RESUMO

Forty-three years after it was founded, with billions of dollars invested, the global biotech industry is still not positioned as a mature low-risk sector for the international investor com-munity. Despite the clear commercial success of a number of leading companies and overall growth of the industry's rev-enues, most biotech companies are not profi table and many fail to overcome the formidable barrier constituted by the high cost of the sector's research and development. However, over the last four years, visible signs of change have appeared, which could be harbingers of an approaching turning point in this trend.This article analyzes the historic background of the biotech in-dustry's business models and corporate structures, as well as their impact on the industry's fi nancial framework. It examines recent changes implemented by the sector's main actors-in-cluding young startups, venture capital funds and big pharma companies-to mitigate fi nancial risk associated with develop-ment of new biotechnology products.Finally, it discusses the challenges and opportunities that these tendencies entail for Cuban biotechnology development and proposes adoption of business policies more tolerant of the fi nancial risk inherent in this sector, as a condition for at-tracting venture capital. KEYWORDS Biotechnology, fund raising, risk management, entrepreneurship, Cuba.

Assuntos

RESUMO

As many countries have privatized their water industries, there is increasing interest in comparing the efficiency of public and private water and sewerage companies (WaSCs). However, previous studies have not considered that privatization can be carried out following two main approaches: fully private WaSCs, which involve the sale of utilities to the private sector, and concessionary WaSCs, in which only the operation of the services is privatized. This paper investigates, for the first time, the impact of both privatization approaches on the efficiency of WaSCs. In doing so, data envelopment analysis (DEA) was applied. However, unlike traditional models, the metafrontier concept was used in this research as it cannot be assumed that fully private and concessionary WaSCs share the same production frontier. The empirical application focused on the Chilean water industry as it was privatized from 1998 to 2004 following the two approaches described. The results suggest that the performance of fully private WaSCs is better than that of concessionary WaSCs. The conclusions of this study will be of great interest to water authorities worldwide facing the challenge of water industry privatization.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Se propone como estrategia para el control de los Trastornos Musculoequeléticos (TME) un Programa de Ergonomía Participativa (PEP). La aplicación de este programa se divide en 5 etapas: Análisis de empresa, evaluación de riesgos ergonómicos, construcción del plan de acción, ejecución del plan de acción y verificación de medidas de control. La base que sustenta al PEP es la conformación de un Grupo de Ergonomía en la empresa (Grupo Ergo), quien estará a cargo de la identificación, evaluación e implementación de medidas de control con la asesoría de un profesional de Ergonomía. Las metodologías de evaluación de riesgos a utilizar por el Grupo Ergo serán las indicadas en la Normativa Chilena (Ley 20.001 DS N°63/2005 y Decreto N°4 que modifica el DS N°594) que exigen la aplicación de las herramientas: Manual Asessments Charts (MAC) para identificar y evaluar tareas de Manejo Manual de Carga en Levantamiento-descenso, transporte, levantamiento, descenso en equipo y las tablas de Liberty Mutual para tareas de empuje y arrastre de carga; y, por otra parte, la Norma Técnica de Trastornos Musculoequeléticos de Extremidad Superior (MINSAL, 2011) establece la aplicación de una Lista de chequeo contenida en la Norma ISO 11228-3 para la identificación y evaluación de tareas que involucren movimientos repetitivos, postura, fuerza, tiempos de recuperación y factores adicionales, respectivamente. Se presenta la aplicación del PEP en una empresa del rubro industrial chileno, planteándose como objetivo cumplir con las etapas del programa en un periodo de 4 meses. Se establece como objetivo del PEP lograr implementar un 70% de las medidas consideradas denivel "simples". Los resultados reflejaron el cumplimiento de las etapas, logrando implementar un 79% de las medidas simples y un 27% de las medidas complejas. Pese a que es una experiencia primaria en Chile, se pudieron observar beneficios indirectos en la ejecución del PEP, tales como generar una cultura en la empresa respecto a temas de Ergonomía, lograr el compromiso de los ejecutivos en la implementación de las medidas de control y el cumplimiento de legislación chilena respecto a Ergonomía.

It is proposed as a strategy to control Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) Participatory Ergonomics Program (PEP). The implementation of this program is divided into 5 stages: Company Analysis, ergonomic risk assessment, construction of the action plan, implementation of the action plan and verification of control measures. The base that sustains the PEP is the creation of a Group of Ergonomics in the company (Ergo Group), who will be responsible for the identification, evaluation and implementation of control measures with the assistance of a professional ergonomics. The risk assessment methodologies to be used by Ergo Group shall be indicated in Chilean law (Law 20,001 DS No. 63/2005 and Decree No. 4 amending DS No. 594) that requires the application of tools: Manual assessments charts (MAC) to identify and evaluate tasks Burden Handling Manual lifting-lowering, transport, lifting, lowering team and Liberty Mutual tables to pushing and load dragging tasks, and, moreover, the Technical Regulations Musculoskeletal disorders Upper Extremity (MINSAL, 2011) establishes the application of a checklist contained in ISO 11228-3 for the identification and evaluation of tasks that include repetitive movements, posture, strength, recovery times and additional factors, respectively. The implementation of PEP is presented in a company of the Chilean industrial sector, setting out as objective to comply with the program steps over a period of 4 months. It sets the objective of achieving PEP implement 70% of the measures consider of "simple" level. The results showed compliance with stages, achieving 79% implement simple measures and 27% of complex measures. Although it is a primary experience in Chile, indirect benefits could be observed in the implementation of PEP, such as a culture in the company on issues of ergonomics, to achieve the commitment of the executive in the implementation of control measures and compliance with Chilean legislation on Ergonomics.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Justificado pela complexidade e importância que o processo comunicacional passou a assumir no contexto de trabalho e com os objetivos de analisar e dar maior visibilidade a este fenômeno,o presente estudo foi realizado numa empresa de grande porte do setor madeireiro de Santa Catarina. A pesquisa, que teve design de enquete e caráter qualitativo e quantitativo para analisar os dados, contou com a participação de 30 colaboradores que ocupavam cargos de liderança. Os principais resultados possibilitam perceber que os participantes reconhecem a existência de problemas na comunicação entre as pessoas e os setores que, de modo geral, estão associados à omissão, distorção e insuficiência de informações. A comunicação oral é o canal mais utilizado para a recepção/transmissão de informações. Parece não haver problemas no que diz respeito à atenção dada às pessoas durante o processo de comunicação, ou seja, elas sentem-se ouvidas; também é positiva a avaliação que fazem sobre a comunicação das orientações recebidas/transmitidas quando identificados erros ou falhas na realização das tarefas e atividades. De modo geral, conclui-se que, embora existam pontos positivos a ser ressaltados, a falta de preparo profissional dos gestores está diretamente associada aos problemas identificados. Programas de capacitação na área de mediações e interfaces comunicacionais poderiam minimizar as dificuldades identificadas e suas consequências.(AU)

Justified by the complexity and importance that the communication process has assumed in the workplace and aiming to analyze and give greater visibility to this phenomenon, the present study was conducted in a large company in the timber sector of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The study, which had survey design and qualitative and quantitative character to analyze the data, had the participation of 30 employees in leadership position. The main results allow realizing that participants recognize that there are problems in communication between individuals and departments that, in general, are associated with the omission, distortion and information insufficiency. Oral communication is the most used channel for receiving/transmitting information. There seems to be no problems regarding the attention given to people during the communication process, i.e., they feel heard; their assessment on the communication of instructions received/transmitted when errors or failures in tasks and activities are identified is also positive. Overall, it is concluded that although there are positive points to be highlighted, the lack of professional training of managers is directly related to the problems identified. Training programs in mediation and communication interfaces area could minimize the difficulties identified and their consequences.(AU)

Assuntos

RESUMO

Justificado pela complexidade e importância que o processo comunicacional passou a assumir no contexto de trabalho e com os objetivos de analisar e dar maior visibilidade a este fenômeno,o presente estudo foi realizado numa empresa de grande porte do setor madeireiro de Santa Catarina. A pesquisa, que teve design de enquete e caráter qualitativo e quantitativo para analisar os dados, contou com a participação de 30 colaboradores que ocupavam cargos de liderança. Os principais resultados possibilitam perceber que os participantes reconhecem a existência de problemas na comunicação entre as pessoas e os setores que, de modo geral, estão associados à omissão, distorção e insuficiência de informações. A comunicação oral é o canal mais utilizado para a recepção/transmissão de informações. Parece não haver problemas no que diz respeito à atenção dada às pessoas durante o processo de comunicação, ou seja, elas sentem-se ouvidas; também é positiva a avaliação que fazem sobre a comunicação das orientações recebidas/transmitidas quando identificados erros ou falhas na realização das tarefas e atividades. De modo geral, conclui-se que, embora existam pontos positivos a ser ressaltados, a falta de preparo profissional dos gestores está diretamente associada aos problemas identificados. Programas de capacitação na área de mediações e interfaces comunicacionais poderiam minimizar as dificuldades identificadas e suas consequências.

Justified by the complexity and importance that the communication process has assumed in the workplace and aiming to analyze and give greater visibility to this phenomenon, the present study was conducted in a large company in the timber sector of Santa Catarina, Brazil. The study, which had survey design and qualitative and quantitative character to analyze the data, had the participation of 30 employees in leadership position. The main results allow realizing that participants recognize that there are problems in communication between individuals and departments that, in general, are associated with the omission, distortion and information insufficiency. Oral communication is the most used channel for receiving/transmitting information. There seems to be no problems regarding the attention given to people during the communication process, i.e., they feel heard; their assessment on the communication of instructions received/transmitted when errors or failures in tasks and activities are identified is also positive. Overall, it is concluded that although there are positive points to be highlighted, the lack of professional training of managers is directly related to the problems identified. Training programs in mediation and communication interfaces area could minimize the difficulties identified and their consequences.

Assuntos

RESUMO

In Colombia, just the same as in the whole World, globalization of the market led to a large increase in importating of diverse devices. In case of devices for aesthetic use, importing a large number of different device types without adequate control of products, increases the risk of appearance of adverse events for their users. On the other hand, there are very few studies of adverse events caused by their use, or risk assessment studies. This paper presents the role of academy in defining the conditions for safety of aesthetic devices and evaluation of medical devices "Class 1", for use in aesthetics. With support of the Colombian government, the Pan American Health Organization PAHO, and the regulating entity INVIMA, we proposed a model of control and regulation of use of devices for aesthetics in order to achieve ease of classification and ensure adequate use of devices for aesthetics, and to minimize the risk for users of the technology. As a result of this model, a tool was developed to facilitate to the regulatory entity the classification and evaluation of devices for aesthetic use "Class 1", which will be implemented by the Colombian government with the support of biomedical engineers having the required knowledge and skills.

Assuntos

RESUMO

With the advent of the deep economic crisis in Argentina on 2001, the recovery of companies through to the creation of the Cooperatives Working Self-Management or Factories Recovered by its workers was constituted as one of the ways in which the salaried disobeyed the increasing unemployment. When the companies turn into recovered factories they tend to leave of side practices that have been seen like imposed by the previous organization and not understanding them as a primary condition for the execution of his tasks. Safety and ergonomics are two disciplines that are no longer considered relevant to the daily work. Therefore this investigation aims to revalue, undergo semantic to give back to a place in every organization analyzed. This research developed a self-diagnostic tool for working conditions, and the environment, present in the recovered factories.

Assuntos

RESUMO

This paper is an approach of how Kaizen (Continuous Improvement) and Ergonomics could be implemented in the field of work. The Toyota's Team Members are the owners of this job, applying tools and techniques to improve work conditions using the Kaizen Philosophy in a QCC Activity (Quality Control Circle).

Assuntos

RESUMO

This paper aims at the application of an ergonomic maturity model (EMM), in order to assess the ergonomic sustainability outreach of ergonomic actions. This proposition was motivated by the widespread sensation that the development of the discipline, its educational devices and related practices depends on the attitude of ergonomics practitioners rather than environmental macroergonomic conditions. Maturity modeling in this paper is undertaken as a tool for ergonomic practitioners. Thus, its foundations were uprooted from diverse fields: Clinic Psychology, Quality Management and Project Management. The paper brings about a detailled explanation of this ergonomic maturity tool. The empirical part is fulfilled by the examination - using the EMM - of four emblematic cases excerpted from our research lab ergonomic portfolio.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Following the technological developments and presented to the multidisciplinary processes as automakers, Volkswagen Brazil, represented by its ergonomists, through this paper, shows the importance of ergonomic efficiency of management applied to various levels of life of a product, since its creation to its final implementation on production lines.The preventive work of ergonomists during the processes leading to production of a vehicle is accomplished through assessments on a simulated system called the Digital Factory. Since the initial stages to final product delivery there is a need for a multidisciplinary aligning the concepts of ergonomics, productivity and quality of product. Industrial Engineering, Process Engineering, ergonomists and workers are involved in the analysis made through the Workshop's showing the importance of discussion between the various users of the systems. The processes of series are also equipped with a set of certifications flow of job and planned audits on items that describe processes and applied ergonomics.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Shift work (SW) can affect worker health and productivity. Working at night, workers often accumulate fatigue and are less productive. In Brazil, laws have been drafted aiming to reduce night work and rotating shift hours. In order to slash costs, companies have been looking for new arrangements to improve productivity under these conditions. The purpose of this study was to examine management changes and their outcomes in a large glass factory located in an industrial region of Brazil. The results show that the management, seeking equal productivity among shifts, focused its efforts mainly on distributing employee expertise. The arrangement resulted in 12 different groups that combine to serve three fixed shifts. A same shift can be served by more than one group, and the members of a same group share days off on different days. There was no statistically significant productivity difference among the three shifts. The on-site examination showed that part of the production was held by the workers and transferred to the next shift in order for them to be able to meet the management's performance rate requirements. The finding shows how a Brazilian cultural trait (resistance without conflict) is used to drive coping in SW.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Industrial Design encompasses both product development and optimization of production process. In this sense, Ergonomics plays a fundamental role, because its principles, methods and techniques can help operators to carry out their tasks most successfully. A case study carried out in an industry shows that the interaction among Design, Production Engineering and Materials Engineering departments may improve some aspects concerned security, comfort, efficiency and performance. In this process, Ergonomics had shown to be of essential importance to strategic decision making to the improvement of production section.

Assuntos

RESUMO

This paper presents a method for implementing multifunctional work teams in a footwear company that followed the Taylor/Ford system for decades. The suggested framework first applies a Learning Curve (LC) modeling to assess whether rotation between tasks of different complexities affects workers' learning rate and performance. Next, the Macroergonomic Work Analysis (MA) method (Guimarães, 1999, 2009) introduces multifunctional principles in work teams towards workers' training and resources improvement. When applied to a pilot line consisting of 100 workers, the intervention-reduced work related accidents in 80%, absenteeism in 45.65%, and eliminated work related musculoskeletal disorders (WMSD), medical consultations, and turnover. Further, the output rate of the multifunctional team increased average 3% compared to the production rate of the regular lines following the Taylor/Ford system (with the same shoe model being manufactured), while the rework and spoilage rates were reduced 85% and 69%, respectively.

Assuntos

RESUMO

The private security industry is often represented - and typically represents itself - as an expanding business, confident of its place in the world and sure of its ability to meet a rising demand for security. But closer inspection of the ways in which industry players talk about its past, present and future suggests that this self-promotion is accompanied by unease about the industry's condition and legitimacy. In this paper, we analyse the self-understandings of those who sell security - as revealed in interviews conducted with key industry players and in a range of trade materials - in order to highlight and dissect the constitutive elements of this ambivalence. This analysis begins by describing the reputational problems that are currently thought to beset the industry and the underlying fears about its status and worth that these difficulties disclose. We then examine how security players seek to legitimate the industry using various narratives of professionalization. Four such narratives are identified - regulation, education, association and borrowing - each of which seeks to justify private security and enhance the industry's social worth. What is striking about these legitimation claims is that they tend not to justify the selling of security in market terms. In conclusion we ask why this is the case and argue that market justifications are 'closed-off' by a moral ambivalence that attaches to an industry trading in products which cannot guarantee to deliver the condition that its consumers crave.

Assuntos

Assuntos

RESUMO

Este livro aborda os principais temas relacionados com as empresas e o meio ambiente, tais como: desenvolvimento sustentável, legislação ambiental municipal, sistemas de gestão ambiental, comércio internacional, mudança climática global e o Protocolo de Kyoto, produção mais limpa, ecoeficiência, marketing verde, responsabilidade ambiental e cidadania. Além disso, trata de questões vinculadas e que são da máxima importância para as empresas, como a responsabilidade ambiental empresarial e a relação com as comunidades locais, dando especial ênfase no papel das administrações públicas municipais. A obra apresenta estudo de caso elucidativo da relação entre a cidadania ambiental emergente e as empresas, discutindo os efeitos da ampliação do debate ecológico na tomada de posição das pessoas e as organizações não governamentais. O livro utiliza exemplos recentes de problemas ambientais, contextualizando-os em cada capítulo com os conceitos apresentados. Livro-texto para a disciplina Gestão Ambiental dos cursos de Administração, Engenharia de Produção, Engenharia Ambiental, Gestão Tecnológica Ambiental e Direito com ênfase em meio ambiente, além de outros cursos que incluem a disciplina em seus currículos plenos. Leitura complementar para disciplinas que abordem o desenvolvimento sustentável em seus múltiplos aspectos. Obra de relevante interesse também para micro, pequenos e médios empresários interessados em obter um conhecimento mais abrangente do envolvimento das empresas com a questão ambiental.

Assuntos

RESUMO

O principal propósito deste artigo é ampliar o cenário teórico atual da Saúde Mental e Trabalho. Por isso, o texto se baseia, também, nas nossas próprias contribuições para esta área nos últimos dez anos de pesquisas empíricas e teóricas, em contextos de produção industrial e de serviços. Propõe-se discutir, por meio de algumas incursões no campo da saúde mental e trabalho, as repercussões psíquicas geradas pelo trabalho contemporâneo. O artigo debate, também, aspectos teóricos e práticos das relações entre organizações do trabalho contemporâneas e a subjetividade, de acordo com a Psicodinâmica do Trabalho, em seus fundamentos teóricos na psicanálise e na tradição compreensiva das ciências hermenêuticas. Utilizamos as atuais contribuições da clínica do trabalho dejouriana para a compreensão das relações entre saúde mental e trabalho. Há, também, referências à Psicodinâmica do Trabalho aplicada em organizações contemporâneas (indústria e serviços) baseadas na proposta teórico- metodológica de Dejours.

The main purpose of this paper is to amplify the current theoretical scenery of Mental Health and Work area. Therefore, the text is also based on our own contributions to this area in the last ten years of empirical and theoretical research within the context of industrial production and services. The study discusses the psychological effects of contemporary work, by entering into the Work and Mental Health . It also discusses the theoretical and practical aspects of the relationships between contemporary work organizations and subjectivity, according to Psychodynamics of Work, based on it?s theory of Psychoanalysis and on the comprehensive tradition of hermeneutics sciences.The current contributions of the Dejourian Clinic of Work was used to understandthe relationship between mental health and work. There are also references to Psychodynamics of Work applied in contemporary organizations (industry and services) based on Dejour?s theoretic-methodological proposal.

Assuntos

RESUMO

This study aimed to identify determinants of health in workers of plastic industries. Production organization, machinery from maintenance and productive areas, and workers' characteristics of 14 plastic industries from Greater Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil, were described. Data were collected about development policy of each company; marketing, operational procedures; production and quality requirements, and formal rules of work organization. High strain management techniques for production time reduction have been implemented. The increase of work rhythm, reduction of break time, and a situation of high cognitive demand impose to workers anomalous body positioning for performing tasks that imply repetitive movements. Physical and psychosocial demands (repetitive work, lower control of the worker on his own tasks, time pressure and job dissatisfaction) compose a complex of conditions adverse to workers' health. Changes in production management, personnel and business impose new strains into the development of task by the workers and bringing in new risk factors to workers' health.

Assuntos

RESUMO

Buscou-se identificar possíveis determinantes de efeitos na saúde dos trabalhadores em indústrias plásticas. Descreve-se a organização da produção, trabalhadores e maquinário das áreas de produção e manutenção de catorze indústrias plásticas da Região Metropolitana de Salvador. Coletaram-se dados sobre política de desenvolvimento de cada empresa, mercado, procedimentos operacionais, exigências de produção e de qualidade e as regras formais da organização do trabalho. Implementam-se técnicas de gestão com forte exigência de redução do tempo da produção. O aumento do ritmo do trabalho, a redução de pausas e uma situação de alta demanda cognitiva impõem aos trabalhadores posturas anômalas para execução das tarefas com movimentos repetitivos. Demandas físicas e psicossociais (trabalho repetitivo, baixo controle dos trabalhadores sobre suas tarefas, pressão de tempo e insatisfação no trabalho) compõem um universo de condições desfavoráveis para a saúde de trabalhadores. Mudanças na gestão da produção, de pessoal e dos negócios impõem novas exigências aos trabalhadores no desenvolvimento das tarefas, configurando novos fatores de risco para a saúde dos trabalhadores.

This study aimed to identify determinants of health in workers of plastic industries. Production organization, machinery from maintenance and productive areas, and workers' characteristics of 14 plastic industries from Greater Salvador, Bahia State, Brazil, were described. Data were collected about development policy of each company; marketing, operational procedures; production and quality requirements, and formal rules of work organization. High strain management techniques for production time reduction have been implemented. The increase of work rhythm, reduction of break time, and a situation of high cognitive demand impose to workers anomalous body positioning for performing tasks that imply repetitive movements. Physical and psychosocial demands (repetitive work, lower control of the worker on his own tasks, time pressure and job dissatisfaction) compose a complex of conditions adverse to workers' health. Changes in production management, personnel and business impose new strains into the development of task by the workers and bringing in new risk factors to workers' health.

Assuntos

RESUMO

In Brazil most Construction and Demolition Waste (C&D waste) is not recycled. This situation is expected to change significantly, since new federal regulations oblige municipalities to create and implement sustainable C&D waste management plans which assign an important role to recycling activities. The recycling organizational network and its flows and components are fundamental to C&D waste recycling feasibility. Organizational networks, flows and components involve reverse logistics. The aim of this work is to introduce the concepts of reverse logistics and reverse distribution channel networks and to study the Brazilian C&D waste case.

Assuntos