized for excellence in the management of this use. After this refinement, research was conducted through two methods. Analysis of the relations among the proposed variables in the research was made, firstly, from a multiple-case study of an explanatory nature, at three organizations, national leaders in their market segments (a credit union, a fashion retail chain, and an industry of custom furniture). In this stage, a survey of 180 IT and non-IT managers was conducted, from which it was possible to quantify the influence of the proposed path of IMC to SCA. The quantitative stage was executed by utilizing structural equation modeling analysis based on Partial Least Square-Path Modeling. The results were analyzed separately in each stage (Multiple-Case Study and Survey), and the discussion was made through a joint approach of mixed methods with the purpose of integrated corroboration and confirmation. The results demonstrate that IMC influence SCA mainly in an indirect way, mediated by other organizational capabilities. More specifically, the analysis points to two paths coming from the complementarity of IMC with IS integration capabilities. In the more consistent of the two, the path that originates from IMC is mediated by IS Internal Integration Capability, Flexibility, and Agility to positively influence SCA. The path mediated by external integration makes use of the Reconfiguration Capability instead of Flexibility.

Mindfulness-based meditation practices involve various attentional skills including the ability to sustain and focus ones attention. During a simple mindfulness based breath awareness meditation, sustained attention is required to maintain focus on the breath while meta-cognitive awareness and executive control are required to detect and correct mind wandering. The purpose of this thesis was to investigate whether a simple, mindfulness based breath awareness meditation, administered over a short period to meditation naïve individuals could modulate core attentional functions and associated task related neural activity. Two longitudinal randomised control studies were conducted. The aim of the first study was to establish if said modulations were possible in a sample of healthy adults, meeting a current research need for longitudinal evidence in this field and providing important information regarding a potential mechanism for the salutary effects widely observed from the use of mindfulness based interventions. It was found that short term engagement with a mindfulness based breath awareness meditation can modulate core attentional functions and task related neural activity, with specific modulations found in electrophysiological markers of sustained attention to the goal/task at hand and perceptual stimulus discrimination. In line with current theoretical models it is argued that modulations to such core attentional processes following short term training may provide a platform upon which mindfulness related salutary effects are built. The second study was designed to establish if such modulations were possible in older adults. It is argued that mindfulness training may have utility for increasing cognitive reserve, a potential mechanism by which age related declines in cognitive functions may be mitigated. It was found that both behavioural and electrophysiological markers of core attentional functions were modulated following 8 weeks mindfulness training but not following a matched active control group condition (simple brain training exercises). The reviewed extant evidence and findings of this study suggest that mindfulness meditation may enhance cognitive reserve through the repeated activation of attentional functions and associated neural activity during practice and are consistent with recent theoretical models of cognitive reserve. The potential for mindfulness training to positively modulate core attentional functions in older adults and to potentially impact cognitive ageing demands further investigation.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:22:12Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 6573.pdf: 961068 bytes, checksum: b67e1901de84c9b9c5a217cdd608d0cb (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-02-05 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / The significant increase in fish consumption in recent decades has led to considerable extractive exploitation that can bring harmful consequences to the environment and the community living the fishing sustainable exploitation. Therefore, it is essential the search for ways to mitigate this condition. The fish farming development appears as an alternative capable of contribute to the solution of this problem, since it would be possible to maintain the social demand for fish. In a strategic way, the exercise have been standing out by the effects produced directly on animal physiology. On fish, there is sustained evidence that swimming practices brings improvements in hematological parameters, in the metabolic profile of the animals and that may lead them to have great benefits into health and well-being. In study was evaluated the hematological and metabolic parameters and antioxidant response of Brycon amazonicus under control or not of sustained swimming and submitted or not to nitrite excess stress. Currently a major problem in recirculation systems face in fish farming in their biological filters.The submitted animals to sustained swimming activity had an attenuation indicative metabolic adjustment on the stress caused by nitrite. The animals on sustained swimming effects optimizes the carbohydrates oxidation aiming the energy production, thereby minimizing amino acids oxidation for this purpose. Similarly, the fish that were submitted to sustained swimming had produced reduced FOX values, indicating that this swimming activity can be a great tool against oxidative stress. In conclusion, Matrinxãs adapted to sustained swimming have a better ability to face oxidative stress caused by environmental nitrite, making changes hematological, biochemical and metabolism, which can improve oxidative metabolic processes. / O significativo aumento no consumo de peixes nas últimas décadas, tem levado a uma exploração extrativista considerável, podendo trazer assim consequências danosas ao meio ambiente e a comunidade que vivem da exploração sustentável de pescado. Torna-se, portanto, fundamental a busca de meios que amenizem essa condição. O desenvolvimento da piscicultura surge como alternativa capaz de contribuir para a solução desse problema, uma vez que seria assim possível manter a demanda social pelo pescado. Como forma estratégica, o exercício vem se destacando pelos efeitos que produz diretamente sobre a fisiologia animal. Em peixes, existem evidências que a prática de natação sustentada traz melhorias nos parâmetros hematológicos, no perfil metabólico dos animais, podendo leva-los a terem grandes benefícios em saúde e no bem estar. No estudo foram avaliados os parâmetros hematológicos e metabólicos e a resposta antioxidante de Brycon amazonicus sob-regime ou não de natação sustentada, submetidos ou não ao estresse por excesso de nitrito. Atualmente um dos maiores problemas em sistemas de recirculação enfrente na piscicultura em seus filtros biológicos. Os animais submetidos à atividade de natação sustentada tiveram um ajuste metabólico indicativo de atenuação do estresse causado pelo nitrito. Os animais sob o efeito da natação sustentada aperfeiçoam a oxidação de carboidratos como objetivo de produção de energia, minimizando assim a oxidação de aminoácidos para esse fim. Da mesma forma, os peixes que foram submetidos à natação sustentada apresentaram valores diminuídos de peroxidação lipídica, indicando que a essa atividade de natação pode ser uma ótima ferramenta contra o estresse oxidante. Em conclusão, matrinxãs adaptados à natação sustentada são mais aptos para enfrentar o estresse oxidativo causado pelo nitrito ambiental, promovendo alterações hematológicas, bioquímicas e do metabolismo, capazes de melhorar os processos metabólicos oxidativos.

A informação vem sendo apontada como a base da competitividade. A maior parte das pesquisas, no entanto, têm focado em estudar o impacto dos recursos eminentemente tecnológicos. Com as transformações no fluxo informacional, desenvolver novas capacidades é apontado como um imperativo competitivo para as organizações. Mais do que a análise dos recursos isoladamente, a análise das capacidades enquanto um conjunto de habilidades para ganhar, integrar e gerir recursos vem ganhando um papel importante na área de SI. As capacidades são particularmente úteis para as organizações em ambientes que mudam rapidamente. Considerando essa oportunidade de pesquisa, avaliou-se relevante analisar, nesse trabalho, a influência da Capacidade de Gestão da Informação (CGI) na Vantagem Competitiva da firma. Nesse sentido, estendeu-se o conceito de CGI para o conjunto de habilidades da firma para acessar dados e informações dos ambientes interno e externo, assim como mapear e distribuir essas informações para que possam ser processadas, permitindo o ajuste organizacional para responder às necessidades e direções do mercado. Para que CGI possa se configurar em uma importante fonte de vantagem competitiva para as organizações no atual contexto informacional, a literatura indica que é necessária uma complexa articulação com outras capacidades organizacionais. Valendo-se da perspectiva teórica das Capacidades Dinâmicas (CD), esse trabalho propôs modelo pelo qual a CGI articula-se com outras capacidades (nomeadamente Capacidade de Integração de SI, Flexibilidade, Capacidade de Reconfiguração e Agilidade) que intermediam o impacto da CGI enquanto fonte de VCS. Esse modelo, baseado na literatura existente, foi avaliado em uma perspectiva de Métodos Mistos, preliminarmente - em uma etapa qualitativa exploratória -, por quatro CIOs de companhias identificadas pelo uso extensivo de informação em suas operações e reconhecidas pela excelência na gestão desse uso. Após esse refinamento, a pesquisa foi realizada por meio de dois métodos. A análise das relações entre as variáveis propostas na pesquisa foi realizada, primeiramente, a partir de um estudo de casos múltiplos de natureza explanatória, realizado em três organizações líderes nacionais em seus segmentos de mercado (uma cooperativa de crédito, uma rede de varejo de moda e uma indústria de móveis planejados). A essa etapa, seguiu-se uma Survey com 180 gestores de TI e não-TI, pela qual foi possível quantificar a influência do caminho proposto da CGI até a VCS. A etapa quantitativa foi efetuada utilizando-se da análise de modelagem de equações estruturais baseada em Partial Least Square-Path Modeling (PLS-SEM). Os resultados foram analisados separadamente em cada etapa (Estudos de Casos Múltiplos e levantamento Survey), e a discussão, realizada por abordagem conjunta de métodos mistos com propósito de corroboração e confirmação integrada. Os resultados demonstram que a CGI influencia a VCS principalmente de forma indireta, mediada por outras capacidades organizacionais. Mais especificamente, a análise aponta para dois caminhos partindo da complementaridade da CGI com as capacidades de integração de SI. No mais consistente deles, o caminho que se origina na CGI é mediado pela Capacidade de Integração Interna de SI, Flexibilidade e Agilidade para influenciar positivamente a VCS. O caminho mediado pela integração externa vale-se da Capacidade de Reconfiguração ao invés da Flexibilidade. Dentre as implicações acadêmicas a pesquisa estão a extensão do conceito de CGI a partir das pesquisas estratégicas e a evidenciação da influência dessa capacidade na variável dependente natural das capacidades, a VCS. Como implicação gerencial, apresentou-se dois caminhos pelo qual o desenvolvimento de habilidade para o gerenciamento da informação pode levar a VCS. A indicação desses caminhos atende a uma lacuna do mercado que estima que 85% das organizações ainda não foram capazes de extrair diferenciação estratégica dos novos dados disponíveis. / Information has been indicated as the basis of competitiveness. Most research, however, has focused on studying the impact of eminently technological resources. With transformations in informational flow, developing new capabilities is indicated as a competitive imperative for organizations. More so than the isolated analyses of resources, analysis of capabilities as a set of abilities to gain, integrate, and manage resources has been acquiring an important role in the area of IS. Capabilities are particularly useful for organizations in environments that change rapidly. Considering this research opportunity, it was deemed relevant to analyze, in this work, the influence of Information Management Capability (IMC) on the firm’s Sustained Competitive Advantage (SCA). In this sense, the concept of IMC was extended to the firm’s set of abilities to access data and information from internal and external environments as well as to map and distribute this information for processing, thereby permitting organizational adjustment to respond to market needs and directions. For IMC to configure into an important source of competitive advantage for organizations in the current informational context, the literature recommends that a complex articulation with other organizational capabilities is necessary. With the theoretical perspective of Dynamic Capabilities (DC), this work proposes a model in which IMC articulates with other capabilities (namely IS Integration Capability, Flexibility, Reconfiguration Capability, and Agility), which intermediates the impact of IMC as a source of SCA. This model, based on the existing literature, was evaluated by a Mix Methods approach, preliminarily – in an exploratory qualitative stage – by four CIOs from companies identified by their extensive use of information in their operations and recognized for excellence in the management of this use. After this refinement, research was conducted through two methods. Analysis of the relations among the proposed variables in the research was made, firstly, from a multiple-case study of an explanatory nature, at three organizations, national leaders in their market segments (a credit union, a fashion retail chain, and an industry of custom furniture). In this stage, a survey of 180 IT and non-IT managers was conducted, from which it was possible to quantify the influence of the proposed path of IMC to SCA. The quantitative stage was executed by utilizing structural equation modeling analysis based on Partial Least Square-Path Modeling. The results were analyzed separately in each stage (Multiple-Case Study and Survey), and the discussion was made through a joint approach of mixed methods with the purpose of integrated corroboration and confirmation. The results demonstrate that IMC influence SCA mainly in an indirect way, mediated by other organizational capabilities. More specifically, the analysis points to two paths coming from the complementarity of IMC with IS integration capabilities. In the more consistent of the two, the path that originates from IMC is mediated by IS Internal Integration Capability, Flexibility, and Agility to positively influence SCA. The path mediated by external integration makes use of the Reconfiguration Capability instead of Flexibility.

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / Ao longo da histÃria o Estado brasileiro adotou diferentes estratÃgias na conduÃÃo das questÃes relacionadas ao desenvolvimento econÃmico da RegiÃo Nordeste. A criaÃÃo, em 1909, do Departamento Nacional de Obras Contra a Seca (DNOCS), antiga Inspetoria de Obras Contra as Secas, da Companhia HidrelÃtrica do SÃo Francisco (CHESF), em 1945, do Banco do Nordeste, em 1952, e da SuperintendÃncia de Desenvolvimento do Nordeste (SUDENE), em 1959, sÃo exemplos destas aÃÃes,implementadas atà meados do sÃculo passado.Nas Ãltimas dÃcadas, as aÃÃes do governo federal na regiÃo tÃm priorizado grupos jà favorecidos, ou setores de atividades considerados dinÃmicos e competitivos, ao mesmo tempo em que tÃm propiciado um invÃlucro de desenvolvimento industrial sustentado, sobretudo, pela renÃncia fiscal e, muitas vezes, movido pela forÃa de trabalhadores submetidos a novas formas de exploraÃÃo e de controle do trabalho. [...] / Throughout history, the Brazilian State has adopted different strategies in issues related to the economic development of the Northeast Region. The creation, in 1909, of the National Department of Works Against Drought (DNOCS), the former Inspection of Works Against Drought, the SÃo Francisco Hydroelectric Company (CHESF) in 1945, Banco do Nordeste in 1952, and the Superintendency (SUDENE) in 1959 are examples of these actions, implemented until the middle of the last century. In the last decades, the actions of the federal government in the region have prioritized already favored groups, or sectors of activities considered dynamic and competitive, to the At the same time as they have provided an industrial development envelope sustained, above all, by the fiscal renunciation and, often, by the force of workers submitted to new forms of exploitation and control of labor. [...]

[pt] Este estudo tem por objetivo a identificação e análise de competências organizacionais relevantes para que uma empresa consiga alcançar vantagem competitiva sustentada frente a seus concorrentes. A pesquisa visa explorar empresas intensivas em tecnologias que operam através de canais de distribuição e que sejam subsidiárias de empresas estrangeiras. A revisão da bibliografia do modelo Resource-Based View of the Firm e de diversos modelos de identificação e análise de competências mostrou que peculiaridades de cada indústria influenciam diretamente a percepção por parte dos gestores acerca de como as competências organizacionais podem impactar seus negócios. Isso mostrou a necessidade de desenvolvimento de um modelo que integre atributos e técnicas preconizados pela literatura recente em gestão estratégica, considerando a idiossincrasia deste segmento da indústria de tecnologia. Um estudo de caso da Apple Computer Brasil será realizado ao longo da pesquisa para ilustrar como este modelo pode ajudar gestores e executivos a explorar competências capazes de alavancar vantagem competitiva sustentada. / [en] The study focuses on the identification and analysis of important organizational competencies so that a company may attain sustained competitive advantage in face of its competitors. The survey aims at exploring companies that are technology intensive operating through distribution channels and are also subsidiaries of foreign companies. A review of the literature regarding the model Resource-Based View of the Firm, as well as other several models, for identifying and analyzing competencies has shown that peculiarities of each industry directly influence the perception of managers as to how organizational competencies can impact their business. This has brought forth the need for the development of a model that integrates attributes and techniques advocated by the recent literature on strategic management, taking into consideration the idiosyncrasy of this technology industry segment. A case study of Apple Computer Brasil will be carried out during the survey to illustrate how this model can help both managers and executives explore organizational competencies for leveraging sustained competitive advantage.

The field of study on coopetition has been given a growing emphasis in the recent years by researchers and business practice. Coopetition is a term integrating the notions of cooperation and competition happening as an intensive simultaneous process where actors seek to leverage the value created by other companies in their business network. These complex and paradoxical interactions are acknowledged as needing further research about the effects of coopetition and the different types of coopetitive interactions involved when firms coopete. The business network highlighted in the current study concerned the Swedish Cleantech industry. It offers an interesting ground as Sweden has been investing substantial amounts in environmental protection technologies. Moreover, SMEs in Sweden play an increasingly significant role in the national economy by their rapid technological development. Nonetheless, these SMEs battle to sustain opportunities and are facing many challenges such as lack of key resources, a limited market presence, and liabilities of newness. Thereby, collaboration is essential among Cleantech SMEs in order to overcome these challenges and sustain competitive advantages. This study sets out to fill this gap through the following objectives: by describing the cooperative and competitive activities happening of SMEs inside the Swedish Cleantech industry, by understanding how SMEs select their cooperative relationship with their competitors inside their business network, and by analyzing how coopetition can be implemented by SMEs as a strategy to develop sustainable competitive advantage. This research was conducted through a qualitative case study and semi-structured interviews of seven Swedish SMEs operating in the Cleantech industry. The findings underline that coopetition can be used as a matching strategy between the internal and the external environment of the firm. Further, before coopetition can lead to sustained competitive advantages, companies first need to develop societal advantages in the form of economic value, social value, and natural value.