Nas últimas décadas a atividade logística vem recebendo status estratégico como sendo uma variável importante para a obtenção de vantagem competitiva por parte das empresas. Dessa forma, as organizações vêm investindo significativamente no desenvolvimento de sistemas logísticos ágeis e na coordenação eficiente das cadeias de abastecimento nas quais estão inseridas. No entanto, para não perderem competitividade e realmente agregar valor ao seu negócio, muitas dessas empresas estão se focando cada vez mais em seu core business e, consequentemente, transferindo para terceiros algumas ou todas as suas atividades logísticas como forma de reduzir custos e aumentar a eficiência de sua operação. Assim, este trabalho trata do problema de tomada de decisão de terceirização das atividades logísticas e de como viabilizar a seleção de um provedor de serviços logísticos (PSLs). Para isto, foi elaborada e proposta uma sistemática de apoio à análise e seleção de um PSL que agrega conceitos gerais de gestão de projetos e de análise multicriterial para embasar a escolha pelo PSL mais adequado. Nesse particular, foi utilizado o método AHP – Analytic Hierarchy Process - que permite tratar aspectos qualitativos e quantitativos, tendo sido aplicado a problemas que envolvem a tomada de decisão em segmentos distintos. Como forma de validação da sistemática proposta, ela foi aplicada parcialmente em uma empresa fabricante de motores diesel com forte viés na logística de abastecimento e que estava em processo de terceirização de parte de suas atividades logísticas. Como principais resultados, encontrou-se que a sistemática foi aderente ao ambiente empresarial encontrado, auxiliando a análise e compreensão das oportunidades e riscos relativos à terceirização das atividades logísticas e dos atributos importantes a serem considerados no processo de seleção e escolha do PSL que mais esteja adequado à realidade da empresa contratante; e mostrando adicionalmente que o preço não é o fator mais importante no momento da decisão. / In recent decades the logistics activity has received strategic status as an important factor for gaining competitive advantages for businesses. Thus companies have been investing significantly in the development of agile logistics systems and efficient coordination of the supply chains, in which they operate. However, to avoid losing competitiveness and really add value to their business, many of these companies are increasingly focusing on their core business and thus transferring to others some or all of their logistics activities as a way to reduce costs and increase efficiency of their operation. This work addresses the problem of decision-making on outsourcing of logistics activities and how to facilitate the selection of a Third-Party Logistics (3PL). For this, it was developed and proposed a system to support the analysis and selection of a 3PL that combines general concepts of project management and multicriteria analysis to base the choice of the 3PL that better fits the current needs. In particular, we used the AHP - Analytic Hierarchy Process - which could handle qualitative and quantitative aspects, since it has been applied to many decision-making problems in different segments. As a way of validating the proposed methodology, it was partially applied to a manufacturer of diesel engines with a strong bias in its supply chain logistics, which was in process of outsourcing part of their logistics activities. As the most important results, it was found that this methodology adhered to the business environment, supporting the analysis and understanding of the opportunities and risks for the outsourcing of logistics activities, as well as important attributes to be considered in the selection process and choice of a 3PL that is more appropriate to the reality of the contracting company. In addition, it showed that the price is not the most important factor for this decision.

Magister Legum - LLM (Mercantile and Labour Law) / The decision by countries to relax the common law doctrines of maintenance and champerty to accommodate Third Party Funding (TPF) in dispute resolution has sparked a worldwide debate. The controversial practice of funding disputes in exchange for a share of a successful outcome or settlement has left courts and administering institutions in a compromising position. South Africa joined the debate in 2004 after the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) relaxed the application of the doctrines in favour of TPF. The SCA found that domestic courts have the necessary mechanisms to protect themselves against any repercussions of TPF without the assistance of the doctrines. The SCA limited their search to the abilities of the courts and did not consider the effect TPF could have on other dispute resolution processes such as arbitration. This study seeks to discover whether arbitration can protect itself against the repercussions of TPF. It further questions the possibility of adopting regulations to aid in the protection of arbitration should the current mechanisms be insufficient.

Nas últimas décadas a atividade logística vem recebendo status estratégico como sendo uma variável importante para a obtenção de vantagem competitiva por parte das empresas. Dessa forma, as organizações vêm investindo significativamente no desenvolvimento de sistemas logísticos ágeis e na coordenação eficiente das cadeias de abastecimento nas quais estão inseridas. No entanto, para não perderem competitividade e realmente agregar valor ao seu negócio, muitas dessas empresas estão se focando cada vez mais em seu core business e, consequentemente, transferindo para terceiros algumas ou todas as suas atividades logísticas como forma de reduzir custos e aumentar a eficiência de sua operação. Assim, este trabalho trata do problema de tomada de decisão de terceirização das atividades logísticas e de como viabilizar a seleção de um provedor de serviços logísticos (PSLs). Para isto, foi elaborada e proposta uma sistemática de apoio à análise e seleção de um PSL que agrega conceitos gerais de gestão de projetos e de análise multicriterial para embasar a escolha pelo PSL mais adequado. Nesse particular, foi utilizado o método AHP – Analytic Hierarchy Process - que permite tratar aspectos qualitativos e quantitativos, tendo sido aplicado a problemas que envolvem a tomada de decisão em segmentos distintos. Como forma de validação da sistemática proposta, ela foi aplicada parcialmente em uma empresa fabricante de motores diesel com forte viés na logística de abastecimento e que estava em processo de terceirização de parte de suas atividades logísticas. Como principais resultados, encontrou-se que a sistemática foi aderente ao ambiente empresarial encontrado, auxiliando a análise e compreensão das oportunidades e riscos relativos à terceirização das atividades logísticas e dos atributos importantes a serem considerados no processo de seleção e escolha do PSL que mais esteja adequado à realidade da empresa contratante; e mostrando adicionalmente que o preço não é o fator mais importante no momento da decisão. / In recent decades the logistics activity has received strategic status as an important factor for gaining competitive advantages for businesses. Thus companies have been investing significantly in the development of agile logistics systems and efficient coordination of the supply chains, in which they operate. However, to avoid losing competitiveness and really add value to their business, many of these companies are increasingly focusing on their core business and thus transferring to others some or all of their logistics activities as a way to reduce costs and increase efficiency of their operation. This work addresses the problem of decision-making on outsourcing of logistics activities and how to facilitate the selection of a Third-Party Logistics (3PL). For this, it was developed and proposed a system to support the analysis and selection of a 3PL that combines general concepts of project management and multicriteria analysis to base the choice of the 3PL that better fits the current needs. In particular, we used the AHP - Analytic Hierarchy Process - which could handle qualitative and quantitative aspects, since it has been applied to many decision-making problems in different segments. As a way of validating the proposed methodology, it was partially applied to a manufacturer of diesel engines with a strong bias in its supply chain logistics, which was in process of outsourcing part of their logistics activities. As the most important results, it was found that this methodology adhered to the business environment, supporting the analysis and understanding of the opportunities and risks for the outsourcing of logistics activities, as well as important attributes to be considered in the selection process and choice of a 3PL that is more appropriate to the reality of the contracting company. In addition, it showed that the price is not the most important factor for this decision.

Doctor of Philosophy / Hospitality Management and Dietetics / Rebecca A. Gould / Chihyung Ok / The Internet has been one of the primary channels for acquiring information during pre-purchase and actual purchase stages characterized by easy entry and low supplier power. Internet travel businesses find it harder to retain customers, and customer defection to better alternatives is inevitable. Travel website developers and/or managers face problems that make it necessary to understand and identify what makes their customers continue to use websites without switching. To date, much attention has gone to identifying what affects website users’ behavioral intentions. Limited research, however, has been published on the experiential value of using travel websites and what influences travelers to switch to other travel websites, a context that requires more information. The purpose of this study was to explore and test travelers’ loyalty empirically, along with determinants like the value of travel websites and website switching drivers. In particular, Study 1 proposed a theoretical model identifying the effects of a website’s experiential value on satisfaction, and, in turn, attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty. Study 2 aimed to examine website switching factors (i.e., switching costs, attractiveness of alternatives, and perceived network externality) on the relationship between satisfaction and loyalty. Along with the purpose and objectives of the study, 14 hypotheses were proposed based on the literature review. Data were collected from 384 travel website users in the United States who are 18 years or older and have used travel websites within the last three months. The proposed relationships were examined using structural equation modeling and hierarchical multiple regression analysis. Results showed that customer return on investment, service excellence, and aesthetics were directly associated with satisfaction; satisfaction was directly related to attitudinal loyalty and behavioral loyalty; attitudinal loyalty showed a positive influence on behavioral loyalty; and attitudinal loyalty partially mediated the relationship of satisfaction with behavioral loyalty. Further, the results of this study revealed that switching costs, attractiveness of alternatives, and perceived network externality were significantly and positively associated with loyalty, but their interaction effects with satisfaction on loyalty were not significant. The findings should add to the understanding of travelers’ value perception of travel websites and website switching behaviors. In addition to its contribution to the literature, online travel and tourism businesses or organizations benefit from suggestions of practical applications for retaining customers.

Third party funding (TPF) is a method of financing legal proceedings, in which a party not directly connected to the proceedings funds one of the disputing parties, usually in return for a percentage of the final monetary settlement. The interests behind TPF are that the funded party will have the resources to pursue their claim, while the funder will be able to profit from a percentage of the final settlement. Traditionally, within common law-systems, TPF was excluded through application of the common law torts of “Champerty and Maintenance”.[1] However, in the second half of the 20th century, many common law systems[2] abolished the torts of “Champerty and Maintence”.[3]This effectively opened up TPF as a valid litigation option for many resource poor litigants and birthed a niche industry of litigation financiers[4]. There is debate on TPF in general, with some believing that it allows legal recourse to include those that do not have the means to reasonably finance and confront legal wrongs imposed on them.[5]Others state that there is a danger of letting the funder interests supersede the claimant’s, as exemplified by some retaliatory cases[6] proceeding the Chevron v Ecuador arbitration, in which the funders had veto power over such aspects as the choice of attorneys and priority in the disbursement of a monetary award.[7] However, issues with the general system of TPF is not the focus of this thesis. Instead, focus will be on the issues it brings to the system of investment arbitration. While its operation is largely the same as within national jurisdictions, it does have the potential for damage of distinct principles and procedure of investment arbitration.  At first look, TPF seems to complement the system of arbitration as a whole. If one considers that, at its core, arbitration is a user determined dispute settlement system, then questions of funding should be determined by the parties themselves. This may suggest that due to its emphasis on “Party Autonomy”, TPF is more aligned with arbitration than it is with court-based litigation, where the principles of justice and fairness take a more preferential role. Nevertheless, “Party Autonomy” is not the sole principle of arbitration and does not mean that TPF is harmonious with either general arbitration or in particular investment arbitration. There is the general concern that a funder can actively change the process and end result of a dispute. This is seen through their influence over the funded party. As a funder will have a direct economic control over the funded party, they can dictate, as part of the funding agreement, outcomes such as early settlement, litigation strategies etc.[8] The choice of approach, and it is submission to a third party, however, is squarely within party autonomy and does not raise any fundamental concerns. What is concerning is affected parts of process that are out with party autonomy. One can see below that TPF can affect general trends and principles of arbitration, i.e. transparency and confidentiality , while also conflicting with core aspects of procedure such as jurisdiction and impartiality. This concern has given way to calls for regulation of TPF within the academic and global community. What was traditionally a “legal no mans land”[9] for investment arbitration, with little regard given to regulation, has now had extensive academic commentary and State reactions to regulating TPF. Yet, comprehensive regulation of TPF remains rare and piecemeal within the arbitral world. The majority of jurisdictions and arbitral institutions, while aware of the issues, have made no serious effort to remedy through regulation. That being said, there has been some work done in three distinct areas of regulation: (i) National laws (ii) Trade/Investment Treaties and (iii) Arbitral Rules. Each area’s success however can be described as mixed.   Therefore, the topic of this thesis is to first explore the potential issues of TPF and investment arbitration and then to examine and analysis the response to these issues through regulation. [1] Steyn LJ, in Giles v Thompson [1993] 3 All ER 321 at 328, explained the doctrines thusly: “In modern idiom maintenance is the support of litigation by a stranger without just cause. Champerty is an aggravated form of maintenance. The distinguishing feature of champerty is the support of litigation by a stranger in return for a share of the proceeds.” [2] In Civil law systems, unless TPF was not expressly excluded,  was mostly allowed. [3] For example see s.14(2), Criminal Law Act 1967 (England and Wales) or Maintenance, Champerty and Barratry Abolition Act 1993 (NSW, Australia) [4] There is now several prominent litigation financing companies such as: Burford Capital Ltd., Harbour Litigation Funding, IMF Bentham and Longford Capital. For a more in-depth review of the industry in general see Hancok, B, ‘Who Rules the World of Litigation Funding? ’March 30, 2017 , The American Lawyer. [5]Chen AD (2013), 'A Market For Justice: A First Empirical Look At Third Party Litigation Funding', at 1075 [6] Chevron Corp. v. Donziger, 800 F. Supp. 2d 484 (S.D.N.Y. 2011) [7] U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform (2018), “Third Party Litigation Funding” [8] Shaw G (2017), ‘Third-party funding in investment arbitration: how non-disclosure can cause harm for the sake of profit’, at 12 [9]  Van Boom WH (2011), ‘Third-Party Financing in International Investment Arbitration’, at 5

Nas últimas décadas a atividade logística vem recebendo status estratégico como sendo uma variável importante para a obtenção de vantagem competitiva por parte das empresas. Dessa forma, as organizações vêm investindo significativamente no desenvolvimento de sistemas logísticos ágeis e na coordenação eficiente das cadeias de abastecimento nas quais estão inseridas. No entanto, para não perderem competitividade e realmente agregar valor ao seu negócio, muitas dessas empresas estão se focando cada vez mais em seu core business e, consequentemente, transferindo para terceiros algumas ou todas as suas atividades logísticas como forma de reduzir custos e aumentar a eficiência de sua operação. Assim, este trabalho trata do problema de tomada de decisão de terceirização das atividades logísticas e de como viabilizar a seleção de um provedor de serviços logísticos (PSLs). Para isto, foi elaborada e proposta uma sistemática de apoio à análise e seleção de um PSL que agrega conceitos gerais de gestão de projetos e de análise multicriterial para embasar a escolha pelo PSL mais adequado. Nesse particular, foi utilizado o método AHP – Analytic Hierarchy Process - que permite tratar aspectos qualitativos e quantitativos, tendo sido aplicado a problemas que envolvem a tomada de decisão em segmentos distintos. Como forma de validação da sistemática proposta, ela foi aplicada parcialmente em uma empresa fabricante de motores diesel com forte viés na logística de abastecimento e que estava em processo de terceirização de parte de suas atividades logísticas. Como principais resultados, encontrou-se que a sistemática foi aderente ao ambiente empresarial encontrado, auxiliando a análise e compreensão das oportunidades e riscos relativos à terceirização das atividades logísticas e dos atributos importantes a serem considerados no processo de seleção e escolha do PSL que mais esteja adequado à realidade da empresa contratante; e mostrando adicionalmente que o preço não é o fator mais importante no momento da decisão. / In recent decades the logistics activity has received strategic status as an important factor for gaining competitive advantages for businesses. Thus companies have been investing significantly in the development of agile logistics systems and efficient coordination of the supply chains, in which they operate. However, to avoid losing competitiveness and really add value to their business, many of these companies are increasingly focusing on their core business and thus transferring to others some or all of their logistics activities as a way to reduce costs and increase efficiency of their operation. This work addresses the problem of decision-making on outsourcing of logistics activities and how to facilitate the selection of a Third-Party Logistics (3PL). For this, it was developed and proposed a system to support the analysis and selection of a 3PL that combines general concepts of project management and multicriteria analysis to base the choice of the 3PL that better fits the current needs. In particular, we used the AHP - Analytic Hierarchy Process - which could handle qualitative and quantitative aspects, since it has been applied to many decision-making problems in different segments. As a way of validating the proposed methodology, it was partially applied to a manufacturer of diesel engines with a strong bias in its supply chain logistics, which was in process of outsourcing part of their logistics activities. As the most important results, it was found that this methodology adhered to the business environment, supporting the analysis and understanding of the opportunities and risks for the outsourcing of logistics activities, as well as important attributes to be considered in the selection process and choice of a 3PL that is more appropriate to the reality of the contracting company. In addition, it showed that the price is not the most important factor for this decision.

De meados da década de 80 até a atualidade as atividades básicas que fazem parte da logística deixaram de ser somente consolidadoras de uma relação de compra e venda, e passaram a ter uma importância estratégica bastante grande em busca de uma maior vantagem competitiva. Esta nova importância para a logística surgiu com a abertura econômica e o acirramento da competitividade mundial. Assim, empresas se especializaram em projetar, implantar e gerenciar as atividades de logística para outras empresas (Operadores Logísticos). A tomada de decisão entre realizar as atividades logísticas através de competência interna da empresa ou repassa-las aos operadores logísticos se tornou mais freqüente nos dias de hoje. O trabalho propõe um procedimento de auxílio a tomada de decisão para empresas em fase de análise da viabilidade da utilização de operadores logísticos. Por fim o procedimento é testado no campo com dados reais uma empresa de grande porte. / From the middle of 80\'s until today, the basic logistic activities are not only to consolidate buy and sales relationship, these activities became important in strategic planning, being important to reach new markets. This new logistic importance started with openning of Brazilian economy and with the increase in world competitiveness. For this reason, enterprises improvement the logistic activities techniques, as project, implementation an management and starting to execute these activities to another enterprises with do not have logistic as core competence, these enterprises are called Third Party Logistic Provider. The decision make between insourcing or outsourcing logistic activities became more frequently nowadays. This thesis propose a procedure to help enterprises in the viability analysis phase to use third party logistic provider in its supply chain. In the end the procedure is tested in a global company with real data.

GlobalGAP (previously EurepGAP) is a voluntary business-to-business standard for food audit that has recently achieved the greatest acceptance worldwide (Campbell, Lawrence & Smith 2006) boasting implementation numbers of over 80,000 farms in 80 countries. Compliance with the standard is verified by means of the third party certification (TPC) audit, and is designed to (GlobalGAP 2008) assure European retailers that exporting producers have met their criteria for safe and sustainable agriculture (GlobalGAP 2007b). In 2004, cherry growers in the Southern Interior of British Columbia became the first GlobalGAP certified producers in Canada. This novelty afforded a unique opportunity to observe the introduction of the standard in an industrialized country with well-established regulations and where the capacity of producers to undertake the process was relatively high. A qualitative methodology was used in case studies of two communities to inductively study the implementation of ‘safe and sustainable agriculture’ certification and generate relevant research questions for deeper examination. Sensitizing concepts emerging from observations of the TPC audits (n = 20) evolved into two primary research objectives; 1) to understand the practical application and diffusion of a TPC standard and 2) to explore the efficacy of the TPC standard as a mechanism to promote sustainable agriculture within certain pre-existing contexts. Forty-four follow up interviews were conducted with growers that chose to certify (n = 24), those that did not (n = 14), and other key actors (n = 3). This thesis examines the research objectives over three chapters. The introduction provides the local and global context along with a review of GlobalGAP, agri-food governance and the role of private certification and retailer power. Chapter two presents the technological and sociological factors that influenced the stages of the diffusion of GlobalGAP TPC and compares these factors and outcomes to the technological and sociological components of sustainable agriculture. In the conclusion, policy strategies are offered to maximize the potential for this tool to promote sustainable agriculture along with suggestions for future research on the topic. / Science, Faculty of / Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), Institute for / Graduate

Context: The development of complex systems of systems leads to high development cost, uncontrollable software quality and low productivity. Thus Component-based software development was used to improve development effort and cost of the software. Heterogeneous systems are the system of systems that consist of functionally independent sub-systems with at least one sub-system exhibiting heterogeneity with respect to other systems. The context of this study is to investigate the usage of third party components in heterogeneous systems. Objectives. In this study an attempt was made to investigate the usage of third party components in heterogeneous systems in order to accomplish the following objectives: Identify different types of third party components. Identify challenges faced while integrating third-party components in heterogeneous systems. Investigate the difference in test design of various third party components Identify what the practitioners learn from various third party components   Methods: We have conducted a systematic literature review by following Systematic literature review guidelines by Kitchenham to identify third party components used, challenges faced while integrating third-party components and test design techniques. Qualitative interviews were conducted in order to complement, supplement the finding from the SLR and further provide guidelines to the practitioners using third party components. The studies obtained from the SLR were analyzed in relation to the quality criteria using narrative analysis. The data obtained from interview results were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: 31 primary studies were obtained from the systematic literature review (SLR).  3 types of third components, 12 challenges, 6 test design techniques were identified from SLR.  From the analysis of interviews, it was observed that a total of 21 challenges were identified which complemented the SLR results. In addition, from interview test design techniques used for testing of heterogeneous systems having third party components were investigated. Interviews have also provided 10 Recommendations for the practitioners using different types of third party components in the product development. Conclusions: To conclude, commercial of the shelf systems (COTS and Open software systems (OSS) were the third party components mainly used in heterogeneous systems rather than in-house software from the interview and SLR results. 21 challenges were identified from SLR and interview results. The test design for testing of heterogeneous systems having different third party components vary, Due to the non-availability of source code, dependencies of the subsystems and competence of the component. From the analysis of obtained results, the author has also proposed guidelines to the practitioners based on the type of third party components used for product development. / <p>All the information provided are correct as per my knowledge.</p>

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico / The following study is of bibliographic nature and aims at understanding the concept of justice in Emmanuel Levinas. After developing the criticism of the concept of totality, demonstrating how certain character ontology hid trapping and control, as well as the idea of ethics of infinite responsibility for the Other (Totality and Infinity), Lévinas explores content secondarily treated in his early writings, but which is of huge significance in his thinking, the Third, ie, society and the State. This other way of thinking the State develops, for Leévinas, ethics and the construction of political subjectivity. So I intend to focus this research in the works Totality and Infinity and Otherwise than Being, to understand how, through political imagination, a free and open society is possible, not based on inflexibility, but in the opening to the Infinite. / O seguinte estudo é de cunho bibliográfico e tem por objetivo o entendimento da concepção de justiça em Emmanuel Lévinas. Após ter desenvolvido a crítica ao conceito de totalidade, demonstrando como a ontologia escondia certo caráter de aprisionamento e controle, bem como a idéia de ética de responsabilidade infinita pelo Outro (Totalidade e Infinito), Lévinas explora um conteúdo tratado secundariamente nos seus primeiros escritos, mas que constitui enorme significação em seu pensamento, o Terceiro, ou seja, a sociedade e o Estado. Este outro modo de pensar o Estado se desenvolve, para Levinas, na construção da subjetividade ética e política. Sendo assim, pretendo focar esta pesquisa nas obras Totalidade e Infinito e Outramente que Ser, para assim compreender como, por meio da imaginação política, é possível uma sociedade aberta e livre, baseada não na inflexibilidade e sim na abertura para o Infinito.