Companies in the supermarket sector have faced significant changes in the last decades, mainly due to the increase in the use of Information Technology (IT), in the automation of cashiers operations (check-outs), business management or ecommerce. However, the relation among the efficiency of IT investments has been widely studied in the past years, with the purpose of understanding and measuring the improvements in organizational performance generated by such investments. This study has the following objectives: (1) to analyze the efficiency of investments made in Information Technology by supermarket stores from cooperatives in the state of Rio Grande do Sul; (2) to identify which areas within the company make use of IT resources; and (3) verify if investments in certain IT resources imply an increase on sales and profit. Sixteen supermarkets from cooperatives in the state of Rio Grande do Sul were analyzed. The method of Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was utilized, following the framework proposed by Shafer and Byrd (2000), having as inputs the average of investments related to software, hardware, direct and indirect IT labor between the years 2003 and 2005, and having as outputs the average of annual growth of revenues and profit between the years 2001 and 2005. The Spearmann statistical test was also used to analyze the correlation between IT investments and the growth of revenues. Results show that despite the huge existent gap among companies and financial controls concerning IT, there is a strong correlation among the investments in software, hardware and IT labor and the increase on the annual average revenue growth, confirming the existence of significant positive impacts on the organizational performance. / As organizações de um modo geral e, em especial, as empresas do setor supermercadista têm passado por modificações bastante significativas nas últimas décadas principalmente em função do aumento do uso da Tecnologia da Informação (TI) seja na automação de operação de caixa (check-outs), gestão administrativa ou comércio eletrônico. No entanto, a relação entre a eficiência dos investimentos realizados em TI tem sido amplamente estudada nos últimos anos com a intenção de entender e mensurar o incremento na performance organizacional a partir de tais investimentos. Este trabalho tem como objetivos: (1) análisar da eficiência dos investimentos realizados em Tecnologia da Informação por lojas de supermercados de cooperativas do Rio Grande do Sul; (2) Identificar quais as áreas da empresa utilizam recursos de TI; e (3) Verificar se investimentos em determinados recursos de TI implicam no aumento de vendas e lucro. Foram analisados 16 supermercados de Cooperativas do Rio Grande do Sul. Foi utilizado o método de Análise Envoltória de Dados (DEA) através do framework proposto por Shafer e Byrd (2000) tendo como inputs a média dos investimentos relativos a software, hardware e mão-deobra direta e indireta de TI entre os anos de 2003 e 2005 e como outputs média de crescimento anual de faturamento e lucro entre os anos de 2001 e 2005. Também foi utilizado o teste estatístico de Spearmann para analisar a correlação entre investimentos em TI e aumento de faturamento. Os resultados indicam que, apesar da enorme lacuna existente entre as empresas e os controles financeiros relativos a TI, existe forte correlação entre os investimentos em software, hardware e mão-deobra TI e o aumento da Média de Crescimento Anual de faturamento, confirmando a existência de impactos positivos significativos na performance organizacional.

This thesis consists of two self-contained empirical essays. Essay I investigates the impact of labor subsidies on TFP, and profit per employee is included as a second outcome. Coarsened exact matching (CEM) is performed on the key variables. After matching, a difference-in-difference (DID) model is applied. The study shows that firms employing workers with wage subsidies experience negative and significant effects on both TFP and profit per employee. Heterogeneity is, however, observed; the only sector to show a deficit in both TFP and profit per employee is wholesale. During the second year with a subsidy, a negative impact can be observed on the profit per employee but not on TFP. The policy conclusion from the analysis is that subsidizing individuals from particular groups is necessary to induce firms to hire workers from these groups. However, the time period for which a single firm is subsidized should be considered. Essay II (with Jonas Månsson from Linnaeus University and the Swedish National Audit Office (SNAO), Christian Andersson from SNAO and Fredrik Bonander from SNAO) measures TFP of the Swedish district courts by applying data envelopment analysis (DEA) to calculate the Malmquist productivity index for 48 Swedish district courts from 2012 to 2015. This study uses a fully decomposed Malmquist index. A bootstrapping approach is further applied to compute confidence intervals for each decomposed factor of TFP as well as for TFP. The study shows an average annual of TFP by 0.7%. However, a substantial variation between years is observed both with regards to the number of statistically significant courts below and above unity. The negative impact is mainly driven by pure technical regress. Large variations are also observed over time where the small courts have the largest volatility. The TFP change is positively correlated with the rate of change in the caseload. Two recommendations are: 1) that district courts with negative TFP growth could learn from those with positive TFP growth and 2) that a back-up force could be developed to enhance flexibility.

本研究使用資料包絡分析法進行我國銀行業生產效率分析，並以彰化銀行作為個案對象，研究彰化銀行在不同經營者下的生產效率，以2001年至2016年我國30家銀行為樣本銀行，探究各年度彰化銀行相對全體銀行之生產效率與Malmquist生產力指數，結果顯示彰銀自行經營期間（2001年至2005年），其生產效率與生產力指數變動大，生產效率變動在三商銀中為唯一衰退；台新金經營彰銀期間（2006年至2014年），彰銀生產效率曾連續五年為三商銀中最佳，直至後半期第一銀行生產效率超越彰銀成為三商銀中第一，因此生產力指數一銀略高於彰銀，唯生產效率進步程度由彰銀在三商銀中進步最多；而彰銀再度自行經營期間（2015年與2016年），彰銀連續兩年達生產效率，顯示其再度自行經營之生產效率相較其他銀行良好。 / This study investigates the productive efficiency of banks in Taiwan by using the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). This thesis also presents a case study about the transfered right of management of Chang-Hua Bank, to see the difference of productive efficiency between different managers. The study chooses 30 banks of Taiwan from 2001 to 2016 as the sample data, and studies the productive efficiency and Malmquist index of Chang-Hua Bank each year. The study shows the results as follows: 1. The government managed the Chang-Hua bank (2001~2005): It appears a great fluctuation of the productive efficiency and the Malmquist Index of Chang-Hua Bank. Among the Chang-Hua Bank, the First Bank and the Hua-Nan Bank, the Chang-Hua Bank presents the lowest average efficient change. 2. Taishin financial holding company managed the Chang-Hua bank (2006~2014): Comparing to the First Bank and the Hua-Nan Bank, Chang-Hua bank had been the most productive and efficient bank for five years. 3. The government managed the Chang-Hua bank (2015~2016): Chang-Hua Bank has reached the productive efficieny for the recent two years.

Main task of the thesis, as it is clear from its name, is the application of operations research methods, which could be used for selecting suppliers of electricity for the home. In the first part of thesis the functioning of the electricity market in the Czech Republic is explained and the theoretical assumptions, which are necessary for understanding the issue is described. In the practical part of the thesis some methods of multicriteria decision making and of data envelopment analysis models are presented. The results of each method are explained in detail and they are compared with results of other methods.

Orientador: Antonio Carlos Moretti / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Aplicadas / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-27T18:26:23Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Kovacs_AndredeOliveira_M.pdf: 22075684 bytes, checksum: dd136468f7fa239de8bd13d2eb027eee (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015 / Resumo: Modelos decisórios para o projeto de arquitetura de software são de extrema importância para a comunidade de Engenharia de Software dada a complexidade dos contextos decisórios atuais nas empresas e o seu papel estratégico na busca por maior eficiência na implementação de software. Em tais contentos, busca-se a seleção de ativos para o projeto de arquiteturas de software, tendo como objetivos maximizar os benefícios de qualidade e retorno financeiro, sujeitos à restrições de recursos financeiros e prazo para o projeto. Tal problema decisório pode ser considerado como um problema discreto de Tomada de Decisão Multicritério e basicamente formulado como um Problema da Mochila Bidimensional Biobjetivo de Programação Combinatória Multiobjetivo e que, mesmo na sua versão mais simples, é caracterizado na literatura como NP-Difícil, o que leva à necessidade de métodos de resolução específicos por instância do mesmo. O objetivo desta pesquisa é buscar um nível de eficiência superior ao possível com o método heurístico guloso sugerido pelo CBAM da Engenharia de Software na tomada de decisão aqui considerada, tendo como porte típico para o problema o estudo de caso ECS, da NASA. Pretende-se aqui apresentar a investigação de tal problema com enfoque em algumas formulações que se aproximam adequadamente à realidade desse problema e o consideram como um sistema discreto, por meio de modelos determinísticos de programação matemática. Para tanto, são abordados métodos heurísticos gulosos e métodos exatos de resolução do modelo de programação matemática multiobjetivo de forma a determinar soluções eficientes, avaliadas via a Análise por Envoltória de Dados. Limitações de ambas abordagens são identificadas e possíveis melhorias para o processo de tomada de decisão do CBAM são sugeridas / Abstract: Decision models to the design of software architecture are extremely important to the Software Engineering community due to the complexity of actual decision contexts in companies and its strategic role on the search for greater efficiency of software implementation. In those contexts, we seek the selection of assets for the design of software architectures, aiming to maximize the quality benefits and financial return, subject to financial and deadline constraints. Such decision problem can be considered as a discrete Multi-criteria Decision Making problem and formulated basically as a Multi-objective Bi-dimensional Knapsack Problem from Multi-objective Combinatorial Optimization that, even in its most simple version, is characterized in the literature as NP-Hard, which leads to the necessity of specific resolution methods by instance of the problem. This research aims to search for an efficiency level greater than obtainable with the heuristic greedy method suggested by the CBAM from the Software Engineering to the decision making here considered, having the ECS use case, from NASA, as the typical scale for the problem. We intend to present the investigation of such problem targeting some formulations that adequately approximate to the reality of the problem, and consider it as a discrete system, using deterministic models from mathematical programming. For such, heuristic greedy heuristics and exact methods are approached for the resolution of the multi-objective mathematical programming model so that efficient solutions are ascertained, using the evaluation via Data Envelopment Analysis. Limitations from both approaches are identified and possible improvements for the CBAM¿s decision process are suggested / Mestrado / Pesquisa Operacional / Mestre em Pesquisa Operacional

Productivity growth in the construction industry is low compared to other industries, and a large unnecessary part of a construction worker’s workday is taken up by nonvalue-creating work, such as waiting, or shifting and handling of building materials. Low productivity in construction projects makes it difficult to keep to schedules and can entail costs to construction companies when delays occur. This project aims to evaluate and investigate, on behalf of Skanska Hus Ume˚a, how productivity in the construction of new apartment buildings can be improved. To carry out this assignment, a large number of qualitative and quantitative interviews have been conducted with employees at Skanska. A survey study has also been sent out to investigate how productivity in selected parts of the construction process is experienced by employees at Skanska. The interviews and the survey study have been used as a starting point for the development of mathematical models with the aim of improving the productivity at Skanska Hus in Ume˚a’s construction sites. The project has resulted in a number of proposals for improvements that can be implemented in Skanska’s current working methods to increase productivity at their construction sites. An implementation of the Data Envelopment Analysis optimization model has identified technical effective and ineffective elements in the construction process, indicating which areas Skanska Hus in Ume˚a should focus on improving. Based on these areas, concrete proposals for new working methods have been prepared and presented based on principles and tools within Lean Construction. The degree project has also resulted in a calculation program that standardizes the working method for the construction of interior walls, resulting in increased productivity as well as time and cost savings. Finally, a model for weekly production follow-up has been created to increase employee engagement, ensure high productivity throughout the construction process and create conditions for future productivity development through data collection. / Produktivitetsutvecklingen i byggbranschen är låg jämfört med andra branscher och en stor del av en yrkesarbetares arbetsdag utgörs av icke värdeadderande arbete, som till exempel väntan, förflyttning och onödig materialhantering. Låg produktivitet inom byggprojekt gör det svårt att hålla uppsatta tidplaner och innebär därmed en kostnad för både byggföretag och kunder när förseningar uppstår. På uppdrag av Skanska Hus i Umeå har detta examensarbete syftat till att utvärdera och undersöka hur produktiviteten vid nyproduktion av flerbostadshus kan förb¨attras. För att besvara problemställningarna har ett stort antal kvalitativa och kvantitativa intervjuer genomförts med anställda på Skanska. En enkätstudie har även skickats ut för att undersöka hur utvalda moment i byggprocessen upplevs av medarbetare på Skanska. Intervjuerna och enkätstudien har använts som underlag vid framtagandet av matematiska modeller med syftet att öka produktiviteten på Skanska Hus i Umeås byggarbetsplatser. Examensarbetet har resulterat i en implementering av optimeringsmodellen Data Envelopment Analysis vilken har identifierat tekniskt effektiva och ineffektiva moment i byggprocessen. Resultatet från Data Envelopment Analysis indikerar vilka områden Skanska Hus i Umeå bör fokusera på att förbättra. Utifrån dessa områden har konkreta förslag på nya arbetssätt tagits fram och presenteras utifrån principer och verktyg inom Lean Construction. Examensarbetet har även resulterat i ett beräkningsprogram som standardiserar arbetssättet vid uppbyggnad och beklädnad av innerväggar vilket ger en ökad produktivitet samt tid- och kostnadsbesparingar. Slutligen har en modell för veckovis produktionsuppföljning skapats för att öka engagemanget hos medarbetarna, säkerställa en hög produktivitet genom hela byggprocessen samt skapa förutsättningar för framtida produktivitetsutveckling genom insamling av data.

Orientador: Enzo Barberio Mariano / Resumo: A justiça climática tem como foco analisar em termos éticos e morais as ações climáticas adotadas pelas nações do mundo e agora, passa a contemplar mais um conceito: a justiça social baseada na teoria das capacidades. Assim, o objetivo desta pesquisa é compreender e quantificar a dupla relação entre desenvolvimento humano e práticas de adaptação e mitigação às mudanças do clima, visando a construção de um índice mundial de justiça climática. Para isso, foram utilizadas as técnicas Modelagem de Equações Estruturais (SEM) e Análise Envoltória de Dados (DEA) a fim de verificar a dupla relação entre desenvolvimento humano e ações climáticas, possibilitando a construção do índice de justiça climática. A partir dos resultados da pesquisa é possível destacar: a) validação de modelo teórico para mensuração de justiça climática composto por 5 constructos de desenvolvimento humano e 2 constructos de mudanças climáticas; b) elaboração de rankings com 198 países que medem a conversão de desenvolvimento humano e ações climáticas nos sentidos direto e inverso; c) evidências iniciais mostram que aumentos graduais de desenvolvimento humano podem contribuir para avanços de justiça climática em sociedades de baixo carbono, d) diferenças entre as médias de desempenho entre regiões geográficas do planeta podem oferecer novas perspectivas para negociações sobre mudança do clima. / Abstract: Climate justice focuses on analyzing in ethical and moral terms the climate actions adopted by the nations of the world and now, it starts to contemplate yet another concept: social justice based on the capabilities approach. Thus, the objective of this research is to understand and quantify the double relationship between human development and adaptation and mitigation practices to climate change, aiming at the construction of a global index of climate justice. For this, the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) and Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) techniques were used to verify the double relationship between human development and climate actions, enabling the construction of the climate justice index. From the results of the research, it is possible to highlight: a) validation of a theoretical model for measuring climate justice composed of 5 human development constructs and 2 climate change constructs; b) elaboration of rankings with 198 countries that measure the conversion of human development and climate actions in the direct and reverse directions; c) initial evidence shows that gradual increases in human development can contribute to advances in climate justice in low-carbon societies; d) differences in performance averages across geographic regions of the planet can offer new perspectives for climate change negotiations. / Doutor

[pt] Esta dissertação pretende avaliar a eficiência dos terminais aquaviários de uma empresa do setor petroquímico que movimenta petróleo e derivados no Brasil, utilizando uma técnica não paramétrica denominada Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). Os terminais são o principal elo na cadeia logística de abastecimento de combustíveis. Devido à produção dos campos do pré-sal, ao aumento da capacidade de refino e à limitação da empresa em investimento e ao crescente aumento do mercado, a busca pela excelência no desempenho se torna um fator estratégico para a empresa. Neste trabalho são identificados quais terminais podem ser usados como benchmark, que características estão relacionadas nesta classificação. As variáveis utilizadas para determinar a eficiência foram a quantidade movimentada, o número de operadores, o número de berços e o tempo de operação. Os resultados sugerem que a eficiência dos terminais difere por regiões do país. O estudo também identifica a contribuição dos insumos e produtos para os níveis de eficiência, assim como as causas da ineficiência. Sendo assim, as conclusões alcançadas buscam auxiliar os tomadores de decisão nas suas ações estratégicas. / [en] This work aims to evaluate the efficiency of liquid bulk cargo terminals of a petrochemical company that moves oil and oil products in Brazil, using a nonparametric technique called DEA (Data Envelopment Analysis). The terminals are the main link in the petroleum supply logistics chain. Due to production of pre-salt fields, increased refining capacity and the company s limited investment and the increasing market, the pursuit of excellence in performance becomes a strategic factor for the company. This work identified which terminals can be used as benchmark, which characteristics are related in this classification. The variables used to determine the efficiency were: the total cargo throughput, the number of workers, the number of berths and time of operation. The results suggest that the terminals efficiency differs by regions. The study also identifies the contribution of inputs and products for efficiency levels, as well as the causes of inefficiency. Therefore, the conclusions reached are to assist decision makers in their strategic actions.

This dissertation aims to provide a better understanding of the technology licensing practices of academic research institutions. The study identifies time durations in licensing and incorporates these into a model to evaluate licensing performance. Performance is measured by the efficiency of an institution's technology licensing process and efficiency changes over time, using Association of University Technology Managers annual survey data from 1991 to 2007. Organizational characteristics influencing the licensing performances of 46 U.S. research institutions also are explored. The study resulted in a new approach that integrates the identification of time lags in licensing, analysis of efficiency change, and exploration of the influence of organizational characteristics on efficiency change. A super-efficiency variable returns to scale data envelopment analysis (DEA) model was applied to the time-lag neutralized licensing data, to measure the efficiency of U.S. research institutions' licensing performance over time. The study also includes an innovative approach to resolving issues with the super-efficiency DEA model, including mathematical infeasibility and zero-data issues. The licensing mechanisms included in the study are disclosure, patent applications, patents issued, licenses and options executed, start-ups, and licensing income. The time duration from expenditure to licensing income, including all intermediating licensing processes, ranged from 2 to 27 years. The study identified the organizational characteristics related to licensing practice. Academic prestige and research quality are positively related to disclosure, patents granted, and start-up. The resources of a technology licensing office influences the number of licensing agreements, whereas licensing office experience has a positive relationship with start-ups. Increased licensing resources improve the efficiency of licensing practices, and a research institution with more dedicated licensing staff has improved licensing productivity. Private institutions improved their licensing practice more than public ones during the study period. On the other hand, institutions with a medical school demonstrated low efficiency. This dissertation fills a gap in the understanding of licensing practice and the organizational characteristics related to licensing performance. In addition, the study contributes to research methodology by providing a new approach to identifying time lags and improving the DEA method. The results, grounded in comprehensive observations over multiple time durations, provide an insight into the licensing practices of U.S. research institutions. The dissertation presents recommendations for research institutions based on the relationships identified among academic prestige, research intensity, organizational characteristics of the technology licensing office, and licensing performance.

The focus of this thesis is the application of data envelopment analysis to understand and evaluate the performance of diverse animal welfare organizations across the United States. The results include identification of the most efficient animal welfare organizations, at least among those that post statistics on their operations, and a discussion of various partnerships that may improve the performance of the more inefficient organizations. The Humane Society of the United States estimates that there are 4000 - 6000 independently-run animal shelters across the United States, with an estimated 6-8 million companion animals entering them each year. Unfortunately, more than half of these animals are euthanized. The methods shared in this research illustrate how data envelopment analysis may help shelters improve these statistics through evaluation and cooperation. Data envelopment analysis (DEA) is based on the principle that the efficiency of an organization depends on its ability to transform its inputs into the desired outputs. The result of a DEA model is a single measure that summarizes the relative efficiency of each decision making unit (DMU) when compared with similar organizations. The DEA linear program defines an efficiency frontier with the most efficient animal shelters that are put into the model that "envelops" the other DMUs. Individual efficiency scores are calculated by determining how close each DMU is to reaching the frontier. The results shared in this research focus on the performance of 15 animal shelters. Lack of standardized data regarding individual animal shelter performance limited the ability to review a larger number of shelters and provide more robust results. Various programs are in place within the United States to improve the collection and availability of individual shelter performance. Specifically, the Asilomar Accords provide a strong framework for doing this and could significantly reduce euthanasia of companion animals if more shelters would adopt the practice of collecting and reporting their data in this format. It is demonstrated in this research that combining performance data with financial data within the data envelopment analysis technique can be powerful in helping shelters identify how to better deliver results. The addition of data from other organizations will make the results even more robust and useful for each shelter involved.