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Under the evolving environment, a utility company is required to improve the operation and maintenance of its physical assets usually in the forms of an asset management program. This paper proposes an organisational learning model for the utility companies with respect to the asset management activities. CommonKADS is utilised as a tool to capture the knowledge associated with managing the assets from the learning processes of the utility company. A case study of Bangpakong power plant in Thailand is presented. The results show that by applying the proposed methodologies, the learning processes within the utility companies can be categorised and explained by five major learning steps of breakdown, corrective, preventive, predictive, and proactive maintenances.

No / One of the central questions in the literature on MNCs is the extent to which their subsidiaries act and behave as local firms (local isomorphism) versus the extent to which their practices resemble those of the parent company or some other global standard (internal consistency). Drawing on the resource-based view and resource-dependency theory, this paper aims to provide an insight into the interplay of several corporate-level organizational factors that affect the transfer of HRM practices across borders. Data collected from 80 European and US multinationals with subsidiaries in Greece are used to test specific hypotheses. Our results indicate that the level of importance attached to HRM by the MNC's top management and international experience have the highest explanatory power for the transfer of HRM practices, while international competitive strategy, informal control and the presence of expatriates also have a marginally significant influence.

No / In light of current changes in the German industrial relations¿ landscape and the wider and deeper integration of German multinationals into the world economy, this study investigates the relative importance of the country-of-origin effect in employee relations of German affiliates in an Anglo-American setting. The paper addresses important issues that relate to the wider international business domain. The comparative analysis to US affiliates in the UK and British owned firms points to a distinctively German flavored hybrid approach that integrates the best practice elements of the US model with the collective orientation of the German model. This bears a resemblance to an emerging trend in the parent companies¿ home locations. The intra-German analysis revealed that affiliates of multinationals that face pressures for international integration are at the forefront of this development. The findings suggest that this might provide a suitable model of international operation for multinationals from strongly institutionalized countries.

In the last decade, the prevalence of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) within the American food supply has rapidly increased, with some experts estimating their presence in 80% of all U.S. food products. Unlike many other parts of the world, consumer opposition to this biotechnology has been modest in the U.S., and numerous studies have found that most Americans are unconcerned about this paradigm shift in agriculture. Although the genetic modification (GM) literature is substantial, little research has examined the role the media may play in this acquiescence, while even less has focused on the way critics and advocates of genetic modification have framed this issue. Addressing this lacuna is important because many scholars have concluded that the way an issue is framed significantly influences how an audience interprets a given message, and ultimately affects opinion formation. This study examined the websites of numerous anti-GM organizations and transnational biotech companies to determine the dominant frames they employ in their attempt to influence the American consumer. Once these frames were identified, frame analysis of the three most widely read newspapers in the country was conducted to measure the extent these frames have been employed by the U.S. print media. I hypothesized that the frames used by critics of the technology have been employed at significantly lower rates than those of advocates. This analysis suggested, however, that the way this issue has been framed in the print media is likely a less significant factor in this acquiescence than the sheer dearth of coverage generally. / Master of Science

Duties of so-called quoted joint-stock companies This diploma thesis draws attention to information duties of the so-called listed joint- stock companies. The goal of this thesis is to introduce the legal regulation of selected information duties of the so-called listed joint-stock companies and to analyse the development of the selected duties with regard to harmonization of capital markets regulation. The goal of this thesis is also to analyse whether the selected information duties help the capital market to function more efficiently. The thesis is divided into seven chapters, introduction and conclusion. The introduction defines which goals are to be achieved by this thesis and which methods are used by the author. The first chapter defines what a so-called quoted joint-stock company means under the Czech law. The second chapter introduces the importance of capital markets for the whole economy and briefly explains the specific evolution of the capital market in the Czech Republic since the 1990s until now, which was influenced by privatization and transformation. The third chapter follows the second chapter and introduces the evolution of legal environment of capital market protection. The third chapter also includes several important terms such as regulated market or quotation. The fourth...

One form of transformation of companies is the spin-off. The main aim of the thesis is to describe the process of spin-off in terms of commercial law, accounting and taxes. There are also summarizes the differences compared to other transformations and examples of real spin-off. The most important obligations and procedures are summarized in the final examples.

Germany and Sweden are important business partners. In business it is important to be aware of different organizational cultures. Sweden and Germany are in many aspects alike, but at the same time there are cultural differences. In this study, research was conducted to compare part of the Swedish-German organizational communication as well as the meaning of intercultural communication in different companies. Online questionnaires were answered by 18 respondents. They included Swedes at a company in Sweden, which was bought by a German company and Germans at a company in Germany, which was bought by a Swedish company. Interviews with two executive directors, one at a Swedish company and one at a German company were made as well. The results of this study show that Germany has a strong hierarchal structure in comparison with Sweden. Sweden has a flatter structure, where meetings are a big part of the community within the organization. The most striking difference between the organizational cultures in both countries is the hierarchy.

Este trabalho teve como foco principal o estudo dos processos de entrada de empresas estrangeiras no Brasil com o objetivo de responder à seguinte questão de pesquisa: Como auxiliar às empresas internacionais interessadas em se estabelecer no Brasil? Para responder à pergunta acima, o objetivo principal do trabalho foi propor um modelo de fluxo de ações e cuidados a serem tomados para que o dirigente executivo da empresa estrangeira possa se basear e assim, melhor se preparar para a execução de um plano de entrada no mercado brasileiro. A estrutura teórica utilizada para dar apoio ao estudo está dividia em três grupos: As teorias de internacionalização, mostrando a sua evolução no tempo. O segundo grupo descreve os principais modos de entrada de uma empresa em outro país, destacando suas vantagens e características. O terceiro grupo, apresenta as barreiras potencialmente encontradas à entrada de uma empresa em um país estrangeiro. O método utilizado para o desenvolvimento deste estudo, incluiu, além da pesquisa teórica, o desenvolvimento e aplicação de entrevistas exploratórias com quatro empresas estrangeiras, em que os achados revelaram os modos de entrada utilizados e as razões de escolha de cada uma, bem como as barreiras à entrada e os problemas enfrentados por falta de um plano pré-expansão. A terceira etapa foi constituída de uma abordagem em formato de entrevista com entidades brasileiras de fomento à internacionalização de empresas no Brasil, para entender quais os critérios e processos essas entidades aplicam a suas empresas clientes estrangeiras. Para concluir o método, a quarta etapa foi outra pesquisa, juntamente com um grupo seleto de especialistas consultores em expansão internacional, com o objetivo de validar tais critérios mencionados nas duas pesquisas anteriores. O resultado foi um modelo de fluxo de ações e critérios a serem observados na etapa pré-expansão como a busca por network local, a visita ao país anfitrião de interesse com a participação em rodadas de negócios e desenvolvimento de pesquisa do mercado para o apoio em informações que servirão à continuidade ou não ao plano de expansão. Em sequência, outros critérios que foram mencionados nas pesquisas foi a listagem das potenciais barreiras à entrada e os modos de entrada com suas vantagens e desvantagens para o mercado e a empresa interessada. Por fim, foi mencionado a importância de preparar o plano de negócio e sua implementação, baseados no tempo e custos de investimento encontrados, seguido da fase de acompanhamento com visitas e auditorias locais. Os achados atenderam ao objetivo desta pesquisa, e podem servir de base de consulta para estudantes e outros especialistas sobre o tema de expansão internacional de empresas no Brasil, além do desenvolvimento de novos estudos comparativos. / This work had as its prime focus the study of the processes for the entrance of foreign companies in Brazil in order to respond to the following research question: How to assist international companies interested in establishing themselves in Brazil? To answer the prior question, the main objective of the work was to propose a flow model of actions and care to be taken, so that the executive officer of the foreign company can be based and thus be better prepared for the execution of a plan of entry in the Brazilian market. The theoretical structure used to support the study is divided into three groups: The theories of internationalization, showing their evolution in time. The second group describes key modes for a company to enter another country highlighting its advantages and characteristics. The third group presents potential barriers against the entering of a company in a foreign country. The method used for the development of this study included, in addition to the theoretical research, the development and application of exploratory interviews with four foreign companies, where the findings revealed the used entry modes and the reasons for choosing each as well as the barriers to the entry and the problems faced by the lack of a pre-expansion plan. The third stage consisted of an approach in the format of an interview with Brazilian entities promoting the internationalization of companies in Brazil, in order to understand what criteria and processes these entities apply to their foreign client companies. To conclude the method, the fourth step was another research along with a distinct group of experts, consultants in international expansion, with the aim of validating such criteria mentioned in the previous two surveys. The result was a flow model of actions and criteria to be observed in the pre-expansion stage such as the search for local network, a visit to the host country of interest with participation in business rounds and the development of market research for information-based support that will serve to the continuity or not of the expansion plan. In sequence, other criteria that were mentioned in the surveys were a list of potential barriers to the entrance and the modes of entry with their advantages and disadvantages for the market and for the interested company. Finally, it was mentioned the importance of preparing the business plan and its implementation based on time and the investment costs found, followed by the monitoring phase with visits and local audits. The findings met the goal of this research and can serve as a basis of consultation for students and other experts about the subject of international expansion of companies in Brazil as well as the development of new comparative studies.

O comércio internacional exerce uma forte influência na configuração e uso do território brasileiro, expressa no significativo crescimento e aceleração dos fluxos de mercadorias pertencentes a inúmeros circuitos espaciais produtivos. Nesse contexto, assistimos a ampliação da base material responsável por garantir a fluidez territorial necessária para o escoamento de produtos; paralelamente, um conjunto de instituições públicas e privadas promove a reformulação e atualização da base normativa incumbida da regulação desse movimento. As trading companies empresas especializadas em comércio exterior destacam-se dentre os agentes que visam aumentar essa fluidez e porosidade do território nacional. O presente trabalho investiga a gênese, a localização atual e as conexões regionais, nacionais e mundiais que as tradings estabelecem na realização dos fluxos internacionais de mercadorias. A pesquisa objetiva também estudar as trading companies com escritórios-sedes na cidade de São Paulo, buscando identificar os circuitos espaciais produtivos que se utilizam dos serviços oferecidos por essas empresas e compreender o papel atualmente desempenhado pela metrópole paulistana na internacionalização do território brasileiro. / The international trade have a great influence in brazilian\'s territorial configuration and use, represented by the relevant growth and acceleration of merchandise\'s fluxes belonged by many spatial productive circuits. In this context, we observe an increasing material base responsible for territory fluidity needed to goods distribution; at same time, an assemblage of governmental and private institutions promotes a reformulation and an update in normative basis of this fluxes. The trading companies specialized enterprises in foreign trade stand out among the agents who wish to increase national territorial fluidity and porosity. This work research genesis, localization and regional, national and global connections of tradings in the realization of international flows of goods. The research aims too the tranding companies with headquarters offices at São Paulo, identifying spatial productive circuits which uses services offerers by those companies and to comprehend currently the role of São Paulo metropolis in the internationalization of brazilian territory.