How well a local government is able to provide for the needs and preferences of its citizens generally depends on the financial resources available; and, how such resources are allocated, distributed, and managed. Demographics, size of local government, supply and age of infrastructure, financial position of the government, and the local economy represent a few of the factors affecting what public goods and services citizens prefer. Internal systems of accounting and control affect the allocation, distribution, and management of financial resources. As such, these internal systems significantly affect the provision of public goods and services. The research outlined in this study examined the relationship between a government's financial management capacity (independent variable) and its financial condition (dependent variable), while controlling for environmental factors related to governance and demographics. Financial condition was quantitatively measured using financial ratios calculated from a database of over 1,600 U.S. cities compiled by the Government Finance Officers Association. Financial management capacity and its relationship to financial condition were measured with a survey of the chief financial officers of almost 500 of the sample cities. This research was exploratory in nature as there is little empirical evidence with respect to financial management capacity or its relationship to overall financial condition. In this study certain statistically significant moderate correlations were found with respect to financial condition and financial management capacity. However, multiple regression analysis of financial condition and financial management capacity (controlling for governance and socio-economic factors), indicated no statistically significant relationship between them as conceptualized and operationalized for this study. When controlling for certain governance and socio-economic factors, annual limits on increases in assessed property valuations and population were found to be statistically significant with respect to financial condition. Additionally, these control variables increased and decreased financial condition, respectively. A major contribution made to the literature by this study lies in its attempt to establish an empirical relationship between financial management capacity and government performance as measured by financial condition. Based on existing literature as reviewed by this researcher, the testing of this relationship had not been done previously. This study defined and measured both financial management capacity and financial condition in dimensions and indicators that can be used in future research. Additionally, efforts were made to test the internal reliability of both measures. The results of this research indicated there are a number of other financial management capacity and environmental factors influencing financial condition beyond those identified in this study. This research also provided insight regarding the extent financial management capacity affects financial condition even though such relationships were not found to be statistically significant. Because no statistically significant relationships between financial condition and financial management capacity were found in this study, additional research is necessary to further explore this relationship as well as the correlation between the various indicators of these concepts.

Since the 1990s, scholars have paid special attention to public management’s role in theory and research under the assumption that effective management is one of the primary means for achieving superior performance. To some extent, this was influenced by popular business writings of the 1980s as well as the reinventing literature of the 1990s. A number of case studies but limited quantitative research papers have been published showing that management matters in the performance of public organizations. My study examined whether or not management capacity increased organizational performance using quantitative techniques. The specific research problem analyzed was whether significant differences existed between high and average performing public housing agencies on select criteria identified in the Government Performance Project (GPP) management capacity model, and whether this model could predict outcome performance measures in a statistically significant manner, while controlling for exogenous influences. My model included two of four GPP management subsystems (human resources and information technology), integration and alignment of subsystems, and an overall managing for results framework. It also included environmental and client control variables that were hypothesized to affect performance independent of management action. Descriptive results of survey responses showed high performing agencies with better scores on most high performance dimensions of individual criteria, suggesting support for the model; however, quantitative analysis found limited statistically significant differences between high and average performers and limited predictive power of the model. My analysis led to the following major conclusions: past performance was the strongest predictor of present performance; high unionization hurt performance; and budget related criterion mattered more for high performance than other model factors. As to the specific research question, management capacity may be necessary but it is not sufficient to increase performance. The research suggested managers may benefit by implementing best practices identified through the GPP model. The usefulness of the model could be improved by adding direct service delivery to the model, which may also improve its predictive power. Finally, there are abundant tested concepts and tools designed to improve system performance that are available for practitioners designed to improve management subsystem support of direct service delivery.

Ambientes altamente dinâmicos, complexos e que envolvam conhecimento, alta tecnologia, e recursos diversos, estimulam acordos de parcerias, que passam a ser um meio de transferência de conhecimento e tecnologia, de acesso a ativos complementares e de busca da inovação. Neste trabalho, coloca-se a questão de como os acordos de parcerias e sua gestão, mais especificamente, os acordos das Parcerias de Desenvolvimento Produtivo (PDPs), podem melhorar o desempenho das atividades de Pesquisa, Desenvolvimento e Inovação (PD e I) na área de fármacos e medicamentos. A relevância da pesquisa está em realizar um estudo qualitativo que contribua com estudos teóricos, quantitativos e qualitativos anteriores sobre alianças no setor farmacêutico, mas buscando ampliar esse entendimento para as PDPs, que são estratégicas para o Complexo Econômico Industrial da Saúde (CEIS) e para o atendimento das demandas da sociedade, no que se refere à produção de medicamentos para o Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Para estudar esta questão, optou-se por mapear as PDPs, no setor de biotecnologia, por ser este setor altamente complexo e dependente de conhecimento multidisciplinar, caracterizando-se pela distribuição dos conhecimentos e recursos necessários entre os agentes, e que precisa estabelecer parcerias para acessar esses recursos e buscar capacidades complementares. Destaca-se também o fato de o governo brasileiro ter escolhido o setor de biotecnologia como um dos eixos centrais de sua política industrial, por meio de diversos programas de incentivo. Para a realização do estudo, utilizou-se a metodologia de estudos de casos múltiplos. Foram selecionadas PDPs de duas organizações de grande porte e entrevistados diretores e gerentes (níveis hierárquicos 2 e 3). Concluiu-se com esse estudo que há uma relação positiva entre os acordos de parceria e o bom desempenho nas atividades PD e I das organizações envolvidas, desde que haja uma boa capacidade de gestão dos acordos por parte dos parceiros, e ainda, que a boa capacidade de gestão desses acordos aumenta a credibilidade dessas organizações, colocando-as numa posição competitiva no mercado nacional. Adicionalmente, foi possível identificar que o bom desempenho das PDPs tende a garantir a produção de medicamentos no Brasil, atendendo as demandas da sociedade e contribuindo para desenvolvimento do CEIS. Nesse trabalho, também se confirmou evidências de estudos anteriores que demonstraram a importância da relação de confiança entre os parceiros para o bom desempenho das PDPs / Highly dynamic, complex and involving high-tech environments, with knowledge and resources distributed among different agents resources, stimulate partnership agreements, which become a mean of transferring knowledge and technology, and access to complementary assets and achieve innovation. In this work, the question is how the partnership agreements and their management, more specifically, the agreements of the Productive Development Partnerships (PDPs), can improve the performance of Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) activities in the area of drugs and medicines. The relevance of the research is to conduct a qualitative study in order to contribute to previous theoretical, quantitative and qualitative studies about alliances in the pharmaceutical sector, and also to expand this understanding for PDPs, which are strategic to the Economic Industrial Complex of Health (CEIS) in Brazil, as they stimulate the domestic production of medicines to meet the Unified System of Health (SUS) demands. In order to study this issue, we choose to map the PDPs in the pharmaceutical biotechnology sector, as this is a highly complex and multidisciplinary knowledge sector, characterized by the distribution of knowledge and resources among the agents that needs to establish partnerships to access these resources and seek complementary capabilities. It is also worth to note the fact that the Brazilian government has chosen the biotechnology sector as one of the central axes of its industrial policy through various incentive programs. For this study we choose the methodology of multiple case studies. PDPs were selected from two large organizations. Directors and managers were interviewed (hierarchical levels 2 and 3). It was concluded that there is a positive relationship between the partnership agreements and the good performance in the RD&I activities of the organizations involved in this study, since there is a good management capacity of the agreements by the partners. It was also concluded that good management capacity of these agreements increases the credibility of these organizations, putting them in a competitive position in the national market. Additionally, it was possible to identify that the good performance of the PDPs tends to guarantee the production of medicines in the national market, meeting the demands of the SUS and contributing to the development of the CEIS. In this study, it was also possible to confirm the evidences from previous studies that demonstrated the importance of the trust relationship between the partners for the good performance of partnerships

Understanding Medication Self-Management Capacity among Older Adults Living in Low-Income Housing Communities ABSTRACT Background: Medication self-management capacity (MMC) is an individual’s cognitive and functional ability to self-administer a medication regimen as prescribed. Poor MMC is an issue in older adults often resulting in negative health outcomes and loss of independence. Therefore, understanding low-income older adults’ capacity to manage their medications may help identify individuals who are at risk for developing medication mismanagement and guide future intervention strategies based on an individual need to promote safe medication use and healthy aging in place in the community. Objectives: 1) To determine the cognitive and physical functional deficiencies in MMC among low-income older adults, 2) To identify variables that predict deficiencies in MMC in this population, 3) To determine the impact of using pharmaceutical aids/services on MMC, and 4) To examine the association between MMC and emergency room (ER) visits. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of older adult residents living in low-income housing buildings served by the RHWP. At a study interview, information on demographics, medical history, and medication use was collected. MMC was evaluated using the Medication Management Instrument for Deficiencies in the Elderly (MedMaIDE) tool. Cognitive and functional status, health literacy and depression symptoms were assessed. ER visits were determined retrospectively over the last six months Descriptive analyses were performed to identify cognitive and physical functional deficiencies in MMC. Linear regression analysis was conducted to identify variables that predict MMC and assess the relationship between MMC and using pharmaceutical aid/service. Logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between ER visits and MMC. Results: A total of 107 participants were included, and 89% were African-American with an average age of 68.54 years (±7.23). They had an average of 4.92 (±2.85) comorbidities and used approximately 8 (±4.12) medications on a regular basis. The mean total deficiency in medication management was 3 (±2.00) as assessed by MedMaIDE. Lacking medication knowledge was common among the participants: 69.16% could not name and 46% state the indication of all of their medications, and 38.32% did not how and when all of their medications should be taken. When controlling for ADLs and falls, the mean total deficiency score in MedMaIDE increased among those with an educational level equal to high school or less compared with participants who had a higher educational level than high school [β=1.32, 1.24, p= 0.0195, 0.0415, respectively], and participants who reported difficulty reading prescription medication labels or opening medication bottles compared with those who did not report any difficulties [β=1.18, 1.43, p= 0.0036, 0.0047, respectively]. About 20.56% of participants were receiving assistance with medications from someone, and 79.44% used at least one pharmaceutical aid/service. However, receiving assistance with medications and using pharmaceutical aid/service were not significantly associated with MMC [p= 0.5334, 0.0853, respectively]. The participants reported a total of 23 (21.5%) ER visits within six months. The adjusted model for age, educational level, number of comorbidities, and ADLs suggested that for every one-unit increase in the total deficiency score, the odds of ER visits increased by 1.23 (p=0.1809) times. Conclusion: Many older adults who lived in low-income housing had impaired capacity to manage their medications independently. They appeared to have inadequate medication knowledge, which affects their cognitive ability to manage medications. Low educational level and health literacy and reporting trouble reading labels or opening medication bottles were predictors to deficient MMC. Future studies are needed to confirm whether or not MMC predicts those who may not able to remain living independently safely or who may need additional support with medications to remain independent.

Ambientes altamente dinâmicos, complexos e que envolvam conhecimento, alta tecnologia, e recursos diversos, estimulam acordos de parcerias, que passam a ser um meio de transferência de conhecimento e tecnologia, de acesso a ativos complementares e de busca da inovação. Neste trabalho, coloca-se a questão de como os acordos de parcerias e sua gestão, mais especificamente, os acordos das Parcerias de Desenvolvimento Produtivo (PDPs), podem melhorar o desempenho das atividades de Pesquisa, Desenvolvimento e Inovação (PD e I) na área de fármacos e medicamentos. A relevância da pesquisa está em realizar um estudo qualitativo que contribua com estudos teóricos, quantitativos e qualitativos anteriores sobre alianças no setor farmacêutico, mas buscando ampliar esse entendimento para as PDPs, que são estratégicas para o Complexo Econômico Industrial da Saúde (CEIS) e para o atendimento das demandas da sociedade, no que se refere à produção de medicamentos para o Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS). Para estudar esta questão, optou-se por mapear as PDPs, no setor de biotecnologia, por ser este setor altamente complexo e dependente de conhecimento multidisciplinar, caracterizando-se pela distribuição dos conhecimentos e recursos necessários entre os agentes, e que precisa estabelecer parcerias para acessar esses recursos e buscar capacidades complementares. Destaca-se também o fato de o governo brasileiro ter escolhido o setor de biotecnologia como um dos eixos centrais de sua política industrial, por meio de diversos programas de incentivo. Para a realização do estudo, utilizou-se a metodologia de estudos de casos múltiplos. Foram selecionadas PDPs de duas organizações de grande porte e entrevistados diretores e gerentes (níveis hierárquicos 2 e 3). Concluiu-se com esse estudo que há uma relação positiva entre os acordos de parceria e o bom desempenho nas atividades PD e I das organizações envolvidas, desde que haja uma boa capacidade de gestão dos acordos por parte dos parceiros, e ainda, que a boa capacidade de gestão desses acordos aumenta a credibilidade dessas organizações, colocando-as numa posição competitiva no mercado nacional. Adicionalmente, foi possível identificar que o bom desempenho das PDPs tende a garantir a produção de medicamentos no Brasil, atendendo as demandas da sociedade e contribuindo para desenvolvimento do CEIS. Nesse trabalho, também se confirmou evidências de estudos anteriores que demonstraram a importância da relação de confiança entre os parceiros para o bom desempenho das PDPs / Highly dynamic, complex and involving high-tech environments, with knowledge and resources distributed among different agents resources, stimulate partnership agreements, which become a mean of transferring knowledge and technology, and access to complementary assets and achieve innovation. In this work, the question is how the partnership agreements and their management, more specifically, the agreements of the Productive Development Partnerships (PDPs), can improve the performance of Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I) activities in the area of drugs and medicines. The relevance of the research is to conduct a qualitative study in order to contribute to previous theoretical, quantitative and qualitative studies about alliances in the pharmaceutical sector, and also to expand this understanding for PDPs, which are strategic to the Economic Industrial Complex of Health (CEIS) in Brazil, as they stimulate the domestic production of medicines to meet the Unified System of Health (SUS) demands. In order to study this issue, we choose to map the PDPs in the pharmaceutical biotechnology sector, as this is a highly complex and multidisciplinary knowledge sector, characterized by the distribution of knowledge and resources among the agents that needs to establish partnerships to access these resources and seek complementary capabilities. It is also worth to note the fact that the Brazilian government has chosen the biotechnology sector as one of the central axes of its industrial policy through various incentive programs. For this study we choose the methodology of multiple case studies. PDPs were selected from two large organizations. Directors and managers were interviewed (hierarchical levels 2 and 3). It was concluded that there is a positive relationship between the partnership agreements and the good performance in the RD&I activities of the organizations involved in this study, since there is a good management capacity of the agreements by the partners. It was also concluded that good management capacity of these agreements increases the credibility of these organizations, putting them in a competitive position in the national market. Additionally, it was possible to identify that the good performance of the PDPs tends to guarantee the production of medicines in the national market, meeting the demands of the SUS and contributing to the development of the CEIS. In this study, it was also possible to confirm the evidences from previous studies that demonstrated the importance of the trust relationship between the partners for the good performance of partnerships

Orientador: Roberto Braga / Banca: Ana Maria Marques Camargo Marangoni / Banca: Pompeu Figueiredo de Carvalho / Resumo: Indicadores são ferramentas importantes para a tomada de decisões e para o empoderamento da população, na construção de melhores condições de vida. Sua utilização é uma forma de quantificar os resultados de ações de governo para, juntamente com análises e ações políticas, compor um método de avaliação global da gestão pública. Este trabalho teve por objetivo construir indicadores que avaliem a capacidade de gestão ambiental urbana dos governos locais das cidades médias paulistas, considerando que esta deve ser uma gestão essencialmente integrada aos demais setores da administração, desde sua estrutura administrativa até a participação da comunidade nas instâncias institucionais, garantindo avanços significativos na proteção ao meio ambiente. Foram consideradas três dimensões institucionais - normativa, participativa e financeira - para elaboração de índices parciais que, posteriormente, foram condensados em um indicador síntese, o Índice de Capacidade de Gestão - ICG, apresentado em três categorias, alta, média e baixa. Como decorrência, foi realizado o ranqueamento destas cidades. Na sua aplicação, é possível agregar informações quantitativas e qualitativas de várias dimensões, conferindo maior consistência às análises locais e regionais das cidades médias, configurando-se, portanto, como um importante subsídio ao planejamento regional e em avaliações de desempenho da gestão pública municipal. / Abstract: Indicators are important tools for decision-making and the empowerment of the population looking for better life conditions. Their use is a way to quantify the government actions results for, jointly with subjective and politics analysis, compose a method of global evaluation of the public management. The purpose of this work is to verify the possibility to construct indicators capable to evaluate the capacity of urban environmental management by local governments of São Paulo’ medium cities. Considering that must be a management essentially integrated to the others sectors of the administration, since the administrative structure up to community participation in the institutional instances, guaranteeing advancements towards environmental protection. Three institutional dimensions - normative, participatory and financial - were considered for partial index elaboration that were condensed in a synthesis indicator, the Index of Management Capacity - ICG, presented in three categories, high, medium and low, and in the ranking of medium cities. In its application, it is possible to add quantitative and qualitative informations of several dimensions, granting bigger consistency to the local and regional analysis of medium cities. Therefore, this index configuring itself as an important subsidy to the regional planning and management performance evaluations. / Mestre

The research investigates individual human resource capacity building for local governance within the context of decentralised human resource management in Thailand by profoundly examining its current implementation of recruitment, selection, training and development and performance management after the decentralisation policy was enacted. The human resource capacity building process in this research includes five stages of core capabilities building: committing and engaging, performing and accomplishing, building relationships and attracting resources, learning and adapting and managing trade-offs and dilemmas. The research firstly focuses on examining the consequences of decentralised human resource practices implementation in Thai local governance. Secondly, it aims to explore the ways in which human resource practices are supportive to individual human resource capacity building. Finally it proposes the prospective implications of effective capacity building through human resource practices for potential policy formulation. This research is based on three related theories: capacity building, human resource management and decentralisation. The research was conducted by using qualitative methodologies. The case study of Thailand was selected because of the uniqueness of its paradoxical decentralised-Unitarian state. Municipal officials were chosen as the unit of analysis. The first findings have illustrated that the decentralisation initiative has certainly affected the HRM at the local level of Thailand. However, this scheme has launched some degree of re-centralisation and partially confirms the pseudo-decentralisation in Thai public administration. Secondly, the research also found that HR practices can be supportive and compatible as a capacity building strategies. However, these HR practices must be designed, conducted and evaluated for the purposes of the local government only. The aim of capacitating individual staff must be taken into account as a part of policy to develop the human side of the organisation. Therefore, there have been both challenges and opportunities for human resource capacity building through HR practices. To conclude, this research has contributed to fill the theoretical gap by examining the capacity building processes through HR practices and it provides the practical suggestion that local context is decisive. The capacity building issue has never been investigated through human resource practices, especially recruitment and selection, training and development and performance management. Moreover, in practice, the research has focused on the development of the local government unit in a country of paradoxically decentralised-Unitarian state like Thailand.

The thesis focuses on costs incurred during the golf course construction and also on operating costs. Types of these costs and options of cost cutting are described. The final part of the thesis analyzes and models usage yield and capacity of golf courses.

Submitted by JOSIANE SANTOS DE OLIVEIRA (josianeso) on 2017-11-13T12:46:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Wagner Andreo Alledo Filho_.pdf: 2539698 bytes, checksum: 71e0aa3e1f3e430358906a6ea7551a10 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-11-13T12:46:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Wagner Andreo Alledo Filho_.pdf: 2539698 bytes, checksum: 71e0aa3e1f3e430358906a6ea7551a10 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-29 / Nenhuma / Empresas de diversos setores têm desenvolvido alianças estratégicas como forma de buscar um diferencial competitivo. Estudos recentes têm explorado a gestão de alianças e o seu desempenho, e um dos antecedentes encontrados é a importância da capacidade de gestão de alianças, que se refere à capacidade que as empresas têm de capturar, compartilhar e armazenar conhecimentos sobre gestão de alianças e aplicá-los em alianças atuais ou futuras. A literatura apresenta 3 elementos que representam a capacidade de gestão de alianças dentro das empresas, que são estruturas, processos e ferramentas dedicadas a alianças, sendo que esses elementos podem ser encontrados no nível da díade ou no âmbito interno das empresas. O entendimento de como essa capacidade se desenvolve é uma lacuna na pesquisa sobre o tema. Esse trabalho investiga como se desenvolve essa capacidade no âmbito interno da firma, através de um estudo de caso de uma empresa que alcançou essa capacidade. Por meio do uso da abordagem de pesquisa histórico-longitudinal em administração é apresentado detalhadamente como se desenvolveu essa capacidade interna e quais foram as estruturas, processos e ferramentas que a formaram. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas, análise de documentos e observação dessas dimensões na sua forma atual. Os principais resultados encontrados demonstram o processo de desenvolvimento da capacidade de gestão de alianças dentro da empresa através da importância de (1) desenvolver uma boa reputação que favoreça a criação de alianças, (2) criar estruturas independentes para gerir as alianças, (3) associar-se aos líderes para buscar o crescimento através de alianças e (4) incentivar trocas internas de experiência entre as alianças. Além disso, destaca-se (5) a comprovação de que os elementos que compõe a capacidade de gestão de alianças apresentados na literatura de fato compõe essa capacidade, pois foram encontrados na empresa analisada. No âmbito gerencial, embora não prescritivo, o processo de desenvolvimento da capacidade de gestão de alianças na empresa estudada pode servir de referência para empresas que buscam alcançar essa capacidade. / Companies from diverse sectors have developed strategic alliances to seek a competitive advantage. Recent studies have explored alliance management and performance, and one of the antecedents founded is the importance of alliance management capability, which refers to the ability of corporations to capture, share, and store alliances knowledge and apply them into current or future alliances. The literature presents three elements that represent the capacity of management of alliances within the companies, which are structures, processes and tools dedicated to alliances, and these elements can be found at the level of the dyad or at the internal level of the companies. Understanding how this capacity develops is a gap in research on the subject. This work investigates how this capacity is developed within the firm, through a case study of a company that has reached this capacity. Through the use of the research strategy with historical-longitudinal approach, it is presented in detail how this internal capacity was developed and what were the structures, processes and tools that formed it. The data were collected through interviews, analysis of documents on the development of structures, processes and structures of the company and observation of these dimensions in their current form. The main results demonstrate the process of developing alliances management capacity within the company through the importance of (1) developing a good reputation that favors the creation of alliances, (2) creating independent structures to manage alliances, (3) associate with leaders to pursue growth through alliances, and (4) encourage internal exchanges of experience among alliances. In addition, we highlight (5) the evidence that the elements that make up the alliance management capacity presented in the literature compose this capacity, since they were found in the company analyzed. At the managerial level, although not prescriptive, the process of developing alliances management capacity in the company studied can serve as a reference for companies that seek to achieve this capacity.

Understanding how small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) support their growth strategies through the development of management capacity (MC) is of fundamental importance, particularly given the central role SMEs play in the economies of their respective countries, and the fact that there is a lack of research and useful theories in this specific field. The objective of this study is to develop a framework for MC development (MCD) in growth-oriented SMEs. This study builds on grounded theory by conducting 14 interviews with key informants: 12 founders/CEOs and 2 top managers of German SMEs (and former SMEs). Data analysis was performed by using the qualitative data analysis software ATLAS.ti. The major findings of the study are that, contrary to previous SME HR research, most companies in this study had formal processes for HR practices in place, and there was clear evidence of certain forms of strategic plans, the pursuit of strategic objectives and the taking of strategic decisions manifested itself. In addition, most participants considered their organisation to have an alignment between growth strategy and MCD strategy. However, implementing it into business practice was perceived as extremely challenging. This study thus contributes to the field of SHRM literature by showing how MC is instantiated in SMEs. Furthermore, there is, arguably, a valuable practical application of the research study as it provides growth-oriented SMEs with a clear and logical framework from which to develop MC pro-actively as a major facet of their growth strategy.