Intranät skapar frihet inom en organisation då tid och rum inte påverkar distributionen av information. Men intranätet ställer krav på medarbetaren som själv måste förse sig med information som är relevant för sitt arbete. För att medarbetare ska kunna använda intranätet som ett stöd i det dagliga arbetet krävs rätt förutsättningar. Tillgång, kunskap och ålder är exempel på faktorer som kan påverka användning och attityd. Det bör ligga i organisationens intresse att fånga upp medarbetarnas perspektiv för att kunna förbättra intranätet i takt med intranätets utvecklingsfaser som just nu är i fas fyra, intranät 2.0. Denna studie undersöker därför medarbetares användning och attityd till intranätet på ett stålföretag och om det finns förutsättningar för intranät 2.0.  För att undersöka medarbetarnas användning av och attityder till intranätet och förutsättningar för intranät 2.0 valde vi att genomföra en kvantitativ enkätundersökning på stålföretaget Uddeholm. Det saknas forskning om intranät ur ett medarbetarperspektiv och forskning på industriföretag. Vår undersökning bidrar till förståelse i hur medarbetarna använder intranätet och vilken attityd de har till intranätet. Vi har även undersökt skillnader mellan yrkesgrupperna kollektivanställda och tjänstemän. Det framkom att intranätet används i stor utsträckning av båda yrkesgrupperna. Funktionerna som de använder främst är att läsa nyheter, beställa matlåda och söka medarbetare. När det gäller attityd kunde vi inte heller där identifiera några större skillnader utan båda yrkesgrupperna anser att intranätet är funktionellt, innehållet är tillräckligt och de ser intranätet som en bra tillgång i deras arbete.  Vår studie undersöker också om det finns förutsättningar ur ett medarbetarperspektiv att implementera intranät 2.0. Studien presenterar en modell som vi arbetat fram med stöd från teorier inom organisationskommunikation och medie- och kommunikationsvetenskap. Vår modell kan ge en grundförståelse för om förutsättningarna för intranät 2.0 är bra eller dåliga ur ett medarbetarperspektiv. Modellen består av tre faktorer med motsatsförhållanden. Genom att placera in medarbetarnas preferenser och inställning till dessa faktorer; distribution, kontroll och attityd kan man avgöra om förutsättningarna för intranät 2.0 är bra eller dåliga. Studien visar att förutsättningarna varierar beroende på faktor.

India has become the second largest supplier of foreign-educated nurses in the U.S. The annual inflow of India-educated nurses has been increasing till 2008. The trend, however, reversed ever since the peak year. Three major events – the 2008 financial crisis, changes in the format of the NCLEX exam for registered nurses, and the adoption of WHO Code of Practice – are analyzed to understand the turning point in 2008 and the recent trend of nurse migration. Unemployment rate, health sector expenditure, exam pass rate and the behavior of recruitment agencies will be discussed to examine the impact of the three events on the push and pull factors driving international migration of nurses. The study found that the financial crisis and changes made to NCLEX exams reduced migration flow by weakening the pull factors while the impact of the adoption of WHO Code of Practice is not clear.

Orientador: José Luiz Pinheiro Melges / Resumo: A indústria do cimento Portland é responsável direta por uma carga de poluentes de significativo dano ambiental. Os Concretos Ativados Alcalinamente (CAA) são matrizes compostas por um ativador alcalino e um aglomerante alternativo. O material comumente utilizado para a ativação alcalina é o silicato de sódio, cuja fabricação também se mostra como ambientalmente nociva. O silicato de sódio, junto ao cimento Portland, podem ser dispensados, uma vez que a produção do ativador pode se dar através de um composto rico em silício (materiais pozolânicos no geral), sendo a cinza da casca de arroz (CCA) o instrumento de estudo do trabalho apresentado, e a soda cáustica como fornecedora de sódio (meio alcalino). Os concretos CAA foram definidos conforme o parâmetro ξ (CAA-ξ), que representa a relação molar entre SiO2 e Na2O, com as variações ξ = 1,2, ξ = 1,6 e ξ = 2,0, esta última representando o concreto ativado alcalinamente com maior taxa de CCA. Este trabalho tem como intuito a avaliação das propriedades mecânicas dos concretos CAA, comparando-as, em seguida, com duas tipologias de concreto com cimento Portland CPV-ARI, com distintos fatores água cimento (0,45 e 0,55). A variação na relação a/c teve como intuito a análise de duas referências com valores diferentes de fck. Os resultados demonstram que a resistência à compressão axial e diametral (sete dias de cura) para os concretos CAA se encontraram na faixa de 25 a 30 MPa, e de 1,5 a 3,5 MPA, respectivamente. Não foram observados... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The Portland cement industry is directly responsible for a load of pollutants of significant environmental damage. Alkali-Activated Concrete (AAC) is a matrix with prior activation and alternative binder. The catalyst material commonly used for prior activation is the sodium silicate, the manufacture of which is also environmentally harmful. Sodium silicate, together with Portland cement, can also be dispensed with, since the activator can be produced through a silicon-rich compound (pozzolanic materials in general), with the rice husk ash (RHA) being the instrument of study of the work presented, and caustic soda as a supplier of sodium. The AAC concretes were defined according to the parameter ξ (AAC- ξ), which represents the molar ratio of SiO2 and Na2O, with the variations ξ = 1.2, ξ = 1.6 and ξ = 2.0, the latter representing the AAC with higher RHA rate. This work intends to evaluate the mechanical properties of AAC, comparing them to two types of concrete with ordinary Portland cement with high early resistance, with different water cement factors (0.44 and 0.55). The variation in the water/binder mass ratio was intended to analyze two references with different values of compressive strength class. The results demonstrate that the axial and diametric compression strength (seven days cure) for the AAC concretes were in the range of 25 to 30 MPa, and of 1.5 to 3.5 MPA, respectively. There were no significant gains in the transition between the ages of 7 and 28 days, and 2... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Mestre

The main inquiry for this research is to identify the reasons that contribute to customer switching intention decisions. In addressing this enquiry, two theories - the theory of migration and theory of planned behaviour - were identified as the theoretical framework underpinning the study. Two main objectives of the study were (i) to identify the push-pull and mooring factors and (ii) to measure the relationship between the push-pull and mooring factors towards switching intention. The investigation focused on the impact of with push-pull-mooring factors on switching intention. Early research into switching behaviour studies focused largely on variables that contribute to the switching intention decision, mainly due to the critical incidents encountered by customers that push them from their origin or pull them to another destination or mooring factors that might inhibit or mitigate their switching decision. In view of this, a combination of push-pull and mooring variables were used to measure the switching intention behaviour. A multiple method approach was used to study the issues in two different stages. In the first stage qualitative data collection was used to support and confirm the identification of factors from the literature. For the main quantitative methods, using a hypothetical deductive testing approach, this study (N=2018) used survey data collected via a self-administered, voluntary online survey, to develop switching intention behaviour model. The results indicated that situational factors, positive attachments, perceived switching benefits, positive attitudes towards switching and positive beliefs of others towards switching emerged as consistent push factor while availability of alternatives emerged as the pull factors. Interestingly poor pricing, poor service incidents, positive ability to switch and switching barriers were not supported in this study indicating that there is no relationship between poor pricing, poor service incidents, positive ability to switch and switching barriers towards switching intention.

Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Industrial e Gestão. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 2010

Estágio realizado na Bosch Termotecnologia, S. A. e orientado pelo Eng.º João Matos / Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Mecânica. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 2009

Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Industrial e Gestão. Universidade do Porto. Faculdade de Engenharia. 2011

Estágio realizado na Bosch Car Multimedia Portugal e orientado pelo Eng.º Luís Lobo / Tese de mestrado integrado. Engenharia Industrial e Gestão. Faculdade de Engenharia. Universidade do Porto. 2009

No description available.

This thesis focuses on the characterization and optimization of microwave power transistors using a commercial on-wafer harmonic load pull system. Specific attention is paid to the output tuning of the second harmonic impedance presented to the device. The ability to quantify the level of accuracy in a load pull system is explored by using various calibration validation methods, including a method called Delta-Gt. In this work experiments and simulation comparisons are described for three different device technologies, namely GaAs pHEMT, GaAs HJFET and InGaP HBT. Externally supplied non-linear models were used for the simulations and these were exercised and compared against 2.45 GHz fundamental frequency measurements made as part of this work to first validate the models against IV, S-Parameter and fundamental load-pull data and finally to explore performance variations under 2nd harmonic impedance tuning. The measured harmonic load-pull data pointed to different guidance on how one would match the 2nd harmonic for best performance. With regard to the model validation/assessment work it was found that only in the case of the pHEMT did the available non-linear model provide a good fit to all the different types of measurement data, including 2nd harmonic tuning data. This model was then used to show that even though the 2nd harmonic tuning measurement had a limited maximum reflection coefficient of about 0.8. Simulated results showed that the worst case linearity condition occurred for the same reflection angle as that measured, but that the variation between worst-case and best case linearity under 2nd harmonic tuning grows considerably larger as the magnitude of the 2nd harmonic reflection coefficient approaches 1. A key aspect of the methodology presented in this work is that once a non-linear model is proved to be valid for harmonic tuning conditions it can be used to explore harmonic tuning-related design trade-offs under a much wider range of frequency and tuning conditions than can be practically explored with measurements alone.