Organizations are seeking ways to become more innovative to renew their business and ward off foreign competition. The perceived weakening of this process in U.S. firms is viewed as a contributing factor in the steady decline of productivity growth vital to our nation's stability. The specific purpose of this study was to analyze the organizational and technological innovation process used by a specific organization to foster corporate renewal. Data were gathered to answer related research questions by conducting an ethnographic study (the disciplined study of the acquired knowledge that people use to interpret experience and generate behavior) of the innovation process developed and implemented by an international Fortune 100 chemical manufacturer. A structured method of analytical induction was used to analyze the textual content of the data. Findings indicated that the corporation believed that innovation was a matter of corporate survival. To change the direction the corporation was taking, a systematic process to create future business value and new businesses was designed and implemented. A conceptual "innovation" model was developed to identify and to serve as a vision for the corporation and guide the process. A management plan was created to administer the process. Most development activity was conducted by means of a "stage-gate" process. The advantages and disadvantages of innovation were intertwined and overlapped. The greatest advantages to innovation were identified as follows: 1) the Office of Innovation, 2) innovation training programs, 3) management and the formal process, and 4) the environment/culture. The greatest disadvantages cited were: 1) management, 2) environment/culture 3) conflicting missions between core business and the strategic business development division, and 4) the formal process. Recommendations were given for making the environment/climate more innovative, expanding the innovation training, improving core business and the strategic business development division's relationship, and improving the innovation process. / Ph. D.

This research deals with organisation culture in the Chemical Industry, with specific reference to the culture in Gas Production. In the literature survey, the concept 'organisation culture' is studied theoretically from the perspective of Burke and Litwin. Theoretically, differences may occur between the current and desired organisation culture, between divisions and between levels of authority. The conclusion is drawn that culture change involves the whole organisation. In the empirical investigation, the Organisation Culture Index is applied to 36 employees at management level and 138 at employee level. The empirical findings show that there are significant differences. The empirical findings therefore support the theoretical findings that a single culture does not always exist in an organisation. This research also confirms that the culture in this organisation may not be appropriate for the present era. / Hierdie navorsing ondersoek organisasiekultuur in die Chemiese Bedryf, met spesifieke verwysing na die kultuur in Gasproduksie. In die literatuuroorsig word die konsep "organisasiekultuur" teoreties vanuit Burke en Litwin se perspektief beskou. Teoreties kan verskille in organisasiekultuur tussen die huidige en die verlangde organisasiekultuur, tussen afdelings en tussen gesagsvlakke voorkom. Die afleiding word gemaak dat kultuurverandering die totale organisasie betrek. In die empiriese ondersoek word die Organisasiekultuurindeks op 36 werknemers van die bestuursgroep en 138 van die werknemersgroep toegepas. Uit die empiriese bevindinge blyk dit dat daar betekenisvolle verskille in organisasiekultuur voorkom. Die empiriese bevindinge steun die teoretiese bevindinge dat daar nie altyd sprake is van 'n enkele kultuur in 'n organisasie nie. Daar word ook vasgestel dat hierdie organisasie se organisasiekultuur nie toespaslik is vir die huidige era nie. / Industrial & Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-26T20:48:50Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Marcela Carolina Siqueira Covolo.pdf: 3698467 bytes, checksum: cf8ea9e656f7956e46985e4c13518cf3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2008-05-05 / Can a bound tariffs harmonization agreement for a specific sector increase the trade flow among countries? Does it diminish industries competitiveness in some countries? The aim of this assignment is to analyze chemicals international trade flow after Chemical Tariff Harmonization Agreement has taken place. In this sense, the Balassa Index methodology was chosen to define the revealed comparative advantage among countries. As a result, the access to lower cost capital and raw material has defined the chemical industry competitiveness. The tariff reduction by CTHA has not changed the competitiveness among countries but has improved sector exports by the inclusion of underdeveloped countries into chemicals trade flow / Um acordo de liberalização de tarifas alfandegárias para um setor específico pode aumentar o fluxo de comércio entre os países? Isso resulta em perda de competitividade para a indústria em determinados países? O objetivo desse trabalho é avaliar os fluxos internacionais de comércio no setor químico no período que passou a vigorar o acordo de harmonização de tarifas (CTHA). Para tanto, a metodologia escolhida foi o índice desenvolvido por Balassa, para definir a Vantagem Comparativa Revelada entre os países. Como resultado o acesso ao capital e à matéria prima com menor custo definiram a competitividade indústria química. A queda das tarifas via o CTHA não alterou a competitividade entre os países, mas aumentou as exportações do setor através da inclusão de países em desenvolvimento no fluxo de comércio de químicos

Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-03T18:33:15Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Eduardo_Pereira_Alencar.pdf: 864195 bytes, checksum: 49414a0dda4258b4ba2907032c458c67 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2015-08-21 / The contingency theory is premised a better fit between the internal contingency factors to the company and its external environment. From this perspective the research sought to understand the influence of contingencies factors: external environment to the company's operations and size, about the intensity in the use of the financial indicators and financial and non-financial value drivers on the brazilian chemical sector. Data were obtained by applying the questionnaire, multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the influence of the environment and size in intensity of use of value drivers. The results show that the uncertainty of the environmental factor influenced the intensity of use forming a basic set which mostly has financial drivers and financial indicators, but non-financial drivers were also validated in the regression to a lesser extent, the size influenced financial indicators and non-financial drivers the basic set of drivers and indicators formed can be seen as the best fit to environmental uncertainty and the size of the sample companies / A teoria da conting??ncia tem por premissa um melhor ajuste entre os fatores contingenciais internos ?? empresa e seu ambiente externo. Sob essa perspectiva a pesquisa procurou compreender a influ??ncia dos fatores contingenciais: ambiente externo ??s opera????es da empresa e porte, sobre a intensidade de uso dos indicadores financeiros e direcionadores de valor financeiro e n??o financeiro no segmento qu??mico brasileiro. Os dados foram obtidos pela aplica????o de question??rio, a an??lise de regress??o m??ltipla foi utilizada para verificar a influ??ncia do ambiente e porte na intensidade de uso dos direcionadores de valor. Os resultados apontam que a incerteza do fator ambiental influenciou a intensidade de uso formando um conjunto b??sico que em sua maioria possui direcionadores e indicadores financeiros, por??m direcionadores n??o financeiros tamb??m foram validados na regress??o em menor quantidade, o porte influenciou indicadores financeiros e direcionadores n??o financeiros, um conjunto b??sico, de direcionadores e indicadores formado pode ser vista como a que melhor se ajusta ?? incerteza ambiental e ao porte das empresas da amostra

Made available in DSpace on 2015-12-04T11:45:34Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Robson_de_Oliveira.pdf: 643288 bytes, checksum: 18329e7e7b1f697d21ecb335826fcf40 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2005-08-29 / The companies, as integrant part of the society, are being forced to meet environmental goals, besides the economical ones, demonstrating that besides the economical return generated to the shareholders, they are also creating social return to the communities where they are located. Environmental Accounting is the system of information which main aim is to gather, measure and disclose the environmental transactions seeking to exercise the important role of communication vehicle between company and society. In this context, the accounting statements deserve attention and special study, regarding that they represent the main disclosure channel of economic-environmental items of which the Accounting uses. The objective of this work was to analyze a sample of accounting statements published in Brazil with the objective of verifying how the investments, liabilities and environmental costs have been disclosed. Unhappily, the accounting statements of this companies had revealed little adequate to the new necessities of the users of the accounting information, and parallel, insufficient to take care of to the requirements of NBC T 15 - Information of Social and Ambient Nature, approved for the Resolution of the Federal Advice of Accounting - CFC n?? 1.003, that it will enter in vigor from 1?? of January of 2006. / As empresas, como parte integrante da sociedade, est??o sendo fortemente demandadas a cumprirem metas ambientais, al??m das econ??micas; demonstrando que, al??m do retorno econ??mico gerado aos acionistas, tamb??m est??o gerando retorno social ??s comunidades em que se encontram inseridas. A Contabilidade Ambiental apresenta-se como o sistema de informa????es que tem como finalidade principal coletar, mensurar e evidenciar as transa????es ambientais visando a exercer o importante papel de ve??culo de comunica????o entre a empresa e a sociedade. Neste sentido, as demonstra????es cont??beis merecem aten????o e estudo especiais, haja vista que representam o principal canal de evidencia????o de itens econ??mico-ambientais do qual faz uso a Contabilidade. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o de analisar uma amostra de demonstra????es cont??beis publicadas no Brasil, das empresas Petrobr??s, Braskem, Refap, Copesul, Bunge Fertilizantes, Basf, Petroqu??mica Uni??o e OPP, todas do ramo qu??mico e petroqu??mico, no intuito de verificar como t??m sido evidenciados os investimentos, passivos e custos ambientais pelas referidas empresas. Infelizmente, as demonstra????es cont??beis dessas companhias mostraram-se pouco adequadas ??s novas necessidades dos usu??rios da informa????o cont??bil, e paralelamente, insuficientes para atender ??s exig??ncias da NBC T 15 - Informa????es de Natureza Social e Ambiental, aprovadas pela Resolu????o do Conselho Federal de Contabilidade - CFC n?? 1.003, que entrar?? em vigor a partir de 1?? de janeiro de 2006.

Essa pesquisa buscou compreender o papel que os trabalhadores de chão de fábrica, aqueles com pouca ou nenhuma qualificação e que trabalham diretamente no processo produtivo, tiveram para o progresso da indústria química de São Paulo. Para isso, realizamos uma retrospectiva da história da industrialização desse setor, bem como dos diferentes estágios de interação entre a gerência e os operários. Contamos com pesquisas de diferentes áreas do conhecimento, bem como de documentação primária e história oral. Com isso, buscamos dar luz a essa personagem e perceber como o seu papel se alterou no decorrer do tempo, sem nunca deixar de ser relevante para uma História da ciência, da técnica e do trabalho, inserida em uma perspectiva social. / The main purpose of this research is to understand the role that blue collar workers, those ones with little or no qualifications that work directly in the production process, had in the progress of the chemical industry of São Paulo. To get there, a retrospective of the history of industrialization in this sector has been done, as well as the different stages of interaction between management executives and workers. In the research, studies from different areas of knowledge were used as well as primary documents and oral history. This research tries to focus these actors and understands the changes on their role over the time, always relevant to the history of science, technology and labor in a social perspective.

Essa pesquisa buscou compreender o papel que os trabalhadores de chão de fábrica, aqueles com pouca ou nenhuma qualificação e que trabalham diretamente no processo produtivo, tiveram para o progresso da indústria química de São Paulo. Para isso, realizamos uma retrospectiva da história da industrialização desse setor, bem como dos diferentes estágios de interação entre a gerência e os operários. Contamos com pesquisas de diferentes áreas do conhecimento, bem como de documentação primária e história oral. Com isso, buscamos dar luz a essa personagem e perceber como o seu papel se alterou no decorrer do tempo, sem nunca deixar de ser relevante para uma História da ciência, da técnica e do trabalho, inserida em uma perspectiva social. / The main purpose of this research is to understand the role that blue collar workers, those ones with little or no qualifications that work directly in the production process, had in the progress of the chemical industry of São Paulo. To get there, a retrospective of the history of industrialization in this sector has been done, as well as the different stages of interaction between management executives and workers. In the research, studies from different areas of knowledge were used as well as primary documents and oral history. This research tries to focus these actors and understands the changes on their role over the time, always relevant to the history of science, technology and labor in a social perspective.

Made available in DSpace on 2010-04-20T20:48:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 3 68525.PDF.jpg: 15314 bytes, checksum: 2b0a2eab9eb62dba15a24ac0888e9069 (MD5) 68525.PDF: 950088 bytes, checksum: 21966ddc7c4edd436504a16796986192 (MD5) 68525.PDF.txt: 294567 bytes, checksum: 735ffe848565602ff01471e4c22d822e (MD5) Previous issue date: 2004-03-31T00:00:00Z / Micro, small and medium size enterprises have a significant participation in the gross national product and the number of jobs of most countries. All around the world, several programs has been developed to support and increase the competitiveness of these enterprises. Among them, technological information services were created to facilitate the access of small and medium enterprises to the technology producers, namely universities and research Institutes. In Brazil a wide network of technological information centers was created during the 1980’s and 1990’s which, throughout the years, was dismantled due to lack of demand from small enterprises. This study was conducted with the purpose of identifying the reasons behind this lack of demand, since the need of information by small companies is far from being fulfilled. The sources of information, namely information services, and the receivers of information, namely small companies, were both analyzed. A gap was observed between information services and their target public which gradually repelled the latter. This phenomenon does not affect information services only in Brazil. All over the world, these services have been restructuring themselves in order to better meet their target public’s needs and to become financially selfsufficient. This study gives suggestions as to how Brazilian technological information services should act during transition stage. / As micro, pequenas e médias empresas tem uma participação significativa no Produto Interno Bruto e no número de empregos na maioria dos países. Em todo o mundo, diversos são os programas criados para dar suporte e aumentar a competitividade dessas empresas. Entre esses estão os serviços de informação tecnológica que procuram facilitar o acesso das pequenas e média empresas aos produtores de tecnologia, na forma de universidades e institutos de pesquisa. No Brasil foi criada uma grande rede de núcleos de informação tecnológica, nos anos 80/90, que com o passar dos anos se desestruturou devido à falta de demanda por parte das pequenas empresas. Foi feito um trabalho de pesquisa com o objetivo de identificar os motivos da falta de demanda mencionada, uma vez que a necessidade de informações por parte das pequenas empresas está longe de ser resolvida. Foram pesquisados tanto a fonte das informações, na forma dos serviços de informação quanto os receptores da informação, na forma das pequenas empresas. Verificou-se uma falta de sintonia entre os serviços de informação e seu público alvo que fez com que este aos poucos se afastasse. Esse fenômeno atinge serviços de informação não apenas no Brasil. Em todo o mundo esses serviços estão se reestruturando para atender melhor as necessidades de seu público alvo e se tornarem auto suficientes financeiramente. O trabalho propõe alternativas para a forma de atuação dos serviços de informação tecnológicas brasileiros nessa fase de transição.

This research deals with organisation culture in the Chemical Industry, with specific reference to the culture in Gas Production. In the literature survey, the concept 'organisation culture' is studied theoretically from the perspective of Burke and Litwin. Theoretically, differences may occur between the current and desired organisation culture, between divisions and between levels of authority. The conclusion is drawn that culture change involves the whole organisation. In the empirical investigation, the Organisation Culture Index is applied to 36 employees at management level and 138 at employee level. The empirical findings show that there are significant differences. The empirical findings therefore support the theoretical findings that a single culture does not always exist in an organisation. This research also confirms that the culture in this organisation may not be appropriate for the present era. / Hierdie navorsing ondersoek organisasiekultuur in die Chemiese Bedryf, met spesifieke verwysing na die kultuur in Gasproduksie. In die literatuuroorsig word die konsep "organisasiekultuur" teoreties vanuit Burke en Litwin se perspektief beskou. Teoreties kan verskille in organisasiekultuur tussen die huidige en die verlangde organisasiekultuur, tussen afdelings en tussen gesagsvlakke voorkom. Die afleiding word gemaak dat kultuurverandering die totale organisasie betrek. In die empiriese ondersoek word die Organisasiekultuurindeks op 36 werknemers van die bestuursgroep en 138 van die werknemersgroep toegepas. Uit die empiriese bevindinge blyk dit dat daar betekenisvolle verskille in organisasiekultuur voorkom. Die empiriese bevindinge steun die teoretiese bevindinge dat daar nie altyd sprake is van 'n enkele kultuur in 'n organisasie nie. Daar word ook vasgestel dat hierdie organisasie se organisasiekultuur nie toespaslik is vir die huidige era nie. / Industrial and Organisational Psychology / M. Com. (Industrial and Organisational Psychology)

This diploma thesis deals with the evaluation of a selected corporation and proposals for its solution. The first part of the thesis describes the theoretical basis of individual analyses and this part serves as a theoretical basis for their processing. In the second part of the work, the characteristic of the selected subject is given and according to the knowledge from the theoretical part, several analyses examining the current state are performed. Based on the results of the analyses, there are developed proposals which lead to improving the financial situation of the company.