The thesis deals with characterization and comparison of two marketing tools on the Internet: Pay per click advertising in AdWords and advertising on the social media network Facebook. The theoretical part describes internet marketing as a complex system; it characterizes the specific advantages and limitations of individual input channels and current trends in their development. In the practical part, the best practices are applied to the advertising campaign of the cultural non-profit organization, the D21 Theater. Subsequently, the performance of each tool is evaluated within increased sessions and conversions in Google Analytics. At the end of the thesis, the recommendations are implemented to increase the effectiveness of the internet marketing of a cultural institution, based on the impact of advertisements and assessment of SEO optimization and web design.

This Master´s Thesis characterizes and compares three tools of the performance marketing on the internet - Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-per-click advertising (PPC) and Facebook Ads. The theoretical part analyses specific advantages and limitations of each tool and current trends in the development of these tools. The application part compares SEO, PPC and Facebook in terms of the price and quality of visits. The comparison is performed on the data of 74 clients of the Fresh Services digital agency, gathered from 2014 to 2016. It identifies significant differences in prices for the visit among instruments, while the revealed differences in conversion rates have not been proven to be statistically significant. The conclusion provides recommendations for applying these tools to a marketing of small and medium enterprises.

Background:Nordicfeel is an E-commerce company based in Vaxjo. Nordicfeel has recently approved theimplementation of a new checkout-system called “Ingrid”. The SaaS-application Ingrid is adelivery options module applied to a company’s checkout page. This module enablescompanies to customize available delivery options for the consumers based on rules andparameters associated with the consumer’s order, which the company presents. The objectivewith the implementation is to increase the net freight revenue without reducing the existingconversion rate.Purpose:The purpose of this study is to investigate how the implementation of Ingrid can increaseNordicfeel’s net freight revenue by improving the offering of delivery options. Furthermorethe purpose is to analyze whether the conversion rate of the customers is influenced by thenumber of available delivery options and by limitations in the delivery information. Finalobjective is to identify Nordicfeel’s balance between a high net freight revenue and and ahigh conversion rate between the consumers.Method:The study consists of a case study of Nordicfeel, grounded in both a qualitative andquantitative approach. The analysis method is based upon comparing expected patterns withexisting patterns. Existing patterns are gathered through interviews, focus groups and datacollection from Nordicfeel, to then analyze and identify an expected pattern.Results:The study confirms that limitations in delivery information and delivery options offered toconsumers will not significantly affect Nordicfeel’s conversion rate. By prioritizing profitabledelivery options and through small adjustments to freight prices and delivery times,Nordicfeel can increase their freight net revenue and maintain a stable conversion rate.Keywords: Checkout- System, Conversion rate, Delivery information, Delivery options,Freight Net, INGRID, Saas-Application

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:43Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2006-04-24Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:35:46Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 rodrigues_l_me_botfmvz.pdf: 363628 bytes, checksum: 4c9f978c17ea8c926eaab5040d2c9787 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / Foram utilizados 43 animais de três grupos raciais (GR), sendo 13 Alpino (8 machos e 5 fêmeas), 9 u Boer + u Alpino (4 machos e 5 fêmeas) e 21 Boer + o Alpino (11 machos e 10 fêmeas), dos quais 21 receberam rbST (4 machos e 3 fêmeas do grupo Alpino (A); 2 machos e 2 fêmeas do u BA e 6 machos e 4 fêmeas do BA) e 22 placebo (4 machos e 2 fêmeas A; 2 machos e 3 fêmeas u BA e 5 machos e 6 fêmeas BA). O hormônio de crescimento utilizado foi a somatotropina recombinante bovina (rbST) e os animais do tratamento 1 receberam o hormônio na quantidade de 0,3 mg/kg de peso vivo, a partir dos 45 dias, ajustada em intervalos de 14 dias. Os animais do tratamento 2 (controle) receberam solução salina na mesma dosagem e intervalo. Não foi observada nenhuma influência da somatotropina bovina recombinante nas características de desempenho avaliadas. Os machos foram superiores às fêmeas no ganho em peso do início da aplicação do hormônio aos 120 dias de idade, assim como no ganho médio diário de peso dos 60 aos 90, 90 aos 120 e do início da aplicação aos 120 dias de idade. O peso aos 90 e 120 dias de idade das fêmeas foram inferiores em relação aos machos. As fêmeas BA apresentaram maiores ganho em peso e ganho médio diário de peso dos 150 aos 180 dias em relação às demais. Não foi observada influência do hormônio de crescimento e do grupo racial para o peso ao cio, idade ao cio e idade para atingir 30 kg de peso vivo. / It was used 43 animals of three breed groups, wich 13 Alpine (8 males and 5 females), 9 u Boer + u Alpine (4 males and 5 females) e 21 Boer + o Alpine (11 males and 10 females), wich 21 received rbST (4 males and 3 females of Alpine group (A); 2 males and 2 females of u BA and 6 males and 4 females of BA) and 22 control (4 males and 2 females of A; 2 males and 3 females of u BA and 5 males and 6 females of BA).The growth hormone used was the bovine recombinant somatotropin (rbST) and the animals of treatment 1 received the hormone in the adjusted amount from 0,3 mg/kg of live weight in intervals of 14 days. The animals of treatment 2 (control) had received saline solution in the same dosage and interval. There was no influence of the recombinant bovine somatotropin in the evaluated characteristics of performance. The males had been bigger to the females in the weight gain of the application of the hormone to the 120 days of age, as well as in the daily average weight gain of the 60 to the 90, 90 to the 120 and of the application to the 120 days of age. The weight to the 90 and 120 days of age of the females had been smaler in relation to the males. The females BA had presented bigger weight gain and daily average weight gain of the 150 to the 180 days in relation to others. It was not observed influence of growth hormone and the breed group for weight to oestrus, age to oestrus and age to reach 30 kg live weight.

Les essais de gazéification effectués dans le cadre de cette étude ont été réalisés à l’aide d’une installation instrumentée et équipée d’un réacteur à lit fixe en utilisant du dioxyde de carbone d’une part, et de la vapeur d’eau d’autre part, comme réactifs. Dans cette étude, nous avons considéré le procédé de gazéification étagée. Par ailleurs, l’étude concernant la disponibilité de la ressource, effectuée sur dix ans, nous a permis de sélectionner deux résidus agricoles, en tenant compte de leur disponibilité dans le temps, l’absence de conflit nutritionnel ainsi que de leurs caractéristiques physicochimiques... A l’issue de cette étude, deux résidus agricoles ont été sélectionnés : les balles de riz et les rafles de maïs. L’étude de la pyrolyse de ces deux biomasses a été effectuée dans un four à moufle à une température de 450 °C pour un temps de séjour de 45 minutes. Un modèle mathématique basé sur la méthode de Newton a été proposé pour estimer le rendement en cokes des balles de riz et des rafles de maïs en fonction de la température, pour un temps de séjour fixé. Nous avons également procédé à une caractérisation physicochimique de ces deux résidus agricoles ainsi que de leurs cokes de pyrolyse. Plusieurs essais de pyrolyse ont également été réalisés en ATG afin de déterminer l’ordre réel des réactions de décomposition, par pyrolyse, de ces deux biomasses, en fonction de la température. Pour les essais de gazéification, ils ont été réalisés sur le coke de pyrolyse des deux biomasses retenues, à l’aide d’une installation équipée d’un réacteur à lit fixe d’une part, ainsi que par analyse thermogravimétrique d’autre part. Plusieurs modèles cinétiques (VRM, SCM et RPM) ont été utilisés pour modéliser la cinétique de gazéification des balles de riz et des rafles de maïs avec du dioxyde de carbone et de la vapeur d’eau. Il ressort que le modèle RPM est le plus adapté des trois modèles étudiés pour simuler au mieux la gazéification du charbon de balles de riz et de rafles de maïs dans les conditions opératoires étudiées dans la présente étude. Ainsi, les énergies d’activation obtenues sont respectivement de 165,8 kJ/mol et de 152,9 kJ/mol avec le dioxyde de carbone et la vapeur d’eau pour les balles de riz pendant que le facteur exponentiel varie de 2595.4 s-1 à 3473.4 s-1 avec des valeurs respectives du paramètre structural Ψ=3,8 pour la réaction de Boudouard et Ψ= 2.16 pour la vapogazéification. Cependant, les énergies d’activation obtenues pour les rafles de maïs sont respectivement de 114,4 kJ/mol et de 105,5 kJ/mol avec le dioxyde de carbone et la vapeur d’eau pendant que le facteur exponentiel varie de 13,9 s-1 à 18,3 s-1avec des valeurs respectives du paramètre structural Ψ=12,3 pour la réaction de Boudouard et Ψ= 8,68 pour la vapogazéification. / The gasification tests in this study were carried out using an instrumented installation equipped with a fixed bed reactor using carbon dioxide and water steam, as reagents. In this study, we considered the stepped gasification process. In addition, the ten-year resource availability study allowed us to select two agricultural residues, taking into account their availability over time, the absence of nutritional conflict and their physicochemical characteristics… At the end of this study, two agricultural residues were selected: rice husks and corn cobs. The pyrolysis of these two biomasses was carried out in a muffle furnace at a temperature of 450 °C for a residence time of 45 minutes. A mathematical model based on the Newton method has been proposed to estimate the coke yield of rice husk and corn cobs as a function of temperature, for a fixed residence time. We also carried out a physicochemical characterization of these two agricultural residues as well as their pyrolysis cokes. Several pyrolysis tests have also been carried out in ATG in order to determine the real order of the decomposition reactions by pyrolysis, of these two biomasses, as a function of temperature. For the gasification tests, they were carried out on the pyrolysis coke of the two retained biomasses, using an installation equipped with a fixed-bed reactor on the one hand, and by thermogravimetric analysis of another hand. Several kinetic models (VRM, SCM and RPM) were used to model the gasification reaction kinetics of rice husk and corn cobs with carbon dioxide and water steam. It appears that the RPM model is the most suitable of the three models studied to best simulate the gasification reaction of char from rice husk and corn cobs under the operating conditions studied in this study. Thus, the activation energies obtained are respectively 165.8 kJ/mol and 152.9 kJ/mol with carbon dioxide and water steam for rice husk while the exponential factor varies from 2595.4 s-1 to 3473.4 s-1 with respective values of the structural parameter Ψ = 3.8 for the Boudouard reaction and Ψ = 2.16 for the water steam gasification. However, the activation energies obtained for corn cobs are 114.4 kJ/mol and 105.5kJ/mol respectively with carbon dioxide and water steam while the exponential factor varies from 13.9 s-1 to 18.3 s-1 with respective values of the structural parameter Ψ = 12.3 for the Boudouard reaction and Ψ = 8.68 for the water steam gasification.

The thesis in theoretical part explains the importance of optimizing usability for e-shops and describes the whole process optimization with a focus on user testing and A/B testing. Each of optimization methods is supplemented by examples from case studies. In the practical part thesis is focused on optimizing usability of specific e-shop Vivantis.cz. It shows the practical application of optimization methods with the emphasis on user testing and A/B testing.

Trots att e-handeln har ökat under de senaste decennierna, är konverteringsgraden för onlinebutiker inom modesegmentet fortfarande låg. Detta kan bero på det fenomen som kallas “shopping cart abandonment”, vilket innebär att kunder lägger varor i sina virtuella varukorgar men inte sluför köpet. Det finns många anledningar till varför kunderna agerar på detta sätt. En av de vanligaste orsakerna är att det föredragna betalningsalternativet inte är tillgängligt. Eftersom alla fall av shopping cart abandonment innebär en förlorad försäljning är det viktigt för onlineföretag att arbeta mot en högre konverteringsgrad då även den minsta ökningen av slutförda köp innebär en ökad lönsamhet. Därför bör det vara av intresse för alla onlineföretag att upprätta rutiner för att se till att kunderna kommer att slutföra sina köp. Ett sätt att göra detta är att påminna kunderna via e-mejl om produkterna i den övergivna kundvagnen. Dessa mejl kallas reaktiveringsmejl och innebär i grunden att företaget skickar ett mejl till de kunder som övergivit sin virtuella varukorg. Huvudfokus i denna studie är reaktiveringsmejl med syfte att undersöka hur e-handelsföretag inom mode och textilbranschen använder reaktiveringsmejl och om de i så fall sett en ökning i konverteringsgraden. För att uppfylla syftet har två olika datainsamlingsmetoder använts. Först och främst genomfördes ett experiment bland e-handelsföretag inom det valda segmentet för att på så vis få en bild av hur vanligt det är att använda reaktiveringsmejl. Efter detta genomfördes telefonintervjuer med ett antal av dessa företag för att få en mer djupgående förståelse kring reaktiveringsmejl. Undersökningens resultat visar att användningen av dessa e-postmeddelanden inte är så vanlig, men däremot att det är ett framgångsrikt sätt att minska förekomsten av shopping cart abandonment samt öka konverteringsgraden. / Even though e-retail has increased over the last few decades, the conversion rate for online stores in the fashion segment is still relatively low. This might be due to a phenomenon called “shopping cart abandonment”, which means that online customers place products in their virtual carts but never follow through with a purchase. There are many reasons why customers balk before the very last click. One of the more common causes is that the preferred payment option is not available. However, since all cases of shopping cart abandonment mean lost sales, it is important for online companies to work towards a higher conversion rate since even the smallest increase in completed purchases results in increased profitability. Therefore, it should be of interest for all online enterprises to establish procedures to ensure that customers will complete their online purchases. One way to do this is to remind the customers via e-mail about the products in the abandoned cart, which is called reactivation e-mails, and basically means that online companies send e-mails to the customers who abandoned their virtual carts. The main focus for this thesis is reactivation e-mails, with the purpose to examine how online enterprises in the fashion and textile segment use reactivation e-mails and if they have seen an increase in their conversion rate. To fulfill the purpose, companies within the chosen segment that offer online retail to their customers, have been interviewed about the subject and the findings show that the use of these e-mails is an effective way to increase the conversion rate and decrease the occurrence of shopping cart abandonment. Two different methods for data collection have been used for this study. Firstly, an experiment was conducted among e-commerce companies within the selected segment in order to determine how common it is to use reactivation emails. Secondly, telephone interviews were conducted with several of these companies to gain a deeper understanding of reactivation emails. The results of this survey show that the use of these emails is not very common, but it is clearly a very effective way to reduce the occurrence of shopping cart abandonment. It also increases conversion rates and given the relatively low cost to implement, it should be embraced industry wide.

Introdução: Com o envelhecimento da população mundial projeta-se o crescimento das taxas de doenças potencialmente relacionadas à idade como as demências, especialmente a doença de Alzheimer (DA). Os sujeitos com Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve (CCL) são considerados uma população de risco para desenvolver demência, no entanto, as taxas de incidência de CCL e conversão para demência apresentam considerável variabilidade em parte atribuída a características da amostra e aos diferentes critérios utilizados. Objetivos: Determinar a incidência de demência e Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve em uma coorte de idosos saudáveis de base comunitária; determinar as variáveis demográficas, clínicas e sociais associadas ao desenvolvimento de prejuízo cognitivo, e avaliar o risco de progressão dos indivíduos com Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve para demência comparada com sujeitos cognitivamente normais. Métodos: Os dados foram derivados de uma coorte de idosos residentes na comunidade (N = 345), inicialmente saudáveis e independentes (Estudo PALA - Porto Alegre Longitudinal Aging - study). O seguimento inicial com duração máxima de oito anos teve o objetivo de avaliar a incidência de DA e CCL. Para avaliar a progressão de CCL para DA partimos de 10 anos de seguimento, incluindo os oito anos da primeira análise e consideramos um máximo de 70 meses (média de 45 meses) para avaliar a ocorrência dos novos desfechos. Os participantes que preencheram os critérios de inclusão do estudo e consentiram em participar foram avaliados com uma detalhada entrevista clínica composta de variáveis demográficas, clínicas e sociais. Os sintomas psiquiátricos foram avaliados pela escala SRQ - Self Report Questionnaire, escala MADRS - Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale e aplicados os critérios para depressão maior do Manual de Diagnóstico e Estatístico de Transtornos Mentais (4ª Edição; DSM-IV). O Mini Exame do Estado Mental (MEEM) e a Escala Clínica de Demência (CDR – Clinical Dementia Rating) foram aplicados para avaliação cognitiva. Adicionalmente a independência para as atividades da vida diária foram acessadas pela escala ADL - Activities of Daily Living. Para diagnóstico dos casos incidentes de doença de Alzheimer foi utilizado os critérios diagnósticos do DSM-IV e do NINCDS/ADRDA, associado à descrição dos critérios de Kawas para DA consistente. Para diagnóstico de Comprometimento Cognitivo Leve, o critério da Clínica Mayo foi aplicado para a primeira análise, e o critério para CCL do tipo Alzheimer (ou DA prodrômica) foi utilizado para a segunda análise tendo em vista a incorporação de dados disponíveis e a evolução dos critérios. As trajetórias possíveis do CCL foram classificadas em três categorias: conversão, estabilização e reconversão. Os sujeitos considerados para a primeira análise - casos incidentes de CCL e DA foram os participantes que apresentavam pelo menos uma visita de seguimento no período de oito anos a partir da linha de base (N = 245) e as análises estatísticas foram baseadas no diagnóstico estabelecido na última visita de seguimento. Para os falecidos durante o período, dados retrospectivos foram obtidos através de uma entrevista telefônica com um informante confiável. Os dados clínicos e demográficos de linha de base foram utilizados para cálculo dos fatores preditivos dos desfechos do estudo. Para a segunda análise – risco de conversão de CCL para DA – trajetórias do CCL, a amostra foi composta dos 21 indivíduos que desenvolveram CCL e 220 indivíduos cognitivamente normais (N = 241). Resultados: Os resultados da primeira análise mostraram taxa de incidência de CCL de 13,2 por 1.000 pessoas-ano e incidência de DA de 14,8 por 1.000 pessoas-ano. O desenvolvimento de prejuízo cognitivo foi associado com educação (razão de chance [RC] = 0,86) e o escore do MEEM de base (RC = 0,81). Os resultados da segunda análise mostraram que dos 21 sujeitos com CCL, 38% desenvolveram demência, 24% permaneceram estáveis e 38% melhoraram. A taxa de conversão anual para DA foi de 8,5%, CCL foi associado significativamente a maior risco de conversão para DA (HR = 49,83; p = 0,004), mesmo ajustado para idade, escolaridade, sexo e escore no MEEM. Conclusão: A incidência de DA nessa amostra foi maior do que a descrita em estudo prévio realizado no Brasil, mas está dentro da variabilidade observada internacionalmente. Escores mais baixos no Mini Exame do Estado Mental na linha de base, mesmo que dentro da normalidade, e níveis mais baixos de educação foram preditores da ocorrência de prejuízo cognitivo. Quanto à trajetória do CCL, independentemente da heterogeneidade observada, os participantes com CCL do tipo Alzheimer apresentaram risco significativamente maior de desenvolver demência na DA, demonstrando o impacto do uso destes critérios que enfatizam o comprometimento da memória episódica de longo prazo e buscam identificar sujeitos com maior probabilidade de ser portadores de patologia Alzheimer. / Background: The increase of the rates of age-related diseases as dementia, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD), is projected with the aging of the world population. Subjects with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) are considered a population at risk for developing dementia. However, MCI incidence rates and rates of conversion to dementia have shown considerable variability that could be partially attributed to characteristics of the sample and to different criteria. Objective: To determine the incidence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment in a cohort of community-based healthy elderly individuals; to determine the demographic, clinical and social variables associated with the development of cognitive impairment; and to assess the risk of progression of individuals with mild cognitive impairment to dementia compared with cognitively normal subjects. Methods: Data were derived from a cohort of elderly community residents (N = 345), who were initially healthy and independent (PALA – Porto Alegre Longitudinal Aging – study). The follow-up of a maximum of eight years was used to evaluate the incidence of AD and MCI. To evaluate the progression of MCI to dementia due to AD we set off the 10-year follow-up, including the previous 8-year of the first analysis, and consider the maximum of 70 months (mean 45 months) for these new outcomes. Participants who met the inclusion criteria of the study and consented to participate were evaluated with a detailed clinical interview consisted of demographic, clinical and social variables. Psychiatric symptoms were assessed with the SRQ scale (Self Report Questionnaire), the MADRS (Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale), and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition, DSM-IV) criteria for Major Depression. Cognitive assessment was checked with the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Clinical Dementia Rating Scale (CDR). Independence for the activities of daily living was assessed with the ADL scale (Activities of Daily Living). Incident cases of probable Alzheimer's disease were assigned through the DSM-IV and the NINCDS-ADRDA diagnostic criteria, with the additional designation from Kawas and colleagues of consistent AD. Detection of Mild Cognitive Impairment for the first analysis was carried out with the MCI Mayo Clinic criteria. The MCI of the Alzheimer type criteria (or Prodromal AD) were used for the second analysis, incorporating available data of the sample and the ongoing evolution of the criteria. The possible MCI trajectories were classified into three categories: conversion, stabilization, and reconversion. The subjects for the first analysis – MCI and AD incidence – were the participants who had at least one follow-up visit in the 8-year period from the baseline (N = 245), and the statistical analyzes were based on the diagnosis established in last follow-up interview. For the deceased during the period, retrospective data were obtained through a telephone interview with a knowledgeable collateral source focusing on dementia. The baseline clinical and demographic data were analyzed as predictors of the study outcomes. For the second analysis – risk of MCI progression to AD, and MCI trajectories – the sample was composed of 21 individuals who developed MCI and 220 cognitively normal subjects (N = 241). Results: The results of the first analysis showed the MCI incidence rate of 13.2 per 1,000 person-years and the AD incidence of 14.8 per 1,000 person-years. The development of cognitive impairment was associated with education (odds ratio [OR] = 0.86) and baseline MMSE scores (OR = 0.81). The results of second analysis showed that of the 21 MCI subjects, 38% developed dementia, 24% remained stable, and 38% improved. The annual AD conversion rate was 8.5%, and MCI was significantly associated with increased risk of progression to AD (HR = 49.83; p = 0.004), even adjusted for age, education, gender and MMSE scores. Conclusion: The AD incidence in this sample was higher than that described in a previous study carried out in Brazil, but was within the international estimates. Lower baseline scores on the Mini Mental State Examination, although within the normal range, and lower levels of education were predictors of cognitive impairment. Regardless the observed heterogeneity of the MCI trajectories, participants with MCI of the Alzheimer type showed significantly higher risk of developing dementia due to AD, demonstrating the impact of the emphasis on the episodic long-term memory impairment of the criteria, which finally searches to identify those individuals more likely to have Alzheimer's pathology.

Upper secondary education has been identified by different institutions as the minimum educational threshold in a knowledge society, a necessary requirement for citizens of all ages to respond to the social changes driven by global technological innovation. Figures from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) unfortunately show that a large share of adult population in OECD countries still lack upper secondary qualifications. Italy appears in these statistics as one among the lowest ranking countries and provisions currently in place to bring adult citizens back to school still yield quite low numbers. This research aims at exploring the challenges to adult students' participation in upper secondary education in Italy examining the actual experience of a group of grown-up learners attending a public vocational school. The results of the inquiry are based on the analysis of semi-structured interviews framed in a qualitative research design. The study is grounded in a theoretical frame derived both from participation theories and from the capability approach. The main conclusion of the research is that successful participation and persistence in adult education require students’ expectations to be appropriately met by an attentive customized institutional support. To this respect, the research suggests recommendations in order to improve public information about provisions for grown-up students, to separate adult education from second chance teenage schooling and to customize adult learning through appropriate learning management tools.

Orientador: Heraldo César Gonçalves / Banca: André Mendes Jorge / Banca: Francisco de Assis Fonseca de Macedo / Resumo: Foram utilizados 43 animais de três grupos raciais (GR), sendo 13 Alpino (8 machos e 5 fêmeas), 9 u Boer + u Alpino (4 machos e 5 fêmeas) e 21 Boer + o Alpino (11 machos e 10 fêmeas), dos quais 21 receberam rbST (4 machos e 3 fêmeas do grupo Alpino (A); 2 machos e 2 fêmeas do u BA e 6 machos e 4 fêmeas do BA) e 22 placebo (4 machos e 2 fêmeas A; 2 machos e 3 fêmeas u BA e 5 machos e 6 fêmeas BA). O hormônio de crescimento utilizado foi a somatotropina recombinante bovina (rbST) e os animais do tratamento 1 receberam o hormônio na quantidade de 0,3 mg/kg de peso vivo, a partir dos 45 dias, ajustada em intervalos de 14 dias. Os animais do tratamento 2 (controle) receberam solução salina na mesma dosagem e intervalo. Não foi observada nenhuma influência da somatotropina bovina recombinante nas características de desempenho avaliadas. Os machos foram superiores às fêmeas no ganho em peso do início da aplicação do hormônio aos 120 dias de idade, assim como no ganho médio diário de peso dos 60 aos 90, 90 aos 120 e do início da aplicação aos 120 dias de idade. O peso aos 90 e 120 dias de idade das fêmeas foram inferiores em relação aos machos. As fêmeas BA apresentaram maiores ganho em peso e ganho médio diário de peso dos 150 aos 180 dias em relação às demais. Não foi observada influência do hormônio de crescimento e do grupo racial para o peso ao cio, idade ao cio e idade para atingir 30 kg de peso vivo. / Abstract: It was used 43 animals of three breed groups, wich 13 Alpine (8 males and 5 females), 9 u Boer + u Alpine (4 males and 5 females) e 21 Boer + o Alpine (11 males and 10 females), wich 21 received rbST (4 males and 3 females of Alpine group (A); 2 males and 2 females of u BA and 6 males and 4 females of BA) and 22 control (4 males and 2 females of A; 2 males and 3 females of u BA and 5 males and 6 females of BA).The growth hormone used was the bovine recombinant somatotropin (rbST) and the animals of treatment 1 received the hormone in the adjusted amount from 0,3 mg/kg of live weight in intervals of 14 days. The animals of treatment 2 (control) had received saline solution in the same dosage and interval. There was no influence of the recombinant bovine somatotropin in the evaluated characteristics of performance. The males had been bigger to the females in the weight gain of the application of the hormone to the 120 days of age, as well as in the daily average weight gain of the 60 to the 90, 90 to the 120 and of the application to the 120 days of age. The weight to the 90 and 120 days of age of the females had been smaler in relation to the males. The females BA had presented bigger weight gain and daily average weight gain of the 150 to the 180 days in relation to others. It was not observed influence of growth hormone and the breed group for weight to oestrus, age to oestrus and age to reach 30 kg live weight. / Mestre