The extent to which the knowledge mobilisation potential of public health networks is actually achieved in their functioning has not been previously studied. There are prescriptions from policy documents and from research literature as to the form networks in health should take and the way they should operate. However, there has been little research connecting the nature of the networks and the manner in which they function to their knowledge mobilising ability. Constituted in 2006, the Scottish Public Health Network (ScotPHN), which is the primary vehicle in Scotland for mobilising public health knowledge and informing policy and practice, constitutes the location for this study investigating this knowledge mobilisation and how networks function in public health. Feedback from the consultation conducted prior to the formation of ScotPHN was obtained. Interviews were conducted with the members of the ScotPHN steering group, a project group and the stakeholder group. Two ScotPHN steering group meetings were also attended by the author as an observer. The consultation feedback, transcripts of the interviews and those of steering group meetings were analysed using the constructivist version of the grounded theory approach. The process involved coding and abstracting codes to categories and themes. The emerging themes were reviewed in the light of existing literature on networks and knowledge mobilisation. These themes were then used to develop a model to understand how the network operates and consequently mobilises knowledge. The study shows that prior to its formation ScotPHN was expected to address the fragmentation of the public health workforce; significantly enhance links amongst existing public health networks; support ground level knowledge exchange amongst practitioners and significantly enhance multisectorial working. None of these expectations appear to have been met. ScotPHN has, however, managed to fill the gap left by the demise of the Scottish Needs Assessment Programme (SNAP). ScotPHN’s structure and the manner in which it is controlled lead to it being akin to a policy community rather than an issue network. The generic public health concerns of the steering group and the selective nature of the project group prevent it from functioning as an issue network. The dominance of people from the medical profession also causes a social closedness in the ScotPHN steering group. The limited multisectorial participation in its activities results in: a lack of constructionist learning; limited inclusion of the social context of knowledge; and a deficit of Mode 2 knowledge mobilisation. In the context of knowledge conversion there is some evidence of externalisation but no socialisation. ScotPHN is not a network that can be classed as a community of practice. This study highlights how health policies, which have advocated the establishment of networks, could derive considerable guidance from research into how networks actually function. With respect to the knowledge mobilisation activity of these networks the study finds that top-down and prescribed structures are unable to capture the transdisciplinarity and diverse intellectual frameworks that contribute to public health knowledge. It is seen that the hierarchical network structures can undermine the engagement of actors from the less represented sectors. Additionally the study finds that the established patterns of professional power and control further hinder multisectorial engagement.

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar a relação entre aspectos de governança corporativa e restrição financeira nas decisões de investimento de 500 firmas brasileiras de capital aberto no período de 1997 a 2007. Embora exista uma extensa literatura a respeito da decisão de investimento na presença da restrição financeira, estudos que relacionam este tema com aspectos de governança corporativa são ainda pouco explorados e inexistentes na literatura brasileira. Para examinar como os mecanismos de governança corporativa influenciam no grau de restrição financeira das firmas, utilizou-se do modelo probabilístico logit para dados em painel, estimado por efeito aleatório O relacionamento dos mecanismos de governança corporativa com a decisão de investimento das firmas na presença de restrição financeira foi analisado por meio de uma versão modificada do modelo acelerador do investimento, considerando três agrupamentos: índice KZ, tamanho das firmas e pagamento de dividendos. Na estimação, utilizou-se o método dos momentos generalizados (GMM) para considerar o aspecto dinâmico e corrigir o problema da endogeneidade do modelo. A análise da amostra indicou uma alta incidência da propriedade concentrada das firmas brasileiras, principalmente entre as firmas com natureza familiar. Os resultados mostraram que firmas com qualquer natureza de propriedade e controle elevam a sua probabilidade de restrição financeira quando o maior acionista último é o acionista controlador da firma, muito embora, a natureza do acionista controlador impacte a taxa de investimento das firmas de maneiras distintas. Firmas com estrutura de propriedade piramidal elevam sua probabilidade de restrição financeira. Este resultado combinado com a estimação do modelo de investimento evidencia que apenas pertencer a uma estrutura de propriedade piramidal não é suficiente para que haja transferência de recursos que aumentem os investimentos das firmas. O impacto da inserção da firma a um dos níveis diferenciados de governança corporativa da BM&FBOVESPA ou ao Novo Mercado sobre a taxa de investimento está relacionado com a situação financeira da firma. O aumento nos direitos de fluxo de caixa dos maiores acionistas últimos contribui para reduzir a sensibilidade do investimento ao fluxo de caixa, sendo que, o mesmo não foi observado para o aumento nos seus direitos de voto. / This study aims to investigate the relationship between aspects of corporate governance and financial constraints on investment decisions of 500 Brazilian public traded firms over the period of 1997-2007. Although studies of financial constraints and investment decisions are extensive in literature, its relationship with aspects of governance is little explored and inexistent for Brazilian economy. To examine how aspects of corporate governance influences the likelihood of firm\'s financial constraints, it was used the logit probabilistic model to panel data estimated by random effect. The relationship between corporate governance mechanisms and investment decisions on firm\'s financial constraints was analyzed by a modified version of accelerator investment model, considering three groups: KZ index, firm\'s size and dividends payout. In the estimation, it was used the generalized moments method (GMM) to consider the dynamic aspect and to correct the endogeneity problem in the model. The sample analysis indicated a high incidence of concentrated ownership among Brazilian firms, mainly in family firms. The results showed that firms with any type of ownership and control raises their likelihood of financial constraint when the largest ultimate shareholder is the controller of the firm, although the nature of the controlling shareholder impacts investment rate of firms in different ways. Pyramidal ownership firms also raise the likelihood of financial constraint. This result combined to results of investment model evidences that only belong to pyramidal ownership structure is not sufficient to have transfer of resources that raises the firm\'s investment rate. The impact of the association of firm\'s to BM&FBOVESPA differential levels of corporate governance or to Novo Mercado on investment rate is related to financial status of the firm. The increase in cash flow rights of the largest ultimate shareholder contributes to reduce investment-cash flow sensitivity, however, the same was not observed to the increase in voting rights.

O presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar a relação entre aspectos de governança corporativa e restrição financeira nas decisões de investimento de 500 firmas brasileiras de capital aberto no período de 1997 a 2007. Embora exista uma extensa literatura a respeito da decisão de investimento na presença da restrição financeira, estudos que relacionam este tema com aspectos de governança corporativa são ainda pouco explorados e inexistentes na literatura brasileira. Para examinar como os mecanismos de governança corporativa influenciam no grau de restrição financeira das firmas, utilizou-se do modelo probabilístico logit para dados em painel, estimado por efeito aleatório O relacionamento dos mecanismos de governança corporativa com a decisão de investimento das firmas na presença de restrição financeira foi analisado por meio de uma versão modificada do modelo acelerador do investimento, considerando três agrupamentos: índice KZ, tamanho das firmas e pagamento de dividendos. Na estimação, utilizou-se o método dos momentos generalizados (GMM) para considerar o aspecto dinâmico e corrigir o problema da endogeneidade do modelo. A análise da amostra indicou uma alta incidência da propriedade concentrada das firmas brasileiras, principalmente entre as firmas com natureza familiar. Os resultados mostraram que firmas com qualquer natureza de propriedade e controle elevam a sua probabilidade de restrição financeira quando o maior acionista último é o acionista controlador da firma, muito embora, a natureza do acionista controlador impacte a taxa de investimento das firmas de maneiras distintas. Firmas com estrutura de propriedade piramidal elevam sua probabilidade de restrição financeira. Este resultado combinado com a estimação do modelo de investimento evidencia que apenas pertencer a uma estrutura de propriedade piramidal não é suficiente para que haja transferência de recursos que aumentem os investimentos das firmas. O impacto da inserção da firma a um dos níveis diferenciados de governança corporativa da BM&FBOVESPA ou ao Novo Mercado sobre a taxa de investimento está relacionado com a situação financeira da firma. O aumento nos direitos de fluxo de caixa dos maiores acionistas últimos contribui para reduzir a sensibilidade do investimento ao fluxo de caixa, sendo que, o mesmo não foi observado para o aumento nos seus direitos de voto. / This study aims to investigate the relationship between aspects of corporate governance and financial constraints on investment decisions of 500 Brazilian public traded firms over the period of 1997-2007. Although studies of financial constraints and investment decisions are extensive in literature, its relationship with aspects of governance is little explored and inexistent for Brazilian economy. To examine how aspects of corporate governance influences the likelihood of firm\'s financial constraints, it was used the logit probabilistic model to panel data estimated by random effect. The relationship between corporate governance mechanisms and investment decisions on firm\'s financial constraints was analyzed by a modified version of accelerator investment model, considering three groups: KZ index, firm\'s size and dividends payout. In the estimation, it was used the generalized moments method (GMM) to consider the dynamic aspect and to correct the endogeneity problem in the model. The sample analysis indicated a high incidence of concentrated ownership among Brazilian firms, mainly in family firms. The results showed that firms with any type of ownership and control raises their likelihood of financial constraint when the largest ultimate shareholder is the controller of the firm, although the nature of the controlling shareholder impacts investment rate of firms in different ways. Pyramidal ownership firms also raise the likelihood of financial constraint. This result combined to results of investment model evidences that only belong to pyramidal ownership structure is not sufficient to have transfer of resources that raises the firm\'s investment rate. The impact of the association of firm\'s to BM&FBOVESPA differential levels of corporate governance or to Novo Mercado on investment rate is related to financial status of the firm. The increase in cash flow rights of the largest ultimate shareholder contributes to reduce investment-cash flow sensitivity, however, the same was not observed to the increase in voting rights.

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar os condicionantes das decisões de investimento das empresas familiares. Para tanto, utilizou-se de um referencial teórico baseado em conceitos como estrutura de propriedade e controle familiar, heterogeneidade das empresas familiares, choques exógenos causados por crises econômicas e situação de restrição financeira. Esses conceitos foram empregues com o propósito de dimensionar seus impactos nas decisões de investimento das empresas familiares listadas em bolsa nos períodos entre 2006-2016. Em termos teóricos, os investimentos foram separados em dois tipos: investimentos em CAPEX e capital circulante líquido. Embora nem todos tenham sido utilizados em todas as fases da pesquisa, esses dois tipos de investimento foram o cerne e a variável dependente da pesquisa. Outras variáveis importantes foram Empresa Familiar, bem como suas outras sete configurações, e as variáveis de interação como idade, grau de maturidade, tamanho, tangibilidade e situação financeira. Outro ponto considerado pela pesquisa foi o impacto do cenário macroeconômico sobre as decisões de investimento. Os resultados encontrados mostraram que as empresas familiares investem menos do que as empresas não familiares em CAPEX, ocorrendo o inverso para o capital circulante líquido. Isso corrobora com as análises teóricas promovidas por Anderson, Duru e Reeb (2012) e Chrisman e Patel (2012) sobre os ideais de autopreservação e aversão ao risco aos quais as empresas familiares estão sujeitas. Quanto aos períodos de choques de liquidez, as empresas familiares apresentaram quedas severas para investimentos em CAPEX e quedas menos acentuadas para o capital circulante líquido. Por fim, em relação à situação de restrição financeira e os resultados financeiros passados evidenciou-se que empresas familiares com maior tangibilidade e com resultados passados positivos investem mais do que as empresas não familiares, o que também está de acordo com a teoria sobre autoconfiança e busca pela perenidade em empresas de controle familiar. / The objective of this study was to answer the following research problem: what are the determinants of the investment decisions of family companies? To do so, the research used a theoretical framework based on concepts such as family ownership and control, the heterogeneity found in the various types of family businesses, exogenous shocks caused by economic crises and the situation of financial constraint of the companies. These concepts were used to understand how each of them impacted the investment decisions of listed companies in the period between 2006-2016. In conceptual terms, the investments were divided into two types: investments in CAPEX and working capital ratios. Although not all were used at all stages of the research, these three types of investment were at the heart and the research-dependent variable. In addition to this variable, other important variables were both the Family Enterprise variable (as well as its other seven configurations) and the variables of interaction with age, maturity level, size, tangibility and financial situation. Another point considered by the research consisted in analyzing how the macroeconomic scenario impacted investment decisions. The results found that family firms invest less than non-family firms (in all configurations) in CAPEX. However, the opposite occurs for the working capital ratios. This corroborates theoretical analyzes promoted by Anderson, Duru and Reeb (2012) and Chrisman and Patel (2012) on the ideals of self-preservation and risk aversion to which family firms are subject to making decisions involving risks and uncertainties. Comparing the results in periods of liquidity shocks, the results of the family companies showed severe declines for investments in CAPEX and less declines in working capital index. Finally, the results found when considering the situation of financial constraint and the past results provided that family companies with greater tangibility and with positive past results invest more than non-family companies, which is also in accordance with the theory on self-preservation and search for perpetuity in family businesses.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-05T19:15:18Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 15 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / O presente estudo investigou se as companhias brasileiras de capital aberto entre 1995 e 2005 coordenam as políticas de caixa e dívida para efeitos de hedging em condições de restrição financeira. E como a assimetria de direitos de controle e propriedade age sobre a substituição entre caixa e dívida entre os estados de restrição financeira e necessidade de hedging. Os resultados indicam a inexistência de um componente de hedging usando simultaneamente as políticas de caixa e dívida. Observou-se que: a propensão a gerar caixa é maior quando menor a diferença entre direitos de controle e propriedade; a sensibilidade positiva da dívida ao fluxo de caixa ocorre somente no estado de alta necessidade de hedging e está fortemente associado à ocorrência de alta concentração de propriedade e de restrição financeira; as companhias com baixa necessidade de hedging e baixa assimetria entre direitos de controle e propriedade apresentam sensibilidade do caixa ao fluxo de caixa independentemente do estado de restrição finan / This study investigated If Brazilian firms between 1995 and 2005 coordinate policies of cash and debt for the purpose of hedging in condition of financial constraint. And as the asymmetry of rights of control and ownership act on substitution effect between cash and debt in condition of financial constraint and hedging need. The results indicate the inexistence of a hedging component using both cash and debt policies. It was noted that: the incentive to save cash is greater when less difference between rights of control and ownership (wedge); the group of companies with low wedge is the group with the highest average concentration of control; that the positive cash flow sensitivity of debt only in the state of high hedging need and is strongly associated with the occurrence of high concentration of ownership and financial constraint; companies with low hedging need and high concentration of ownership present cash flow sensitivity of cash regardless of the state of financial constraint. The results are unawar

O objetivo deste estudo foi analisar os condicionantes das decisões de investimento das empresas familiares. Para tanto, utilizou-se de um referencial teórico baseado em conceitos como estrutura de propriedade e controle familiar, heterogeneidade das empresas familiares, choques exógenos causados por crises econômicas e situação de restrição financeira. Esses conceitos foram empregues com o propósito de dimensionar seus impactos nas decisões de investimento das empresas familiares listadas em bolsa nos períodos entre 2006-2016. Em termos teóricos, os investimentos foram separados em dois tipos: investimentos em CAPEX e capital circulante líquido. Embora nem todos tenham sido utilizados em todas as fases da pesquisa, esses dois tipos de investimento foram o cerne e a variável dependente da pesquisa. Outras variáveis importantes foram Empresa Familiar, bem como suas outras sete configurações, e as variáveis de interação como idade, grau de maturidade, tamanho, tangibilidade e situação financeira. Outro ponto considerado pela pesquisa foi o impacto do cenário macroeconômico sobre as decisões de investimento. Os resultados encontrados mostraram que as empresas familiares investem menos do que as empresas não familiares em CAPEX, ocorrendo o inverso para o capital circulante líquido. Isso corrobora com as análises teóricas promovidas por Anderson, Duru e Reeb (2012) e Chrisman e Patel (2012) sobre os ideais de autopreservação e aversão ao risco aos quais as empresas familiares estão sujeitas. Quanto aos períodos de choques de liquidez, as empresas familiares apresentaram quedas severas para investimentos em CAPEX e quedas menos acentuadas para o capital circulante líquido. Por fim, em relação à situação de restrição financeira e os resultados financeiros passados evidenciou-se que empresas familiares com maior tangibilidade e com resultados passados positivos investem mais do que as empresas não familiares, o que também está de acordo com a teoria sobre autoconfiança e busca pela perenidade em empresas de controle familiar. / The objective of this study was to answer the following research problem: what are the determinants of the investment decisions of family companies? To do so, the research used a theoretical framework based on concepts such as family ownership and control, the heterogeneity found in the various types of family businesses, exogenous shocks caused by economic crises and the situation of financial constraint of the companies. These concepts were used to understand how each of them impacted the investment decisions of listed companies in the period between 2006-2016. In conceptual terms, the investments were divided into two types: investments in CAPEX and working capital ratios. Although not all were used at all stages of the research, these three types of investment were at the heart and the research-dependent variable. In addition to this variable, other important variables were both the Family Enterprise variable (as well as its other seven configurations) and the variables of interaction with age, maturity level, size, tangibility and financial situation. Another point considered by the research consisted in analyzing how the macroeconomic scenario impacted investment decisions. The results found that family firms invest less than non-family firms (in all configurations) in CAPEX. However, the opposite occurs for the working capital ratios. This corroborates theoretical analyzes promoted by Anderson, Duru and Reeb (2012) and Chrisman and Patel (2012) on the ideals of self-preservation and risk aversion to which family firms are subject to making decisions involving risks and uncertainties. Comparing the results in periods of liquidity shocks, the results of the family companies showed severe declines for investments in CAPEX and less declines in working capital index. Finally, the results found when considering the situation of financial constraint and the past results provided that family companies with greater tangibility and with positive past results invest more than non-family companies, which is also in accordance with the theory on self-preservation and search for perpetuity in family businesses.

The thesis deals with economy and legal status, competency, authorities, budget, budgetary control, revenues and expenses of the municipalities in the Czech Republic. The practical part of the thesis focuses on financing, management, revenues and expenses analysis, budget observance analysis of the municipality Stary Materov in 2005 - 2009.

Le domaine de la conversion d’énergie requiert, la plupart du temps, la mise en œuvre d’études spécifiques et coûteuses pour répondre, avec les meilleures performances possibles (rendement, compacité, CEM), aux diverses applications. Afin de proposer une solution générique et évolutive, nous nous sommes intéressés à l’utilisation d’un réseau de micro-convertisseurs optimisés, de faible puissance, que l’on peut associer en série et/ou en parallèle, pour couvrir un large domaine d’applications. Dans ces conditions, un effort unique de réflexion est à porter sur le dimensionnement d’un micro-convertisseur optimisé qui joue le rôle de cellule élémentaire ou de brique de base pour l’établissement du réseau complet. Cependant, cela suppose de mettre en œuvre également une méthode de contrôle adaptée au grand nombre de micro-convertisseurs ainsi qu’une technique de communication entre tous les micro-convertisseurs, pour assurer un bon équilibrage de la puissance. L'objectif principal de cette thèse est de fournir une solution intégrée pour le contrôle à la fois des cellules de commutation internes du micro-convertisseur et du réseau lui-même. Pour y parvenir, une solution modulaire de contrôle entièrement décentralisé est proposée. Trois étapes essentielles sont alors étudiées : la génération des porteuses entrelacées, l’équilibrage des courants de phase et la régulation des grandeurs de sortie courant et/ou tension. Ces trois étapes sont abordées de manière à proposer une solution entièrement décentralisée. Plusieurs cartes de test ont été réalisées pour valider chaque fonction indépendamment. Un circuit intégré (démonstrateur), implémentant l’ensemble des fonctions nécessaires au contrôle d’un micro-convertisseur 5V-2A-1MHz, a également été conçu et testé. Les résultats expérimentaux montrent clairement la validité des solutions proposées, ce qui ouvre la voie vers un contrôle mieux adapté aux nouveaux types d’architectures multi-phasées et distribuées en réseau. / The field of energy conversion requires, in most cases, the implementation of specific and expensive studies in order to answer to various applications with the best performances of efficiency, compactness, and EMC for example. To propose a generic and scalable solution, we are interested in the use of a network of optimized micro-converters, low power, which can be combined in series and/or in parallel, to cover a wide range of applications. Under these conditions, one single effort is to focus on the design of an optimized micro-converter which plays the role of individual cell or brick base for the establishment of the complete network. However, this means also to implement a control method adapted to many micro-converters and a communication method between all micro-converters, to ensure a good balance of power. The main objective of this thesis is to provide an integrated solution for controlling both internal commutation cells of each micro-converter and the all network itself. To achieve this, a modular and fully decentralized control solution is proposed. Three essential steps are studied: the generation of interleaved carriers, the phase currents balancing and the output variables regulation (current and / or voltage). These three steps are discussed in order to propose a fully decentralized solution. Several test cards were realized to validate each function independently. An integrated circuit (demonstrator), implementing all the necessary control functions for a 5V-2A-1MHz micro-converter has also been designed and tested. The experimental results clearly demonstrate the validity of the proposed solutions, which opens the way to a control much more adapted to these new architectures of multi-phase conversion and distributed network.