O conhecimento e consequentemente a inteligência passaram a ser umas das principais fontes de vantagem competitiva das empresas, dadas as grandes mudanças nas conjunturas dos mercados. Essa necessidade de inteligência, permeia todos os agentes produtivos que compõem o mercado, inclusive o do agronegócio. Tendo isso em mente, o objetivo central desta pesquisa foi propor um método para o processo de inteligência competitiva que consolide e integre a literatura de inteligência e contemple os aspectos críticos da indústria de insumos agropecuários no Brasil, considerando a hipótese de que que os métodos contemplam de forma superficial às necessidades específicas desse setor, e que um método mais específico poderia ser construído. Para atingir esse objetivo foram empregadas as seguintes estratégias de pesquisa: a) Pesquisa bibliográfica (desk research) e análise documental como um método de pesquisa integrado e complementar; b) Realização de entrevistas com especialistas; e c) Construção de método. Dessa forma, o resultado foi a construção de um método de inteligência competitivo para empresas de insumos do agronegócio brasileiro composto de nove etapas. A hipótese foi aceita e concluiu-se que este método atendeu aos objetivos propostos, pois reuniu a literatura existente, inclusive com conceitos digitais atuais (Big Data e Data Mining), além de atender às necessidades e especificidades do setor ao focar em seus aspectos críticos / The knowledge, and therefore, intelligence became one of the most important sources of competitive advantage for companies, given the markets\' major recent changes. This need for accurate intelligence, for those who really need it and on the time that it is needed permeates all agents, of all markets, in all sectors, including the agribusiness, one of the Brazil\'s most important economic sectors, specially the agribusiness input companies. With that in mind, this research\'s the main objective was to propose a framework for the competitive intelligence process that consolidates the literature regarding competitive intelligence and contemplates the Brazilian agribusiness\' input sector critical aspects. The hypothesis was that the existing frameworks contemplate superficially the sector\'s specific needs, due to the concepts\' generality and that a more specific framework could be built, taking into consideration the characteristics of that sector. To achieve this objective the following research strategies were employed: a) Bibliographic research (desk research) and documental analysis as an integrated research method; b) Interviews with specialists; and c) Framework construction. Therefore, the result was the construction of a competitive intelligence framework form Brazilian agribusiness\' input companies with nine phases. The hypothesis was accepted and in conclusion, this framework met the proposed objectives because it integrated the existing intelligence literature, including contemporary digital concepts such as Big Data and Data Mining, in addition to answering the sector\'s specific needs by focusing on its\' critical aspects

O setor agrícola brasileiro gera saldos positivos à balança comercial do Brasil, e a fruticultura segue no mesmo ritmo. Dentre as frutas produzidas no Brasil, a uva é uma das que mais impactam na balança comercial, tendo em vista que é amplamente exportada e importada. Este cenário só se tornou possível com a abertura de mercado na década de 90, e, assim, o Brasil pôde se tornar mais competitivo no mercado nacional e internacional. A competitividade é importante para a economia, seja de um país, de um setor ou de uma empresa. No presente trabalho, então, foi realizada uma análise setorial da competitividade da viticultura, fundamentada na produtividade, nos aspectos tecnológicos e no ambiente institucional. Para a análise regional brasileira foi utilizada a técnica de triangulação na metodologia deste trabalho: pesquisa qualitativa (entrevista com produtores das principais regiões produtoras de uva de mesa do Brasil); análise estatística por meio de Modelos Lineares Generalizados de dados secundários (preço nas regiões produtoras de uva de mesa) obtidos no banco de dados do Cepea; e análise documental (com base nas legislações, regras e outros documentos disponíveis). A partir disso foi constatado que o Vale do São Francisco (BA/PE) é a região brasileira mais competitiva, visto que investe mais em tecnologia, tem gestão empresarial (enquanto as outras são marcadas pela agricultura familiar) e consegue se sobressair nas questões de comercialização. Além disso, no Brasil, o ambiente institucional, de um modo geral, não gera grandes vantagens competitivas para nenhum produtor de uva - a exceção são as fortes cooperativas do Nordeste. Para a análise da competitividade internacional, além da análise documental com vistas ao comércio internacional, foram feitas estatísticas descritivas com dados de preço, produção, produtividade, exportação, importação e consumo aparente de uva de mesa do Brasil, Chile e Itália. Os dados foram obtidos nos bancos de dados do IBGE, MDIC, Odepa, Eurostat e USDA. No geral, Chile e Itália têm ambiente institucional mais forte que o Brasil para o comércio internacional de uva de mesa. Mesmo assim, a competitividade internacional brasileira cresceu nos últimos anos frente a Chile e Itália. Assim, pode-se concluir que mesmo com ambiente institucional desfavorável, tanto no mercado interno quanto no externo, o Brasil conseguiu avançar na competitividade entre os anos analisados neste trabalho. Isso se deve, sobretudo, aos investimentos ocorridos na principal região brasileira - o Vale do São Francisco. / The Brazilian agribusiness generates profits to the trade balance of Brazil, and the fruit sector follows the same rhythm. The table grape is one of the fruits that impact the trade balance, because it is widely exported and imported. This scenario was only possible to the market opening in the 90s, and thus Brazil was able to become more competitive in domestic and international markets. Competitiveness is important to the economy, whether of a country, of a sector or a company. Thus, a sectorial analysis of the viticulture competitiveness was conducted, based on productivity, technological and institutional environment. In this research, it was used triangulation technique in the methodology to conduct the Brazilian regional analysis: qualitative research (interview with producers of the main producing regions of table grape of Brazil); statistical analysis using Generalized Linear Models of secondary data (price of table grape) obtained in Cepea database; and documental analysis (based on the laws, rules and other documents available). Based on this, it was found that the São Francisco Valley (BA/PE) is the most competitive region in Brazil. This region invests more in technology, has business management (while the others regions are tagged by family farmers) and stands out in the marketing. In addition, in Brazil, the institutional environment, in general, does not generate competitive advantages for grape growers - the exception is the strong cooperatives located in Northeast. The international competitiveness was conducted by descriptive analysis of statistics - price, production, productivity, export, import and apparent consumption of table grape in Brazil, Chile and Italy. Also, a documental analysis of international trade was conducted. Data were obtained from the IBGE, MDIC, Odepa, Eurostat and USDA databases. Overall, Chile and Italy have a stronger institutional environment to international trade of table grapes than Brazil. Anyway, the Brazilian international competitiveness has increased in recent years compared to Chile and Italy. Thus, it can be concluded that even with unfavorable institutional environment, both domestically and external, Brazil was able to advance in competitiveness during the years analyzed in this work. This is mainly attributed to the investments occurred in the main Brazilian table grape region - São Francisco Valley.

O ambiente dos distribuidores de combustíveis vem sofrendo profundas mudanças nos últimos anos; e este processo pode ser confirmado após análise ambiental utilizando-se do modelo proposto por Almeida (2010). Diante dessa análise, observou-se também que o ambiente dos distribuidores de combustíveis vem avançando para o que D´aveni (1995) denomina como hipercompetitivo. Ademais, a adoção dos carros flex fuel implicou em uma nova dinâmica no setor, exigindo que os distribuidores de combustíveis busquem aplicar novas estratégias competitivas condizentes com a nova realidade ambiental. Com o intuito de explorar as possíveis estratégias competitivas adotadas pelos distribuidores de combustíveis utilizou-se o modelo elaborado por Zaccarelli e Fischmann (1994) por este oferecer maior flexibilidade e ser mais ajustado aos objetivos desta pesquisa. Nesse sentido, o objetivo geral desta pesquisa permeia a identificação das estratégias competitivas adotadas pelos distribuidores de combustíveis para enfrentar as mudanças ambientais influenciadas pela introdução dos carros flex fuel. E para cumprir o objetivo de pesquisa foram entrevistados os gerentes das quatro maiores organizações do setor (BR Distribuidora, Ipiranga, Shell e Esso/Cosan). Juntas, essas empresas perfazem, de acordo com a Agência Nacional de Petróleo Gás Natural e Biocombustíveis (ANP), quase 70% de todo o volume de combustível automotivo comercializado no país. Como ferramenta de coleta de dados foi utilizada a abordagem de entrevistas semi-estruturadas com o objetivo de ter maior flexibilidade e até mesmo aprofundar informações que poderiam ser relevantes ao tema, mas antes não pensadas ou elaboradas conforme Hair et al (2005). Durante as entrevistas, buscou-se também explorar a percepção e atitudes dos distribuidores sobre a sustentabilidade, tema indispensável ao contexto competitivo atual. Através dos resultados obtidos, pode-se concluir que, de fato, a introdução do veículo flex fuel vem promovendo mudanças na estratégia competitiva dos distribuidores de combustíveis no Brasil. / The fuel distribution environment has been facing drastic changes in Brazil in the past years. This fact may be affirmed after having carried out an environmental analysis through the employment of a model proposed by Almeida (2010). This analysis also allows one to assert that the environment of fuel distribution has been turning into what D\'aveni (1995) denominates hypercompetitive environment. Moreover, the adoption of flex fuel vehicles has imposed new dynamics within the sector. These dynamics have forced fuel distributors to seek new competitive strategies that are in line with the new environmental reality. The model designed by Zaccarelli and Fischmann (1994) was used in this research with the intention to explore the possible competitive strategies adopted by fuel distributors. This model was chosen due to its higher flexibility and to its deeper alignment with the objective of the present research. In this sense, the general objective of this research is to identify the competitive strategies that fuel distributors adopt in order to face and cope with the new environmental changes that have emerged due to the introduction of flex fuel vehicles. In order to achieve this objective, managers of the four largest organizations in the sector have been interviewed. According to the National Agency of Petroleum, Natural Gas and Biofuels (ANP), altogether, these organizations (BR Distribuidora, Ipiranga, Shell and Esso/Cosan) are responsible for nearly 70% of the volume of automotive fuel traded in the country. As to the data collection tool employed in this thesis, semi-structured interviews were conducted with those managers; this type of interview was selected because it allows for higher flexibility and even for the possibility to investigate issues that could be relevant to the topic but had not been previously thought of or established according to the guidelines given by Hair et al (2005). The interaction during the interviews also aimed at exploring the managers\' perception of and attitude towards sustainability, a crucial issue within the competitive current context. The results of the present research allow one to conclude that the introduction of flex fuel vehicles has indeed been promoting major changes in the competitive strategies of fuel distributors in Brazil.

Thesis advisor: Richard, S.J. McGowan / At the very core of the National Basketball Association’s labor negotiations between the owners and the players during the 2011 lockout was the league’s argument that its economic structure was broken. Owners contended that the NBA’s soft salary cap system, and the resulting payroll disparity, has put small-market franchises at a talent disadvantage and produced a league of haves and have-nots. To remedy this purported competitive balance problem, the owners demanded severe policy measures to decrease the pay dispersion among teams. However, the players union cautioned that these hardline provisions were merely an attempt to transfer wealth from players to owners. This charge warranted further analysis. Existing literature on this topic is either outdated or insufficient in scope. As such, using regression analysis, this thesis evaluated the league’s argument and determined to what extent the league’s soft salary cap system has contributed to its competitive imbalance.The empirical analysis of this thesis produced several meaningful conclusions. While the NBA has relative imbalance, it does not affect consumer demand for the regular season product. Moreover, while pay dispersion exists, additional salary expenditures only marginally add to a team’s winning percentage. There is no significant relationship between payroll disparity and competitive balance. Finally, with the escalating importance of media rights contracts and the historical appreciation of franchise valuation, the league overstated the financial distress of most of its small-market owners. Overall, the NBA and its owners used deceptive rhetoric and misleading economic policies to decrease player salaries, not to increase competitive balance, in a collusive effort to maximize profits and reassert its diminishing monopsony power in an increasingly star-driven league. / Thesis (BS) — Boston College, 2012. / Submitted to: Boston College. Carroll School of Management. / Discipline: Carroll School of Management Honors Program. / Discipline: Economics.

Bactérias da microbiota entérica de avestruzes foram isoladas e fermentadas (produto experimental denominado de ECOS). Em seguida, foram utilizadas na exclusão competitiva de Salmonella Typhimurium em pintinhos (\"Gallus gallus\") e em avestruzes recém nascidas (\"Struthio camelus\"). Os pintinhos e as avestruzes foram desafiados por via oral com a concentração de 1x104 UFC/ ave e 1x105 UFC/ ave, respectivamente. O ECOS reduziu significativamente a excreção de Salmonella Typhimurium em pintinhos e avestruzes recém nascidos infectados experimentalmente. O ECOS também reduziu significativamente os casos de enterites associadas à mortalidade em avestruzes, em testes de campo. Outros aspectos observados em avestruzes tratados a campo foram a redução do tempo de absorção do saco vitelínico e o aumento do ganho de peso. O ECOS mostrou ser uma importante ferramenta na melhoraria dos índices zootécnicos em estrutiocultura. / Bacterias of ostrich enteric microbiota were isolated and fermented (product called ECOS). Afterwards, they were used into a competitive exclusion of Salmonella Typhimurium in chicks (\"Gallus gallus\") and in ostriches chicks (\"Struthio camelus\"). The chicks and the ostriches were challenged by oral administration by 1x104 UFC/ chick e 1x105 UFC/ chick, respectively. ECOS reduced the excretion of Salmonella Typhimurium in chicks and ostriches chicks experimentaly infected. ECOS reduced, as well, cases of enteric diseases associated to ostrich mortality, in field tests. Another aspect observed in field treated ostrich, was the reduction of yolk sac absorption time and the increase of weight gain. ECOS showed to be an important tool to increase the zootecnical standards in ostrich farming.

Lack of visibility of the assets in a product supply chain compromises attempts to optimise supply chain management. Increasing the visibility of these assets presents a relatively unexplored frontier in operations and supply where organisations can create competitive advantage through the opportunities asset visibility offer. This research aims at investigating the key capabilities of asset visibility specifically those associated with returnable transport assets that travel across supply chains carrying material and products e.g. cages, boxes, trays, trolleys and pallet bins. In addition, how these capabilities may influence supply chain visibility and firm performance in a way that might lead to sustainable competitive advantage is examined. To achieve these objectives, the research develops a two-stage model that is theoretically grounded in the extended resource-based view. Philosophically, the research adopts a critical realist approach using abductive logic. Methodologically, a sequential exploratory strategy for data collection is implemented. A qualitative, indepth site-based case study supported by field expert interviews was conducted as a pilot study. The pilot study findings refined the initial conceptual model derived from literature and informed the next stage of the research. The quantitative phase focused on refining the factors constituting asset visibility capabilities and then testing the relationship between these capabilities and supply chain visibility, performance and sustainable competitive advantage. Key findings are that asset visibility capabilities are shaped through three key capabilities: (1) an asset management capability formed by both core technological aspects related to tracking and tracing technology, and non-technological ones focusing on logistic-related capability; (2) a complementary technological capability comprising of IT infrastructure for supply chain integration; and (3) a complementary nontechnological capability represented through three sub-capabilities: (a) supply chain process integration; (b) focal firm-3PL relational orientation; and (c) internal firm integration. The research findings prove a positive relationship between asset visibility capabilities and supply chain visibility. In addition, a positive relationship between these capabilities and sustainable competitive advantage through the mediated effect of supply chain visibility and firm performance, is confirmed.

DURANTI, Cleber Marchetti. Seleção de notícias online para inteligência competitiva - Uso de ontologia de domínio do negócio para expansão semântica da busca na internet. São Paulo, 2013. Tese (Doutorado em Administração) - Departamento de Administração, Faculdade de Economia, Administração e Contabilidade da Universidade de São Paulo. A internet disponibiliza o acesso a notícias e informações em volume crescente a respeito do ambiente em que as empresas operam, e estas precisam se manter a par dos movimentos dos atores do seu mercado de atuação e dos temas pertinentes ao seu negócio para se manterem competitivas. O crescente volume de dados, porém, leva à sobrecarga de informações, quando o volume de informações disponíveis é maior que a capacidade de processamento dos usuários. Torna-se então necessário o desenvolvimento de métodos e ferramentas que ajudem a separar a informação potencialmente útil da informação irrelevante. Este trabalho apresenta o desenvolvimento de uma ferramenta que utiliza a modelagem da área de negócio na forma de uma ontologia como subsídio para formulação de melhores buscas na internet, através da expansão semântica interativa das palavras-chave utilizadas pelos usuários quando da busca num buscador comum da internet - ainda o método mais utilizado para coleta de informações da internet. Uma ontologia do domínio de negócio \"Outsourcing de TI\" e uma interface para uso dessa ontologia na expansão das buscas dentro deste domínio são desenvolvidos. O protótipo é testado por meio de simulações de buscas e testes por usuários da área de TI, com os quais é feito um levantamento de aceitação de tecnologia utilizando o modelo TAM-3 adaptado para a avaliação do protótipo. Os resultados do levantamento indicam uma boa aceitação da solução nos aspectos de utilidade, facilidade de uso e nas demais dimensões do modelo TAM3. / The internet provides access to news and information in increasing volume about the environment in which companies operate, and they need to keep up to date about the movements of the actors of their market and the topics relevant to their business in order to keep their competitiveness. The growing volume of data, however, leads to information overload, when the amount of information available is larger than the processing capacity of its users. It becomes necessary then to develop methods and tools that help separate potentially useful information from irrelevant information. This research presents the development of a tool that uses the modeling of the a business area in the form of an ontology as a support for the formulation of better internet searches through interactive semantic expansion of keywords used by users when searching in an usual internet search engine - still the most widely used method for collecting information from the internet. An ontology of the business domain \"IT outsourcing\" and an interface to use this ontology in the expansion of searches in this area are developed. The prototype is tested by simulations and test searches by IT users with whom a survey is done using the qualitative model TAM-3 adapted to evaluate the prototype. The survey results show good acceptance of the solution in the aspects of usefulness, easy of use and the other dimensions of the TAM3 model.

Atualmente, no cenário competitivo global, a maioria das nações tem procurado estimular suas empresas a empreenderem atividades de internacionalização de seus negócios como medida importante para a atração de divisas. Obviamente, esta não é uma tarefa das mais fáceis e gera um desgaste elevado tanto aos gestores quanto à própria estrutura organizacional, quando há que se decidir em manter-se atendendo somente ao mercado interno ou abrir novos negócios no exterior. Para ser competitivo no mercado internacional há um elenco de aspectos a serem considerados, especialmente no que diz respeito ao uso intensivo do conhecimento de marketing por meio de suas atividades essenciais, tais como: organização de marketing, segmentação e posicionamento de mercado, sistema de informações de marketing e planejamento de marketing. Desta forma, o presente estudo tem como foco essencial avaliar o grau de utilização das atividades de marketing descritas anteriormente junto ao processo de internacionalização das empresas do norte do estado Paraná por meio da exportação de seus produtos. O estudo também levanta informações importantes sobre elementos que têm se constituído em barreiras ao processo de expansão das atividades de internacionalização, bem como demais particularidades inerentes à decisão de ir para o exterior. O estudo conta com um levantamento na forma de revisão da literatura que aborda os seguintes temas: contexto exportador do Brasil e do estado do Paraná, conceito de internacionalização, marketing global, decisões estratégicas em marketing global, competitividade, estratégias competitivas e colaborativas e o conceito e as implicações das atividades de marketing no contexto global. Para complementar o estudo, conduziu-se uma pesquisa de campo com o objetivo de verificação dos objetivos discutidos. Quanto à metodologia, a pesquisa de campo se classificou como quantitativa e exploratória, sendo a amostragem sistemática com base no cadastro de empresas exportadoras da FIEP (Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Paraná). Os dados coletados foram tratados por meio de testes estatísticos paramétricos (Anova) e não-paramétricos (Qui-quadrado), bem como técnicas multivariadas, como a análise fatorial e demais análises descritivas. Embora a pesquisa tenha sido conduzida na região norte do estado do Paraná, foram revelados dados importantes com respeito ao desenvolvimento das atividades exportadoras, se observada a utilização das atividades de marketing neste sentido. Cabe destacar ainda que generalizações a outros estados e setores podem apresentar certas restrições, porém certamente haverá enriquecimento em torno da análise propiciada pelas informações levantadas, sobretudo diante da dinâmica competitiva das empresas que atuam no mercado global e demandam ferramentas eficazes para obtenção de sucesso. Como contribuição final, o pesquisador apresenta um modelo na forma de roteiro de decisões que em muito poderá contribuir para as empresas que pensam se devem ou não ingressar no mercado internacional. / Now, in the global competitive scenery, most of the nations have been trying to stimulate its companies they undertake it activities of internationalization of its business as important measure for the attraction of exchange value. Obviously, this is not a task of the easiest and it generates a high waste so much to the managers with relationship to the own structure organizational, when there is to decide in to stay only assisting to the internal market or to open new business in the exterior. To be competitive in the international market they don't have enough only attractive costs. There is a cast of aspects they be she considered, especially in what it says respect to the intensive use of the marketing knowledge by means of its essential activities, such as: marketing organization, segmentation and market positioning, system of marketing information and marketing planning. This way, the present study has as essential focus to evaluate the degree of use of the marketing activities described the process of internationalization of the companies of the north of the state previously close to Paraná by means of the export of its products. The study also lifts important information on elements that they have constituted in barriers to the process of expansion of the internationalization activities, as well as other inherent particularities to the decision of going for the exterior. The study bill with a rising in the form of revision of the literature that approaches the following themes: context exporter from Brazil and of the state of Paraná, internationalization concept, global marketing, strategic decisions in global marketing, competitiveness, competitive and associative strategies and the concept and the implications of the marketing activities in the global context. To complement the study, it behaved a field research with the objective of verification of the discussed objectives. With relationship to the methodology, the field research was classified as quantitative and exploratory, being the systematic sampling with base in the companies’ exporters' of FIEP cadastres (Federation of the Industries of the State of Paraná). The collected data were treated by means of parametric statistical tests (ANOVA) and no-parametric (Chi-square), as well as technical multivariate, as the factorial analysis and other descriptive analyses. Although the research has been driven in the north area of the state of Paraná, important data were revealed with regard to the activities exporters' development, if observed the use of the marketing activities in this sense. It fits to highlight although generalizations the other states and sections can present certain restrictions, even so certainly it will have won around the analysis propitiated by the lifted up information, above all before the competitive dynamics of the companies that you/they act in the global market and they demand effective tools for success obtaining. As final contribution, the researcher presents a model in the form of route of decisions that in a lot it can contribute to the companies that think he/she/it owes or not to enter in the international market.

A qualidade pode ser considerada um fator de competitividade na atualidade para indústria farmacêutica, que trata da saúde do indivíduo. As estratégias de diferenciação e liderança de custos são analisadas para este setor, considerando as suas dimensões. A gestão estratégica da qualidade corresponde a uma visão que insere a qualidade no planejamento estratégico. Para a análise da qualidade dos medicamentos abordam-se as características da indústria farmacêutica no mundo e no Brasil, os tipos de medicamentos produzidos, as normas utilizadas pelo setor que visam a qualidade do produto, e os estágios de desenvolvimento destes. A pesquisa realizada é descritiva, visando a análise das estratégias possíveis utilizadas pelo setor no Brasil e como as dimensões da qualidade são consideradas pelas empresas. Os medicamentos produzidos no país apresentam uma estratégia de diferenciação mercadológica, utilizando as dimensões de acordo com os objetivos da empresa. A qualidade, quando existe, é baseada na abordagem da produção (dimensões de conformidade e confiabilidade) e, em alguns casos, também na abordagem baseada no produto (dimensões de desempenho, características e durabilidade). / Today, quality can be considered a factor of competitiveness for the pharmaceutical industry, which deal with the health of individuals. The strategies of differentiation and cost command are analysed for this industry which considerers its dimensions. The goal of quality administration coincides with a viewpoint of integrating quality into strategic planning. From the analysis of quality of medication comes the characteristics of the pharmaceutical industry of the world and Brazil: the types of medication produced, the standards utilized in the industry, which deals with the quality of the product, and the stages of development of the product. The research done on this subject is thorough, it deals with the analysis of possible strategies utilized by the industry in Brazil, and how the companies consider the dimensions of quality. The medications produced in this country show a strategy of market differentiation, in accordance with the objectives of the company. The quality, when present, is based on the production (dimensions of conformity and fidelity) and, in some cases, the quality can be based on the product (dimensions of development, characteristics, and durability).

Sustainable production and consumption have become more important internationally, which has led to the transformation of market structures and competitive situations into the direction of servitisation. This means that manufacturing companies are forced to compete through the supply of services as opposed to products. Particularly the suppliers of long-life products such as submarines and airplanes no longer simply sell these products but provide their capability or availability. Companies such as Rolls-Royce Engines achieve 60% of their revenue through selling a service rather than the engine itself. For a manufacturing company, the shift towards being a service provider means that they usually have to bid for service contracts, sometimes competitively. In the context of competitive bidding, the decision makers face various uncertainties that influence their decision. Ignoring these uncertainties or their influences can result in problems such as the generation of too little profit or even a loss or the exposure to financial risks. Raising the decision maker’s awareness of the uncertainties in the form of e.g. a decision matrix, expressing the trade-off between the probability of winning the contract and the probability of making a profit, aims at integrating these factors in the decision process. The outcome is to enable the bidding company to make a more informed decision. This was the focus of the research presented in this thesis. The aim of this research was to support the pricing decision by defining a process for modelling the influencing uncertainties and including them in a decision matrix depicting the trade-off between the probability of winning the contract and the probability of making a profit. Three empirical studies are described and the associated decision process and influencing uncertainties are discussed. Based on these studies, a conceptual framework was defined which depicts the influencing factors on a pricing decision at the bidding stage and the uncertainties within these. The framework was validated with a case study in contract bidding where the uncertainties were modelled and included in a decision matrix depicting the probability of winning the contract and the probability of making a profit. The main contributions of this research are the identification of the uncertainties influencing a pricing decision, the depiction of these in a conceptual framework, a method for ascertaining how to model these uncertainties and assessing the use of such an approach via an industrial case study.